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Seeds for birds 2009
- 1. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND - 2009
© Project SOUND
- 2. Seeds for Birds
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
November 7 & 10, 2009
© Project SOUND
- 3. How do birds rate your yard?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
What makes a garden a good habitat for birds?
© Project SOUND
- 4. What every bird needs
Food
Shelter
Water
http://aquafornia.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/garden-tour-2.jpg © Project SOUND
- 5. To attract birds we need to understand
their habits & preferences
© Project SOUND
- 6. Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
Generalists
Eat many different kinds
of food – whatever is
available
Well-adapted to different
– and changing –
environments
Often are common in urban
& suburban yards – that’s
why many people know
them by name
Examples: Crows, Scrub
Jays, Robins
http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/WildlifeSightings/WildlifesightNovember06.htm
© Project SOUND
- 7. Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
Specialists
Eat selected kinds of foods –
at least primarily
Raptors – meat-eaters
Insect-eaters
Fruit-eaters
http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/lounge/?p=624
Seed-eaters
CA Towhee
Often very well adapted to a
specific environment – have
‘developed together over time’
Often are less common in
urban & suburban yards
Examples: Lesser Gold Finch,
CA Towhee, Orioles, Tanagers
http://thebirdguide.com/washington/BigDayReport2007.htm
Audubon’s Warbler © Project SOUND
- 9. SHAPE TYPE ADAPTATION
Seed eaters like sparrows and cardinals have
Cracker
short, thick conical bills for cracking seed.
Birds of prey like hawks and owls have sharp,
Shredder
curved bills for tearing meat.
Woodpeckers have bills that are long and chisel-
Chisel
like for boring into wood to eat insects.
Hummingbird bills are long and slender for
Probe
probing flowers for nectar.
Insect eaters like warblers have thin, pointed
Tweezer
bills.
Swiss Crows have a multi-purpose bill that allows them
Army to eat fruit, seeds, insects, fish, and other
Knife animals.
http://science.wannajava.net/scienceunits/units/current/01Bird_Feet_and_Beak_Adaptations.pdf © Project SOUND
- 10. So how are the seed-eaters different?
Birds generally tend to select the food
items they can process faster
Food-selection experiments suggest that
the evolution of bird granivory (seed-
eating) has been mainly focused on the
development of morphologic adaptations
for the mechanical digestion of seeds
Seed eating birds have modifications of
the skull which allow them to exert lots of
pressure on seeds but have a flexible hinge
that protects the jaw joint. Some birds are
very powerful. The hawfinch, for instance,
can crush olive pits. The amazing strength
in the upper and lower jaws of these
http://ivytechlibraryftwpuppets.files.wordpress.co organisms allows the birds to deal with
hard pits and seeds by shearing forces.
m/2008/06/finch.jpg
© Project SOUND
- 11. Why eat seeds?
Readily available – formerly in large
numbers (plants have to produce
many seeds to insure reproduction)
Seeds are ‘super food’ – lots of
bang for the buck
The bulk of most seeds consist of
stored food – needed by the
seedling
That stored food is calorie-dense –
fats, oils, starches
Both plants & animals can digest
that food – animals share lots of
basic enzymes with plants
It’s not surprising that many
migratory birds eat seeds
© Project SOUND
http://asweknowit.net/images_edu/DWA%205%20plant%20seed.jpg
- 12. Many of our key seed sources for birds
are annual wildflowers & grasses
© Project SOUND
- 13. Seeds that birds eat on the plant
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/lesser-goldfinch.jpg
© Project SOUND
- 14. Lesser Goldfinch - Carduelis psaltria
The Lesser Goldfinch can often
be seen in the chaparral eating
Chamise and Wooley Bluecurls
seeds. They also like to feed on
Asteraceae (Sunflower family).
