2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

Robert:

Had a look at the geography of the area.  You look to be directly south of the dam in Sacramento (75 miles) and further away in Placerville. (114 miles).

Of course distance and geography could be deceiving.

I've read that there were warning ten years ago about this very situation happening.  Is that true/

We are keeping all of the folks there in our thoughts.

Arnold,

Yes, the warnings were true!

We are at risk in Sacramento. Our house is a very short distance from the Sacramento River. Interstate 5 is the only barrier between our neighborhood and the river. The farm in Placerville is at 1,500 feet and safe from any dam or spillway failure.

There are other problems now. South of Sacramento another levee on the Mokelumne River is severely eroding and leaking and will most likely fail. Tyler Island will flood if the levee fails. Most of the land is agricultural, however parts of the town of Walnut Grove will flood if the levee fails.

Highway 50 between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe is closed due to mudslides. There are 3-4 slides blocking the highway and it is not expected to reopen any time soon. Interstate 80 between Sacramento and the Nevada border is also partly closed due to mudslides. I guess this answers my questions about erosion and slides in the Sierra Nevada.

Trond,

We have approximately 225% of average precipitation to date! March can also produce abundant precipitation and at some point all of the snow will start melting this spring in the Sierra Nevada. There is still the potential for major flooding for a number of months. We have also been warned about other flood control projects that were not done correctly. These too could raise their ugly heads.

Most of the time the things we fear not not occur, so most likely everyone will be okay. But then the last thing we need now is an earthquake in our area! There was an earthquake just last month.

More rain, possibly heavy, is to arrive Thursday. The first storm is subtropical thus there will be high snow levels. Rain on top of the deep snow pack could create more flooding and mudslides. This is only the first storm to arrive. My guess is that everything will be okay, but there is certainly plenty of risks.

Life goes on. I still plan on visiting the Red Hills in Tuolumne County on Wednesday. The early wildflowers have started to bloom at the farm. It is still a bit early, however the Red Hills are in an area of serpentine rock south of Sacramento and Placerville in the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Certainly there will be some flowers in bloom. March will be even better. Bear Valley near Snow Mountain is top on my list of places to visit in March. There are several Fritillaria and other bulbs I want to see in this area.

[Robert]

Dalton and I had an excellent outing to the Red Hills in Tuolumne County, California. The weather was overcast but remained dry. It is still a bit early in the season to see much in bloom, however some early bloomers had started and there were some good finds, such as Lomatium congdonii. I will be busy for the next few days so my report on this outing might not be until early next week.

[Robert]

RED HILLS

TUOLUMNE COUNTY

Wednesday, 15 February 2017

Sacramento Weather

Weather: Cloudy
Temperature, High:65 F, 18 C
                      Low:49 F, 9.5 C



On Wednesday, Dalton and I traveled to the Red Hills in Tuolumne County, California. The Red Hills are a unique geological formation located in the lower foothills of the Central Sierra Nevada. The ultramaphic rock, in this case a form of serpentine with very high concentrations of nickel, chromium and cobalt, limits the growth of many plant species to those that are tolerant of these toxic minerals. In addition, low levels of potassium and phosphorus, as well as a low ratio of calcium/magnesium limits plant growth. The harsh growing conditions have created a unique habitat where a high number of endemic species find a home.

The day was overcast, but between storms, so we enjoyed reasonably good hiking conditions. The vegetation was obviously unique. With a first glance, all that was seen were hillsides covered with Buckbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus and scattered California Gray Pine, Pinus sabiniana. The staging area (1,196 feet, 365 meters) had the usual mix of invasive species, however I did spot dense colonies of our native annual, Lepidium nitidum, in full bloom. This small, early blooming Brassicaceae can be easily overlooked due to its unassuming tiny white flowers.



Bushbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus is an extremely drought tolerant and tough evergreen species. It is commonly seen in chaparral plant communities at lower elevations in interior California.



As we hiked southward through the hills, the habitat appeared to be dominated by a small number of species. Sanicula bipinnatifida was a very common perennial found growing around the Ceanothus.



Rosettes of Chlorogalum were frequently seen. Chlorogalum pomeridianum and C. grandiflorum can look very similar at this stage of growth, especially when growing on serpentine. Both species can be identified by the characteristics of their bulbs, however I will wait until they bloom to make a determination based on the length of their pedicels and other characteristics.



Pentagramma triangularis grew thickly, sometimes almost as a ground cover, in the Ceanothus chaparral.

[Robert]

As we reached the crest of a high hill, a beautiful panorama of hills and mountains opened to our south and east. This view is to the southeast and with the canyon of the Toulumne River and Yosemite off in the distance.



