2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

Sorry for the fuzzy photograph.     

Many of the small and tiny flowered Brassicaceae are easily overlooked when hiking around, however I see them frequently in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. Two annuals, the Eurasian invader, Arabidoposis thaliana, Mouse-ear Cress (pictured) and the California native Cardamine oligosperma, Idaho Bitter Cress, are two species I often see blooming in dense colonies this time of the year.



Hansen’s Spike-Moss is often seen growing over rocks ledges and out of crevices. During part of the season some of their leaves are often bright red creating a very beautiful scene on the rock faces.



The foliage of Pitcher Sage, Lepechinia calycina, has a very pleasant scent. On a warm spring or summer days the scent of Lepechinia is quite distinct in the chaparral.



The annual Phacelia cicutaria sends up erect stems topped by a coiled one-sided inflorescence with white to creamy white bell-shaped flowers.



Spider Lupine, Lupinus benthamii will be blooming soon with its bright blue flowers.

[Robert]

Bush Monkey Flower, Mimulus aurantiacus var. aurantiacus is found in many parts of California. This xeric species is generally found with orange-yellow flowers and will often bloom for a prolonged period of time during the spring.



Deerweed, Acmispon glaber, is a small rounded xeric species frequently seen in the chaparral. When in bloom with its bright yellow pea-shaped flowers it can be quite lovely. In the wild they generally defoliate and often look half-baked by the end of the summer. I have never tried it in our garden, however it may perform well, and even look good at the end of the summer, under garden conditions.



The distant ridge covered with chaparral was alluring. Many years ago I crawled to the top of this ridge under the chaparral shrubbery. Now there are trails to the top. Sadly I did not have time to continue my exploration of this ridge on this day.



Our California Native Bunchgrasses have been exterminated from much of their original native range. I am always pleased to see them, especially when they are thriving and propagating themselves. There was not much left on the inflorescence of this Stipa species to make a determination to the species level, however my guess is that it was Stipa cerna.



This is not the best example of Bush Lupine, Lupinus albifrons. The best forms have a dense bushy growth habit; stunning silvery evergreen foliage; and a large upright inflorescence with bright lavender blue flowers. They are well worth growing in the garden.

[Robert]

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

Fermi,

Yes, the pink flowered Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida were very good indeed!    They root very easily from cuttings taken in December-January. The plants are very easy to find and I will certainly take some cuttings next year. A colony of Salvia sonomensis with pink flowers grows very close to the Manzanitas as well as a huge (      ) colony of Erythronium multiscapodeum.

I have a huge list of geophytes I want to see this year, especially in the northern Coast Range and central Sierra Nevada. The first one on the list is Fritillaria pluriflora. They may be blooming near the end of March. Today I received a tip from a very reliable source where Fritillaria recurva might be found in El Dorado County. They grow abundantly in Butte and Plumas Counties to our north. Confirming their existence in El Dorado County would be a large extension of this species range.

Dichelostemma capitatum is always the first Themidaceae I see in bloom in our area. The ones in our Sacramento garden are budded but have not bloomed yet. They can be variable as to when they bloom.

[Hoy]

Robert,

I am enjoying your outing again! At the moment I am up in the snow in the mountains and therefore it is a huge contrast to follow in your footsteps. (We don't have much snow though, it is in fact much less snow than normal.)

Arctostaphylos species are always interesting but I also like the modest woody Galium. We have several Galium species here but they are all herbs. And of course the Castillejas are showy!

[Robert]

Robert,

I am enjoying your outing again! At the moment I am up in the snow in the mountains and therefore it is a huge contrast to follow in your footsteps. (We don't have much snow though, it is in fact much less snow than normal.)

Arctostaphylos species are always interesting but I also like the modest woody Galium. We have several Galium species here but they are all herbs. And of course the Castillejas are showy!

Trond,

I have been able to go out a little bit every day. Not enough to really call it an outing, but I am still happy to get out and see all the plants thriving with the abundant rainfall this season.       I will keep posting photographs as I can. Maybe not everyday, but often. 

We have a number of Galium species that grow in our area. Galium aparine, G. bolanderi and G. porrigens are the species that I see most often. Galium aparine is native to California (and a lot more!), however it can be very weedy in a garden. Another Rubiaceae, Sherardia arvensis, is not native. It is also somewhat weedy.

The Castillejas are great! I wish that they were easy for me to grow in the garden. Maybe when we get our "Sunroom" removed and we can expand our rock garden (more sun and space) I will have more success with Castilleja.