Some other plants used are
Miner's lettuce, Red Maids,
Fiddle neck, Amsinckia spp. and
Dove weed, Eremocarpus
setigerus, Night Shades,
Solanum spp, Sage Salvia spp,
Catch-fly, Silene spp. Tar weed
Hemizonia spp.,
© Project SOUND
- 15. Macoun's Cudweed – Pseudognaphalium macounii
http://www.labunix.uqam.ca/~fg/MyFlora/Asteraceae/Pseudognaphalium/Macounii/macounii.e.shtml
© Project SOUND
- 17. Macoun's Cudweed – Pseudognaphalium macounii
A plant of N. America
Grows from Pennsylvania and
Arizona, north to Nova Scotia
and British
Columbia
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?fl
ora_id=1&taxon_id=250067390 In CA, found in many parts of
state
Grows in open places - open
woods, pastures, roadsides
Named after John Macoun
(1831-1920), one of the great
Canadian naturalists of the 19th
Century. He was a prolific
collector and cataloguer of
Canadian flora and fauna.
http://www.paghat.com/cudweed.html
© Project SOUND
- 18. The Cudweeds
Genera: Gnaphalium;
Pseudognaphalium
Other common names:
Rabbit Tobacco – because
rabbits chew it like chewing
tobacco
Everlasting – because the
flowers (bracts) last a long time
Pseudognaphalium canescens
Many uses:
Often used as a tobacco
substitute (chewed or smoked)
Often used medicinally
Are great all-round habitat
plants – attracting both insects
& birds
Pseudognaphalium californicum © Project SOUND
- 19. Characteristics of Macoun’s Cudweed
Size:
1-2 ft tall – perhaps to 3 ft.
1-3 ft wide
Growth form:
Herbaceous annual or biennial
Generally erect from a basal
rosette of leaves
Foliage:
Bright to yellow-green above;
wooly-white below
Leaf bases are wide, extend
down the stem
Plant is sweetly fragrant – some
say ‘balsam-like’ scent
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=4549 Roots: taproot
© Project SOUND
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC
- 20. Flowers are ‘everlasting’
Blooms summer/fall: usually July
to Sept-Oct in our area
Flowers:
Sunflower heads – without the
ray flowers
On rather tall, many-branched
flowering stalks
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=2297
One of the showier everlastings
Sweet-scented
Seeds:
Small, with fluffy wings – wind
dispersed
© Project SOUND
http://saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com/2009/09/rocky-outcrops-colorful-moss.html
- 21. Everlastings = habitat
Foliage
Provide cover for ground-
dwellers and foragers
Provide larval food for
Lady butterflies & for
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species-
page.asp?sp=Vanessa-virginiensis
other insects
Flowers
Nectar attracts a whole
host of insects
Seeds are relished by
seed eating birds in
summer & fall
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=2297
© Project SOUND
- 22. Everlasting are easy Soils:
Texture: just about any; not
particular
pH: any local
Light: full sun
Water:
Winter/spring: like any
annual wildflower – needs
good winter/spring rain
Summer: no water after
flowering – needed for
proper seed development
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: may reseed itself on
bare soil; might want to save
some seeds
© Project SOUND
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC
- 23. Garden uses for native
annual Everlastings
Make interesting, fragrant
pot plants – in general do fine
in containers
Look nice mixed with other
native wildflowers, flowering
perennials & grasses
Fall-dry areas of the yard –
may be out-of-the-way
places
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC
In a ‘cut-flower’ garden or
herb garden
Dry spots near the vegetable
garden – attracts pollinators
http://www.paghat.com/cudweed.html
© Project SOUND
- 24. Medicinal uses of native Everlastings
Teas & infusions of leaves
Gastrointestinal upsets
Respiratory illness; colds
As a gargle for sore throats
Poultice of crushed or
heated/boiled leaves
Externally, to relieve swelling
Placed on cotton bandages and
then applied to wounds as a
compress
Sometimes smoked or smudged
Resinous exudates have for ceremonial purposes
been shown indeed to have
antimicrobial or fungicidal
properties
© Project SOUND
- 25. Southern Goldenrod – Solidago spectabilis var. confinis
http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm
© Project SOUND
- 26. Southern Goldenrod – Solidago spectabilis var. confinis
Mostly a CA native
goldenrod
Mostly west of Sierras
Also down into N. Baja
Usually found on wet
streambanks, springs and
marshes to 7500' in coastal
sage scrub, chaparral and
yellow pine forest
Locally, found near seeps
and marshes
Still called Solidago confinis
in Jepson’s Manual – and may
be sold under this name
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1838,1842
© Project SOUND
- 27. The genus Solidago: the Goldenrods
~ 100 perennial species
Most grow in meadows, pastures,
along roads & ditches in North
America
Unfairly blamed for hay fever in
late summer/fall - Ragweed
(Ambrosia sp.), blooming at the
same time but wind-pollinated, is
the usual culprit.
