hospitable habitat 2010
DESCRIPTION
This lecture was given in February, 2010 as part of the California native plant gardening series ‘Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden’. This lecture discusses how to provide habitat for native reptiles and ground dwelling/feeding birds.TRANSCRIPT
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Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND
Hospitable Habitat Providing for Ground-living
Creatures
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
February 7th & 10th, 2010
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What makes for good lizard habitat?
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First, you need to know a little bit about
the lizards you can hope to attract
Southern Alligator Lizard
Western Fence Lizard
California Legless Lizard
The trick is to supply a safe environment that provides
what they need to thrive – in short a habitat
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Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata webbii
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Alligator Lizard is well-named
Large, smooth scales
Long alligator-like snout
Longitudinal fold on each side of the body
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Take on color of
their surroundings
Size: Up to seven inch body May have a tail nearly twice
the length of its body, making the largest individuals 21 inches from end to end.
A regenerated tail is shorter and usually a different color from the rest of its body.
Coloration: Varies from brown to yellow
ochre. Adults are marked with dark
crossbands, while juveniles are not.
Newly molted individuals can be very brightly colored
http://www.wildherps.com/species/E.multicarinata.html
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Alligator Lizards, especially the males, have large, triangular-shaped heads, giving them a formidable appearance. The large head and long, snake-like body make a chance encounter in the woodpile, or under a shrub, startling, to say the least.
They can bite – but they don’t really want to
© 2004 Pierre Fidenci
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The Southern Alligator Lizard's range extends from WA to central Baja California. In southern California
Alligator lizards are found in almost any natural habitat in California (except most of the deserts and very high elevations.) but most frequently throughout the coastal plains
Active during daylight, they are frequently seen moving on the ground, and occasionally up in bushes. They are also often found underneath debris, beach driftwood, and near human settlements.
Alligator lizards do not typically bask in the sun out in the open or on top of a rock like many other lizard species. They seem to prefer sunny spots with some cover nearby.
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The Southern Alligator Lizard is often seen in yards and gardens, sometimes out in the open or in the garage, but usually under piles of wood, rock, or other debris. Don't be surprised to find them on your porch or patio – or garage.
Their diet includes various insects, small animals such as young mice and birds, tree frogs, and even other lizards. Eats a variety of small invertebrates. Will also eat small lizards and small mammals. Feed mainly on arthropods, snails, and occasionally eggs
After the May mating season, up to 20 eggs can be laid in June or July. The incubation period is about 55 days, after which the hatching yields tiny individuals, rarely more than three inches long from nose to tail.
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Guidelines for creating habitat for ground-dwellers
Provide dense shrub/grass cover –perching, cover & nest sites
Provide a brush pile/logs for cover
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Atriplex (Saltbush) species provide
excellent habitat
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Saltbushes : Habitat plants par excellance!
Foliage Attract beneficial insects to the garden
- lacewings, ladybugs, and hoverflies
Many weird and fun insects – good plants for insect-watching
Attract butterflies (larval food for some sootywing skippers)
Fall/winter/spring browse for deer, elk
Dense cover for birds, rabbits, just about any ground-dweller
Seeds Very nutritious food source – high in
protein
Eaten by many creatures (including humans): don’t fertilize if you plant to eat them – takes up & stores many metals
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/atrlen/plant.jpg
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Coast Quailbush - Atriplex lentiformis (ssp. breweri)
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* Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
http://www.perennialfavoritesnursery.com/native_a-f.html
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* Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
A plant of western U.S. Dry places from N. Dakota to
Mexico Usually in deserts or dry
shrublands/steppe, short-grass prairie
In CA, in dry foothills, deserts (Great Basin, Mojave & Sonoran) Locally in dry foothills of the
San Gabriel’s – interior Coastal Sage Scrub (Antelope Valley; Sunland)
Mojave Desert (Lancaster);
Wide range soils, temperature, etc. – very tough & adaptable
Several varieties
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242100016
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3084,3089,3095
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This is a plant you’ve no doubt seen….
