Plants, Ecosystems, Climate – Northern California

[Robert]

I had an opportunity to visit the Sierra Nevada Mountains in early August. Previously my intent was to visit a high elevation site within the 2021 Caldor Fire burn scar, however this area is closed to the public. My life is now occupied with new projects, so visiting another location worked perfectly.



I started out at an elevation of 6,400 feet (1,951 meters). Precipitation in our region was highly irregular this past season, however the totals for the whole precipitation season ended up near average. Snow cover days were below average, so the drying season started sooner than average. All this being said, the area was still reasonably moist and there were many wildflowers in bloom.

Anaphalis margaritacea (white flowers) and Drymocallis lacteal var. austiniae (yellow flowers) are pictured above.



Solidago elongata is a very common perennial species at this elevation. Most were still in the peak of their blooming cycle.



Lupinus polyphyllus var. bukei is another very common species at this elevation. Good forms of this species are very attractive when in flower.



Spiraea splendens is a fairly compact deciduous shrub. The pink flowers are very beautiful. During the autumn the foliage generally turns bright golden yellow, however I have observed forms where the foliage turns red and red-orange in the autumn.

[Robert]

I am sure everyone in Europe is familiar with Fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium ssp. circumvagum.



 Within its native habitat Fireweed is very conspicuous when in full bloom.



Some forms of Aquilegia formosa can bloom for long periods of time. Many were still in bloom when I visited this site.



Lonicera conjugialis is a deciduous shrub with inconspicuous flowers that open in the early spring. The red berries of this species can be very attractive. It is still too early in the season for the berries to color fully.



Helenium bigelovii is another commonly seen species at this site.


I will be posting more photographs from this trip.

[Robert]

In this part of the Sierra and Nevada Mountains Helenium bigelovii is frequently found in moist meadows between 5,500 feet and 7,000 feet elevation (1,676 meters and 2134 meters).



Catilleja miniata ssp. miniata is most commonly seen in its orange-red flowering form. Golden yellow and yellow flowering forms are seen occasionally.



Here the orange-red form of Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata is looking good growing with Anaphalis margaritacea.



Here is a close up view of Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata.



Senecio triangularis is frequently seen in moist semi-shaded locations.

[Robert]

Later in the summer the lavender-blue daisy Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. spathulatum is found blooming in moist meadows and forest openings. The tattered leaves of Veratrum californicum var. californicum can be seen to the left. This is the usual appearance of Veratrum leaves in the late summer and early autumn before the plants go dormant. This time of the year intact leaves would not look right. Maybe this is something to consider in a naturalistic garden environment?



Cirsium andersonii is found in dry sites in forest openings. Many of our California native thistles are quite attractive.



Erythranthe tilingii enjoys moist to swampy sites. This stand was quite robust and attractive.



The Alpine Lily, Lilium parvum, has small out-facing orange flowers. I have found specimens in the wild with over 100 flowers per stem as well as forms with up-facing flowers. In addition, there are golden yellow forms as well as lavender-pink forms of this attractive species.



There are many meadows in the area I visited on this outing. Many of the meadows have been severely degraded by livestock grazing and other human activities that started in the 1870’s and have continued, in one form or another, to the present time. Many of the meadows are in a state of flux. Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana, is encroaching into some meadows. Severely incised watercourses through many meadows have vastly altered the meadow hydrology. Introduced invasive plant species have also altered meadow ecology.

[Redmires]

Lovely to see a picture of Chaemerion angustifolium - the common name in the UK is 'rosebay willowherb' - which remains one of my favourite wildflowers, despite being so common - it looks so glorious en masse. I grow the white form in my garden and although the developing seedpods don't echo the flower colour as they do in the wild version it has its own more elegant appeal - I fell for it when I saw the white flowers at dusk in someone else's garden - stunning.
 

[Robert]

Our native Monkshood, Aconitum columbianum ssp. viviparum, is generally encountered near small streams, and seeps.



In our region we generally find the subspecies viviparum. This subspecies is easily identified by the bulbils that form in the leaf and inflorescence axils.



The riparian habitats in this area contain many interesting plant species, however I wanted to explore the neighboring meadows and drier habitats.

In this area, Symphyotrichum spathulatum is a good indicator of a mesic habitat. Even when conditions appear dry on the surface of the ground, moist soil is generally near the surface.



Ragged Daisy, Eurybia intefrifolia, is one of my favorite daisy-like plants in the Sierra and Nevada Mountains. The flowers and foliage is quite coarse, however I like its rugged disposition. This species is generally found in seasonally moist areas that can become very dry by the end of the summer. I frequently see this species growing with Penstemon rydbergii ssp. oerocharis, another lovely meadow species.