A scene with Ceanothus chaparral in the foreground and the Sierra Nevada far in the distance to the east.



We followed a path down into a ravine where Eriogonum wrightii was found growing near a seasonal creek. I generally find this species at much higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada. The distribution of this species may need more study as I have also found it growing in the inner coastal mountains.



Many clumps of Eschscholzia californica were seen in this ravine. On our drive home I saw this species blooming on sunny south facing road cuts, however the plants at this site were not showing any flower buds.



Chaparral Honeysuckle, Lonicera interrupta, was well into its current season growth. Here it is seen twinning through California Coffee Berry, Frangula californica ssp. tomentella.

[Robert]

Another look at the evergreen, Frangula californica ssp. tomentella.



They were not seen very frequently, however Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, were observed at scattered sites in the chaparral. The birds had eaten all the red berries leaving the stubby pedicels.



In some areas there were large stands of Delphinium hansenii. It will be stunning to see such large stands in full bloom.



It was still a bit too early to see much in bloom, however Lomatium utriculatum was starting into its bloom cycle. This species has cauline leaves that have a large conspicuous sheathing.



Lomatium congdonii is an endemic species, known to only a few locations in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. Its glaucous foliage is quite distinct. I did not find any plants in bloom, however many were well budded. Lomatium congdonii is one of the few Lomatium species without bractlets.

[Robert]

There were other plants starting into bloom. The annual Asteraceae, Leptosyne stillmanii were seen in scattered drifts throughout the chaparral. This species is easily identified by its lance shaped palea subtending the disk flowers, the gland tipped hairs on the base of the phyllaries, and their distinctly lobed linear foliage. They were very prolific and will be very pretty when they are in full bloom.



Large colonies of Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii grew in shaded portions of the chaparral. Many plants were budded, however it will be another 2-3 weeks before they start flowering.



Once in the chaparral I did not notice many invasive species, however Medusa Head, Elymus caput-medusae, is very persistent and the dry inflorescences of this species were seen throughout this area.



Eriogonum nudum is a very tough species, so it was not surprising at all to find it growing in this area. Here it is seen with small seedlings of Mimulus guttatus. This is an unlikely combination of a xeric species growing with a mesic/hydric species. Maybe the abundant rainfall this season can account for this phenomena.



Our original goal this day was to hike to the north shore of Don Pedro Reservoir. Unfortunately we missed the correct trail through the thick chaparral and ended up traveling off the west.

[Robert]

Here I found the first stands of Common Manzanita, Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita.



I found one extremely interesting plant that resembled Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. mariposa, however it was also quite different. The twigs and young fruit were densely hairy but completely non-glandular. In addition, the inflorescence was also non-glandular. It grew in proximity to a stand of Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita, however I did not find any other plants of Arctostaphylos viscida on this whole outing. This plant was most likely a hybrid, however the cross pollination must have occurred elsewhere and the seed distributed to this site by animal droppings. On future outing to this area I will be checking for nearest stand of Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. mariposa.



Eriophyllum lanatum var. achilleoides was a commonly seen species. I found them in all stages of maturity, from young first year seedlings to much older plants.



Eventually our path led us to the western edge of the serpentine formation. Here the chaparral abruptly ended and a Blue Oak Savannah, Quecrus douglasii, started. Unlike any other serpentine formation I have visited, I did not find even one Quercus species growing in the Red Hills.




Along the western edge of the chaparral many of the Ceanothus cuneatus had started into bloom.

[Robert]

Many bulbous species grew in the Red Hills. I saw many dried pods of Calochortus. They were most likely Calochortus superbus, a species I often associated with serpentine, however they could easily have been another species. 3 years ago I found a good stand of Calochortus luteus growing near Chinese Camp. The small village of Chinese Camp is a short distance to the east of this site. Dichelostemma capitatum is the fuzzy image in the foreground, right.



Our path led us back to the staging area. There was plenty of time remaining before we needed to return so we set of to the north to explore the surrounding hills and ravines in this area. Here there were subtle differences in the vegetation. In moist areas Calandrinia ciliata was in bloom.



First we hike to the summit of the highest hill, elevation 1,395 feet (426 meters). I found one plant of Castilleja affinis ssp. affinis in bloom. It was so striking in bloom I had to share the photograph even though it is fuzzy.



There were other interesting plants in this area. This Monardella did not quite fit any species description well. I will be curious to see it in bloom later in the season.



The hills in this area were carpeted with the native perennial grass, Elymus multisetus, Big Squirreltail.

[Robert]

From the top of the hill there were more pleasant vistas of the surrounding landscape.



We hiked through the hills without finding anything interesting so we decided to return to the staging area via a ravine and small creek.