© 2004 Steven Perkins
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Four-wing Saltbush: manageable sized shrub
Size: 3-6 ft tall; usually 4-5
4-8 ft wide; can be pruned
Growth form: extremely variable
Mounded woody shrub; old wood very tough
Very densely branched
Quite long-lived – 50+ years
Foliage: Gray-green; silvery with
extruded salt; drought deciduous
Branches gray to white
Leaves small, leathery
Roots: long (to 40 ft) taproot + shallow laterals; very drought tol. – resents moving after established
http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/saltbush.html
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Flowers are understated…
Blooms: usually summer to late fall; may be as early as Apr. or as late as Nov.
Flowers: Dioecious (separate male &
female plants) but sometimes monoecious
Flowers remind of Artemisia; small flowers on stalks
Seeds: If planting, be sure to keep dry
seeds for 1 yr. ‘ripening’ to improve germination
Vegetative reproduction: sprouting from younger wood
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html
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Seedpods, however,
are showy
Dry pods remain on plants until stripped off by wind or eaten by animals – very nutritious
Pods have ‘4 wings’ – hence the common name
Very unusual & can be showy in good years
1 large hard seed per pod
Role of fungi in germination process
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html
http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages2/gilaflora/a_canescens3.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg
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An easy care plant Soils: Texture: well-drained; sandy
soils are best
pH: any local including alkali (pH 8.0-9.5)
Tolerates salty soils, water
Light: Full sun to some shade
Water: Winter: usually rain will suffice
– don’t over-water
Summer: best in Zone 2 in gardens (occasional water) – needs to be under some water stress
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils – too rich can kill
http://sep.csumb.edu/class/ESSP303/2008/plants.htm
Branches are brittle – no foot traffic
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Pruning Saltbushes - easy
In the wild, are eaten back extensively by deer, elk, rabbits
In the garden, you are the browser – with your pruners
Trim back about 1/3 the length of branches in fall for a neat look don’t cut back into old wood –
prune like a Salvia will rejuvenate the plant
Can also hedge-shear
For best habitat value, leave some branches at the base – i.e., leave it pruned as a shrub
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg
http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/grass_weeds/wingscale.htm
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Four-wing Saltbush used extensively in Southwestern
As a shrub in commercial plantings – low maintenance/little water
Excellent water-wise hedge
In plants with a desert plant palette – used like Salvias or Coyote Bush - silvery color
For erosion control
As a fire-retardant plant – with a little summer water
For re-claiming mine tailings & other environmental problems
Also used as dye plant (yellow & ‘Navajo Black’ & medicine (emetic)
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens
http://www.delange.org/FourwingSaltbush/FourwingSaltbush.htm
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KEEPING LIZARDS OUTDOORS
To prevent lizards from entering the home, seal all openings 1/4 inch and larger.
Check areas such as corners of doors and windows, around water pipes, electrical service entrances, ventilation screens, water pipes, etc.
Tight-fitting door seals, with no gaps at the edges, are important prevention measures.
Unlike rats and mice, lizards cannot gnaw through wood and other common building materials.
A number of materials can be used to seal access points, including insulating foam, caulking, flashing, and steel wool.
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Lycium species – the Boxthorns -
are also excellent habitat shrubs
Dense, thorny foliage – good for perching, hiding & nesting
Flowers
Fruits – eaten by birds, ground-dwellers – high in vitamin C (in Solanaceae,
like tomatoes)
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California Boxthorn – Lycium californicum
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Lycium_californicum.html
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Right at home on
the bluffs…
Fine with salty soils, salt-spray, high winds & blowing sand
Habitat is disappearing – on CNPS ‘rare’ watch list
© 2004 Michael Charters
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Wolfberry – Lycium andersonii
© 2005 James M. Andre
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Wolfberry – Lycium andersonii
Plant of Southwestern deserts and desert foothills
Locally in Mojave Desert – tho’ a report from PV
Dry, stony hills, mesas in desert and creosote bush scrub – usually along washes
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7636,7637
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Lycium_andersonii
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Charles Lewis Anderson, M.D. – a man
with a passion for Nevada plants
Name commemorates Charles Lewis Anderson, MD (1827-1910). Anderson practiced medicine in Carson City NV during the years 1862-1867.