Diplacus torreyi is a dryland annual. Large colonies of this tiny annual can be very striking when seen in full bloom, however they are usually seen in scattered populations.

[Robert]

After spending a considerable amount of time surveying the meadow, I moved on to higher and drier terrain. Sidalcea glaucescens is a common species found in dry open forest habitats. Their pink flowers are very showy.



Doellingeria breweri is another commonly seen species in dry open forests. This species has recently undergone a number of name changes. Previously it was known as Eucephalis breweri and now Doellingeria. The rayless yellow flowers of this species are quite showy.



Lupinus lepidus var. sellulus forms tight buns topped by lavender-blue flowers. This species is generally found in dry meadows.



Hidden away in higher terrain is Paradise Meadow. This site has no official name, but I like to call this site Paradise Meadow. I have been visiting this meadow for over 50 years. This meadow habitat is very stable and has changed very little in the last 50 years. The presence of Bluegrass, Poa pratensis, and Sheep Sorrel, Rumex acetosella, are signs that livestock grazing occurred in this meadow sometime in the past, however I never remember seeing recent signs of livestock grazing in this meadow in the last 50 years. This meadow complex contains plant species not commonly seen in the other neighboring meadows that received much more recent, frequent and intense grazing pressure for many decades.



I encountered a number of Viola species on this outing. Viola macloskeyi was the only Viola species that I found in bloom. Most of our Sierra Nevada Viola species bloom much earlier in the season. Viola macloskeyi is a widespread species found throughout much of Northern North America.

More photographs to come.


Redmires

I am quite fond of white flowering plants in our Sacramento, California garden. At dusk when there is a full moon white flowers appear to glow in the twilight. In addition, many white flowering species are fragrant. It can be a very captivating experience. For me, your preference for the white flowering form of Fireweed is very understandable.

[Robert]

It is fairly common to find Orchids in our high mountain meadows. Spiranthes romanzoffiana is frequently seen blooming in mid to late summer in sunny portions of moist meadows.



It is interesting to see how the flowers spiral around the central stem of the inflorescence.



Potentilla flambellifolia is found in moist, high elevation meadows. This species has the capability to survive despite remaining flooded and submerged by water for many weeks during the spring season. I am familiar with a seasonal pond that, by mid-summer when the standing pond water evaporates, becomes carpeted yellow with flowers borne by this species.



Erythranthe primuloides is a small spreading Monkeyflower commonly seen in moist mountain meadows. They are frequently seen growing with running water surrounding their tiny rosettes during the early spring snow runoff.



Potentilla gracilis var. fastigata grows in much drier sites. Although this species is often seen in very moist locations during the early spring, this species is also tolerant of very dry conditions by late summer/autumn.

[Robert]

This area was logged in a very destructive and exploitive way back in the late 1970’s. My brother and I hiked through the area after it had been logged. The area was a disaster with very few remaining trees.

Pictured is part of a logging deck, which dates back to this time period. After more than 40 years parts of this logging deck are still devoid of plant life.



A few stunted trees can be seen growing in the background.



This seasonal seep was at one time contaminated with lethal levels of toxic ionic species of iron and manganese, which inhibited the growth of plant life. Highly compacted soil, seasonally flooded, anaerobic, and highly acidic soil conditions were created by the activity of heavy equipment and the extreme concentration of conifer bark at this logging deck. These and other factors contributed greatly to the toxicity of this site.



Iron oxides remain where the seasonal water seepage flows.



Slowly conditions have improved at this site. Severely stunted conifers now grow over much of the site, however there are still areas where there is no plant growth.

[Robert]

Here is another view of the logging deck and the stunted conifers that are now growing at this site.

As storm clouds started to build late in the day I started back to the trailhead.



This is one last view of a meadow before I returned to my auto and Sacramento.

[Robert]

Record breaking heat is forecasted for our region in the coming days. In addition, this is our 22nd year of drought. Water shortages are pervasive throughout southwestern North America.



The coming days will test the resiliency of our garden as high temperatures approach all time record levels.



High temperatures are forecasted to reach 112 F (44.4 C) Sunday and Monday. These temperatures will break the record high temperature at out Placerville property that was set last year. In the past, 110 F (43.3 C) temperatures occurred once every 30 to 35 years. Lately they have been yearly events.



The all time record high temperature for Sacramento is 115 F (46.1 C) set on 15 June 1961. It is possible this record could be tied or exceeded this weekend.

Designing resiliency into our garden is a top priority. In 2022, major crop losses have occurred throughout Europe, Pakistan, India, China, and the U.S.A. In addition, La Niρa conditions are forecasted to continue for a third year, thus extreme drought conditions are likely to continue in various locations throughout the Earth including our part of the western U.S.A.