Easily recognized by their golden
flowering stalks with hundreds of
small flowers.
CA Goldenrod - Solidago californica
Their alternate leaves are linear
Goldenrods have been used to lanceolate. Their margins are
in British gardens for > 200 usually finely to sharply serrated.
years © Project SOUND
- 28. the genus Solidago: the Goldenrods
Propagation by wind-
disseminated seed or
underground rhizomes (form
patches that are vegetative
clones of a single plant).
Goldenrod is a companion plant,
CA Goldenrod - Solidago californica
playing host to beneficial
insects, repelling some pests
Goldenrods are also important
habitat plants for a wide range
of native insects, butterflies,
birds, etc.
© Project SOUND
- 29. Little known fact: Goldenrod tires
Inventor Thomas Edison
experimented with goldenrod to
produce rubber, which it contains
naturally.
His experiments produced a 12
foot tall plant that yielded as much
as 12 percent rubber.
The tires on the Model T given to
him by his friend Henry Ford were
made from goldenrod.
http://www.speedace.info/automotive_directory/car_images/ford_mod
el_t_henry.jpg Examples of the rubber can still be
found in his laboratory, elastic and
rot free after more than 50 years.
© Project SOUND
- 30. In nature, always in
winter-wet areas
Suggests possible places
for Southern Goldenrod
in the home garden
http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm
Central CA Coast
http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/OasisHabitats.html
© Project SOUND
Mojave Desert
- 31. Southern Goldenrod is an herbaceous perennial
Size:
2-3 ft tall
2+ ft wide, spreading
Growth form:
Stout looking herbaceous
perennial
Fall/winter deciduous; dies
back to basal rosette
Foliage:
Leaves lance-shaped – mostly
basal
Leaves fleshy, bright to pale
green
Roots: spreads via rhizomes
© Project SOUND
© 2003 Christopher L. Christie
- 32. Probably our showiest
Goldenrod
Blooms: summer/fall - usually
in July or Aug. to Oct. in
western L.A. County
Flowers:
Typical for Goldenrods;
showy flowering stalks above
the leaves
Flower heads are small – but
there are LOTS of them –
spectacular
Among our better fall-
bloomers
Seeds: small, ‘sunflower’ seeds
© 2003 Christopher L. Christie with a bristle
© Project SOUND
- 33. Propagating
Goldenrods is easy
From seed:
Use fresh, dry seed (fall
collected)
Plant in spring – when
© 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate
weather warms up
Just barely cover seeds
From divisions:
Very easy
In winter/early spring
You can just spade up new
plantlets – with a section
of root containing at least
one plantlet - and repot
© 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm © Project SOUND
- 34. Goldenrods thrive in moist spots in the garden
Soils:
Texture: any local – sandy to heavy
clay
pH: any local
Light: full sun to light shade
Water:
Winter: fine with plenty of water –
takes winter flooding
Summer: needs some water for
good blooming – Zone 2-3 or even 3
is fine
Fertilizer: none needed – but won’t
kill it either.
