Weitere ähnliche Inhalte Ähnlich wie Hospitable habitat 2010 (20) Kürzlich hochgeladen (20) Hospitable habitat 20101. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND
2. Hospitable Habitat
Providing for Ground-living
Creatures
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
February 7th & 10th, 2010
© Project SOUND
4. First, you need to know a little bit about
the lizards you can hope to attract
Southern Alligator
Lizard
Western Fence Lizard
California Legless
Lizard
The trick is to supply a safe environment that provides
what they need to thrive – in short a habitat
© Project SOUND
6. Alligator Lizard is well-named
Large, smooth scales
Long alligator-like snout
Longitudinal fold on each
side of the body
© Project SOUND
7. Take on color of
their surroundings
Size:
Up to seven inch body
May have a tail nearly twice
the length of its body, making
http://www.wildherps.com/species/E.multicarinata.html the largest individuals 21
inches from end to end.
A regenerated tail is shorter
and usually a different color
from the rest of its body.
Coloration:
Varies from brown to yellow
ochre.
Adults are marked with dark
crossbands, while juveniles are
not.
Newly molted individuals can
be very brightly colored
© Project SOUND
8. © 2004 Pierre Fidenci
Alligator Lizards, especially the males, have large, triangular-
shaped heads, giving them a formidable appearance. The large
head and long, snake-like body make a chance encounter in the
woodpile, or under a shrub, startling, to say the least.
They can bite – but they don’t really want to
© Project SOUND
9. The Southern Alligator Lizard's
range extends from WA to
central Baja California. In
southern California
Alligator lizards are found in
almost any natural habitat in
California (except most of the
deserts and very high
elevations.) but most frequently
throughout the coastal plains
Active during daylight, they are
frequently seen moving on the
ground, and occasionally up in
bushes. They are also often
found underneath debris, beach
driftwood, and near human
settlements.
Alligator lizards do not typically
bask in the sun out in the open
or on top of a rock like many
other lizard species. They seem
to prefer sunny spots with some
cover nearby.
© Project SOUND
10. The Southern Alligator Lizard is often
seen in yards and gardens, sometimes
out in the open or in the garage, but
usually under piles of wood, rock, or
other debris. Don't be surprised to
find them on your porch or patio – or
garage.
Their diet includes various insects,
small animals such as young mice and
birds, tree frogs, and even other
lizards. Eats a variety of small
invertebrates. Will also eat small
lizards and small mammals. Feed mainly
on arthropods, snails, and occasionally
eggs
After the May mating season, up to 20
eggs can be laid in June or July. The
incubation period is about 55 days,
after which the hatching yields tiny
individuals, rarely more than three
inches long from nose to tail.
© Project SOUND
11. Guidelines for creating habitat for ground-dwellers
Provide dense shrub/grass cover –perching, cover &
nest sites
Provide a brush pile/logs for cover
© Project SOUND
13. Saltbushes : Habitat plants par excellance!
Foliage
Attract beneficial insects to the garden
- lacewings, ladybugs, and hoverflies
Many weird and fun insects – good
plants for insect-watching
Attract butterflies (larval food for
some sootywing skippers)
Fall/winter/spring browse for deer, elk
Dense cover for birds, rabbits, just
about any ground-dweller
Seeds
Very nutritious food source – high in
protein
Eaten by many creatures (including
humans): don’t fertilize if you plant to
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/atrlen/plant.jpg
eat them – takes up & stores many
metals © Project SOUND
15. * Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
http://www.perennialfavoritesnursery.com/native_a-f.html
© Project SOUND
16. * Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
A plant of western U.S.
