2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

The latest weather forecast is for partly cloudy weather on Wednesday.  No Rain!    I am looking forward to my outing to the Snow Mountain region. Hopefully to explore the middle and/or north fork areas of Stony Creek.

Until then.....

[Hoy]

The latest weather forecast is for partly cloudy weather on Wednesday.  No Rain!    I am looking forward to my outing to the Snow Mountain region. Hopefully to explore the middle and/or north fork areas of Stony Creek.

Until then.....

I am also looking forward to your outing, Robert! Here the spring is still in its beginning. Cold weather with hail and rain and strong northerly wind have set the plants back. No frost though. Seems the weather will improve a lot in a few days. I really hope so, the last week has been much colder than normal.

Nice Nemophila! I have tried it a few times and it do very well here as an annual! The Sedum is also used as a garden plant here

[Hoy]

Arturo,

I remember the area around Bariloche as very green and lush! Although I also remember that it was considerable very local differences. To me, the flora in the area looked very rich and with many garden worthy plants

From the Pilcaniyeu road (if I remember right):

[hamparstum]

Hello Trond! If I'm right I read an article about a group visiting our area some years ago, including you,  lead by our enthusiatic botanical guide Marcela Ferreyra. ( I can't remember where I stored that article). My farm lies south of the road that goes to Pilcaniyeu  still within the Nahuel Huapi basin. We are placed in an ecotone with much more forested areas in the west and the typical patagonian steppe in the east. The picture you posted with a Chloraea ground orchid, also has some Eryngium magellanicum rosettes on the right side. These grow naturally here and have been included in my gardening scheme. In the background are some Oenothera if I'm correct. The ephemeral Tropaeolum polyphyllum grows wild at our place and they are protected by me. So are my native Alstroemeria aurantiaca. I also have ubiquitous Rodophiala elwesii (bulb- Amaryllidaceae) growing wherever it wants. It refuses to be transplanted! Gavilea lutea is one other ground orchid that pops up in the lawn in early spring. They are there to stay. I've yet to learn how to cultivate them. Years ago we had Triteleia nivalis showing up but they dissappeared after the Puyehue volcano eruption (2011) that spread a cm thick layer of volcanic sand/ash over everything. There are possibly quite a few of worthwhile plants to include in my rock garden plan. With my past working for the National Parks system, I refuse to collect wild plants. I could get a permit to collect wild seed but I'm still a newbie with growing from seed for many of the alpines , so for the present time I'm happy to get what is offered locally from small nurseries.
     Finally I want to add to my place a different thematic region. My family was originally Armenian from the Pontus in Turkey. If possible, honoring my ancestors , some lost during the genocide, when I achieve cultivating rock garden plants originated from the Western Caucasus, the Pontus and the Taurus mountains in the south, I feel I will have paid tribute to their love of mountains which was passed along to me. It is a personal trip as a way of regaining our lands lost then. On both of my parents side they were landed gentry. I'm very grateful to my present country that allows me to both value my local flora as well as try to grow a different set that hopefully will be a sample of our original lands.

[Hoy]

Arturo,

I think I can remember a little how it looks like where you live - no details but forest and steppe like areas. We were there in Nov. 2013 and Marcela was with us a short time only as she was busy elsewhere. But we are coming back this year about the same time and Macela will be our guide.

We also did see areas covered with thick layers of ash and dead shrubs and trees. The ash seemed quite fertile though and some plants seemed to grow very well in it.

I would not dream of digging wild plants! Collecting seeds illegally is also out of the question (few seeds to find in November anyway).Previously I have bought seeds from Chile as I have not found any source in Argentina.

I have grown native plants as long as I can remember but climate and critter set rigid limits to what I can grow from abroad.


Two of the plants we found growing in ash and sand. Viola volcanica and Oxalis adenophylla(?)

[hamparstum]

Hello Trond,It would be a pleasure if you have time available to visit my place when you are back again in my region. Let me know and we can arrange for that!.Hopefully by that time some of my gardening pursuits may have bloomed and we can share their beauty. We had a major source of new material with the ash. Actually, yes, quite fertile, light, ideal for seeding mixtures. The ash experience showed us locals what was explained through theory elsewhere as how soils are formed in volcanic areas. When I dig deep I find traces of ash deposits in the ground. Now I understand how it all comes about. For our seed mixtures we no longer have to get outside sand. The ash is not useful for making mortar or any buiding purposes like concrete . It could be used in making cinderblock though.
   I enjoyed your picture of the Viola, there are few more native alpine violas. Then of course there is viola magellanica that is a woodland species found easily in spring in the Nothofagus forests. Apart from alpines there are quite a few woodland garden species. These require a much more humid environment than what I've got here right now. As my trees grow perhaps then I can try to grow some of them: various Calceolarias, Mimulus and wet loving Ourisias. I'm aiming towards that perhaps in two or three seasons from now.
     
