© Project SOUND

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden

Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2010

© Project SOUND

Hospitable Habitat Providing for Ground-living

Creatures

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake

CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve

February 7th & 10th, 2010

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What makes for good lizard habitat?

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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

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Southern Alligator Lizard

Elgaria multicarinata webbii

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Alligator Lizard is well-named

Large, smooth scales

Long alligator-like snout

Longitudinal fold on each side of the body

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Take on color of

their surroundings

Size: Up to seven inch body May have a tail nearly twice

the length of its body, making 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

http://www.wildherps.com/species/E.multicarinata.html

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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

© 2004 Pierre Fidenci

© Project SOUND

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

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.

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Guidelines for creating habitat for ground-dwellers

Provide dense shrub/grass cover –perching, cover & nest sites

Provide a brush pile/logs for cover

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Atriplex (Saltbush) species provide

excellent habitat

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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 eat them – takes up & stores many metals

http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/atrlen/plant.jpg

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Coast Quailbush - Atriplex lentiformis (ssp. breweri)

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* Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens

http://www.perennialfavoritesnursery.com/native_a-f.html

© Project SOUND

* 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 (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://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242100016

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3084,3089,3095

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This is a plant you’ve no doubt seen….

© 2004 Steven Perkins

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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

http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/saltbush.html

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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://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html

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Seedpods, however,

are showy

Dry pods remain on plants until stripped off by wind or eaten by animals – very nutritious

Pods have ‘4 wings’ – hence the common name

Very unusual & can be showy in good years

1 large hard seed per pod

Role of fungi in germination process

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html

http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages2/gilaflora/a_canescens3.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg

© Project SOUND

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

Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils – too rich can kill

http://sep.csumb.edu/class/ESSP303/2008/plants.htm

Branches are brittle – no foot traffic

© Project SOUND

Pruning Saltbushes - easy

In the wild, are eaten back extensively by deer, elk, rabbits

In the garden, you are the browser – with your pruners

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

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg

http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/grass_weeds/wingscale.htm

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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 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://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens

http://www.delange.org/FourwingSaltbush/FourwingSaltbush.htm

© Project SOUND

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

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

California Boxthorn – Lycium californicum

http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Lycium_californicum.html

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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

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Wolfberry – Lycium andersonii

© 2005 James M. Andre

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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 and creosote bush scrub – usually along washes

© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7636,7637

http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Lycium_andersonii

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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

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 desert shrub; re-sprouts after fire or major damage/pruning

Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences

© Project SOUND http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/IMGP2394sm.html

© Project SOUND

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

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 fruits & seeds – desert packrats store them

http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos/bendcollections/images/Lycium%20andersonii_JPG.jpg

© Project SOUND

Easy to grow with

benign neglect

Soils: Texture: must be well-drained –

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 to 2 in garden setting

Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils – remember, it’s a desert plant

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lycium_andersonii

© Project SOUND

Garden uses for

Boxthorns

Water-wise hedges

As an accent plant; flowers & foliage, red fruits

As a container plant

As all-round good habitat plants: food, cover, nest sites.

© 1998 Larry Blakely

© Project SOUND

Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis

longipes

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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

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

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!

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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

A word about cats..

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.

http://www.pbase.com/griff42/image/48377834 http://hannahgreenfield.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/bobcat.jpg

© Project SOUND

Guidelines for creating habitat

Provide sunning spots – with cover close by Leave some areas relatively ‘human-free’ for most of the day

© Project SOUND

Chamise – Adenostoma fasciculatum

Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

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 California chaparral.

Also called ‘Greasewood’

Chamise – Adenostoma fasciculatum

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Adenostoma+fasciculatum

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Typical Chaparral site with Chamise

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum

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Chamise blooming in Santa Monica Mtns

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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’

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

Steven Perkins @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

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

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

Chamise is one

tough shrub

Soils: Texture: any as long as it is

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

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

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum

© Project SOUND

Low-growing variety & cultivars

make nice woody groundcovers

‘Black Diamond’ Dark green foliage

Low-growing; can be used as a groundcover or bonsai

‘San Nicolas’ Truly prostrate form from San

Nicolas Island

‘Black Diamond’

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/3358077566/in/set-72157621930969588/

Adenostoma fasciculatum var. prostatum

© Project SOUND

The California Towhee - Pipilo crissalis

© 2007 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net

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Identifying your CA Towhee

Length: 7.25 inches Conical bill Dark eye Brown crown Buffy throat Black ring of spots on

breast Pale gray underparts Brown upperparts Rusty undertail coverts Long tail Juvenile (Spring to Fall)

heavily streaked below

© 2007 Ron Wolf

© 2008 Kim Cabrera

© Project SOUND

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

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

* Parajo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos pajaroensis

© 1995 Dan Post

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* 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 cultivars – very attractive foliage

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Arctostaphylos+pajaroensis

© Project SOUND

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

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

Plant Requirements Soils:

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

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.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/

© Project SOUND

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, 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

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-pajaroensis-paradise-manzanita

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/

© Project SOUND

‘Sunset’

Hybrid - A. pajaroensis x A. hookeri ssp. hookeri

Very colorful new foliage Low-growing – to about 3-4 ft Chosen for garden hardiness

http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/

© Project SOUND

Naturally occurring cultivar

Particularly attractive Bright/dark pink flowers

Light blue-green foliage

4-5 ft tall & wide

Takes a little more heat – good for hot banks

http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/waterwise/images/05_Arctostaphylos-cv-MWolf5.jpg

‘Myrtle Wolf’

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/

© Project SOUND

‘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

‘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

‘Lester Rountree’

Hybrid: A. parajoensis X ? A. obispoensis

8-10 ft tall & wide

Open, sculptural growth habit

Light blue-green foliage – almost a gray-blue cast – nice as accent color

http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/category/california-native-plants/page/2/

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/268090756_f6a54c9577.jpg

© Project SOUND

California Legless Lizard - Anniella pulchra

© Project SOUND

CA Legless Lizard is

unique

A small (pencil-sized) slender lizard with no legs, a shovel-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 occur.

© Project SOUND

Legless Lizard Habitat – loose sandy soils

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.

Though common in some areas, this species is considered a species of special concern, and legal collecting is limited to one specimen per collector.

© Project SOUND

If you have sandy

soil, you may see

the Legless Lizard

in your garden

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.

http://www.wildherps.com/species/A.pulchra.html

© Project SOUND

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

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 resembles)

Also known as Basket-brush, Sumac, Sourberry, Skunkbrush

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Rhus+trilobata

© Project SOUND

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

© Project SOUND

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

© Project SOUND

Three-lobe Sumac

pleases the palette…

Yellow flowers in spring Butterflies & bees

Red berries in summer

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

http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Rhus_trilobata

.html

Many parts of the plant are used for

natural dyes

© Project SOUND

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 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

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~plants-c/bio414/species%20pages/rhus%20trilobata.htm

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White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow

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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.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-crowned_Sparrow/id

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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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Guidelines for creating habitat

Provide water at ground level (or close)

Provide cover near the water source – lower branches

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CA Mugwort - Artemisia douglasiana

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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 mugs to flavor beer prior to hops

http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Artemisia_douglasiana.gif

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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

http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/mugwort.html

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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/

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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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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 source – lower branches

Try to minimize effect of

cats

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