Other: easy to grow with adequate
water; just dig it up if it spreads too
© 2003 Christopher L. Christie
far © Project SOUND
- 35. Use Goldenrods for habitat and fall color
Great in areas bordering
the lawn – can take the
extra water
Nice addition to the
perennial bed
As an attractive container
plant
Nice around ponds
A must for bird and
butterfly gardens
Makes a nice cut flower
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/solidago-confinis
- 36. Goldenrods (and others in the Sunflower
family) make great natural dyes
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/solidago-confinis
http://www.jennydean.co.uk/wordpress/?cat=15 http://www.fieryfelts.co.uk/index.php
© Project SOUND
- 37. Why ‘sunflowers’
are such good food
Healthy unsaturated
fats, protein and fiber
important nutrients
like vitamin E,
selenium, copper, zinc,
folate, iron
Other phytochemicals
All of this in a neat
little package – the
sunflower seed.
© 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate
© Project SOUND
- 38. Other good native Goldenrods
Solidago californica Euthamia (Solidago) occidentalis
© Project SOUND
- 39. Other plants to attract ‘on the plant’ seed eaters
Encelias Heterotheca grandiflora
Helianthus annuus Cirsium occidentale
© Project SOUND
- 40. Think about adding a birdbath
http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Finches/Lesser_Goldfinch/Lesser_Goldfinch.html
© Project SOUND
- 42. To attract Mourning Doves
Diet is typically 95% seeds or plant
parts.
Eat a wide variety of seeds, waste
grain, fruit, and insects.
They prefer seeds that rest on the
ground. Occasionally they eat in
trees and bushes when ground foods
are scarce.
Favorites: native grasses & sedges,
Croton species, Sourberry (Rhus
trilobata), ‘Sunflowers’ & other
wildflowers
Need bare ground for feeding
© Project SOUND
- 43. Common Eucrypta – Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia
var. chrysanthemifolia
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/eucrypta.htm
© Project SOUND
- 44. Common Eucrypta – Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia
var. chrysanthemifolia
Central & S. CA (CA
Floristic Province) to AZ,
NV and Baja
Common on burns and in
shaded places like canyon
bottoms to 3000', coastal
sage scrub, chaparral, oak
woodlands, disturbed
areas
Dominant fire-follower
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4518,4538,4539,4541
© Project SOUND
- 45. The genus Eucrypta
Only two species, both native to
U.S. Southwest.
Name Eucrypta means "well-
hidden", which refers to the
seeds being "hidden" in the small
green bristled fruits.
Known generally as hideseeds.
Are annuals with sticky, aromatic
green foliage. The leaves are
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eucrypta_chrysanthemifolia strongly lobed and look somewhat
like fern fronds. Some plants
These are among the first plants to have very few leaves and are
spring up after an area has been mostly stems bearing flowers and
cleared by fire. fruits.
© Project SOUND
- 46. Eucrypta in the wild
Why do wildflowers thrive
after a wildfire?