Dry places from N. Dakota to
Mexico
Usually in deserts or dry
shrublands/steppe, short-grass
prairie
In CA, in dry foothills, deserts
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242100016
(Great Basin, Mojave & Sonoran)
Locally in dry foothills of the
San Gabriel’s – interior Coastal
Sage Scrub (Antelope Valley;
Sunland)
Mojave Desert (Lancaster);
Wide range soils, temperature,
etc. – very tough & adaptable
Several varieties
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3084,3089,3095 © Project SOUND
17. This is a plant you’ve no doubt seen….
© 2004 Steven Perkins
© Project SOUND
18. Four-wing Saltbush: manageable sized shrub
Size:
3-6 ft tall; usually 4-5
4-8 ft wide; can be pruned
Growth form: extremely variable
Mounded woody shrub; old wood
very tough
Very densely branched
Quite long-lived – 50+ years
Foliage:
Gray-green; silvery with
extruded salt; drought deciduous
Branches gray to white
Leaves small, leathery
Roots: long (to 40 ft) taproot +
shallow laterals; very drought tol. –
resents moving after established
© Project SOUND
http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/saltbush.html
19. Flowers are understated…
Blooms: usually summer to late fall;
may be as early as Apr. or as late as
Nov.
Flowers:
Dioecious (separate male &
female plants) but sometimes
monoecious
Flowers remind of Artemisia;
small flowers on stalks
Seeds:
If planting, be sure to keep dry
seeds for 1 yr. ‘ripening’ to
improve germination
Vegetative reproduction:
sprouting from younger wood
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html Project SOUND
©
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens
20. Seedpods, however,
are showy
Dry pods remain on plants
until stripped off by wind
or eaten by animals – very
nutritious
Pods have ‘4 wings’ –
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html
hence the common name
Very unusual & can be
showy in good years
1 large hard seed per pod
Role of fungi in
germination process
© Project SOUND
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg
http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages2/gilaflora/a_canescens3.jpg
21. An easy care plant Soils:
Texture: well-drained; sandy
soils are best
pH: any local including alkali
(pH 8.0-9.5)
Tolerates salty soils, water
Light:
Full sun to some shade
Water:
Winter: usually rain will suffice
– don’t over-water
Summer: best in Zone 2 in
gardens (occasional water) –
needs to be under some water
stress
http://sep.csumb.edu/class/ESSP303/2008/plants.htm Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils –
too rich can kill
Branches are brittle – no foot traffic
© Project SOUND
22. Pruning Saltbushes - easy
In the wild, are eaten back
extensively by deer, elk,
rabbits
In the garden, you are the
browser – with your pruners
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg Trim back about 1/3 the
length of branches in fall for a
neat look
don’t cut back into old wood –
prune like a Salvia
will rejuvenate the plant
Can also hedge-shear
For best habitat value, leave
some branches at the base –
i.e., leave it pruned as a shrub
© Project SOUND
http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/grass_weeds/wingscale.htm
23. Four-wing Saltbush used
extensively in Southwestern
As a shrub in commercial plantings
– low maintenance/little water
Excellent water-wise hedge
In plants with a desert plant
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens
palette – used like Salvias or
Coyote Bush - silvery color
For erosion control
As a fire-retardant plant – with a
little summer water
For re-claiming mine tailings &
other environmental problems
Also used as dye plant (yellow &
‘Navajo Black’ & medicine (emetic)
http://www.delange.org/FourwingSaltbush/FourwingSaltbush.htm © Project SOUND
24. KEEPING LIZARDS OUTDOORS
To prevent lizards from entering the home, seal all
openings 1/4 inch and larger.
Check areas such as corners of doors and windows,
around water pipes, electrical service entrances,
ventilation screens, water pipes, etc.
Tight-fitting door seals, with no gaps at the edges, are
important prevention measures.
Unlike rats and mice, lizards cannot gnaw through
wood and other common building materials.
A number of materials can be used to seal access
points, including insulating foam, caulking, flashing,
and steel wool.
