Leroy abrams 2017

© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2017 (our 13th year)

© Project SOUND
Leroy Abrams and his
Los Angeles flora: unique
L.A. County plants for the small
garden
C.M. Vadheim, K. Dawdy (and T. Drake)
CSUDH (emeritus), CSUDH & City of Torrance
Madrona Marsh Preserve
December 2 & 7, 2017

2017 Season – Small is Beautiful: Native
Habitats in Smaller Gardens
© Project SOUND

Last month we turned again to the backyard
© Project SOUND
? Semi-formal beds
 Better fit for space
 Adds symmetry
 Contemporary feel
 Consistent with
Mediterranean theme
butterflies/pollinators

This month we’ll meet Leroy Abrams and complete
the garden with some plants special to him
© Project SOUND
http://www.natureathand.com/POTM/Arabis_sparsiflora.htm

LeRoy Abrams (1874-1956)
 Born on October 1, 1874 in
Sheffield, Iowa, United
States.
 Small farming community
 Became a town in 1874
 Son of James DeWitt and
Almina Barbara (Shoudy)
Abrams
 James Dewitt Abrams (1835-
1920)
 Civil War veteran
 Buried in Inglewood Park
Cemetery
© Project SOUNDhttps://theperrynews.com/tipton-prairie-a-tiny-remnant-of-long-lost-tallgrass-
ecosystem/

Like many other important California plantspersons,
Leroy Abrams moved to California at an
impressionable age
 Not much known about his
childhood
 Supposedly lived in San Diego Co.
 Where ever the family lived:
 It was relatively easy to ‘get out in
nature’
 Early botanists were out collecting
and documenting the flora: 1880’s
and 1890’s were busy period
 The flora of lowland California was
rapidly disappearing
© Project SOUNDhttp://www.sandiegomagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/March-2014/Golden-Hills-
Heyday/
http://sandiegohistory.org/journal/2017/january/plea-justice-cupeno-
indians-versus-homesteaders-1880s-san-diego-county/

Important CA plantspersons we have ‘met’
© Project SOUND
Kate Sessions (1857-1940)
Blanche Trask (1865-1916)
Lester Rountree (1879 -1979)
Theodore Payne (1872-1963)
Alice Eastwood (1859-1951)
Leroy Abrams (1874-1956)

USC student for one
year: 1895-96
 USC est. 1880
 ~ 500 students in 1895
 There was already a Medical
School & school newspaper
 School of Law opened
© Project SOUND
http://waterandpower.org/museum/California_Historical_Landmarks_Listi
ng_LA_Page_1.html
http://www.publicartinla.com/USCArt/Doheny/Prehistory/

© Project SOUND
https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/when-las-most-famous-streets-were-dirt-roads
LeRoy Abrams took an early interest in collecting butterflies
and plants in Los Angeles and southern California.

Transferred to Stanford
University in 1896
 Stanford U – est. 1891
 1896-1899: Bachelor of Arts,
Botany, 1899
 1900-1904: A.M. (Master’s
degree, Botany), 1904.
© Project SOUND
https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=82421
http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2015/03/jane-stanford.html http://www.daysatknight.com/lake_lagunita_history/

The late 19th Century: interesting time in botany
 Development of better equipment &
techniques – more detailed studies of plant
anatomy and physiology (more lab based)
 Studies in developmental botany
 Increased exploration & collecting
worldwide demonstrated plant diversity
 Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution
 Interest in the environmental factors that
shaped plant adaptations & form – the
beginnings of plant ecology
© Project SOUND
The life sciences were becoming more ‘scientific’ and professionalized
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/421860690072856
457/?lp=true

Plants were considered the perfect organisms to
study the basic processes of life…
© Project SOUND
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/03/the-peculiar-importance-of-a-dead-plant-library/474438/

…and we’re returning to that point of view in 2017
© Project SOUND
Herbarium specimens have much to still teach us about evolution,
ecology and climate change. Plant chemicals & materials are
revolutionizing materials science and chemistry.

© Project SOUND
The great centers of botanic learning
were still in Europe – particularly England
and Germany…

…although American institutions were
beginning to catch up
© Project SOUND
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/421860690072856457/?lp=true
Gray herbarium, Harvard

1880-1920: Rebellion of Western botanists
 Dependence riled some active
collectors – why should Easterners
get all the credit?
 Some of the better Western
taxonomists didn’t believe that the
Easterner’s understood Western
plants
 Some felt that seeing plants in the
field was key to their taxonomy
 Some (not the Stanford faculty) also
disagreed with the evolutionary
outlook of the Easterners
© Project SOUND
1896 was an
interesting time to be
a student of botany

In 1896 the Stanford botany department
had three faculty
 Douglas Houghton Campbell, trained in the
“new botany,” studied spore reproducing plants
(fungi, mosses, ferns and algae);
 William Russel Dudley, who wanted to further
the classical systematic studies of the largely
undescribed California flora;
 George James Peirce, who was the plant
physiologist (again, “new botany”).
 The department was divided in two separate
divisions: general, under Campbell, and
systematic and ecological, under Dudley. For a
short while there were even two departments.
© Project SOUND
Douglas Houghton
Campbell (1859-1953)

William Russel Dudley – 1849-1911
 University-trained classical taxonomist:
earned his bachelor's (1874) and master's
(1876) degrees in botany at Cornell
University;
 Paid his way through university by milking
the university cows
 After graduation he pursued botanical
study in Strassburg and Berlin.
 Taught at Cornell and Indiana University
before joining Stanford faculty in 1892.
© Project SOUND
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Russel_Dudley
The genus Dudleya was named in his honor

William Russel Dudley – 1849-1911
 Interest in taxonomy, evolution and
geographic ranges of plants
 His research & publications changed when
he came to Stanford: focused on California
flora (the woody trees and particularly the
evergreens became his specialty)
 At Stanford, Dudley worked to collect the
diverse, unique and still relatively
undocumented flora of California
 He was also a conservationist: instrumental
in the establishment of the Big Basin
Redwoods State Park.
© Project SOUND
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Russel_Dudley

Stanford’s Dudley
Herbarium
 Begun 1891 - Douglas H. Campbell
 Greatly expanded by William
Russell Dudley
 His collections, including those
brought from Cornell
 Collections of students, including
Leroy Abrams, whom he mentored
 A set of duplicates acquired from
the herbarium of William Harvey
(focusing on Australia, the Cape
region of South Africa, and
cultivated material from European
botanical gardens dating to 1758)
© Project SOUND
http://www.cupressus.net/G_macrocarpa.html
http://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=124985

The Dudley Herbarium, Stanford
 Staff included some of the greats of
CA botany: Dr. LeRoy Abrams, Ms.
Roxana S. Ferris, Dr. Ira L. Wiggins,
and Dr. John Hunter Thomas.
 1976 – long-term loan of 850,000-
specimen Dudley Herbarium to CA
Academy of Sciences
© Project SOUND
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Academy_of_Sciences
https://historicalsociety.stanford.edu/publications/wiggins-ira-l

Like Alice Eastwood, Dudley collected
 Every weekend and all the spring
and summer breaks he spent
botanizing; weekends were
usually devoted to the local
Santa Cruz Mountains, springs to
southern California, and summers
to the Sierra Nevada.
 He roamed the hills with pack
and saddlehorses, occasionally
horse and wagon. When possible,
he made use of the Stanford
connection with the railways.
© Project SOUND
https://trees.stanford.edu/picnic.htm
Dudley’s students joined him in his collecting forays. Many – including
Leroy Abrams – were strongly influenced by these experiences.