Amazingly, in spite of all of his other endeavors, he found the time to pursue his lifelong interest in botany. He was one of the very first botanists to collect extensively in Nevada
Many of the plants he collected turned out to be new to science when examined by Asa Gray of Harvard, to whom Anderson sent all his Nevada specimens.
Anderson wrote the first flora of Nevada, and in its introduction observed: "the country is as rich in vegetable novelties as it is at all times in mineral wealth."
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Wolfberry is a typical Boxthorn – all quite similar looking
Size: usually 4-6 ft tall; to 10-12 ft
to 10 ft wide; slow – probably long-lived, even in water-wise gardens
Growth form: Mounded woody shrub
Very densely branched – good cover; thorns
Foliage: Small, fleshy leaves – larger with some
water
Very different look from other foliage – nice accent plant
Roots: deep; surface roots also – typical desert shrub; re-sprouts after fire or major damage/pruning
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
© Project SOUND http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/IMGP2394sm.html
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Flowers make the
desert bloom
Blooms: in spring (Mar-May); depends on timing of winter rains
Flowers: Purple to white
Small – but very nice shape & lots of them - showy
Good hummingbird plant
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Fruits – think tomato
Were used extensively as food by native desert peoples: only eat fully ripe fruits Raw Dried – raisin fashion Cooked for a sauce Dried and used as flavoring for
soups, stews Dried as a ‘leather’
Very high in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. Fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit.
Birds and small animals eat fruits & seeds – desert packrats store them
http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos/bendcollections/images/Lycium%20andersonii_JPG.jpg
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Easy to grow with
benign neglect
Soils: Texture: must be well-drained –
sandy or gravelly is best
pH: any local is fine
Fine with salty soils, water, maritime exposures
Light: Full sun is best
Will take light shade (or some afternoon shade) in hot gardens
Water: Winter: rains usually suffice;
don’t over-water in clay soils
Summer: quite drought tolerant; looks best in Zone1-2 to 2 in garden setting
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils – remember, it’s a desert plant
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lycium_andersonii
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Garden uses for
Boxthorns
Water-wise hedges
As an accent plant; flowers & foliage, red fruits
As a container plant
As all-round good habitat plants: food, cover, nest sites.
© 1998 Larry Blakely
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Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis
longipes
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Fence Lizards are sometimes called ‘Bluebellies’
2-4 inch body (snout-vent length); total length of about 8-9 inches
Brown to black in color (the brown may be sandy or greenish)
Most distinguishing character is their bright blue belly; ventral side of the limbs are yellow.
Also have a blue patch on their throat. This bright coloration is faint or absent in both females and juveniles.
Gold-speckled
one from PV
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Probably our most
commonly seen lizard
Found in a wide variety of open, sunny habitats, including woodlands, grasslands, scrub, chaparral, forests, along waterways, next to ponds, and around suburban dwellings.
Diurnal. Often seen basking in the sun on rocks, downed logs, trees, fences, and walls.
Active when temperatures are warm, becomes inactive during periods of extreme heat or cold. Probably active all year when temperatures are favorable and there is sun for basking.
http://www.wildherps.com/species/S.occidentalis.html
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Some people are a little afraid of lizards…
The Western fence lizard eats beetles, flies, caterpillars, ants, other insects, and spiders.
If you're bigger than the lizard, it is a friend. - If the lizard is bigger than you....run!
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Interesting fact…lizards are indeed our friends
Western Fence Lizards may reduce the incidence of Lyme Disease in their range! It has recently been discovered that when infected ticks feed on the blood of these lizards, the Lyme disease spirochetes they carry are destroyed. In areas with Western Fence Lizards, about 5 percent of ticks carry the disease, while in other areas 50 percent of ticks harbor the disease.
—Reported by the NY Times News Service, April 19, 1998.
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A word about cats..
Western Fence Lizards commonly sun themselves on paths, rocks, and fence posts, and other high places. Unfortunately, this behavior makes them an easy target to predation by snakes, birds, and even some mammals, like cats. They protect themselves by employing their fast reflexes, which is common in many other lizards.
http://www.pbase.com/griff42/image/48377834 http://hannahgreenfield.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/bobcat.jpg
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Guidelines for creating habitat
Provide sunning spots – with cover close by Leave some areas relatively ‘human-free’ for most of the day
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Chamise – Adenostoma fasciculatum
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
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Foothills of CA south to Baja – including Channel Islands
Dry slopes & ridges; chaparral & mesas below 5,000 ft.
