2015 - Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[Robert]

Maggi - Trond,

Tomorrow afternoon I hope to check on the Calystegia vanzuukiae site. The site is only a 40 minute drive from the farm and not far off from the road. There are many other interesting plants in this area so I am sure that I will be there awhile. At least the days are long this time of year.

[Robert]

Robert,

I have Trientalis latifolia in my garden (from seed last year). It has not flowered yet and I can't tell it apart from the native species (T. eurpaea) which I also have in my garden so far.

Trond,

At some future time I would enjoy seeing a photograph of Trientalis eurpaea. Maybe this will be possible. For me it is fascinating how certain plants mirror themselves in different parts of the world. Liquidambar and Liriodendron are two that come to mind.

[Robert]

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Weather: Clear

Temperature, High: 83 F (28 C),  Low: 47 F (8 C)



I am taking every opportunity to get out in the next few weeks as I will be back to my regular duties soon enough. After doing some fire control and pitching manure in the morning, I headed off to Skunk Hollow and the South Fork of the American River to check on things.



The trail starts at 473 feet (144 meters) and generally follows the contour of the hills winding its way through the chaparral. There is little elevation gain. 568 feet (173 meters) was the highest point reached this day.



Even though the dry season has started there are still many plants blooming. Castilleja foliolosa has been blooming for months now.



Even the little Frying Pan Poppies, Eschscholzia lobbii are still in bloom.

[Robert]

Sorry I do not know how to edit and correct this mess!

RESTART

The trail starts at 473 feet (144 meters) and generally follows the contour of the hills winding its way through the chapparral. There is little elevation gain. 568 feet (173 meters) was the highest point reached this day.



Even though the dry season has started there are still many plants blooming. Castilleja foliolosa has been blooming for months now.



Even the little Frying Pan Poppies, Eschscholzia lobbii are still in bloom.



Bush Monkeyflower, Mimulus aurantiacus, is another species that will keep on blooming as long as the soil moisture holds up.

[Robert]

Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum, is the dominant chaparral species at this elevation. This is their normal blooming time.



Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, blooms at this season too. The red berries during the late fall, early winter are very attractive before the birds eat them all.



In some areas there is oak woodland. In this photograph the oaks are Quercus douglasii, Blue Oak. In areas such as this one finds Iris macrosiphon and Wyethia helenioides to name a few. It is interesting that the deer like to eat the seed heads of the Wyethia. I only found a few seed heads remaining the rest had been eaten off.



Here one can see the transition from chaparral, oak woodland, to grassland.



More Castilleja foliolosa. For me it is one of the easier Castilleja species to grow in the garden. They may be semi-parasitic, however they seem to grow quite well on their own until they find someone to share roots with.

[Robert]

Eriophyllum lanatum var. achilleoides brightens up the chaparral this time of year. I sees them everywhere in the Sierra Foothills this time of year.



Lepichinia calycina is a chaparral species. On warm days such as this day, the fragrant foliage perfumes the air with their wonder scent. Often the scent mixes with that of Salvia sonomensis another chaparral species. I use both species to bring scented foliage into the garden.



Brodiaea elegans, Harvest Brodiaea, is one of the last native bulbs to bloom at this elevation. One sees them in a variety of habitats.



There were rock outcroppings here and there through the chaparral. A good place to look for interesting plants. Rattlesnakes hang out in such places too. I did not see any today, however they are out now. I had to kill one at the farm last week. 



Not so ornamental but a tough plant, Pseudognaphalium californicum. They bloom late in the season and are seen in sunny, rocky, dry sites, with very little soil.

[Robert]

Harvest Brodiaea, Brodiaea elegans, may be commonly found in our area, however there is variation in the flowers. For me it is worth while to select good color forms.



Some of the seasonal streams still have some water in them despite the dry, drought conditions.



Here I found masses of Monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus.



They are very attractive and, for me, worth growing in the garden. They tend to be annual but some can hang on for several seasons. They are definitely water hogs and need water all summer to get through the summer season. In the garden here I use them as annuals as they reseed themselves easily each season without ever getting weedy.

Well that is all for now.

[astragalus]

I remember seeing that mimulus in the wild and thinking how nice it would be in the garden.

[Hoy]

Trond,

At some future time I would enjoy seeing a photograph of Trientalis eurpaea. Maybe this will be possible. For me it is fascinating how certain plants mirror themselves in different parts of the world. Liquidambar and Liriodendron are two that come to mind.