As Leroy Abram’s graduate mentor,
Dudley steered Abrams to study the flora
of S. California
 Abrams already knew the area and
had botanized there.
 There were still many areas that had
not been thoroughly studied
 Development of a flora of the Los
Angeles region would be a real
addition to the botany of California
(and to the Stanford [Dudley]
herbarium)
 Abrams devoted 5 years to the
project (1899-1904)
© Project SOUND
http://www.tmcnabb.com/howtopress.html

And that wasn’t all Abrams was doing from 1899-1904
 Acting professor botany,
University of Idaho, 1899-1900.
 Assistant in botany, Stanford,
1900-1902
 Instructor in botany, Stanford,
1902-1904.
© Project SOUND
https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/gilkey_helen/#.WiF_u2cU-Uk
The life of a grad student wasn’t
easy (then or now)

What is a ‘Flora’ (‘Floral Survey)?
 A treatise or list of [all] of the
plants in a defined geographic
area, habitat or geologic period.
 May include plants collected by
the author, as well as those
previously collected by others
 To be useful, the flora:
 Should be published (and
therefore accessible)
 Organized in a systematic way
 Requires good knowledge of the
plants and lots of painstaking
work
© Project SOUND

 “He crisscrossed southern California on mule or burro, in a wagon,
or on foot, from Santa Barbara to Yuma, from Needles to San
Diego, the Salton Sea to the mountain tops of San Gorgonio, San
Antonio, San Jacinto and Pinos, collecting sets of ten to earn
money.”
© Project SOUND
THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF THE EARLY BOTANICAL
EXPLORATION AND INVESTIGATIONS IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA – Mildred Mathias
http://waterandpower.org/museum/Mt_Lowe_Railway.html

© Project SOUND
http://waterandpower.org/museum/Mt_Lowe_Railway.html
Mt. Lowe Railway - 1893
http://www.mountlowe.org/mount-lowe-virtual-tours/summit-of-mount-lowe/
Access to San Gabriels began in the 1890’s

© Project SOUND
Mrs. A. B. Herr at summit 1890
https://www.pinterest.com/garden0457/mt-lowe-railway-1870s-1930s-
california/?lp=true
Hiking up Mt. Lowe in 1902

© Project SOUND
Hunting party on Mt. Baldy (San Antonio
Peak) - 1890
https://wikivisually.com/wiki/File:Hunting_party_at_summit_of_mt_san_antonio_1890.j
pg
Pomona College student camping trip,
Mt. Baldy, 1903
https://www.pomona.edu/timeline/1900s/1903

Not all the places he collected were remote
© Project SOUND
http://stoltzfamily.us/los-angeles/

Where did Leroy Abrams collect?
© Project SOUNDhttps://www.lapl.org/sites/default/files/visual-collections/maps/map0005.jpg

Public transportation was well-developed
by the early 1900’s
© Project SOUND
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2014/07/25/transit_history_in_los_angeles_a_19
06_map_of_the_city_s_streetcar_system.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Santa_Monica_Canyon_and_Long_Wharf_of_
Port_of_Los_Angeles,_ca.1900_(CHS-842).jpg

© Project SOUND
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/pacific-electric-red-car-la-mileage-photo-video_n_2577346.html https://www.pinterest.com/HighRailer23/pacific-
electric/?lp=true
The Pacific Electric Red
Car Lines – early 1900’s
Red cars at Redondo Beach
http://www.redondohistorical.org/?page id=563

© Project SOUNDhttps://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008890699
Abrams published lists of new species
before his thesis was completed

ADDITIONS TO THE FLORA OF LOS
ANGELES COUNTY, I
by Le Roy Abrams, Stanford University
Southern California Academy of Sciences Bulletin
Volume 1, Number 7, Pages 87-89. 1902
1. Pinus murrayana [= Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana]. San Antonio Mountain.
2. Sitanion rigidum [= Elymus elymoides]. Summit of Mt. San Antonio.
3. Bromus carinatus californicus [= Bromus carinatus carinatus]. Fruitland, along irr. ditches.
4. Lepturus cylindricus [= Hainardia cylindrica ]. Mesmer.
5. Melica imperfecta minor [= Melica imperfecta]. Canyon near Chatsworth Park.
6. Phalaris lemmoni. Inglewood.
7. Agropyron parishii laeve [ = Elymus trachycaulus ssp. subsecundus ]. Ballona Creek, near
Mesmer.
8. Alopecurus geniculatus. Not typical
9. Quercus lobata. There are some excellent trees of this species at Chatsworth Park.
10. Quercus wislizeni.
11. Castanopsis sempervirens [Chrysolepis sempervirens] San Antonio & San Gorgonio., > 8000 ft.
12. Eschscholtzia californica. Sierra Madre; Chatsworth Park. - Perennial.
13. Eschscholtzia peninsularis [Eschscholzia californica] . The common species. - Annual.
14. Eschscholtzia hypecoides. Saddle Peak.
15. Lepidium lasiocarpum. Sand Dunes, Ballona Harbor. Related to L. oxycarpum T. and G.
© Project SOUND

ANGELES COUNTY, I
16. Arabis virginica [= Planodes virginicum] . Inglewood.
17. Heuchera elegans [= Heuchera caespitosa] Wilson's Peak; Mt. Lowe.
18. Heuchera rubescens. Mt. San Antonio .
19. Ribes cereum. Mt. San Antonio; Mt. Pinos.
20. Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium Abrams. San Gabriel Mts. above
3000 ft.; Santa Monica Mts.
21. Horkelia platycalyx. Indian Hill, Claremont.
22. Horkelia sericea [= Horkelia cuneata var. sericea]. Ballona Harbor,
edges of sand dunes.
23. Cercocarpus ledifolius. Mt. San Antonio, 9000 ft. alt.
24. Lupinus gracilis [= Lupinus perennis subsp. gracilis]. San Fernando
Mountain.
25. Astragalus parishii [= Astragalus douglasii var. parishii]. Chatsworth
Park.
© Project SOUND