[Robert]

A typical Blue Oak woodland forest. This forest community is generally found in the 150 meter to 500 meter elevation range in our part of the Sierra Nevada Foothills, and differs from a Blue Savannah ecosystem. Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii is the dominant species, however California Gray Pine, Pinus sabiniana, and Interior Live Oak, Quercus wisilzenii are also canopy species.



Iris macrosiphon is a common resident of this forest community. I was very surprised to find this half-spent flower as well as many budded flower stems that were showing color. In our Sacramento garden the flowering stems of this species are just starting to emerge.



The emerging stems of Wyethia helenioides are densely tomentose and very attractive. This species enjoys the filtered light of the oak forest.



The stems of Wyethia angustifolia are also emerging from their winter rest. Occasionally I find both species growing in close proximity to each other. Wyethia helenioides generally blooms early in the season, followed by W. angustifolia. Their flowering cycles generally do not coincide with each other, however there are instances where cross-pollination has occurred. I have observed hybrids between the two species in several locations in Northern California.

Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii can also be seen in this photograph. I found many plants in bloom, even a few that had already gone over. Many of the blossoms looked somewhat pale this year, even those blooming in our Sacramento garden, although, today while at home I noticed that the flower color of our garden plants had intensified. I have never noticed this phenomenon before on this species.



An Apiaceae, Sanicula crassicaulis, a very common species in our area, is starting to flower.

[Hoy]

Robert,

It is interesting with all the different plant communities you have with different species dominating. Although we have some differences here also it is not like that. Supposedly this is because we have much fewer species here and the plant communities are much younger. An example is the Sanicula. We have just one species - you have several!

[Robert]

Robert,

It is interesting with all the different plant communities you have with different species dominating. Although we have some differences here also it is not like that. Supposedly this is because we have much fewer species here and the plant communities are much younger. An example is the Sanicula. We have just one species - you have several!

Trond,

There are 5 species of Sanicula that are native within El Dorado County (where the farm is located). 12 or so species are native to California.



Repeatedly, I have observed the apparent the breakdown of species boundaries within the Genus Arctostaphylos within El Dorado County (and perhaps elsewhere in California). Pictured is a stand of Arctostaphylos viscida taken a few days ago near Jenkinson Reservoir. Within this stand I found plants that exhibited the characteristics of ssp. viscida (completely glaberous), ssp. mariposa (glandular hairs on stems), and intergrades in between. For me this raises a number of questions. In California, such mixing (and other factors) has given rise to our impressive diversity of species. As horticulturalist there are a number of ways we can exploit this diversity to bring new varieties into cultivation. Fun! 



Polygala cornuta var. cornuta also grows near Jenkinson Reservoir (trace of snow in this photograph - the next day it was buried under snow). It is a very unassuming species that grows on the forest floor in this area. Who knows what potential this species might have? Some members of this Genus have showy flowers and are planted in gardens. I think about the diversity of some vegetables, such as squash. What possibilities are there with a species like this?

Everything is in a state of constant change.    Trond, if I understand correctly there is not much species diversity as well as plant community diversity in Norway. Many species remained in "California" during the Ice Age(s). Also, the Ice Ages were not uniform, there were considerable temperature variations throughout these periods. The fact that species remained and moved around as conditions fluctuated must partly account for our species diversity here in California.

[Robert]

I was very surprised to see this Calochortus albus so far advanced in its flowering cycle. Generally, this species will bloom later in the season. It enjoys a partly shaded locations.



Chlorogalum pomeridianum, Soap Plant, is a very common species in our foothill region. The flowers of this species open in the evening.



This time of year it is easy to spot Clarkia seedlings. We have a fair number of species that are indigenous to our part of the Sierra Nevada foothills. They will bloom much later in the season, however it is nice to know where the show will be preformed.



Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum, is generally associated with Socrates. I do not see this species often, however in the seasonally moist areas that it enjoys, it is generally very persistent.



Ranunculus californicus var. californicus (a dyslexic moment or something like that, should read R. occidentalis var. occidentalis    ) is one of our early blooming species. Under the right conditions they can be found in large drifts and create a beautiful ocean of yellow flowers.

[Robert]

The Buckeye trees, Aesculus californica, are leafing out. I like the ghostly, smooth white bark of this small, bushy tree.



A parting scene of the trail as it winds it way through the chaparral. This photograph was from a few days ago when there were lingering showers in the Sierra Nevada.

[Hoy]

Trond,

There are 5 species of Sanicula that are native within El Dorado County (where the farm is located). 12 or so species are native to California.

Robert,

That is exactly what I mean! And this is not the only example. In addition you have far more of both species and genera.

