2019 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

Watching storm development is fascinating, but I also had other things to accomplish at other locations. I moved on to another site to map the distribution of another population of Primula hendersonii.



Here I found some beautiful colonies of Viola purpurea ssp. integrifolia in full bloom. The flowers on this specimen had especially large flowers.



The developing storm had moved into its mature stage. As I watched the storm, I knew that the party was ending almost as quickly as it got started. The storm was quickly glaciating as the super cooled cloud droplets phase changed into ice crystals releasing their latent heat. Since there was basically no vertical or directional wind shear the updraft would soon be exhausted and extinguished as the downdraft sank into and through the updraft. Soon after this photograph was taken the storm quickly decayed.

This was another fantastic outing. Much was accomplished: I was able to check on some of my high elevation weather instruments, see and record notes on many plants, and document convective air mass storm development.

I performed some basic trigonometry to correctly position the developing storm. Air mass thunderstorms can frequently develop repeatedly in the same locations based on topography and the prevailing wind direction at the time of the storm’s formation. The flora in these subtle microclimates can then be carefully studied.

Until next time…

[Hoy]

Hi Trond,
...

Seems the hare didn't like the Senecio integrerrimus!     I do not get it.  I guess I made a typing error somewhere? If so, it's not a big deal. Hopeful what ever I did it can be somehow understood. 

No typos. If you take a closer look at your photograph of the Senecio you'll notice hare droppings! Ans clearly the Senecio hasn't been touched

[Gerdk]

Robert,
Many thanks for your revealing pictures - especially for those of the violets!

Their preferred sites are well documentated.

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

You got a degree in Hare Poo Trond?

[Robert]

No typos. If you take a closer look at your photograph of the Senecio you'll notice hare droppings! Ans clearly the Senecio hasn't been touched

    

Thank you for the "Eagle Eye"! I rarely see hares in the mountains and never in the high terrain. I do see signs of grazing, however I generally think in terms of deer. On that outing, I saw signs of grazing on the perennial bunch grasses that were emerging. In the future I will keep and eye out for both the droppings and the hares. I have to admit that I see and study old Manzanita berries that are under the Mazanita plants. Old Manzanita berries and hare droppings look very similar, but finding old Manzanitas berries out in the open away from the plants is very unlikely.

And I know that I make plenty of typo mistakes. I never catch them all.  At least this does not keep me up at night worrying.     

[Robert]

Robert,
Many thanks for your revealing pictures - especially for those of the violets!

Their preferred sites are well documentated.

Gerd

Hi Gerd,

I keep you in mind when I am out and see Viola species. I use some of our Viola species as indicators. Needless to say I have detailed data (all my lists, numbers, descriptions, and such), but I do not want to overwhelm you with information that may not be 100% relevant to their cultivation.

On that front, I have spent the past year preparing the proper growing environment for our native Viola species at our Sacramento home. I presently have Viola sheltonii, V. purpurea ssp. integrifolia, V. glabella, and V. dougalsii back in cultivation and thriving. Yesterday, the first flowers opened on Viola purpurea ssp. integrifolia. This spring, a group of Viola sheltonii bloomed and set seed for me. Controlled sexual reproduction and multi-generational selection is my preferred methodology to create superior garden tolerant plants. With this project, I still have an unknown number of years to go and still question if my goal is completely genetically possible. I will never learn anything if I do not try. Our California Native Viola species have a great deal of potential, if only they were easier to cultivate. I have to admit that I am not that interested in growing first generation plants from wild seed and calling that success. With some of our California Native species, I grow thousands of multi-generational plants hoping to select superior forms that are true to type, easier to grow, and beautiful plants that a gardener would want to grow in their garden. Not easy, but for me it is an interesting learning experience and enjoyable.

[ian mcdonald]

In our area, deer droppings are usually black.

[Hoy]

You got a degree in Hare Poo Trond?

Almost, David! I have studied the topic since I was a toddler They were valuable coins in our universe!

[David Nicholson]

Almost, David! I have studied the topic since I was a toddler They were valuable coins in our universe!

 

[Hoy]

[ Specified attachment is not available ]

   

Thank you for the "Eagle Eye"! I rarely see hares in the mountains and never in the high terrain. I do see signs of grazing, however I generally think in terms of deer. On that outing, I saw signs of grazing on the perennial bunch grasses that were emerging. In the future I will keep and eye out for both the droppings and the hares. I have to admit that I see and study old Manzanita berries that are under the Mazanita plants. Old Manzanita berries and hare droppings look very similar, but finding old Manzanitas berries out in the open away from the plants is very unlikely.