© Project SOUND
25. Lycium species – the Boxthorns -
are also excellent habitat shrubs
Dense, thorny foliage – good for
perching, hiding & nesting
Flowers
Fruits – eaten by birds, ground-
dwellers – high in vitamin C (in
Solanaceae,
like tomatoes)
© Project SOUND
26. California Boxthorn – Lycium californicum
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Lycium_californicum.html
© Project SOUND
27. Right at home on
the bluffs…
Fine with salty soils,
salt-spray, high winds
& blowing sand
Habitat is
disappearing – on
CNPS ‘rare’ watch list
© 2004 Michael Charters
© Project SOUND
29. Wolfberry – Lycium andersonii
Plant of Southwestern deserts
and desert foothills
Locally in Mojave Desert – tho’ a
report from PV
Dry, stony hills, mesas in desert
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Lycium_andersonii
and creosote bush scrub – usually
along washes
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7636,7637
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College © Project SOUND
30. Charles Lewis Anderson, M.D. – a man
with a passion for Nevada plants
Name commemorates Charles Lewis Anderson, MD (1827-
1910). Anderson practiced medicine in Carson City NV during
the years 1862-1867.
Amazingly, in spite of all of his other endeavors, he found
the time to pursue his lifelong interest in botany. He was one
of the very first botanists to collect extensively in Nevada
Many of the plants he collected turned out to be new to
science when examined by Asa Gray of Harvard, to whom
Anderson sent all his Nevada specimens.
Anderson wrote the first flora of Nevada, and in its
introduction observed: "the country is as rich in vegetable
novelties as it is at all times in mineral wealth."
© Project SOUND
31. Wolfberry is a typical Boxthorn – all quite similar looking
Size:
usually 4-6 ft tall; to 10-12 ft
to 10 ft wide; slow – probably long-
lived, even in water-wise gardens
Growth form:
Mounded woody shrub
Very densely branched – good cover;
thorns
Foliage:
Small, fleshy leaves – larger with some
water
Very different look from other foliage
– nice accent plant
Roots: deep; surface roots also – typical
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
desert shrub; re-sprouts after fire or
major damage/pruning
© Project SOUND
33. Flowers make the
desert bloom
Blooms: in spring (Mar-May);
depends on timing of winter rains
Flowers:
Purple to white
Small – but very nice shape &
lots of them - showy
Good hummingbird plant
© Project SOUND
34. Fruits – think tomato
Were used extensively as food
by native desert peoples: only
eat fully ripe fruits
Raw
Dried – raisin fashion
Cooked for a sauce
Dried and used as flavoring for
soups, stews
Dried as a ‘leather’
Very high in vitamins A, C and
E, flavanoids and other bio-
active compounds. Fairly good
source of essential fatty acids,
which is fairly unusual for a
fruit.
Birds and small animals eat
http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos/bendcollections/images/Lycium%20andersonii_JPG.jpg
fruits & seeds – desert
packrats store them
© Project SOUND
35. Soils:
Easy to grow with Texture: must be well-drained –
benign neglect sandy or gravelly is best
pH: any local is fine
Fine with salty soils, water,
maritime exposures
Light:
Full sun is best
Will take light shade (or some
afternoon shade) in hot gardens
Water:
Winter: rains usually suffice;
don’t over-water in clay soils
Summer: quite drought
tolerant; looks best in Zone1-2
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lycium_andersonii
to 2 in garden setting
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils –
remember, it’s a desert plant
© Project SOUND
36. Garden uses for
Boxthorns
Water-wise hedges
As an accent plant; flowers &
foliage, red fruits
As a container plant
As all-round good habitat
© 1998 Larry Blakely plants: food, cover, nest
sites.
© Project SOUND
38. Fence Lizards are sometimes called ‘Bluebellies’
2-4 inch body (snout-vent length);
total length of about 8-9 inches
Brown to black in color (the brown
may be sandy or greenish)
Most distinguishing character is
their bright blue belly; ventral side
of the limbs are yellow.
Also have a blue patch on their
throat. This bright coloration is
faint or absent in both females and
juveniles.
Gold-speckled
one from PV
© Project SOUND
39. Probably our most
commonly seen lizard
Found in a wide variety of open,
sunny habitats, including
woodlands, grasslands, scrub,
chaparral, forests, along
waterways, next to ponds, and
around suburban dwellings.
Diurnal. Often seen basking in
the sun on rocks, downed logs,
trees, fences, and walls.