A few annual wildflowers
need heat/smoke to
germinate well; this is more
common with perennial
species, trees, shrubs
More commonly, due to
availability of resources:
Sunlight
Winter/spring moisture
http://www.lasmmcnps.org/geoffburleigharchive/selection/44.jpg
Nutrients
© Project SOUND
- 47. Common Eucrypta – pretty little annual
Size:
1-2 ft tall
1-2 ft wide
Growth form:
Annual wildflower
Foliage:
Pale green to yellow-green
Leaves look almost fern-like
Sticky, with characteristic
scent
Often grows with other
wildflowers and grasses
© 2004 Michelle Cloud-Hughes © Project SOUND
- 48. Flowers are little
Blooms: in spring - usually Mar-
May, depending on winter rains
Flowers:
Small and dainty looking
Bell-shaped with pale purple
markings
Butterflies and bees attracted
by nectar
Seeds:
Two kinds; round & wrinkled –
different germination times
Both eaten by ground-feeding
birds
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/commoneucrypta.html
© Project SOUND
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/1335818709_0f590ac2d2.jpg?v=0
- 49. Eucrypta’s not demanding
Soils:
Texture: any, from sandy to
clay
pH: any local
Light:
Part-sun to shade
Perhaps more sun on coast
http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/ecology/plants/species_detail.cfm?plants_id=99
Water:
Winter: need good rains for
germination and growth
Pretty easy to grow – like
Summer: treat as Zone 1 (no
many native S. CA wildflowers summer water) after it
blooms
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© Project SOUND
- 50. Garden uses for
Common Eucrypta
As an attractive pot plant
Under toyon or Elderberry
With common associates: Collinsia
heterophylla, Eschscholzia californica,
Eremocarpus setigerus, Lomatium
utriculatum, Calandrinia ciliata, Solidago
californica, Salvia columbariae,
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eucrypta_chrysanthemifolia Uropappus lindleyi, Plantago erecta
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/1336701558_6786b2d742.jpg?v=0
© Project SOUND
- 52. Dove Plant/Turkey Mullein – Croton setigerus
A plant of the west:
Drier (eastern) parts of
WA/OR to Baja
Much of CA, usually in
ocean-influenced areas
< 2500 ft elevation
common in coastal sage
scrub, valley grassland and
oak woodland
A plant of disturbed
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3618,3660,
places (natural or man-
3661
made):
Burned & flooded areas
Roadsides, agricultural
lands
http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Eremocar © Project SOUND
pus_setigerus.gif
- 53. Crotons are Euphorbias (Euphorbiaceae)
CA Croton (Croton californicus) Rattlesnake Plant - Chamaesyce
A sub-shrub of coastal areas albomarginata
Dove Plant (Croton setigerus) CA Spurge - Euphorbia miseraSOUND
© Project
An annual wildflower
- 54. Dove Plant is an interesting annual…
Size:
< 1 ft tall
2-3 ft wide
Growth form:
Herbaceous annual
Rather sprawly, mounded
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/doveweed.html
growth habit
Foliage:
Leaves heart-shaped, rather
stiff-looking, pale green
Entire plant covered in
prickly hairs – need to handle
with care
Foliage toxic to animals – if
crazy enough to eat it
Unique, sweet scentSOUND
© Project
- 55. Flowers are weird
Blooms in summer/fall: can
range from May to Oct.
Flowers: in a word, ‘unique’
Separate male & female
flowers; male clustered
above several female
flowers
Male flowers rudimentary –
no petals
Flowers small, yellow-green,
very hairy
Very interesting looking,
but not obviously showy
Fruit: a dry capsule
containing 1 seed
© Project SOUND
© 2009 Neal Kramer
- 56. Two different seed
strategies
Two different seeds:
Uniform gray; may be flatter;
produced later in season
Mottled; may be larger, rounded
Two different strategies insure
http://www.ransomseedlab.com/genus/e/eremocarpus_setigerus.htm survival:
Gray seeds germinate under drier
conditions; not eaten by birds due
unpalatable taste of seed coat
Mottled seeds germinate under
wetter conditions; loved by
ground-feeding birds
Common names (Dove Plant;
Turkey Mullein) from the affinity
of Doves and Wild Turkeys for
the seeds.
Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
- 57. Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: likes well-drained
soils
pH: any local, incl. alkali
Light: full sun
Water:
Winter: like any annual; needs
good winter/spring water
Summer: Dry – Zone 1 or 1-2
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: will reseed on bare
ground – can become weedy in
areas with regular irrigation
http://www.coestatepark.com/eremocarpus_setigerus_coe.htm
© Project SOUND
- 58. Dove Plant is habitat
As an interesting container
plant
In dry, out-of-the way spots
of the garden
In a habitat garden
With its natural associates:
Baby Blue-eyes, Creamcups,
Goldfields & others
© Project SOUND
- 59. One of the main reasons that seed-eaters are
uncommon in urban areas is that there are no seeds
© Project SOUND
http://tiee.ecoed.net/vol/v5/practice/dalgleish/img/konza1-prairie-1600x1200.jpg
- 60. The importance of wild places in the
garden
It was an old farm practice
to plant zero-maintenance
medicinal herbs like yarrows
& cudweeds at property
edges, to harvest for use in
home remedies.