Most common chaparral species throughout the foothills and coastal mountains of California - present in ~ 70% of California chaparral.
Also called ‘Greasewood’
Chamise – Adenostoma fasciculatum
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Adenostoma+fasciculatum
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Typical Chaparral site with Chamise
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum
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Chamise blooming in Santa Monica Mtns
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Chamise – a typical Chaparral shrub
Size: 6-10+ ft tall & wide
size really depends in water
Growth form: Dense, mounded shrub – excellent
cover plant for habitat
Many stiff branches; bark is red-brown (young) to peeling-gray (older wood) – wood ‘greasy’
Foliage: Leaves needle-like – in bundles
(fascicles) – hence the name ‘fasciculatum’
Aromatic; can be deciduous in drought
Roots: sprouts from a burl after fires – rejuvenation pruning
© 2008 Thomas Stoughton
Steven Perkins @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
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Chamise and other Chaparral shrubs –
born to burn Small, dry, resinous
leaves
Shreddy bark
Oily wood
Dead branches
Ability to re-sprout readily from a sprouting stem/root (the burl)
© 2008 BonTerra Consulting
In nature, Chamise burns every 10-40 years; stems older than about 50
years are exceedingly rare, but individual plants may be quite old
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Flowers - really showy
Blooms: any time from Feb-June; usually April-May in the Madrona Native Plant Garden
Flowers: Small, tubular white/cream
flowers
5 petals – looks like member of Rose family
Blooms clustered on long flowering branches – literally 1000’s of blooms
Attracts insect pollinators
Seeds: Hard coats – require acid
scarification or brief exposure to heat.
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Chamise is one
tough shrub
Soils: Texture: any as long as it is
fairly well-draining
pH: any local
Light: Full sun
Water: Winter: don’t over-water
Summer: very drought tolerant, but better with occasional summer water (Zone 1-2 or 2) – keeps it green
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: pinch low-growing forms to keep low – will need severe pruning to rejuvenate – you’re the ‘fire’
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/chamise.html
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Chamise: might be right
for your garden
Excellent choice for slopes – good erosion control
Brightens up an area in bloom
Nice background plant – interesting foliage shape, color
Can be hedged or used as a screen
Of course, a great cover plant for all sorts of ground-dwellers – birds, lizards, small mammals (rabbits, etc.).
Teas/salves from foliage/bark used for skin infections; branches for arrow shafts
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum
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Low-growing variety & cultivars
make nice woody groundcovers
‘Black Diamond’ Dark green foliage
Low-growing; can be used as a groundcover or bonsai
‘San Nicolas’ Truly prostrate form from San
Nicolas Island
‘Black Diamond’
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/3358077566/in/set-72157621930969588/
Adenostoma fasciculatum var. prostatum
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Identifying your CA Towhee
Length: 7.25 inches Conical bill Dark eye Brown crown Buffy throat Black ring of spots on
breast Pale gray underparts Brown upperparts Rusty undertail coverts Long tail Juvenile (Spring to Fall)
heavily streaked below
© 2007 Ron Wolf
© 2008 Kim Cabrera
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Habitat for CA
Towhee
Preferred habitats include shady underbrush, open woods, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and suburban gardens.
Likes dense cover and leaf litter. Leaf litter is good for many birds as well as most California native plants.
The California Towhee forages in the leaf litter by scratching, with both feet at once, in a fast hopping motion.
They feed on seeds and insects within the leaf litter or occasionally on berries or seeds in bushes.