ANGELES COUNTY, II
By LeRoy Abrams, Stanford University
Southern California Academy of Sciences Bulletin (1903) Volume 2,
Number 1, Pages 157-158
1. Rumex pulcher. Inglewood about the station. [not native]
2. Malva pusilla. Ballona creek near Mesmer. [non-native Cheeseweed]
3. Chimaphila menziesii. Summit of Mt. Wilson under pines.
4. Cuscuta salina. Ballona Marshes growing on various marsh plants.
5. Allocarya trachycarpa [= Plagiobothrys trachycarpus]. In moist ground
near Inglewood.
6. Cryptantha barbigera. Santa Monica Mts. on the north slope near
Cahuenga Pass.
7. Cryptantha flaccida. Chatsworth Park on grassy hillsides.
8. Cryptantha leiocarpa. Sand dunes along the seashore between Redondo
and Port Ballona.
9. Quercus muriculata. [?] Mt. Wilson ranging from 3500 ft. to the summit.
10. Eremocarya lepida. [Cryptantha micrantha var. lepida] Summit of Mt.
Wilson.
© Project SOUND

ANGELES COUNTY, II
11. Amsinckia lycopsoides. This plant is not infrequent along the coast
usually along the sand dunes.
12. Amsinckia intermedia. The common species around Los Angeles....
13. Linanthus ciliatus [= Leptosiphon ciliatus]. Summit of Mt. Wilson.
14. Nicotiana clevelandii. Frequent on the sand dunes between Port
Ballona and Redondo.
15. Orthocarpus densiflorus [= Castilleja densiflora ssp. densiflora].
Collected near Los Angeles by Louis Greata in April, 1899.
16. Plantago bigelovii [= Plantago elongata]. In moist ground near
Inglewood.
17. Grindelia camporum. Wiseburn.
18. Blepharipappus elegans [= Layia elegans ? = Layia platyglossa].
Tijunga.
© Project SOUND

ANGELES COUNTY, II
19. Baeria hispidus [? = Lasthenia californica]. Arroyo Seco and La
Canada.
20. Baeria chrysostoma [= Lasthenia californica ssp. californica]. Port
Ballona and n. slope of the Santa Monica Mts.
21. Baeria mutica [? = Lasthenia californica]. Edges of sand dunes near
Port Ballona.
22. Ambylopappus pusillus. On cliffs overhanging the sea, Port L.A.;
between Port Ballona & Redondo.
23. Ptiloria pleurocarpa [= Stephanomeria virgata ssp. pleurocarpa].
Common about Pomona.
© Project SOUND

Flora of Los Angeles
and Vicinity
 Published 1904; Stanford
U. Press
 Leroy Abrams was 30 years
old
© Project SOUND

FLORA OF LOS ANGELES
AND VICINITY - 1904 (First Edition) ; 1911 (Second Edition) ;
1917 (Third Edition)
 1904 PREFACE
 ‘As a student of the flora of southern California, the author
has long felt the need of some one book containing
descriptions of those plants known to occur in our region.
While it is essential that one doing critical work should
laboriously search through scattered literature, the average
student, and especialy the novice, will find such a course
impossible. In an endeavor to supply this need, the author
has written this book. Not that he feels that the flora is so
well known that such a work will prove adequate for years to
come, but rather to bring together what knowledge now
exists concerning the systematic side of our most
interesting plant life. That many mistakes must unavoidably
occur, and that many plants are yet to be added, is clearly
apprehended. ‘
© Project SOUND

 ‘The exact area included in this volume is the coast slope of
Los Angeles and Orange Counties. This territory comprises a
large portion of the great southern California valley, as well
as the following mountain ranges, in each of which we name
the culminating point: Sierra Santa Monica (Castro Peak
3946 ft.), Sierra San Fernando (San Fernando Peak 3793
ft.), Sierra San Gabriel (Mt. Gleason 6493 ft., San Gabriel
Peak 6172 ft., Mt. San Antonio 10800 ft.), Sierra Santa Ana
(Santiago Peak 5675 ft.).
 Not a few of the more conspicuous and common plants of
southern California not known to occur within our boundaries
are included, however, so that the student will find that a
great majority of the plants to be met with on the coast
slope of Point Conception are described.’
© Project SOUND
AND VICINITY

 ‘In the preparation of the
text the author has made
frequent use of published
descriptions, especially
original ones, only such
changes being made as
seemed necessary either on
account of uniformity or to
bring out unobserved
characters.’
© Project SOUND
Flora Of Los Angeles
And Vicinity
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/21580#/summary

Flora of Los Angeles
and Vicinity
 ‘Published lists of our local flora
have also been constantly
consulted, but it is only justice to
the author to say that he has
personally collected nearly all the
plants included in this work and
has added many species not
heretofore reported from our
region.
 Duplicates of these specimens, as
well as many others from
southern California, are to be
found in the Leland Stanford Jr.
University Herbarium.’
© Project SOUND
http://midwestherbaria.org/imglib/midwest/misc/201504/webmedia_142
9727537_web.jpg
Cryptantha abramsii

 ‘The author wishes to express his thanks to the following
persons for assistance in various ways: Mr. S. B. Parish, Dr.
A. Davidson, and Dr. H. E. Hasse for valuable notes; Miss
Alice Eastwood for the privilege of examining the material
in the California Academy of Sciences Herbarium; Dr. N. L.
Britton, Dr. B. L. Robinson, Dr. E. L. Greene, Dr. P. A.
Rydberg and Dr. J. K. Small for notes on doubtful forms;
finally to Prof. William R. Dudley, who has not only given
many critical notes and valuable suggestions which have
aided greatly toward the completion of the work, but has
also shown many personal favors which have rendered the
task a pleasant one to the author.’
© Project SOUND
AND VICINITY

Why are Abrams early works so important to S.
California restorationists?
 They covered some ecologic regions
of interest to us: ones that had not
previously been well-studied
 Ballona
 The coast from Playa del Rey to
Redondo Beach
 San Pedro/PV
 The Centinella Valley & Westwood
 The L.A. River and its tributaries
 The San Gabriels
 They added to our knowledge of the
plant species of S. California
© Project SOUNDhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Man_standing_near_a_water_ditch_at_the_b
ank_of_Los_Angeles_River,_north_side_of_Griffith_Park,_ca.1900_(CHS-2008).jpg

Why are Abrams early works important for
S. California gardeners?
 They included both the showy and
the pedestrian: grasses, smaller
herbs, ‘weeds’
 They help choose plants that are
adapted to our local conditions
 They are important for choosing
plants that give us a sense of place –
a link to the past biodiversity
© Project SOUND
https://s3.amazonaws.com/huhwebimages/9EFCD7CED1D840C/type/full/95915.jpg
Cryptantha abramsii I. M. Johnston USA:
California San Pedro Hills, near Malaga Cove L.
Abrams 3139 1903-3-14

Unfortunately, many of the plants discovered or included
by Abrams are not available to the home gardener
© Project SOUND
http://vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=752

