2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

Arturo,

Tomorrow's outing will be to the Inner Coastal Mountain. This area is beyond the coastal fog belt. Temperatures are very hot and conditions are very during the summer.

Our California native annuals are fantastic in our Sacramento garden. Given your climatic conditions I think that they would preform well in your garden too. I do post some photographs of them as I can in another part of the forum. Right now Navarretia pubescens is coming into bloom. I gathered seed of this species on Snow Mountain last autumn. I just labeled the seed as Polemoniaceae species as they were completely dried up when I gathered the seed. Right now the wind is blowing like crazy - so no photographs. Maybe when I get back from my outing I will be able to get a good photograph of this species.

[hamparstum]

Robert! I just googled images of Navarretia p. and they are fabulous!. It doesn't seem to have reached cultivation yet. Not at least from known sources ( ref Calflora). I wonder how many of these garden worthy annuals are out there waiting to reach gardens! Thanks so much for mentioning them to me. This one along with Clarkia concinna, will be on my wish list.When you have time I'll be eager to listen to your suggestions, perhaps under a different topic. I grow annuals under glass for late spring and summer/fall flowers. But I've yet to understand these early spring annuals that dry up as soon as the heat strikes. They definitely fill a very interesting horticultural gap in my type of dry summer climate. That is the reason of my great interest in them.

[Robert]

Arturo,

Growing California native annuals has its challenges .....and certainly its rewards!



I returned to the Bear Valley region of California yesterday. This outing was excellent and extremely productive. Bear Valley is located in the Inner Coast Mountains of Northern California. I did not spend much time in Bear Valley, but traveled west into the hills. Very fascinating plants and terrain. Right now my work schedule is extremely busy. It will most likely take me 5-7 days to get anything posted. Stay tuned, I just checked the first batch of photographs. Most of them have turned out well. I still have 2 memory cards to look at, so hopefully they will be equally good. It was extremely windy all day. I am glad that some of the photographs look good!

[Robert]

I have had a very hectic schedule for the past week. I was able to get away today for a quick peek at some of our low elevation wildflowers here in El Dorado county before the big heat arrives. Today's high was 70 F, 21 C with 4 mm of rain last night. The forecast is for the temperature to rise to 97 F, 36 C by Saturday.



I needed to get a loaf of bread at the market and used it as an excuse to take the scenic route back from town. The canyon slopes of the South Fork of the American River are starting to dry and turn golden-brown.



Gilia capitata ssp. pedemontana is blooming in every sunny site on the canyon slopes.



Gila capitata ssp. pedemontana with the opposite canyon face in the background.



The blooming season is winding down for Eschscholzia caespitosa, however there are still a few plants with flowers.



Triteleia ixioides ssp. scabra continues to bloom in shadier locations.

[Robert]

The South Fork of the American River is running high with snow melt - but very clear!



Triteleia bridgesii is quite lovely and can be found at a few select sites in El Dorado County.



Bush Monkeyflower, Mimulus aurantiacus  var. aurantiacus can put on a tremendous show. It thrives in the sunny xeric environment of the canyon slopes.



Under the Monkeyflower, I found this nice specimen of the annual clover, Trifolium willdenovii in bloom.



The yellow/white phase of the annual Castilleja exserta ssp. exserta was blooming in large sheets throughout the canyon.

[Robert]

It was late in the day for the flower of Leptosiphon monatanus to be open. They must have looked great in the morning.



In sites shaded from the afternoon sun a few flowers were still open.



Lathyrus tingitanus is a somewhat weedy invasive species. I have to admit that they looked very nice this day, and they do bloom for many week during the spring.



Dudleya cymosa growing directly out of a tiny rock crevice.



With a bit more soil the flower heads can get quite large.

[Robert]

Along shaded sections of the canyon Calochortus albus could still be found in bloom.



Dichelostemma volubile was also twinning around neighboring plants in somewhat shaded areas.



The native perennial pea, Lathyrus sulphereus, has started to bloom.



I enjoy this species however I have had some difficulty getting it established in our Sacramento garden. The seed germinates fairly easily however it has been difficult for me to keep the seedlings going.



Back in the sun I found a few Lupinus nanus still in bloom.

[Robert]

Penstemon heterophyllus var. purdyi looking good.



Penstemon heterophyllus var. purdyi is an excellent species for a xeric landscape. There are some very good selection available - at least there were some in California.



Chinese Houses, Collinsia heterophylla, likes shaded locations. It is a great annual for the garden. I am looking at a bouquet in front of my lap-top as as write (from garden at our farm!). It is wonderful as a cut flower.



Rock Creek is full of water and running clear. A great sight to see!

[Robert]

The INNER COASTAL MOUNTAINS of NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

BEAR VALLEY and INDIAN VALLEY REGIONS

Part I

Thursday, 11 May 2017

Sacramento Weather

Weather: Partly Cloudy
Temperature, High: 74 F, 23.5 C
                      Low: 52 F, 11 C




Last Thursday I returned to the Bear Valley region of Colusa County to continue my exploration of the area. Bear Valley is an ancient lakebed that filled with sediment. To the east of the valley, the folded hills of the Great Valley Sequence, consisting of muddy sandstones and shale, are clothed with Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii, savannah. To the west lies the Coast Range ophiolite consisting mostly of serpentine. This area is densely vegetated with chaparral species.

I arrived at Bear Valley, elevation 1,302 feet (397 meters) at about 7:30 a.m. The temperature was a pleasant 56 F, 13.5 C, however it was very breezy.



The spectacular wildflower event earlier in the season had ended, however a few late season flowers could still be seen in bloom. Wyethia angustifolia grew in dense colonies along the roadside as I entered the valley.