 Keep me posted.
Arturo

[Robert]

A beautiful view, to the east, down the canyon cut by Stony Creek to Indian Valley in the distance. Beyond the distant hills is the Sacramento Valley.

My outing to the Snow Mountain area was very successful. With adequate rainfall this winter, conditions have been perfect to create an abundance of wildflowers this spring. In some ways the abundance has been too much for me to process with just a single outing. I spent over four hours exploring the Middle Fork of Stony Creek and only progressed 1 mile (1.6 km) up stream. The quantity and variety of species was tremendous. This limited the territory I could explore, and I also exhausted, once again, the memory chips for my camera. I was also able to spend a few hours exploring the ridges above the North Fork of Stony Creek.

There is a great story to tell. I am now processing everything for my next report. I hope to get the first part of this report posted soon.

Until then….

[hamparstum]

Hi Robert, I'm in great expectation for your report.I'm assuming that it will be the first spring flush of wildflowers. Will you be able to return later in the season? I would expect a great profusion of second spring flush with changing species. I would also expect an early summer flush as well, given that there should be ample moisture stored. In many ways it would be the wooded counterpart of the desert flush in southern California. Fascinating!! Thanks for sharing it!
Arturo

[Robert]

SNOW MOUNTAIN

Middle and North Forks of Stony Creek

Part I

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Sacramento Weather
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Temperature, High: 72 F, 22 C
           Low: 55 F, 13 C


It is a 2.5 hour drive to the Middle Fork of Stony Creek from our home in Sacramento. I started early on Wednesday morning and arrived about 8:00 a.m. The sun was up, it was light and despite the cloudiness, the temperature had already risen to 58 F, 14.5 C.



I arrived at the confluence of the South Fork and the Middle Fork of Stony Creek (1,497 feet, 456 meters) hoping to explore the gorge of the Middle Fork. The Middle Fork gorge is extremely rugged and inaccessible. I was glad that I had arrived early so that I could explore as far as possible into the upper reaches of the gorge. In addition to the rugged terrain and thick brush, high water from snowmelt might limit my ability to traverse far into the canyon. I was very eager to get started and see what I could get accomplished.



The pullout and the nearby road cut where I parked the Outback were clothed with a diverse array of blooming wildflowers. Sheets of Miniature Lupine, Lupinus bicolor covered a level area near Stony Creek.



Accenting the drifts of Miniature Lupine were scattered spikes of Lupinus microcarpus rising above surrounding foliage of invasive grasses and other annuals.



Also in the vicinity of the grassy flat, colonies of the annual Castilleja attenuata, Valley Tassels, where in bloom.



The nearby road cut and rocky slopes were also filled with interesting plants. Rosettes of the gray and hairy leaved Lomatium macrocarpum were scattered about on sunny exposures. I was hoping to find this species in bloom. I looked around for signs of flower buds or even spent flower heads, but I did not find any. Later in the day, I observed that deer like to eat both the flowers and the maturing seeds.

[Robert]

Eriophyllum lanatum var. grandiflorum is a very common species throughout Northern California. This species grew abundantly in the area and was at peak bloom.



Perched on the road cut was Calochortus amibilis. I saw it frequently throughout the day.



On a rocky north-facing slope near the Middle Fork, Delphinium nudicaule was blooming among the sparse grasses and rocks. This species can also be found in the foothills and lower mountains of the northern Sierra Nevada – south Cascade transition zone on the other side of the Sacramento Valley.



There were some excellent examples of Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons in bloom. The prostrate or decumbent Lupinus albifrons var. collinus can also be found in the Snow Mountain region. Last autumn I observed this variety on some of the higher slopes of Snow Mountain.


   
Near the banks of Stony Creek Bigleaf Maple, Acer macrophyllum, was one of a number of tree species that enjoyed the extra moisture from the creek. The pendent racemes of flowers were quite showy. Alnus rhombifolia, White Alder, and various Salix species also grew on the creek banks.

[Robert]

My attention was so fixed on the diverse array of plants near the Outback that I lost track of time. When I finally decided to move on, more than an hour had pasted. I had cataloged 60 to 70 different species in this small area. Not bad!

Now it was time to move on. I crossed the bridge over the Middle Fork of Stony Creek and was intent on hiking up into the canyon. Directly across the bridge, at the edge of the dirt road a large patch of Rose Clover, Trifolium hirtum, in full bloom, greeted me. Trifolium hirtum is an annual, non-native species that seems to grow everywhere throughout Northern California. At times it can be extremely beautiful when in bloom, by itself or mixed with other blooming species.