Active when temperatures are
warm, becomes inactive during
periods of extreme heat or
cold. Probably active all year
when temperatures are
favorable and there is sun for
basking.
http://www.wildherps.com/species/S.occidentalis.html
© Project SOUND
40. Some people are a little afraid of lizards…
The Western fence lizard eats beetles, flies,
caterpillars, ants, other insects, and spiders.
If you're bigger than the lizard, it is a friend. -
If the lizard is bigger than you....run!
© Project SOUND
41. Interesting fact…lizards are indeed our friends
Western Fence Lizards may reduce the incidence
of Lyme Disease in their range! It has recently
been discovered that when infected ticks feed on
the blood of these lizards, the Lyme disease
spirochetes they carry are destroyed. In areas
with Western Fence Lizards, about 5 percent of
ticks carry the disease, while in other areas 50
percent of ticks harbor the disease.
—Reported by the NY Times News Service, April 19, 1998.
© Project SOUND
42. A word about cats..
http://hannahgreenfield.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/bobcat.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/griff42/image/48377834
Western Fence Lizards commonly sun themselves
on paths, rocks, and fence posts, and other high
places. Unfortunately, this behavior makes them
an easy target to predation by snakes, birds, and
even some mammals, like cats. They protect
themselves by employing their fast reflexes,
which is common in many other lizards. © Project SOUND
43. Guidelines for creating habitat
Provide sunning spots – with cover close by
Leave some areas relatively ‘human-free’ for most of the day
© Project SOUND
45. Chamise – Adenostoma fasciculatum
Foothills of CA south to Baja
– including Channel Islands
Dry slopes & ridges;
chaparral & mesas below
5,000 ft.
Most common chaparral
species throughout the
foothills and coastal
mountains of California -
present in ~ 70% of
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Adenostoma+fasciculatum
California chaparral.
Also called ‘Greasewood’
© Project SOUND
46. Typical Chaparral site with Chamise
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum
48. Chamise – a typical Chaparral shrub
Size:
6-10+ ft tall & wide
size really depends in water
Growth form:
Dense, mounded shrub – excellent
cover plant for habitat
Many stiff branches; bark is red-
brown (young) to peeling-gray
(older wood) – wood ‘greasy’
Steven Perkins @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Foliage:
Leaves needle-like – in bundles
(fascicles) – hence the name
‘fasciculatum’
Aromatic; can be deciduous in
drought
Roots: sprouts from a burl after fires
– rejuvenation pruning
© 2008 Thomas Stoughton
© Project SOUND
49. Chamise and other Chaparral shrubs –
born to burn
Small, dry, resinous
leaves
Shreddy bark
Oily wood
Dead branches
Ability to re-sprout
readily from a
sprouting stem/root
(the burl)
© 2008 BonTerra Consulting
In nature, Chamise burns every 10-40 years; stems older than about 50
years are exceedingly rare, but individual plants may be quite old
© Project SOUND
50. Flowers - really showy
Blooms: any time from Feb-June;
usually April-May in the Madrona
Native Plant Garden
Flowers:
Small, tubular white/cream
flowers
5 petals – looks like member
of Rose family
Blooms clustered on long
flowering branches – literally
1000’s of blooms
Attracts insect pollinators
Seeds:
Hard coats – require acid
scarification or brief
exposure to heat.
© Project SOUND
51. Chamise is one Soils:
Texture: any as long as it is
tough shrub fairly well-draining
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun
Water:
Winter: don’t over-water
Summer: very drought
tolerant, but better with
occasional summer water (Zone
1-2 or 2) – keeps it green
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: pinch low-growing forms
to keep low – will need severe
pruning to rejuvenate – you’re the
‘fire’
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/chamise.html
© Project SOUND
52. Chamise: might be right
for your garden
Excellent choice for slopes –
good erosion control
Brightens up an area in bloom
Nice background plant –
interesting foliage shape, color
Can be hedged or used as a
screen
Of course, a great cover plant
for all sorts of ground-
dwellers – birds, lizards, small
mammals (rabbits, etc.).