But a number of common ones are
 Bromus carinatus Hooker & Arnott USA: California Inglewood L. Abrams
2485 1902-5-31
 Calochortus catalinae S. Watson USA: California San Pedro hills L.
Abrams 3143 1903-3-14
 Distichlis spicata stricta (Torrey) Thorne USA: California Los Angeles
County, Playa del Rey L. Abrams 2499 1902-6-9
 Elymus triticoides Buckley USA: California Ballona creek, near Mesmer L.
Abrams 2522 1902-6-12
 Isomeris arborea Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray USA: California Playa del
Rey L. Abrams 2509 1902-6-10
 Keckiella cordifolia (Bentham) Straw USA: California Sepulveda canyon.
Santa Monica mountains L. Abrams 2545 1902-6-15
 Opuntia littoralis (Engelmann) Cockerell USA: California Playa del Rey L.
Abrams 2515 1902-6-9
© Project SOUND

More garden plants collected by Abrams
 Poa secunda J. Presl USA: California near Inglewood L. Abrams 3105
1903-3-8
 Ceanothus spinosus Nuttall USA: California Santa Monica Mts. L.
Abrams 1252 1901-4-3
 Galium angustifolium Nuttall ex A. Gray USA: California Summit of
Mt. Wilson L. Abrams 2603 1902-6-30
 Salix laevigata Bebb USA: California Los Angeles river, near Rivera
L. Abrams 3253 1903-4-14
 Sambucus nigra cerulea (Rafinesque) Bolli USA: California Sepulveda
canyon, Santa Monica mountains L. Abrams 2538 1902-6-15
 Symphoricarpos mollis Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray USA: California
Sepulveda canyon, Santa Monica mountains L. Abrams 2552 1902-6-15
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Dunn’s Lobelia – Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
© 1999 John Game

© Project SOUND
Dunn’s Lobelia – Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Lobelia+dunnii+var.+serrata
 CA endemic; also in N. Baja
 Found in Coastal and Transverse ranges; locally
grow in Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains
 Moist canyons, mossy seeps, cliffs and rocky
stream banks below 4500 ft, coastal sage scrub,
chaparral
 Described by Leroy Abrams, 1900, San Gabriel
River Canyon, San Gabriel Mountains
http://www.magney.org/photofiles/DryLakesRidge_S-slope.htm
©1999 John Game

© Project SOUND
Characteristics of Dunn’s (Blue) Lobelia
 Size:
 to 1 ft tall
 2+ ft wide; spreading
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial
 Winter dormant; usually dies
back entirely, and emerging
leaves look very different
from mature ones
 Stems semi-woody; reclining
 Foliage:
 Light green
 Small leaves; narrow, lance-like
with slightly serrated edges
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/dunnslobelia.html

© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic
 Blooms: summer; usually July-Aug.
in S. Bay; may last into Sept.
 Flowers:
 Lobelia-shaped
 Bright blue to lavender-blue
 1 inch size
 On upright spike; open sequentially
 Long-blooming – at least 1 month
with some water
 Seeds: many little seeds; self-sows if
happy
 Vegetative reproduction: can be
divided; will increase in size each year
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/397.htm

© Project SOUND
Dunn’s Lobelia
 In the butterfly garden – nectar
irresistible for many butterflies
 Nice for bog garden, pond edge, seep
garden - even in shallow water. Lovely
with Juncus, Mimulus, Goldenrods
 Late season color for hanging baskets,
patio pots, window boxes, planters
 Shady-moist ground cover; fine textured
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/397.htm
http://calscape.org/Lobelia-dunnii-var.-serrata-(Dunn%27s-
Lobelia)?srchcr=sc5708f235eb80f
https://sbwildflowers.wordpress.com/wildflowers/campanula
ceae/lobelia/lobelia-dunnii/
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/lobelia-dunnii-serrata

© Project SOUND
Dunn’s lobelia would be happy here

Possibly in our mixture of perennials
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
* Tufted alumroot – Heuchera caespitosa

* Tufted alumroot – Heuchera caespitosa
© Project SOUND
http://herbaria4.herb.berkeley.edu/eflora_display.php?tid=91750
 Western Transverse Ranges in Kern, San
Bernardino, Tulare, and Ventura counties, and in
the Outer South Coast Ranges, southern Sierra
Nevada foothills, and southern Sierra Nevada
 Rocky areas, 4500'-8000', San Gabriel Mts
 Red Fir Forest, Yellow Pine Forest
Leroy Abrams discovered this
Heuchera in the San Gabriel Mtns.
He named it Heuchera elegans; it’s
still sometimes known by this name

© Project SOUND
Tufted alumroot: a smaller, mountain form
 Size:
 < 1 ft tall
 < 1 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Low-growing evergreen
perennial; diminutive
 Extends via rhizomes; mat-
forming with age
 Foliage:
 Medium to darker green
 Leaves rounded, geranium-like
 Shorter petioles
 Roots: not too deep; doesn’t need
much soil
The mountain native tend to
be very cold-resistant. But
many of them still do well in
our lowland gardens

© Project SOUND
Plant of rocky slopes
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained, rocky best
 pH: any local
 Light: part-shade to shady in
western L.A. county.
 Water:
 Winter: needs plenty
 Summer: twice a month to regular
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
fertilize container plants ½ strength,
once a year in spring.
 Other:
 Inorganic mulch
 Prune off dead leaves, stems
 Watch for mealy bugs, mildew
 Plant on berm for better drainage

© Project SOUND
Small, Tufted alumroot
 Lovely choice for containers
 Tuck into crevices between
rocks, in dry-stone walls
 Shady groundcover on slopes
 Rock gardens
http://jaysullivan.org/socal/alumre.htm

Heuchera caespitosa ‘Bella Blanca’
 2-4 in. high; 4-8 in. wide
 bright green leaves spreading to
form a very dense mat.
 6-10 inch stems display snow white
flowers in late spring.
 Long blooming season with additional
moisture.
 Compact growth and small size
encourage use in container and rock
gardens.
 Selected and introduced by Rancho
Santa Ana Botanic Garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.suncrestnurseries.com/calnatives_show.php?id=heucebb
AKA Heuchera elegans ‘Bella Blanca’

© Project SOUND
*San Gabriel alumroot – Heuchera abramsii
©2005 Charles E. Jones

© Project SOUND
*San Gabriel alum root – Heuchera abramsii
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?HEAB
Ryan Folk (2011-2015) Ryan Folk (2011-2015)
 San Gabriel Mountains (San Antonio Peak
area)
 Grows among the rocks and crevices high
in the coniferous forests, at 9,000 -
11,000m above sea level
 Good cold tolerance – true alpine species

© Project SOUND
Heuchera abramsii: a tiny alpine species
 Size:
 6 inches tall
 to 1 ft wide (spreading)
 Growth form:
 Mat-like herbaceous
perennial – spreads via
rhizomes
 Foliage all very low; winter
deciduous
 Foliage:
 Leaves rounded, deeply-
lobed
 Geranium-like; few hairs
 Roots: relatively shallow,
http://navigate.botanicgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_
DispPl?NAMENUM=48599#images
https://sites.google.com/site/ryanheuchera/heuchera-abramsii
http://tchester.org/temp/110721/heuchera/heuc
hera_abramsii_1_3_crop_70.jpg