 
The Rose Clover grew at the base of an exposed serpentine cliff and slope full of a wide array of blooming plants.



The Allium falcifolium grew throughout the serpentine scree and rubble. The flowers were spent. This was disappointing as this common species is very showy when in bloom.



The serpentine slopes and cliffs had their own unique mix of wildflowers. Carpets of the annual Chaenactis glabriiscula var. glabriscula with their yellow flowers bloomed in large sheets. Most of the time, it appeared as the dominant species on the serpentine slopes.



I slowly followed the north bank of the Middle Fork of Stony Creek into the canyon. At first there was an old trail used by fishermen, however the trail slowly disappeared as I moved up into the canyon.

[Robert]

As I moved up stream, in places mixed among Chaenactis glabriuscula were pink flowering Sidalcea hirsuta (pictured). Very similar in general appearance is Clarkia gracilis ssp. gracilis. The two species were sometimes mixed together and one had to look into the flower to make a positive identification.



In other areas, the purplish-blue annual Salvia columbariae combined beautifully with the yellow Chaenactis glabriuscula.



Mimulus kelloggii grew abundantly on the sunny, dry serpentine slopes. This beautiful annual species is quite abundant throughout the lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada and the Northern Coastal Mountains.



There were a number of Asteraceae in bloom along the creek. The annual, Malocothrix floccifera was a very common sight on the hot, dry, south facing serpentine screes.



As the morning progressed the cloudiness dissipated from the lower slopes of Snow Mountain. The highest snow covered ridges were still shrouded in clouds.

[Robert]

On many of my outings, most of our native bunch grasses have been crowded out and displaced by non-native, annual, invasive species: Bromus, Avena, Hordeum, and many more. Too often I never see any native grasses. I was very pleased to see Melica californica (pictured) as well as Elymus multisetus in flower in the canyon.



Collinsia greenei was the only Collinsia species that I recorded on this outing. The deep purplish-blue flowers are very striking against its sivery-gray foliage.



Occasionally I spotted Clarkia concinna ssp. concinna blooming on the sunny portions of the serpentine slopes.



The annual poppy, Eschscholzia caespitosa, was often seen blooming among rocks on the sunny canyon slopes.



Some of the canyon been burned over by a past fire. In places on the north facing, south side of the canyon a young and lush forest had regrown. The vegetation on the south facing canyon slope was predominantly chaparral shrub with a few scattered California Gray Pine, Pinus sabiniana.

[Robert]

In one location there was a nice colony of Gilia capitata. The plants were a bit unusual, however they still keyed out as subspecies capitata. Normally I do not find Gilia capitata growing on serpentine. Perhaps the serpentine has some effect on their growth? This would not be usual!



I found a number of Themidaceae growing in the canyon. Both Triteleia laxa (pictured) and Dichelostemma capitatum were blooming. There were a few other species in the area, but they were not even close to bloom.



I have mentioned serpentine frequently. It can be found in areas throughout California. Serpentine is a relatively soft rock with generally a green color, however it can also be very dark, almost black in color. It has a greasy look and feel. When wet it can be very slick. One must be very careful when hiking or climbing on serpentine, wet or dry.



Serpentine is a metamorphic rock composed of, for the most part, lizardite and chrysotile, however it can also contain high concentrations of toxic metals and asbestos. I encountered this band of serpentine in Solano County approximately 100 miles (161 km) to the south, again in Napa County near the Cedar Roughs Wilderness, and then in the southwestern portion of Colusa County above Bear Valley. In the future, I will be curious to see if the same band in exposed to the north in the vicinity of the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness in Tehema County.



At one point up stream, the fishing trail, or what was left of it squeezed through a cleft in a huge rock outcrop. In a shaded crevice colonies of Asidotis californica filled the crack.

[Robert]

Hi Robert, I'm in great expectation for your report.I'm assuming that it will be the first spring flush of wildflowers. Will you be able to return later in the season? I would expect a great profusion of second spring flush with changing species. I would also expect an early summer flush as well, given that there should be ample moisture stored. In many ways it would be the wooded counterpart of the desert flush in southern California. Fascinating!! Thanks for sharing it!
Arturo

Arturo,

Yes, I will be returning throughout the season. Snow Mountain is an extremely interesting area.

In our part of California there is a succession of flowers by time and elevation. Often I can see one species in bloom at one location early in the season and see it in bloom again at a higher elevation later in the same season.

I have to admit that I have rarely traveled to Southern California. I did see many beautiful plants in the desert and it might be interesting to visit some areas again. Right now Northern California keeps me very busy. 

Always feel free to ask questions. I can only report a small fraction of the information I gather.