Calochortus luteus was also scattered infrequently along the roadside. In addition, occasionally Calochortus superbus was seen in this setting.



The landscape was drying, but Bear Creek still had a strong flow of water.



Most of Bear Valley was still quite green. In the moist parts of the valley, Mimulus guttatus was blooming among the rangeland grasses. There were also the lingering flowers of Layia chrysanthemoides, Layia platyglossa, and Eschscholzia californica scattered about the valley floor.

[Robert]

A number of annual Castilleja species can be found in or near Bear Valley. Some seem to hybridize with each other and identification can be challenging at times. This specimen of Castilleja exserta ssp. exserta matched the species description perfectly.



My goal this day was to explore the serpentine ophiolite to the west, so I did not linger in the valley.



As I drove into the western hills it was not long before I encountered the first of many fields filled with blooming Calochortus species.



Calochortus luteus was the dominant species blooming among the drying grasses. Clarkia and Themidaceae species often accompanied the Calochortus creating beautiful mixtures of flowers.



Calochortus luteus grew in a variety of yellow and cream shades with various petal markings. Some of the variation could certainly be attributed to natural genetic variation, however there was also plenty of evidence of hybridization with Calochortus superbus.

[Robert]

The first meadow also had large drifts of Calochortus splendens. Calochortus splendens seemed to prefer higher, drier, and rockier ground. The two Calochortus species rarely mixed and there was no evidence of hybridization.



At the first site, a third Calochortus species was seen. Calochortus amabilis grew in the shade of the chaparral species that ringed the meadow. This Calochortus species seemed to prefer growing under Coastal White-leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp pulchella.



There were plenty of other species in bloom. Eriophyllum lanatum var. grandiflorum was in peak bloom and was seen frequently throughout the region. Here it can be seen growing at the base of Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. pulchella, a common chaparral species in this area.



The large bowl-shaped flowers of the annual Clarkia gracilis ssp. tracyi were extremely showy. The gusting wind blurred this photograph.



There were a number of prominent rocky peaks as I progressed toward the summit of the ridge. Throughout the serpentine ophiolite, the variety of species in each exposure and habitat was almost overwhelming. I was very busy all day!

[Robert]

My next destination was a meadow I had visited on my previous trip to this area. There were a number of species that wanted to check on and see how they were progressing.



Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera grew throughout the meadow. The species is quite common in many parts of California. I saw this species in bloom almost everywhere I traveled on this outing.



The stately stems of Delphinium hesperium ssp. pallescens were quite striking as they rose above the sea of grasses. The flowers of this subspecies were all a creamy white in this meadow, however I saw this subspecies in a variety of pastel lavender shades at other sites.



As I walked out into the meadow Triteleia laxa was in seen blooming among the grasses.



This meadow is ringed by dense chaparral. Calochortus amabilis was blooming abundantly under the surrounding shrubbery.

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks for sharing, Robert,
This looked like a very rewarding trip.
Seeing the hybrids between Calochortus luteus and C. superbus, but not with C. splendens, makes me wonder if there is some other barrier to cross pollination. I wonder if anyone has actually made the cross artificially? Also, do the "Mariposa" and "Fairy Lantern" types ever cross?
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Thanks for sharing, Robert,
This looked like a very rewarding trip.
Seeing the hybrids between Calochortus luteus and C. superbus, but not with C. splendens, makes me wonder if there is some other barrier to cross pollination. I wonder if anyone has actually made the cross artificially? Also, do the "Mariposa" and "Fairy Lantern" types ever cross?
cheers
fermi

Hi Fermi,

These are very good questions that will take me some time to come up with a clearer picture of the situation. I observed clear hybrids between Calochortus luteus and C. superbus. Undoubtedly, there is less noticeable introgression going on. Calochortus vestae is reported from this area, however I did not see any. It seems reasonable to think that C. vestae and C. superbus could cross. The two species are very similar in appearance, hybrids could be a real mess to sort out. I do wonder if Calochortus vestae occupies a completely different niche in the ecosystem. Perhaps it grows at a higher elevation or it is dependent on a particular substrate (soil, geology), or any number of different conditions.

It would be very interesting to make an artificial cross between Calochortus luteus and C. splendens, if this is even possible. I did consider that one color trait might be dominant, thus making hybrids difficult to detect. This does not seem very likely. I have seen forms of Calochortus superbus that are flushed lavender (in the Sierra Nevada, with no other species in the vicinity). The plants are quite beautiful.

I have also heard reports of hybrids between Calochortus albus and C. monophyllus. I see the two species blooming next to each other at the same time and have never noticed any hybrids. Unusual and unlikely scenarios do occur, so I always keep my eyes open for unexpected hybrid combinations.

For a number of years now I have been watching potential hybrids of Calochortus nudus and C. minimus. It is interesting scenarios like this that make me wish for more time out in the field. Personally, I like to make my own independent observations and come to my own conclusions before considering other ideas and conclusions. Having said that, do keep us posted on your growing results in Australia. I am always keenly interested in the plants you grow and any potential hybrids you might create. I believe that there is much potential within the genus and not much has been done to date.

[Tim Ingram]

Catching with several pages of your recent adventures Robert, and enjoying them immensely. We have been having a period of drought this spring more similar to your experiences in California - virtually no rain since early March (and less than 40% of our normal rainfall since the beginning of the year). Fortunately the weather has turned and the last few days have been wet! We have grown a few of the plants you show, especially Penstemon heterophyllus purdyi, which is superb. I once had small plants of Lomatium macrocarpum but if I try them again must make a coarse open scree for them akin to your picture. Thanks for an interesting evening.