And I know that I make plenty of typo mistakes. I never catch them all.  At least this does not keep me up at night worrying.     

Robert,

I can't swear it is hare but they are very hare-ish! Looks similar to these:




Hares are very common everywhere here, both in the mountains and on the islands. Manzanita berries are unknown to me!

[Hoy]

In our area, deer droppings are usually black.

Here also. Both roe deer and red deer droppings are blackish, more oval and also more fine grained than hare droppings.

[Gerdk]

Hi Gerd,

I keep you in mind when I am out and see Viola species. I use some of our Viola species as indicators. Needless to say I have detailed data (all my lists, numbers, descriptions, and such), but I do not want to overwhelm you with information that may not be 100% relevant to their cultivation.

On that front, I have spent the past year preparing the proper growing environment for our native Viola species at our Sacramento home. I presently have Viola sheltonii, V. purpurea ssp. integrifolia, V. glabella, and V. dougalsii back in cultivation and thriving. Yesterday, the first flowers opened on Viola purpurea ssp. integrifolia. This spring, a group of Viola sheltonii bloomed and set seed for me. Controlled sexual reproduction and multi-generational selection is my preferred methodology to create superior garden tolerant plants. With this project, I still have an unknown number of years to go and still question if my goal is completely genetically possible. I will never learn anything if I do not try. Our California Native Viola species have a great deal of potential, if only they were easier to cultivate. I have to admit that I am not that interested in growing first generation plants from wild seed and calling that success. With some of our California Native species, I grow thousands of multi-generational plants hoping to select superior forms that are true to type, easier to grow, and beautiful plants that a gardener would want to grow in their garden. Not easy, but for me it is an interesting learning experience and enjoyable.

Robert,
Despite of 'VIP - treatment' I have to confess that most of the Western US violets remain difficult to me.
I remember that I had better results in my previous garden, where my greenhouse receives more sunlight.
Especially Vv. trinervata, beckwithii and sheltonii did well.
Nevertheless species from your area are always worth to try in order to find specimen which were able to cope with my conditions here.
I add some recent pics of seedlings received from your collections.

Gerd

[Robert]

Gerd,

Your Western U.S. Viola seedlings look excellent. 

I will P.M. you with some additional information. 

[Robert]

ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST
El Dorado County, California

Wednesday, 1 May 2019

Weather for selected location

Eldorado National Forest, 5,516 feet, 3,048 meters
Weather: Broken Clouds
Temperature, High: 62 F, 16.7 C
                       Low: 37 F, 2.8 C
Relative Humidity: 39%
Dew Point: 30 F, -1.1 C
Wind: NNW 4 G 11
Precipitation: 0.00 inches (0.0 mm)


On Wednesday, 1 May I returned to Montane Basin to continue my survey of this site. On this outing I focused my attention on areas outside of the future prescribed burn area.



On my last visit, two weeks previous, there was 96 cm of snow cover. Although much of the snow cover had melted by the time I visited on 1 May, there was still plenty of snow on north facing slopes and shaded areas.



Much of the access road was free of snow, however there were still some long stretches of deep snow that I could not drive through. It was a pleasant hike into the site and I was able to enjoy some of the groves of old growth Incense Cedar, Calocedrus decurerrens, along the way.



Despite the fact that much of the snow had melted, there was still a great deal of standing and flowing water. The dirt track into the site was still flowing as a seasonal stream.



How quickly conditions change. Two weeks pervious, 80% of this pond was covered with snow and ice. On this day the pond may have been ice-free, but the water was still very cold, 41.6 F, 5.3 C. When I arrived there was a cacophony of Pacific Tree Frogs, Hyla regilla, singing. They will need to reproduce quickly as the pond will be dry in a few months.



Many early snowmelt species were beginning to emerging from the newly snow free open ground. Here Vertarum californicum var. californicum is starting to poke out of the ground. Last year’s stems can still be seen listing near the new emerging shoots.

[Robert]

My first stop was over at the old bridge that crosses the creek to check water levels, temperatures, etc. As I remember, the old bridge dates back to the 1930’s. Caloplaca (Orange) and Candelarriella (Yellow) lichens have now colonized much of the bridge concrete.



After completing my tasks I move up to higher, snow free and drier terrain to see what plants were now free from the snow cover. There were many colonies of Sedum obtusatum growing in the granodiorite crevices.



Many specimens of Penstemon newberryi var. newberryi were recovering well from their long winter under the snow.



In other crevices the beautiful gray-green fronds of Pellaea bridgesii protruded from the rocks.



Here Myriopteris gracillima shares a crevice with Sedum obtusatum.