© Project SOUND
Flowers among the prettiest in CA Heucheras
 Blooms: summer in its native
habitat; usually spring (May-
June) at lower elevations
 Flowers:
 Dense floqwers on upright
flower stalks (typical of genus)
 Hypantheum tubular/urn-
shaped and very bright pink.
 Petals white/pale pink
 Very showy in bloom – amazing!
 Attracts hummingbirds
 Seeds: many small, dark brown
seeds in dry capsule.
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/abramsalumroot.html

© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: excellent drainage
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Shade to part-sun
 Water:
 Winter: plenty of water
 Summer: don’t over-water; let
dry out between waterings
(Water Zone 2)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils; ½
strength fertilizer once a year in
containers.
 Other: gravel mulch; don’t water in
hot, moist conditions.
http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/plant/heuchera-abramsii

Perfect plant for rock &
crevice gardens
 As a unique specimen plant in
containers
 In a rock garden
 Tucked into crevices in a crevice
garden or dry-stone wall
http://wildgingerfarm.com/plant-list/plants-f---h/heuchera-abramsii.html

Heuchera x abramsii ‘Canyon Duet’ (PP13,280)
 Dara Emery hybrid between ‘Canyon
Delight’ and H. abramsii
 Released in 2001 as part of the Santa
Barbara Botanic Garden Heuchera
Quartet Series.
 Mat-like evergreen perennial 5 inches
tall by 1 foot or more wide with small,
1 ¼-inch wide leaves.
 Bi-colored flowers of dark pink and
white rise above the foliage on 12- 18
inch tall stems in mid spring.
 Shade to part-sun/regular summer
water
 Tolerant of a wide variety of soil
types. Hardy to around 10° F.
© Project SOUND
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9157.75
http://www.learn2grow.com/plants/heuchera-canyon-duet-canyon-
series-pp13280-images-large-134192/

© Project SOUND
 1st edition – 1904
 A "Supplemental Edition" was
issued in 1911 and reprinted in
1917.
 Long out of print – but can
see it on-line:
https://www.biodiversitylibra
ry.org/item/61974#page/49/
mode/1up
Abrams continued
to update the flora

From Lorquinia (published by Lorquin
Natural History Club) – July, 1917
 ‘The new addition of the Flora
of Los Angeles and Vicinity,
by Prof. L. R. Abrams, is a
handy, pocket-size volume of
432 pages. The keys to both
genera and species make it
much more convenient in use
than the old edition, and the
book will fill a place that has
been vacant for some time.’
 ‘At the meeting of the
Botanical section of the
Southern California Academy
of Sciences, June 28th, Prof.
L. R. Abrams gave a very
interesting talk on The
Possibilities and Opportunities
for Botanical Study in
Southern California.’
© Project SOUND

Columbia
University years
 Fellow Columbia University,
1904-1905.
 Assistant curator of plants,
National Museum, 1905-1906.
 Also associated with the New
York Botanic Garden (NYBG)
 Mentored by another famous
botanist, Nathanial Lord
Britton at Columbia
© Project SOUNDhttps://ny.curbed.com/2016/4/14/11432832/vintage-photos-bronx-new-york-history
http://www.shorpy.com/node/11897

Nathanial Lord
Britton (1859-1934)
 Joined the Torrey Botanical Club in 1877
(age 19) and immediately began publishing
papers on plants.
 Bachelor’s degree Columbia College’s
School of Mines, 1879. Asst. geologist
for the Geological Survey of New Jersey.
 1881, Ph.D. (botany) Columbia College
 Edited the Bulletin of the Torrey
Botanical Club from 1888 to 1898.
 Launched the New York Botanic Garden in
1891. Director from 1891-1929
© Project SOUND
https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/perry/bios/BrittonNathaniel.htm
By 1896, he resigned his Columbia professorship, becoming a professor emeritus
at the age of 37, and became director-in-chief of the Garden. He was a prime
mover in framing the Brittonian Codes that resulted in schism in nomenclature
that lasted almost 25 years until 1930 when his basic ideas (like the type method)
prevailed.

Britton’s best known works
 Britton & Addison Brown’s three volume
Illustrated Flora of the Northern
States and Canada (1896-98) -
massive, 3-volume set
 Britton & Joseph Nelson Rose The
Cactaceae. Published in multiple
volumes between 1919 and 1923. It was
landmark study that extensively
reorganized cactus taxonomy and is still
considered a cornerstone of the field.
 These inclusive floras set the standard
for Abram’s own Flora of the Pacific
States
© Project SOUND
https://boekentips.com/boek/1001004000964395/an-
illustrated-flora-of-the-northern-united-states-and-canada

Ph.D. from Columbia University
 Married Letitia Patterson, 1909
 Doctorate thesis, submitted in
1910: A Phytogeographic and
Taxonomic Study of the Southern
California Trees and Shrubs.
 Doctor of Philosophy, Botany, from
Columbia, 1910.
© Project SOUND
http://archive.news.columbia.edu/veterans
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/47130#page/5/mode/1up

© Project SOUND
You can read this work on-line:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ite
m/47130#page/4/mode/2up
A Phytogeographic and
Taxonomic Study of the
Southern California Trees
and Shrubs

© Project SOUND
The original plans for Stanford botany hall
on central quad
https://exhibits.stanford.edu/ua-maps-drawings/catalog/br381kj4872

But in 1910, all was not well for botany back
at Stanford
 Systematic botany occupied the attic
of the furthest shop building, with
herbarium, laboratory, office, and
student work space all set up under
three huge, lengthwise-running beams
that had to be ducked under.
 For ten years Dudley conducted his
classes under such handicaps, often
supplying the laboratory from his own
salary.
 Shortly after the 1906 earthquake
Dudley contracted tuberculosis. His
prize student, LeRoy Abrams, returned
to Stanford at Dudley’s request to help
with teaching.
© Project SOUND
http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/garden-
activities-and-new-plantings-on-the-stanford-
university-campus/
https://exhibits.stanford.edu/ua-maps-
drawings/catalog/br381kj4872

William Russel Dudley –
1849-1911
 By 1910, knowing he wouldn’t recover, he
retired, giving his personal herbarium to
the Stanford collection.
 The entire collection, numbering some
120,000 sheets, was named in his honor
and LeRoy Abrams became curator.
 It was The Dudley Herbarium collection
that would eventually enable Abrams to
publish the four-volume Illustrated
Flora of the Pacific States
 Dudley died early the following summer.
© Project SOUND

‘Abrams was a very modest,
retiring and unusually kindly man
who seems to have been strongly
influenced by and to have in a
degree deliberately molded
himself after his former teacher
and colleague Professor W.R.
Dudley, the first Professor of
Botany at Stanford, for whom the
Dudley Herbarium, of which
Abrams was later curator, was
named.’
© Project SOUND
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION
LEROY ABRAMS
(1874-1956)
https://cornelldu.wordpress.com/william-russell-dudley/