‘Wild’ places like that are
also important for native
creatures
We need to consider bringing
some ‘wild’ into our gardens &
neighborhoods
© Project SOUND
- 61. Seed plants for ground-eating birds –
consider them for your ‘wild area’
Native grasses
Native sedges
Native Wildflowers
– particularly those
wth larger seeds
Any Buckwheat
Any Salvia
© Project SOUND
- 62. White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
Usually nests near the ground
in dense cover. In forest areas
they will use a willow in a
maintain meadow or a low
conifer branch near the
meadow. In coastal areas they
use a shrub for nesting.
Likes brushy habitats. Happy
with CSS plants, especially if
you supply water for drinking
Eats mainly grass and forb
seeds. They will also eat
insects and spiders especially
in the breading season as these
provide more protein.
They feed on or near the
ground in open areas near
cover.
© Project SOUND
- 63. *Munz’s Sage – Salvia munzii
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
- 64. *Munz’s Sage – Salvia munzii
A local endemic – SW
San Diego County
(western slopes of Otay
Mountain) & N. Baja
Founding in lower
chaparral/coastal sage
scrub communities
Area is very dry
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4745,4865,4882
© Project SOUND
- 65. Munz’s Sage is appropriate size for the garden
Size:
2-4 ft tall
2-4+ ft wide
Growth form:
Woody shrub/sub-shrub
Relatively compact, rounded form
Looks delicate
Foliage:
Rather similar to Black Sage
(Salvia mellifera) in looks, but
scent is more like Cleveland Sage
Leaves medium green, narrow
(wider with more water) &
textured
Roots: fibrous
© Project SOUND
Dr. Dean Wm. Taylor, Jepson Herbarium
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/salvia-munzii
- 66. Flowers: ‘Salvia’ says it all!
Blooms:
Spring - usually Feb-Apr
in our area
May bloom again in summer
with a little water
Flowers:
Typical little Salvia flowers
in ball-like clusters along the
flowering stems
Color usually light blue – may
be somewhat lavender
Nice aroma !!
Good habitat – attract many
pollinators
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/munzssage.html
- 67. Salvia seeds are small
but tasty!
A veritable feast of
little seeds; birds will
eat on the plant or on
http://www.hazmac.biz/090612/090612SalviaMunzii.html
the ground
Songbirds, lizards and
other forms of wildlife
use it for cover.
© Project SOUND
http://www.robinssalvias.com/blue/htms/munzii.htm
- 68. One of our easier Soils:
Texture: any local, from
Salvias to grow sandy to clay – just water
less in clays
pH: any local
Light: best in full sun, but can
take a little shade
Water:
One of our more tolerant S.
CA Salvias
In nature, endures hot dry
summers – so good for dry
gardens, tho’ will lose leaves
Probably looks best with
occasional summer water –
Zone 1-2, maybe even 2
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© 2006 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
- 69. Munz’s sage is a
garden winner
One of the best Salvias
for pots
Small size makes it
appropriate for small
yards
http://calown.com/nativegarden_plants.html Nice for informal hedge
or border
Excellent all-round
habitat plant – nectar,
seeds & cover value
Pair it with Coyote Bush,
Sticky Monkeyflower,
and native wildflowers &
bulbs.