You don't need to wait for long! Sorry it isn't the best of pics It is not from this season as they haven't started flowering yet (a bit late!). Trientalis europaea is a very common species that you will find from the sea to above the treeline. The Norw. name "skogstjerne" (litt. wood-star) suggests it is a woodland species but it is one of the  more common species above the treeline too.

[Hoy]

Monkey flower is one of the few Mimulus sp which can be found in gardens here. I have tried it but it disappear after one season.

I am fascinated by your oaklands! Although we have 2 species of oaks here they seldom make pure stands. One exception is where I have my summerhouse. On one of the islands (Jomfruland) it is an oak wood and a mixed deciduous forest. Don't think I have any summer pics, only this from spring.




Also the grassland fascinates me. Grasslands here are either pastures or above the treeline.

I would like to have more aromatic shrubs and other plants around me. The only aromatic shrub that comes to mind is "pors" (Myrica gale). When it comes to herbs it is quite a few though!

[Ed Alverson]

Monkey flower is one of the few Mimulus sp which can be found in gardens here. I have tried it but it disappear after one season..

Trond,

There has been quite a bit of recent research into the taxonomy of monkeyflowers that, I think, will be helpful for you and other people who are interested in growing these plants in gardens. The Mimulus guttatus complex actually is many separate species that have often in the past been lumped into a single species, M. guttatus. True M. guttatus is a perennial that grows in habitats with good summer moisture. Many of the related species, however, are annuals. Mimulus microphyllus is probably the most common of the annuals; it grows in sites that are wet in the winter and spring but then dry out completely in the summer. So, most likely your plants that disappeared after the first year were one of the annual species.

The second part of this recent research is that most of the North American species have been moved out of Mimulus, mostly in to Diplacus and Erythranthe. It turns out that the type species of the genus Mimulus is more closely related to a set of Australian genera than to the other North American species now placed in Diplacus and Erythranthe, so the upcoming treatment in Flora of North America will treat the common monkeyflower as Erythranthe guttata. Much more information, including links to recent publications, can be found at http://www.mimulustaxonomy.net/

Ed

[Hoy]

Ed,

Interesting! Thanks. I am sure any perennial moisture-loving Mimulus would do quite well here!

I did see several - or just a couple very variable - species of Mimulus(?) in Argentina.

Strange that close Mimulus relatives are to be found in Australia - Asia had been more natural.

[Robert]

I remember seeing that mimulus in the wild and thinking how nice it would be in the garden.

Astragalus,

In my next posting from Traverse Creek (coming soon, busy) I have some good photographs of meadows with masses of Mimulus guttatus mixed with various bulbs.

Mimulus breweri is tiny and they were blooming everywhere, sometimes mixed with M. bicolor.

Off the top of my head I have found 5-6 species of Mimulus growing in this area. In addition, I have been experimenting with them in the garden. Most do well in scree type conditions and will reseed themselves without any help on my part. Someday I will report on this as I like growing Mimulus, especially our native species.

[Robert]

Trond,

Thanks for all the information about Trientalis europaea. In the correct life zone one sees them everywhere in our parts. I agree, from the photographs I can not tell the two species apart, however it would be interesting for me to grow T. europaea at some point.

The oak forests are very interesting in our area. In some cases they grow in mixed stands. In other circumstances they grow in pure stands. California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii, is often found in pure stands in thermal belts on mountain and hill sides. During the spring when they are leafing out it is very noticeable.

[Robert]

Thursday, 28 May, 2015

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Temperature, High:82 F (27.5 C),  Low:47 F (8 C)

Trailhead: 2,239 feet (682 meters)



Last Thursday I returned to the Traverse Creek area to follow up on Calystegia vanzuukiae. This is a newly discovered and described species that is said to grow in this area. Earlier this spring I found plants that did not quite key out to Calystegia occidentalis a somewhat common species at this elevation. More on this later in this posting, but first there was much for me to see.



Right off, as I headed down the trail there were stands of Delphinium hansenii.



Most were shades of purple, however I did find one plant with pink blossoms (very wilted too). This species is quite tough. All the plants were growing in more or less full sun, in very poor gravely soil. Many, but not all, of the other Delphinium species in our area grow in shaded locations. The drought and heat we taking a toll on them as they were drought stressed and somewhat wilted.



Here and there were blooming plants of Castilleja applegatei. This is the lower elevation limit of this species.



Quite beautiful were the drifts of Large Bluecup, Githopsis pulchella. This annual is a member of the Campanulaceae. I felt this species was quite stunning in bloom and will be worth the effort to cultivate in the garden.