Sickly stands of Eriodictyon californicum grew along this route. Were they unhappy growing in soil full of toxic metals?



Thousands of Clarkia seedlings had sprouted along the stream. What a show they will put on later in the season!



All day I checked many rock outcroppings for lewsias. I did not find any, however I did find some beautiful Lithophragma growing in some of the rocky locations. They were not advanced enough to make a positive identification, however based on the leaves they were possibly Lithophragma parviflorum.

[Robert]

The shadier rock formations were home to Micranthes californica. Their small white flowers were very charming on their long stems blooming above the rocks.

As with all outings the time arrived to return home. Despite our misdirection on the path to Don Pedro Reservoir, we had an excellent day out. There may not have been much in bloom, but there were still many fascinating plants to see. I definitely plan on returning. There are a number of endemic species that grow in the area that I would like to find, among them: Rawhide Hill Onion, Allium tuolumnense; Chinese Camp Brodiaea, Brodiaea pallida; California Verbena, Verbena californica; and Layne’s Ragwort, Packera layneae. But all of this will have to wait until another day.

Until next time……

[Robert]

It looks like we are going to have a pause in the precipitation for awhile. The weather has turned cool with a trace of snow at the farm in El Dorado County. The early spring wildflowers have started to bloom at the lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada. At 525 feet, 160 meters, many of the early blooming species can be found blooming.

This is a view of the South Fork of the American River where it enters Folsom Reservoir near Salmon Falls. I found plenty in bloom the other day and I will be posting some photographs soon enough. A snow shower lingers over the mountains. There is over 7 meters of snow near the Sierra Crest!

[Robert]

We have had 1,359 mm of precipitation to date at the farm in El Dorado County. The South Fork of the American River at Skunk Hollow is running high.



There has been a, more or less, continuous human presence at Skunk Hollow for 150 years or so. It is not surprising that I logged 19 non-native invasive species along the margin of the parking lot in about 30 minutes. Some can be pretty such as Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule.



Some invaders can give a Genus a bad reputation. Cirsium vulgare (pictured) is a common invasive weed in our area. Some of our California native Cirsium species may have some potential as ornamentals in the garden. I hope I do not regret planting our native Cirsium andersonii in our garden. It is perennial and spreads by root runners! I will report later on its progress in our garden. Will it be a beast or friendly?



At Skunk Hollow, I did not have to look far for signs of the beginning of the spring blooming season. The flower buds of Buckbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus, were swelling and getting ready to open with the first sunny day.



Castilleja foliolosa is a gem when blooming. With xeric conditions, they can look dead in the wild by the end of the summer. Under garden conditions, I can keep them looking respectable all season, however they have been short lived in our garden.

[Robert]

It was a beautiful day and I was so easily drawn down the trail into the chaparral.



In this area, Salvia sonomensis is a very common creeper under the taller chaparral shrubbery. Their blooming season has just started. At this site I have observed some interesting variation in flower color. Some plants have very deep almost purple flowers and I know of one colony with pink flowers.



Pellaea mucronata (pictured) and Pentagramma triangularis are the most frequently seen fern species in this area.



I have explored this area since I was a teenager (40+ years), yet there is always something new to see. At the base of a Chamise plant, Adenostoma fasciculatum, I spotted Aspidotis californica. This is my first sighting of this fern species along this trail.

Pine Hill is only a few miles away and is well known for its rare and endemic plant species. This area shares the same Gabbro soil type as is found on Pine Hill. I have crawled around under the chaparral shrubbery looking for unusual species. I suspect that some of the same rare and endemic species on Pine Hill can be found in the chaparral in this area if one is willing to look for them.



I delighted in seeing these excellent examples of pink flowering White Leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida.

[Robert]

Generally Arctostaphylos viscida ssp viscida has white flowers and these can be very beautiful, especially when lit by the light of a full moon. Pink flowering forms of this species are not rare, however these were exceptional plants with a number of excellent qualities.



There are species that I see very frequently but rarely report on. Galium porrigens var. tenue is one such species. This woody perennial is often seen rambling through chaparral shrubbery. Recurved hairs on the slender stems support their climbing growth through the chaparral shrubbery.



Their flowers are small and unassuming. It is a common species that I have never considered planting it in our garden.



The first flowers of Blue Dicks, Dichelostemma capitatum, have just started to emerge.



The geophyte, Dichelostemma capitatum, has an extended blooming cycle, as different plants come into bloom at various intervals during the spring season.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Robert,
the pink flowered Manzanita is very showy!
And it's always nice to see the geophytes - I didn't realise that the Dichelostemma would be in bloom so early.
cheers
fermi