Teas/salves from foliage/bark
used for skin infections;
branches for arrow shafts
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum
53. Low-growing variety & cultivars
make nice woody groundcovers
‘Black Diamond’
Dark green foliage
Low-growing; can be used as a
groundcover or bonsai
‘Black Diamond’ ‘San Nicolas’
Truly prostrate form from San
Nicolas Island
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/3358077566/in/set-72157621930969588/
Adenostoma fasciculatum var. prostatum
© Project SOUND
55. Identifying your CA Towhee
Length: 7.25 inches
Conical bill
Dark eye
Brown crown
Buffy throat
© 2007 Ron Wolf Black ring of spots on
breast
Pale gray underparts
Brown upperparts
Rusty undertail coverts
Long tail
Juvenile (Spring to Fall)
© 2008 Kim Cabrera
heavily streaked below
© Project SOUND
56. Habitat for CA
Towhee
Preferred habitats include shady
underbrush, open woods, pinyon-
juniper woodlands, and suburban
gardens.
Likes dense cover and leaf litter.
Leaf litter is good for many
birds as well as most California
native plants.
The California Towhee forages in
the leaf litter by scratching,
with both feet at once, in a fast
hopping motion.
They feed on seeds and insects
within the leaf litter or
occasionally on berries or seeds
in bushes.
© Project SOUND
57. Guidelines for creating habitat
Let native plants go to seed or fruit
Leave leaf litter if possible. Provides a home for insects – food
for ground-dwellers
© Project SOUND
59. * Parajo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos pajaroensis
Endemic to Santa Cruz and
Monterey counties in the
Monterey Bay region
Maritime chaparral on deep
to shallow, sandy soils or
sandstone outcroppings -
sometimes on edges of Oak
Woodlands
Used as one parent in
several horticultural hybrid
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Arctostaphylos+pajaroensis
cultivars – very attractive
foliage
© Project SOUND
60. Parajo Manzanita – exceptionally attractive
Size:
4-8+ ft tall
6-8 ft wide
Growth form:
Woody shrub/small tree
Mounded/sprawling to erect
Typical red bark
evergreen
Foliage:
Leaves dense, somewhat
erect
Color: blue-green – with red-
orange tips to new growth
Very attractive-looking
© Project SOUND
61. Flowers are fantastic –
of course!
Blooms: winter - usually Dec-Feb
in western L.A. Co.
Flowers:
Typical small flowers of
manzanita – urn-shaped
Light to darker pink
Thousands at one time – this is
among the showier flowerers
Hummingbird magnet
Fragrant!
Fruits:
Edible
Loved-by fruit-eaters of all
sorts
© 2004 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
62. Soils:
Plant Requirements Texture: likes a sandy soil –
comes form N. CA coast
pH: very slightly acid best – 6.0-
7.0
Light:
Full sun to part-shade
Water:
Winter: don’t over-water
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/
Summer: best with occasional
water (Zone 1-2 or 2), but quite
drought tolerant near coast
Fertilizer: none; use an organic
mulch
Other: looks best with little
pruning, but can be shaped – even
kept below 3 ft.
© Project SOUND
63. Parajo Manzanita is great for
coastal gardens
Prune up for a small, dense tree –
good nesting sites
Use as a specimen/accent shrub
– very attractive year-round,
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-pajaroensis-paradise-manzanita
with sculptural shape
As an all-round habitat plant –
winter nectar, fruits and cover-
nest sites
Has an ‘old-fashioned look’ –
perfect for Edwardian or
Victorian garden
Nice addition to a scent garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/
64. ‘Sunset’
Hybrid - A. pajaroensis x A. hookeri
ssp. hookeri
Very colorful new foliage
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/
Low-growing – to about 3-4 ft
Chosen for garden hardiness
http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
© Project SOUND
65. ‘Myrtle Wolf’
Naturally occurring
cultivar
Particularly attractive
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/waterwise/images/05_Arctostaphylos-cv-MWolf5.jpg
Bright/dark pink flowers
Light blue-green foliage
4-5 ft tall & wide
Takes a little more heat
– good for hot banks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/
© Project SOUND
66. ‘Paradise’
Naturally
occurring cultivar
from Regional
Parks Botanic
Garden
5-6 ft tall; 6-10
ft wide
Exceptional new
foliage color
Needs very good
drainage
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_a/arcpajpar.html
http://drystonegarden.com/ © Project SOUND
67. ‘Warren Roberts’
Very dense, blue-green foliage
Upright habit – good for small
tree – 6 ft tall, 10 ft wide
Slate-blue/green foliage – really
nice color
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/ © Project SOUND
68. ‘Lester Rountree’
Hybrid: A. parajoensis X
? A. obispoensis
http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/category/california-native-plants/page/2/
8-10 ft tall & wide
Open, sculptural growth
habit
Light blue-green foliage
– almost a gray-blue cast
– nice as accent color
© Project SOUND
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/268090756_f6a54c9577.jpg
70. CA Legless Lizard is A small (pencil-sized) slender
lizard with no legs, a shovel-
unique shaped snout, smooth shiny
scales, and a blunt tail.