Implementing robust sustainable subsistence farming practices at our Sacramento home and Placerville property is our current priority. Ornamental plants are part of our vision of a sustainable gardening future. We will continue our work with ornamental species and report on our progress, both in the aftermath of this heat wave as well as into the future.

[Robert]

The recent record breaking heat wave (30 August through 9 September 2022) finally ended. Numerous high temperature records were broken throughout our region. Dramatic weather and climatic shifts have taken place in our region over the last 35 plus years. There have been the usual seasonal variations in the weather as well as dramatic longer-term climatic shifts that have taken place in our area. These long-term climatic shifts are having a forceful impact on our ecosystems, both managed (for example agricultural, gardens) and unmanaged (wild, natural habitats). Recently I have been rethinking my gardening goals and long-term vision for our garden. I have been implementing many sustainable, subsistence gardening practices and giving strong consideration to the question, what plants will, or might, grow well in our garden. One goal is to have beautiful ornamental flowering plants in our garden, especially annuals and perennial species that I particularly enjoy growing.

Above is a scene of some of our vegetables beds. With a few exceptions, most of the plants in our garden have faired well despite the extreme heat and xenobiotics in both the air and water. I have learned a great deal from this heat wave and feel confident I am on the right course both with my gardening techniques as well as my selection of plants.



Some plants suffered greatly in the intense heat. The leaves on this well-established Magnolia fraseri burned badly in the extreme heat.



In particular, our few remaining Ericaceae species suffered greatly in the recent heat. In conjunction with the heat, xenobiotics in both the air and water also played a role in the decline of the Ericaceae species.



Our Western Blueberry, Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. occidentale is an attractive species and a plant that I would enjoy growing in our garden.  However, the climate has changed:



This specimen of Vaccinium uliginosum ssp occidentale was about 10 years old. If the heat would have been of short duration and of a lesser magnitude I feel that it would have survived the heat wave. As the climate has warmed over the last 30 years a large variety of Ericaceae species have become increasingly difficult to maintain in both our Sacramento garden as well as at the Placerville property. As the Ericaceae species die off or look distressed in our garden they will be replaced with plants from different plant families that are more likely to succeed and thrive in our garden.

To be continued…

[Maggi Young]

The Ericaceae is one of my favourite plant families- here in Aberdeen, North East Scotland they are also suffering with the heat/climate change.  :'(

[Robert]

Hi Maggi,

I have been fascinated and enjoyed growing many Ericaceae species over many years. Cassiope and Phyllodoce were never easy for me to cultivate and they were among the first to fade away. Slowly over time other species began to decline and now it has turned into a cascade. During this summer even some of the tough deciduous azaleas have started into decline. A few have even died. I have to admit my disappointment and a sense of loss. I guess I am doing the best I can to move on to other ornamental species that are more likely to survive and hopefully thrive in our garden given the rapid and dramatic climatic shifts that are taking place in our region.

I do hope that your beloved Ericaceae can adjust to the climatic changes taking place in your region. They are certainly an interesting and beautiful set of plants that are well worth cultivation.

[Robert]

Every year I conduct trials of vegetables and ornamental plants. This helps me evaluate my effectiveness at plant breeding and opens my mind to new possibilities. These tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, were badly damaged by spider mites during our recent heat wave. In our region, spider mites thrive during the summer and early autumn months when the temperatures are hot and the atmosphere is dry. Dust and xenobiotics in the air are also a contributing factor in the build-up of large spider mites populations.



These tomatoes I bred came through the heat wave relatively free of spider mites. Of course, ornamental species can be bred to be resistant to spider mites; however generally very large populations of plants need to be grown to achieve good results when breeding for insect resistance.



I bred tall single-flowered Dahlias. I like tall single-flowered Dahlias, so this is the direction of my breeding efforts. Tall single-flowered plants with green foliage are normally considered too mundane to consider breeding or growing. My tall single- flowered Dahlias are heat tolerant, resistant to spider mites, and bloom profusely even when the weather gets extremely hot, as during the recent heat wave. This is a success in our garden.

Meso-American and South American Salvias are also very successful in our garden. Pictured with the Dahlia is Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’.



We already have many seedlings and new hybrids containing Salvia guaranitica coming along. Pictured is a Salvia ‘Purple Majesty’ type hybrid that we obtained from cuttings. So far, it is turning out to be an excellent parent in our breeding program.



Salvia chiapensis is coming back into its blooming cycle. We have interesting hybrids coming along between this and other Salvia species.