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Guidelines for creating habitat
Let native plants go to seed or fruit Leave leaf litter if possible. Provides a home for insects – food
for ground-dwellers
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* Parajo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos pajaroensis
© 1995 Dan Post
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* Parajo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos pajaroensis
Endemic to Santa Cruz and Monterey counties in the Monterey Bay region
Maritime chaparral on deep to shallow, sandy soils or sandstone outcroppings - sometimes on edges of Oak Woodlands
Used as one parent in several horticultural hybrid cultivars – very attractive foliage
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Arctostaphylos+pajaroensis
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Parajo Manzanita – exceptionally attractive
Size: 4-8+ ft tall
6-8 ft wide
Growth form: Woody shrub/small tree
Mounded/sprawling to erect
Typical red bark
evergreen
Foliage: Leaves dense, somewhat
erect
Color: blue-green – with red-orange tips to new growth
Very attractive-looking
© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic –
of course!
Blooms: winter - usually Dec-Feb in western L.A. Co.
Flowers: Typical small flowers of
manzanita – urn-shaped
Light to darker pink
Thousands at one time – this is among the showier flowerers
Hummingbird magnet
Fragrant!
Fruits: Edible
Loved-by fruit-eaters of all sorts
© 2004 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: likes a sandy soil – comes form N. CA coast
pH: very slightly acid best – 6.0-7.0
Light: Full sun to part-shade
Water: Winter: don’t over-water
Summer: best with occasional water (Zone 1-2 or 2), but quite drought tolerant near coast
Fertilizer: none; use an organic mulch
Other: looks best with little pruning, but can be shaped – even kept below 3 ft.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/
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Parajo Manzanita is great for
coastal gardens
Prune up for a small, dense tree – good nesting sites
Use as a specimen/accent shrub – very attractive year-round, with sculptural shape
As an all-round habitat plant – winter nectar, fruits and cover-nest sites
Has an ‘old-fashioned look’ – perfect for Edwardian or Victorian garden
Nice addition to a scent garden
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-pajaroensis-paradise-manzanita
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/
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‘Sunset’
Hybrid - A. pajaroensis x A. hookeri ssp. hookeri
Very colorful new foliage Low-growing – to about 3-4 ft Chosen for garden hardiness
http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/
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Naturally occurring cultivar
Particularly attractive Bright/dark pink flowers
Light blue-green foliage
4-5 ft tall & wide
Takes a little more heat – good for hot banks
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/waterwise/images/05_Arctostaphylos-cv-MWolf5.jpg
‘Myrtle Wolf’
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/
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‘Paradise’
Naturally occurring cultivar from Regional Parks Botanic Garden
5-6 ft tall; 6-10 ft wide
Exceptional new foliage color
Needs very good drainage
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_a/arcpajpar.html
http://drystonegarden.com/
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‘Warren Roberts’
Very dense, blue-green foliage Upright habit – good for small
tree – 6 ft tall, 10 ft wide Slate-blue/green foliage – really
nice color
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/
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‘Lester Rountree’
Hybrid: A. parajoensis X ? A. obispoensis
8-10 ft tall & wide
Open, sculptural growth habit
Light blue-green foliage – almost a gray-blue cast – nice as accent color
http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/category/california-native-plants/page/2/
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/268090756_f6a54c9577.jpg
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California Legless Lizard - Anniella pulchra
© Project SOUND
CA Legless Lizard is
unique
A small (pencil-sized) slender lizard with no legs, a shovel-shaped snout, smooth shiny scales, and a blunt tail.
Sometimes confused for a
snake, (which has no eyelids) but on close observation the presence of eyelids is apparent when this lizard blinks.
Dorsal coloration varies from metallic silver, beige, dark brown, to black. Ventral coloration varies from whitish to bright yellow.
Typically there is a dark line along the back and several thin stripes between scale rows along the sides where the dorsal and ventral colors meet, but variants occur.
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Legless Lizard Habitat – loose sandy soils
This is a wide-ranging species common in drier, loose sandy soils, from inland foothills to coastal dunes. This species prefers cooler temperatures (60-65° F) and is rarely encountered above ground or near the surface in higher temperatures.
Though common in some areas, this species is considered a species of special concern, and legal collecting is limited to one specimen per collector.
© Project SOUND
If you have sandy
soil, you may see
the Legless Lizard
in your garden
Forages in loose soil, sand, and leaf litter during the day.