Sometimes confused for a
snake, (which has no eyelids)
but on close observation the
presence of eyelids is
apparent when this lizard
blinks.
Dorsal coloration varies from
metallic silver, beige, dark
brown, to black. Ventral
coloration varies from
whitish to bright yellow.
Typically there is a dark line
along the back and several
thin stripes between scale
rows along the sides where
the dorsal and ventral colors
meet, but variants Project SOUND
©
occur.
71. Legless Lizard Habitat – loose sandy soils
Though common in
some areas, this
species is considered
a species of special
concern, and legal
collecting is limited to
one specimen per
collector.
This is a wide-ranging species common in drier, loose sandy soils,
from inland foothills to coastal dunes. This species prefers cooler
temperatures (60-65° F) and is rarely encountered above ground
or near the surface in higher temperatures.
© Project SOUND
72. If you have sandy
soil, you may see
the Legless Lizard
in your garden
http://www.wildherps.com/species/A.pulchra.html
Forages in loose soil, sand, and leaf litter during the day.
Sometimes found on the surface at dusk and at night. Apparently
active mostly during the morning and evening when they rest
beneath the surface of loose soil or leaf litter which has been
warmed by the sun.
Eats primarily larval insects, beetles, termites, and spiders.
Conceals itself beneath leaf litter or substrate then ambushes
its prey.
Good Habitat: Leaf litter under trees and bushes in sunny areas.
Often can be found under surface objects such as rocks, boards,
driftwood, and logs. Can also be found by gently raking leaf litter
under bushes and trees. Sometimes found in suburban gardens in
Southern California. © Project SOUND
73. Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E. et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU
Extension and Western Area Power Admin., Bismarck, ND. © Project SOUND
74. Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata
Naturally occurring:
Many areas of western N. America –
Canada to Baja
Coastal and mountain areas of CA
In S. CA: coastal sage scrub, chaparral
and southern oak woodland
Moist areas including stream-sides,
seasonal drainages, and canyon bottoms
sand dunes and sand hills
dry rocky slopes
In same genus as Lemonade Berry,
Sugar Bush & Poison Oak (which it
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Rhus+trilobata resembles)
Also known as Basket-brush, Sumac,
Sourberry, Skunkbrush
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75. Pretty in nature & at home….
Size:
3-4 ft tall, sometimes more
4-6 ft+ wide
Foliage:
Deciduous
Interesting leaf shape
Good fall color
Growth Form/Shape:
Many-branched
Rounded; mound-like; some variants are
more low-lying
Spreads by rhizomes – but not
aggressive
Can be pruned to very formal shape or
left more open
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76. Three-lobed Sumac is loved by gardeners
because it’s so easy to grow…
Soils: not too particular
Any texture; well-drained
Any pH
Light: full sun to part-shade
Water:
Very drought tolerant when established
Can take some summer water – but may
become leggy
Nutrients: fine with no fertilizer, but can
tolerate light doses/organic mulches
Very hardy; takes a frost
Rapid growth first 3-5 years; then
moderate
Lives 20-30 years
http://weather.nmsu.edu/nmcrops/ornamentals/SUMAC.htm
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77. Three-lobe Sumac
pleases the palette…
Yellow flowers in spring
Butterflies & bees
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Rhus_trilobata Red berries in summer
.html
Birds love them (many species
Make a tangy drink
Excellent for jelly
Can even eat them raw (tart)
Even the foliage is eaten
occasionally by large & small animals
Many parts of the plant are used for
natural dyes
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78. Garden uses for
Three-lobe Sumac
As an accent/specimen plant:
showy red berries in summer
Fall foliage (several months)
As a barrier plant
For bank stabilization & along
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~plants-c/bio414/species%20pages/rhus%20trilobata.htm
streambeds
In a bird/animal habitat garden
As a windscreen or hedge
As a foundation plant
Along sunny walls
Just about any situation requiring a
nice, medium-sized shrub
http://www.nazflora.org/rhus_trilobata.htm
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79. White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow
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80. White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
Size & Shape
The White-crowned Sparrow is a large sparrow
with a small bill and a long tail. The head can look
distinctly peaked or smooth and flat, depending
on the bird’s attitude.