Leroy Abrams spent the remainder of his
academic life at Stanford
 Assistant professor botany, Stanford,
1906-1912
 Associate professor, Stanford, 1912-1920
 Acting associate professor botany,
University of California, 1915
 Professor Stanford University, 1920-1940
 Director of Stanford Natural History
Museum (1934–1940).
 Emeritus professor, 1940-56.
© Project SOUND

Leroy Abrams: well-respected botanist
 President, California Botanical Society -
1950-1951
 Editor, Madroño (one of 6-12) – 1935 (vol.
3) to 1952 (vol. 11)
 Fellow of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science
 Honorary Fellow, California Academy
Science
 Fellow, American Academy Arts and
Science
 Member American Botanical Society,
California Botanical Society, Sigma Xi, S.
California Academy of Science.
© Project SOUND

Abrams continued to teach and collect
plants throughout California
 1916 – Abrams gift to Dudley
Herbarium, Stanford U. = ‘635
specimens of CA plants’
 Like his mentors, Abrams took
students out into the field
 Student Roxana Stinchfield Ferris
became a colleague and important
botanist in her own right:
 The trees and shrubs of western
Oregon
 llustrated Flora of the Pacific
States (as co-editor)
 Death Valley Wildflowers
 Flowers of Point Reyes National
Seashore
© Project SOUND
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxana_Stinchfield_Ferris
Professor Abrams
was affectionately
known as ‘Father
Abrams’ to his
students

Articles & books written by Leroy Abrams
 Additions to the Flora of Los Angeles County I. 1902.
 Additions to the Flora of Los Angeles County II. 1903.
 Flora of Los Angeles and Vicinity. 1904.
 Phytogeography of Trees and Shrubs of Southern California. 1908.
 The Gymnosperms Growing On the Grounds of Leland Stanford Jr.
University (PDF). 1913.
 Cypress Trees in Southern California. 1914.
 The Floral Features of California. 1915.
 Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States. 1. Stanford University
Press. 1923.
 Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States. 2. 1944.
© Project SOUND

Best known for his Illustrated Flora of the
Pacific States
 Over a period of more than 40 years,
wrote and illustrated a four-volume
Illustrated Flora of the Pacific
States, the final volume of which was
published posthumously.
 This was a huge undertaking involving:
 Review of herbarium specimens and
previous scientific descriptions and
field notes
 Revising the descriptions
 Making careful drawings of plants,
including microscopic details, seeds,
etc.
© Project SOUND
An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific
States (Stanford, Stanford University
Press, 1923–1960, 4 vols.).

An Illustrated Flora
of the Pacific States
© Project SOUND
 Similar to Britton & Brown’s
flora – but for the Pacific
states
 Still the definitive work on the
subject (even though much
taxonomy has changed)
 Can still find it for sale – not
cheap
Can read all 4 volumes on-line:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
bibliography/4657#/summary

An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States
© Project SOUND
 Well-known for its clear,
detailed illustrations; still
used today
 ‘Still this work is a vast and
useful resource, an essential
tool for the professional field
botanist.’ – Amazon review

But let’s return to our habitat garden and tuck
in a few more of ‘Father Abrams’ plants
© Project SOUND
? Semi-formal beds
 Better fit for space
 Adds symmetry
 Contemporary feel
 Consistent with
Mediterranean theme
butterflies/pollinators

What did you decide about the Ragweed?
© Project SOUND
Leroy Abrams collected it near Ballona, 1902

© Project SOUND
Butterweed – Senecio flaccidus var. douglasii
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/dudleyl2.htm
© 2003 BonTerra Consulting

© Project SOUND
Butterweed – Senecio flaccidus var. douglasii
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1784,1801,1802
 Calif. Floristic Province except N. Coast
 Locally: Santa Monica & San Gabriel Mtns. &
foothills, coastal plain (El Segundo, Redondo)
 Collected in the San Gabriel & San Bernardino
foothills by Leroy Abrams (1902); first
collected in S. CA in 1860 (Brewer)
http://www.worldbotanical.com/senecio.htm

© Project SOUND
Characteristics of Shrubby butterweed
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Part-woody sub-shrub
 Slender, wand-like branches
 Becomes mounded when mature
 Plant relatively short-lived (to
10 years) but reseeds well.
 Foliage:
 Medium- to gray green
 Leaves needle-like
 Foliage toxic when eaten
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/lanceleafdudleya.html
http://www.ecnca.org/plants/Senecio_flaccidus.php
http://www.worldbotanical.com/senecio.htm

© Project SOUND
Pretty golden sunflowers
 Blooms: spring through fall; blooms off-
and-on during warm weather if given
occasional water
 Flowers:
 Flower heads look like golden
Margarites
 Ray flowers few; both ray and disc
flowers bright yellow
 Very showy bloomer in dry season
 Excellent habitat for pollinators
 Seeds: easy to grow

© Project SOUND
Likes a bit of shade
 Soils:
 Texture: any – likes sandy/rocky
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun with some irrigation &
right along coast
 Afternoon shade better in most
gardens
 Water:
 Winter: needs adequate
 Summer: occasional to very
occasional (once or twice a month
best – Water Zone 1-2 to 2)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: thin organic mulch or none;
cut back old stems in winter

© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
Shrubby Butterweed
 One of our better summer-fall
pollinator plants. Attracts many
insects. Good dye plant.
 Local-themed gardens
 Wonderful teamed with buckwheats
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/631--senecio-douglasii

What would Leroy Abrams advise for the
larger bed?
 Larger bed:
 Take full sun – even hot at times
 Can’t be too large – 5 ft x 5 ft
maximum; many should be smaller
 Attractive:
 Flowers
 Foliage color
 Aroma/scent
 Good habitat for birds
 Provide cover for ground-dwellers
 Attract lots of insects
© Project SOUND

Suitable mixture of herp-friendly shrubs &
sub-shrubs for sunny spot
 CA sagebrush (Artemisia
californica)
 Native buckwheats
(Eriogonum spp.)
 Native sages (Salvia spp.)
© Project SOUND
With other perennials to add
interest, color, habitat and a
sense of place

© Project SOUND
Common Sandaster - Corethrogyne
filaginifolia vars. californica and filaginifolia
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/californiaaster.html

Lots of attention
 Species first collected in L.A. Co.
in 1880
 Collected by all the major CA
botanists: Katherine Brandegee,
Alice Eastwood, John Thomas
Howell, Beatrice Howett, W.L.
Jepson, Philip Munz, the Parishes,
etc., etc.
 Collected by Leroy Abrams:
 Monterey Co. (many), San Benito
Co., Santa Clara Co
 Los Angeles Co.
 Ballona Harbor – 1901
 Playa del Rey - 1902
 Elysian Park - 1904
 Cahuenga Pass – 1916
© Project SOUND
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=50170