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
california/plants/salvia-munzii © Project SOUND
- 70. Other native Salvias are also good habitat
Annual Salvias - Chia Black Sage
Purple Sage White Sage
© Project SOUND
- 74. Don’t rake up all those leaves – they’re leaf mulch
© Project SOUND
- 75. California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis
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.
The California Towhee likes dense
cover and leaf litter. Leaf litter
is good for many birds as well as
most California native plants.
© Project SOUND
- 76. Some birds use unique native seeds…
http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Jays_and_magpies/scrub_jay/scrub_jay_in_your_garden.htm
Their favorite foods are acorns
and they also enjoy eating the
insects attracted by an oak
tree.
© Project SOUND
- 77. Western Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma californica
Scrub Jays are
generalists - eat acorns,
seeds, fruits and nuts –
also insects & eggs.
They like to store acorns
http://www.avesphoto.com/WEBSITE/NA/species/JAYWSC-1.htm in the soil for short-
term storage
An important dispersal
agent of oaks – think of
them as the ‘Johnny
Appleseeds’ of oaks
© Project SOUND
- 78. ‘I have no room for a Oak Tree’
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/277961690_153fe58532_o.jpg
© Project SOUND
- 79. Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences © Project SOUND
- 80. Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia
Coastal CA (mainly) including
S. CA to Baja
Sandy soils near coast,
coastal chaparral with a
relatively open canopy cover,
sand-stone, coastal sage
scrub below 600‘
AKA ‘Nuttal’s Scrub Oak’
Some debate – is it really
just Quercus dumosa (Scrub
Oak) or a separate species
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4316,4326,4332
Interbreeds with other live
oaks including Q. agrifolia
© Project SOUND
- 82. Scrub oaks are small live oaks
Size:
usually 4-10 ft tall; can grow
to 20 ft.
usually 4-8 ft wide
Growth form:
Woody shrub/small tree
Usually quite upright
Slow growing; long-lived (100+
years)
Foliage:
Leaves dark green – evergreen
and somewhat holly-like
Similar to Coast Liveoak – but
leaves may be smaller
Roots: deep taproot – resents
moving; shallow feeder roots
© Project SOUND
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Quercus+berberidifolia
- 83. Flowers are, frankly,
oak-like
Blooms: in spring - usually
Mar-May in our area
Flowers:
Separate male & female
© 2002 Charles E. Jones flowers on same plant
Male flowers on drooping
catkins; female flowers
produce the acorns
Not really showy – only an
oak lover will notice them!
Seeds: acorns, of course;
mature in a single year
© Project SOUND
- 84. Acorns are wonderful food…and scrub
oaks produce plenty in good years
http://www.justingee.com/pictures/lg_making-acorn-bread-
1151349431.jpg
http://www.archives.gov/pacific/education/curricul
um/4th-grade/acorn-photographs.html
You can eat acorns too –
but it takes quite a bit of
preparation
© Project SOUND
- 85. Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: any well-drained
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun to part-shade – in
nature may grow on north-
facing slopes
Water:
Winter: adequate water; no
flooding
Summer: little needed one
established – Zone 1 or 1-2
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: an easy oak to grow
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/inlandscruboak.html
© Project SOUND
- 86. Scrub oaks are good
for smaller areas
Excellent on dry slopes,
for erosion control
Appropriate for parking
strips
Can bonsai – or trim as a
hedge/screen
Superb habitat plant
Butterflies
Other insects
Wide range of birds
Provides food, perches,
nesting sites (CA Towhee)
© 2002 Charles E. Jones
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3642572283_1852921712.jpg?v=0 © Project SOUND
- 87. Scrub Jays are omnivores
Western Scrub jay
is also very fond of
Toyon berries
Nest in the dense
foliage of a large
bush or small tree,
usually situated near
water
http://research.pomona.edu/bfs/files/2009/06/scrub-jay_053109.jpg © Project SOUND
- 88. * Tecate Cypress – Cupressus forbesii
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
- 89. * Tecate Cypress – Cupressus forbesii
In the Santa Ana Mountains
(Orange County); Guatay
Mountain and Otay Mountain
(San Diego County); Mount
Tecate on the U.S.-Mexican
boundary. Also in northern
Baja
Very rare – 15 U.S.