Repeatedly, I have observed the apparent the breakdown of species boundaries within the Genus Arctostaphylos within El Dorado County (and perhaps elsewhere in California). Pictured is a stand of Arctostaphylos viscida taken a few days ago near Jenkinson Reservoir. Within this stand I found plants that exhibited the characteristics of ssp. viscida (completely glaberous), ssp. mariposa (glandular hairs on stems), and intergrades in between. For me this raises a number of questions. In California, such mixing (and other factors) has given rise to our impressive diversity of species. As horticulturalist there are a number of ways we can exploit this diversity to bring new varieties into cultivation. Fun! 

Such mixing can as you say lead to a breakdown of the species. You risk getting a continuum - one very wide species. I think the old species evolved when the climate were harsher (drier/colder) than now and different populations were separated by uninhabitable areas. This goes for several (all?) genera with many close species.

..

Polygala cornuta var. cornuta also grows near Jenkinson Reservoir (trace of snow in this photograph - the next day it was buried under snow). It is a very unassuming species that grows on the forest floor in this area. Who knows what potential this species might have? Some members of this Genus have showy flowers and are planted in gardens. I think about the diversity of some vegetables, such as squash. What possibilities are there with a species like this?

Polygala is a nice genus! We have 3 or 4 species of Polygala here. I try to increase the number in my garden!

Everything is in a state of constant change.    Trond, if I understand correctly there is not much species diversity as well as plant community diversity in Norway. Many species remained in "California" during the Ice Age(s). Also, the Ice Ages were not uniform, there were considerable temperature variations throughout these periods. The fact that species remained and moved around as conditions fluctuated must partly account for our species diversity here in California.

Robert, We have  several different plant communities in Norway but it is many of the same species that occur there. Take "blueberry" Vaccinium myrtillus, a typical woodland plant. But you find it from the seashore and up to above the treeline. It grows rather wet but also in drier sites, in dense shade and full sun. This species ought to have differentiated in several species! But it has not - probably the time has been too short. Rather few species immigrated to Norway when the glaciation period ended and the time has apparently been to short for diversifying.

[Hoy]

....
This time of year it is easy to spot Clarkia seedlings. We have a fair number of species that are indigenous to our part of the Sierra Nevada foothills. They will bloom much later in the season, however it is nice to know where the show will be preformed.
...

The leaves of Clarcia looks very similar to Fuchsia! And also similar to some Epilobiums! Clarcia is nicer than Epilobium though!

Conium maculatum is a native here also 

[Robert]

A beautiful view of Jenkinson Reservoir and the snow capped Crystal Range in the background. With 7+ meters of snow at the Sierra Nevada crest, it will most likely be July before I can venture into this territory.

Trond,

Undoubtedly different species respond to evolutionary pressures differently (I'm thinking about your comment concerning Vaccinium in Norway). I guess I enjoy pondering such things with my right brain imagination.

Clarkias are very nice, however we also have a few Epilobium species in California that are quite nice. Epilobium obcordatum from the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada comes to mind.

[Robert]

I was out the other day checking on some of our local patches of Erythronium multiscapideum. I did see a few flower buds, however they are still a few weeks away from opening.



At another location Erythronium multiscapodium can be found growing with Salvia sonomensis. This is an odd combination as S. sonomensis enjoys exposure to full sun and E. multiscapodium generally enjoys some shade.



At this same site, one of our El Dorado County endemic species can be found, Wyethia reticulata. With our Mediterranean climatic conditions, this species thrives in our Sacramento garden, blooming well both in full sun as well as fairly shady conditions.



Leather Oak, Quercus durata var. durata thrives under the most trying circumstances. It is frequently found growing on serpentine, however it can also be found growing under other challenging conditions.



The flowers on the pendant, catkin-like inflorescences of Garrya congdonii are starting to open.

[Robert]

I checked on Traverse Creek the other day. The elevation at Traverse Creek is closer to 750 meters. Most of the early spring wildflowers are still a few weeks from starting into their spring blooming cycle.



Lomatium utriculatum is an early bloomer, however only a few plants were showing any color.



The same was true for Lasthenia californica. When they are in full bloom, the whole ground can be carpeted with their flowers. This day I saw only a few open flowers, however there were plenty of flower buds waiting to open.



The California Bay Trees, Umbellularia californica, were in full bloom. During the drought years, I would often find open flowers on this species in January and February at the same elevation. I think that the native flora is enjoying the precipitation and cooler temperatures this year.



I checked some sites where I generally find Viola douglasii. I did not find any, but then it is likely too early for them to emerge yet. Down in our Sacramento garden this species has already emerged and is well into its spring growth. I am hoping for many flowers this season. This species is a real gem!