Corethrogyne filaginifolia var. bernardina
 Corethrogyne filaginifolia (Hook.
& Arn.) Nutt. var. bernardina
(Abrams) H.M. Hall
 Now Corethrogyne filaginifolia
(Hook. & Arn.) Nutt. var.
filaginifolia
 Greene had 4 varieties & 5
separate species that are now
included in Corethrogyne
filaginifolia var. filaginifolia
© Project SOUND
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lessingia_filaginifoli
a_var_filaginifolia_1.jpg

© Project SOUND
 common and widespread plant in coastal
sage scrub, southern oak woodlands and
grasslands, and on dry, brushy
chaparral slopes
 Taxonomy is confusing:
 Many still use the old name for the
species: Lessingia filaginifolia
 Highly variable species; now lumped
them all together under variant
filaginifolia - variants need further
research
 var. californica – adapted to slightly
wetter, ocean-influenced habitats
 var. filaginifolia – adapted to slightly
drier habitats
Common Sandaster - Corethrogyne filaginifolia
vars. californica and filaginifolia
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Lessingia+filaginifolia+var.+filaginifolia
var. filaginifolia
var. californica

© Project SOUND
Our local varietie(s)
 Grow in drier parts of
mountain ranges (including
the Sierras), hills
 Often wet in winter
 Quite dry in summer
 Tend to be taller, leggier (2-
3 ft)
 Tend to be drought
deciduous after flowering
 Tend to look a little less
“manicured” than the N. CA
coastal variety
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND
Common Sandaster is typical of plants in
the sunflower family (Asteraceae)
 Compound floral heads
 Ray flowers (outer)
 Brightly colored (usually
yellow (bee pollinated) or
blue-purple
 Serve to direct the
pollinator to the nectar
 Disk flowers (central)
 Small; often yellow or dark-
colored
 Make nectar to attract
pollinators
 Form the seeds

© Project SOUND
Growing native perennial sunflowers is
usually easy
 Choose a sunny location: most
need full or near-full sun
 Plant seed in place in fall
 Prepare soil; lightly rake seed
in
 use fresh, locally-collected
seed if possible
 Insure adequate winter/spring
rain
 Withhold water after
flowering to promote seed
production
 Many will self-seed; or collect
and store the seed in a cool
dry place
http://www.coestatepark.com/lessingia_filaginifolia_coe.htm

© Project SOUND
Many Sunflower species
are “two-in-one plants
 Sand Asters are good nectar
producers:
 Good food plant for native bees
and other pollinators
 Provide nectar for many
butterflies from Skippers to
Swallowtails
 They are also good butterfly/
moth larval plants
 Gabb’s Checkerspot – endangered
 Moths
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/pictures/a1142.jpg
http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/butterflies/nocut.html

© Project SOUND
Don’t like this look?
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/astercu3.htm
Then how about this?
http://www.plantscomprehensive.com/sandiegonatives-blog?page=4

© Project SOUND
‘Silver Carpet’ Sandaster
(var. californica)
 A Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Introduction
 From coastal bluffs exposed to
ocean spray in Monterey County
 Attractive foliage
 Silver-white; looks nice all year
long
 blends well with other plants
 Pretty flowers – late summer
 summer blossoms provide
welcome cool color in a season
when warmer-toned natives
prevail.

© Project SOUND
‘Silver Carpet’
Sandaster
 Low-growing – makes a nice
low groundcover
 spilling down a slope or over a
low wall.
 Even in native grasses
 Fast-growing (3-5 ft/yr) but
not invasive
 More tolerant of average
garden watering regimens
 Hardy
 Readily available
http://www.wildscaping.com/plants/plantphotos/SilvCarp_ws_400dm.jpg
Nectar plant only – but a good one!http://lostinthelandscape.com/tag/sarracenia-leucophylla/

 N. CA Ranges, Sierras
 In S. Ca: Tehachapi Mtns, South Coast
Ranges, Transverse Ranges (San Gabriel, San
Bernardino & San Jacinto Mtns), Peninsular
Ranges
 Leroy Abrams collected in San Bernardino
Mtns, Yosemite
© Project SOUND
*Bigelow’s sneezeweed – Helenium bigelovii
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=3201
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

© Project SOUND
Bigelow’s sneezeweed: wetland perennial
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 2-3ft wide
 Growth form:
 Dies back in dry fall weather
 One to many stout branches
 Fast growing
 All parts of plant toxic if
eaten
 Foliage:
 Long, narrow leaves – mostly at
the base
©1995 Gary A. Monroe

© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic
 Blooms: usually late spring (May-
Jul) in western LA Co.; may bloom
again in fall with some water
 Flowers:
 Very showy bloomer
 Typical sunflower-type heads
 Ray flowers golden yellow;
larger than in many
sneezeweeds
 Disc flowers dark red-brown
 Excellent pollinator plant, esp.
for the native bees, skippers
 Seeds: small sunflower seeds with
short bristles
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya
©2008 Neal Kramer
©2008 Steve Matson

© Project SOUND
Wetland species  Soils:
 Texture: most any
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: needs moist soil; don’t
let soils dry out until fall
 Fertilizer: not really needed
except for pot-grown
 Other:
 Will reseed on moist, bare
ground
 Cut back old stems in winter
©2016 John Doyen

© Project SOUND
Summer Gold
 Moist spots in garden: rain
garden, irrigated swale
 In moist meadow planting with
native grasses, annuals
 In regularly watered flower beds
 Nice plant for early summer
container color
©2008 Chris Winchell
©2008 Ron Wolf
©2016 Julie Kierstead Nelson
Good pollinator plant

If you want to grow in a container,
consider the cultivars
 Often shorter, more lush foliage
 Hybrids have excellent colors
but are still great pollinator
plants
 Easy to grow from seed
 Garden-proven
 Order early – they go quickly
© Project SOUND

Helenium bigelovii
'Tip Top'
 Bred from a plant from California
 Bright yellow colored flowers; earlier
flowering - May-June to early autumn
 Shorter and more compact habit
 ‘Trouble-free color in your border over
a long period.’
 Easy from seed
 ‘There'll be plenty to cut to put in a
vase and you'll find the bees taking an
interest too.’
© Project SOUND
http://www.lavieenrosegardens.com/product/bigelows-sneezeweed-
tip-top-helenium-bigelovii-perennial-seeds#.WNp1imcU-Uk
http://www.dhgate.com/product/100-seeds-garden-plant-helenium-
bigelovii/270361774.html

Helenium bigelovii
'The Bishop'
 Large golden yellow flowers and dark
centers.
 Blooms earlier than other varieties from
June to August.
 More compact, dense foliage
© Project SOUND
https://www.plantes-shopping.fr/articles/helenium-bigelovii-the-bishop-2159.html
http://www.groeninfo.com/plantengids/helenium-bigelovii-the-
bishop.html#.WNp3UWcU-Uk
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118993615124971501/?lp=true