populations; formerly more
widespread – in La Brea tar
from Pleistocene
Commonly on dry slopes,
exposed hillsides, and
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm ridgetops; also along
streambanks and arroyos, at
elevations from 1,500 to
5,000 feet
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?157,160,166
© Project SOUND
- 90. Tecate Cypress in Cuyumaca Mountains
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm
© Project SOUND
- 91. Tecate Cypress is a well-mannered evergreen
Size:
to 20+ ft tall; grows
quickly to 12 ft. then slows
6-8 ft wide
Growth form:
Woody evergreen tree;
may be shrubby, many-
branched with age
Bark lovely; peeling and
nice colors
Long-lived (100’s of years)
Foliage:
Pretty typical Cypress
Nice looking; neater than
Italian Cypress
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm Roots: taproot and laterals
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/tecatecypress.html © Project SOUND
- 92. Cones are distinctive
Flowers:
Separate male & female
flowers
You probably won’t notice it
blooming
Cones:
Male cones numerous; unusual
looking – on small branches
Female cones are larger and
attached to larger branches
Start out green – gradually
become dry & hard
Take 2 years to mature;
remain on tree for several
years
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm © Project SOUND
- 93. Seeds not easily released
The cones of California
cypress are closed; they
usually persist on the tree
until opened by the heat of a
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm
fire or from desiccation due
to age.
Seeds are shed gradually
over several months after
the cones open. Seeds shed
from detached cones rarely
result in seedling
establishment, usually due to
lack of a suitable seedbed.
Seed dispersal is primarily
by wind and rain
© Project SOUND
http://www.hazmac.biz/050214/050214CupressusForbesii.html
- 94. Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: best in coarse, well-
drained soils
pH: any local
Light: full sun
Water:
Winter: rain usually adequate
Summer: none or very little
after established; over
watering can make
susceptible to blow-down
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: Easy under proper
conditions
© Project SOUND
- 95. Uses in the garden
Anywhere you might
consider an Italian
Cypress
Great on dry hillsides
Excellent as an
evergreen hedge or
screen
Impressive specimen
plant
Is fire-prone; also some
insect & fungal pests,
but hardier than non-
native species
http://www.geographylists.com/tecate_cypress.jpg
© Project SOUND
- 96. Tecate Cypress as informal screen
http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/pictures/Cupressus_forbesii_tecate_cypress.jpg
© Project SOUND
- 97. If you want a really big cypress -
Monterey Cypress
© Project SOUND
http://www.geographylists.com/monterey_cypress.jpg
- 98. Things you can do to attract more birds
A greater variety of plants
will attract a greater diversity
of birds, so include a mixture
of taller and shorter trees,
shrubs, native flowers, and
grasses.
Diversify the height, leaf
type, and food (fruits, berries,
and nuts) provided by the
plants in your garden.
Plant shrubs and trees that
provide berries well into the
winter to attract fruit-eating
birds such as waxwings.
© Project SOUND
- 99. Things you can do to attract more birds
Plant in groupings to give the
edge effect so attractive to
birds.
By planting native
wildflowers you attract
insects which feed insect-
eating birds and the young of
many seed eaters.
Allowing flowers such as
sunflowers, goldenrod,
thistles, or daisies to go to
seed will attract finches,
juncos, sparrows, and other
seed-eating birds.
© Project SOUND
- 100. Things you can do to attract more birds
Provide clean, safe water
Provide a dusting spot for
birds by leaving bare a
circle of sandy soil about
20 inches (50 cm) across
in a sunny corner of your
yard. This will allow birds
to clean their feathers
and get rid of parasites.
You can supplement your
natural food sources by
adding some feeders
© Project SOUND