Color Pattern
First impressions of White-crowned Sparrows
tend to be of a plain, pale-gray bird; next your
eye is drawn to the very bold black-and-white
stripes on the head and the pale pink or yellow
bill. Learn this bird's size and shape so you're
ready to identify young birds that have brown,
not black, markings on the head.
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http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-crowned_Sparrow/id
81. You likely have some White-crowns in
your garden
They forage on the ground or
in low vegetation, but
sometimes make short flights
to catch flying insects.
They forage on the ground in
open areas, with sheltered
thickets nearby for cover.
They use a two-footed
scratching maneuver to locate
food in the leaf litter.
They mainly eat seeds, other
plant parts (grass leaves,
fruits, seeds, buds) and
insects. In winter, they often
forage in flocks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow
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82. Guidelines for creating habitat
Provide water at ground
level (or close)
Provide cover near the
water source – lower
branches
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84. CA Mugwort - Artemisia douglasiana
Much of non-desert CA: WA to Baja
Many Plant Communities including
Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral,
Freshwater Marsh, Mountain Meadow,
Mixed-evergreen Forest, Southern
Oak Woodland
A plant of moist/riparian places
Named for David Douglas (1798-1834),
Scottish botanist who made several
journeys to America. Douglas provided
the material from which some 300
species of California plants were to be
described
‘Mugwort’ from use of this species in
http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Artemisia_douglasiana.gif
mugs to flavor beer prior to hops
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85. Mugwort characteristics Size:
1-5 ft tall
Increases; spreading via
underground stems (rhizomes)
Growth form:
Perennial shrub arising from a
rhizome
Stems are stout, upright
Foliage:
Bright green fading to gray-
green; white below
Most of the leaves low on the
stems
Flowers:
Summer: June to Oct, depending
on year
Yellow-green; small and not very
noticeable
Once again, typical for sunflower
family
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http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/mugwort.html
86. Garden conditions
Soils:
Texture: any
pH: any
Light:
full sun to partial shade;
brighter green in shadier areas
Water:
Winter: moist soils; tolerates
flooding
Summer:
Low summer needs once
established; once a month fine
Will spread with summer water –
can become invasive
Fertilizer: none needed; organic
mulch would work well
Other: prune back heavily in fall
to keep it looking good
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Artemisia-douglasiana/ © Project SOUND
87. Uses for CA Mugwort
Ground cover on naturally
landscaped slopes, hillsides
Under trees/shrubs like Mule Fat
In planters & pots – contained
situations
For erosion control
For habitat: seeds, foliage, insects
and cover for ground dwellers
This is an important medicine plant
for Native Californians. Used as a
purifying plant in ceremonies. Also
good for treating stomach & other
gastrointestinal illnesses
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88. Guidelines for creating habitat in your own
garden
Provide dense shrub/grass cover –
perching, cover & nest sites
Provide a brush pile/logs for
cover
Provide sunning spots – with cover
close by
Leave some areas relatively
‘human-free’ for most of the day
Let native plants go to seed/fruit
Provide water at ground level (or
close)
Provide cover near the water
Try to minimize effect of source – lower branches
cats
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