 West Coast from CA to British Columbia, ID; South
Coast, San Gabriel Mountains, Peninsular Ranges
 Rocky canyons and slopes, gravelly outwash, sandy soils
in Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine & Mixed Evergreen
Forest, Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub
 AKA: Arabis sparsiflora Nutt. var. sparsiflora
© Project SOUND
*Sicklepod rockcress – Boechera sparsiflora
http://www.natureathand.com/POTM/Arabis_sparsiflora.htmhttps://borregohiking.com/hiking/pacific_crest_s22_eagle_rock.html

© Project SOUND
An elegant perennial
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 1-2 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Short-lived perennial or
biennial
 Tall, stout upright stems
 Summer-dormant
 Foliage:
 Medium to blue-green
 Leaves mostly lance-shaped;
larger in basal rosette
 Larval food source for the
Orangetip butterfly
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Boechera_sparsiflora.htm
http://www.natureathan
d.com/POTM/Arabis_sp
arsiflora.htm

© Project SOUND
Lovely and unusual flowers: a pretty mustard!
 Blooms: in spring - usually Apr-
May or June in western LA County
 Flowers:
 Open sequentially up the stem
 Pink, magenta or medium purple
color – very pretty accent
 Attract a range of pollinators,
including butterflies
 Seeds: many small seeds; will
reseed on bare ground
 Vegetative reproduction: can be
divided in spring; also easy-to-root
stem cuttings

Interesting seed pods
 Birds love the seeds; let the
plants go to seed for them
and for the attractive
appearance of the pods.
© Project SOUND
© 2013, Ron Bockelman
http://www.hazmac.biz/150824/150824BoecheraSparsiflora.html

© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: well-drained soils
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade; probably
best with some afternoon shade
 Water:
 Winter: needs adequate
moisture; supplement if needed
 Summer: taper off water in
spring
 Other: gravel mulch or none; plants
do well when grown in cracks
between rocks

© Project SOUND
Garden uses Elegant rockcress
 In a rock garden; good butterfly habitat plant
 In an herb or medicinal garden; infusion of
leaves used as eyewash for sore eyes
 As an attractive pot plant
©2011 Jean Pawek
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Boechera_sparsiflora.htm
http://www.natureathand.com/POTM/Arabis_sparsiflora.htm

© Project SOUND
Cliff Aster – Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Malacothrix+saxatilis+var.+tenuifolia
var. tenuifolia
 Local distribution: common
 Transverse Ranges (Santa Monica, San
Gabriel, and San Bernardino mountains)
 Coastal areas - Los Angeles to San Diego Co.
 On Santa Catalina Island
 Leroy Abrams collected in Santa Barbara
 Coastal strand/coastal shrub; canyons,
coastal-sage scrub; chaparral

© Project SOUND
Cliff Asters are
versatile locals
 Size: 3-5 ft tall & wide
 Open growth habit; sort
of ‘unfurls’ as it blooms
 Lacy leaves – mostly basal
 Summer dormant with no
water
 Long bloom period:
 Mar-Dec. in good years
 Often many blooms; quite
showy
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/cliffaster.html

© Project SOUND
Wonderful with its
natural partners
 Welcome spot of white against
darker foliage in a mixed bed
 On slopes, cliffs, hillsides
 Natural partners (mostly
Zone 1/2):
 Salvia mellifera & leucophylla
 Diplacus aurantiacus
 Quercus agrifolia
 Native clovers
 Many spring-blooming annual
wildflowers
 Charming plant – should be
used more in local gardens

 Much of CA Floristic Province & into
Baja CA
 Leroy Abrams collected from
Inglewood, Cahuenga Pass, the San
Gabriel foothills [1902] & other
places in N. CA
© Project SOUND
Wand wreathplant – Stephanomeria virgata
ssp. pleurocarpa
ssp. virgata

Three similar species in
western S. California
© Project SOUND
Stephanomeria diegensis
Stephanomeria exigua
Stephanomeria virgata
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Stephanomeria_virgata.htm
http://tchester.org/plants/analysis/stephanomeria/virgata.html
Possible
hybrid of the
other 2

© Project SOUND
Wand wreathplant: annual wildflower
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Annual wildflower
 Many-branched; cylindrical,
wand-like branches
 Very open appearance
 Foliage:
 Larger leaves in basal rosette
 Medium green; many leaves
wither by flowering season
 Roots: taproot

© Project SOUND
Delicate flower heads
 Blooms: in the dry season;
usually July-Sept. in S. Bay
 Flowers:
 Sunflower type heads;
scattered along branches
 Ray flowers few; white with
some pink-purple
 Disc flowers are somewhat
unique: floral tube with
nectar at bottom
 Attract native bees
 Seeds: wind distributed; have
fluffy ‘tails’

© Project SOUND
Requirements: typical for local annuals
 Soils:
 Texture: any
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun
 Water:
 Winter: needs adequate soil
moisture through spring;
 Summer: taper off water with
flowering
 Other: best to let plants re-seed (or
collect and save the seeds)
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Stephanomeria_virgata.htm

© Project SOUND
Gardening with
Wreathplants
 Dry season plant similar to Cliff
aster (spring bloomer) ; white
accent flowers
 Fall habitat plant (nectar); use
with native grasses, annuals
 As an attractive pot plant
http://www.natureathand.com/POTM/Stephanomeria_virgat_62594.htm

We’ve come a long way in our quest for
habitat
 We’ve learned that local
native plants provide some of
the best all-round habitat
 We’ve provided food, shelter,
places to reproduce for:
 Insects, including pollinators,
dragonflies and butterflies
 Birds that eat many types of
foods
 Herps
 And yes, humans
 We’ve designed a garden that
is both Water-wise and Life-
friendly
© Project SOUND

The history of CA native plants is filled
with colorful and interesting characters
 Leroy Abrams is a little different from some
we’ve met:
 He was a university-educated botanist – even
had a Ph.D.
 Spent his entire professional life in academia
 He wrote multi-volume floras
 His early work focused on parts of S. CA
important to us in L.A. County
 On the other hand:
 He came to CA at an impressionable age
 Loved to ramble the open areas from
childhood on
 Understood the importance of documenting
species that were rapidly disappearing
© Project SOUND

His Flora of Los Angeles and Vicinity
provides information that is still timely
 ‘This classic book, together with Abrams' early writings in
scientific journals, are valuable and useful for genuine ecological
restoration of genuine native flora in southern California. For
example, several endangered, rare, sensitive, and common native
plants can be genuinely recovered and restored due to Abrams'
writings, which include unpublished field notes. Abrams' writings
will be particularly useful in Los Angeles for knowing what kinds of
flowers and trees are genuine for planting at the Los Angeles River,
Ballona Valley, and Baldwin Hills. Abrams' writings will also guide us
for genuine recovery of coastal wetlands, prairie meadows, vernal
pools, river forests, and elfin forests throughout Los Angeles
County and southern California.’
© Project SOUND
Robert (Roy) Van De Hoek

Leroy abrams 2017

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