Sometimes found on the surface at dusk and at night. Apparently active mostly during the morning and evening when they rest beneath the surface of loose soil or leaf litter which has been warmed by the sun.
Eats primarily larval insects, beetles, termites, and spiders. Conceals itself beneath leaf litter or substrate then ambushes its prey.
Good Habitat: Leaf litter under trees and bushes in sunny areas. Often can be found under surface objects such as rocks, boards, driftwood, and logs. Can also be found by gently raking leaf litter under bushes and trees. Sometimes found in suburban gardens in Southern California.
http://www.wildherps.com/species/A.pulchra.html
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Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E. et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU
Extension and Western Area Power Admin., Bismarck, ND.
© Project SOUND
Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata
Naturally occurring:
Many areas of western N. America – Canada to Baja
Coastal and mountain areas of CA
In S. CA: coastal sage scrub, chaparral and southern oak woodland
Moist areas including stream-sides, seasonal drainages, and canyon bottoms
sand dunes and sand hills
dry rocky slopes
In same genus as Lemonade Berry, Sugar Bush & Poison Oak (which it resembles)
Also known as Basket-brush, Sumac, Sourberry, Skunkbrush
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Rhus+trilobata
© Project SOUND
Pretty in nature & at home….
Size:
3-4 ft tall, sometimes more 4-6 ft+ wide
Foliage:
Deciduous
Interesting leaf shape
Good fall color
Growth Form/Shape:
Many-branched
Rounded; mound-like; some variants are more low-lying
Spreads by rhizomes – but not aggressive
Can be pruned to very formal shape or left more open
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Three-lobed Sumac is loved by gardeners
because it’s so easy to grow…
Soils: not too particular Any texture; well-drained Any pH
Light: full sun to part-shade
Water: Very drought tolerant when established Can take some summer water – but may
become leggy
Nutrients: fine with no fertilizer, but can tolerate light doses/organic mulches
Very hardy; takes a frost
Rapid growth first 3-5 years; then moderate
Lives 20-30 years
http://weather.nmsu.edu/nmcrops/ornamentals/SUMAC.htm
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Three-lobe Sumac
pleases the palette…
Yellow flowers in spring Butterflies & bees
Red berries in summer
Birds love them (many species Make a tangy drink Excellent for jelly Can even eat them raw (tart)
Even the foliage is eaten occasionally by large & small animals
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Rhus_trilobata
.html
Many parts of the plant are used for
natural dyes
© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
Three-lobe Sumac
As an accent/specimen plant: showy red berries in summer Fall foliage (several months)
As a barrier plant
For bank stabilization & along streambeds
In a bird/animal habitat garden
As a windscreen or hedge
As a foundation plant
Along sunny walls
Just about any situation requiring a nice, medium-sized shrub
http://www.nazflora.org/rhus_trilobata.htm
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~plants-c/bio414/species%20pages/rhus%20trilobata.htm
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White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow
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White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
Size & Shape The White-crowned Sparrow is a large sparrow
with a small bill and a long tail. The head can look distinctly peaked or smooth and flat, depending on the bird’s attitude.
Color Pattern First impressions of White-crowned Sparrows
tend to be of a plain, pale-gray bird; next your eye is drawn to the very bold black-and-white stripes on the head and the pale pink or yellow bill. Learn this bird's size and shape so you're ready to identify young birds that have brown, not black, markings on the head.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-crowned_Sparrow/id
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You likely have some White-crowns in
your garden
They forage on the ground or in low vegetation, but sometimes make short flights to catch flying insects.
They forage on the ground in open areas, with sheltered thickets nearby for cover. They use a two-footed scratching maneuver to locate food in the leaf litter.
They mainly eat seeds, other plant parts (grass leaves, fruits, seeds, buds) and insects. In winter, they often forage in flocks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow
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Guidelines for creating habitat
Provide water at ground level (or close)
Provide cover near the water source – lower branches
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CA Mugwort - Artemisia douglasiana
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CA Mugwort - Artemisia douglasiana
Much of non-desert CA: WA to Baja
Many Plant Communities including Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, Freshwater Marsh, Mountain Meadow, Mixed-evergreen Forest, Southern Oak Woodland
A plant of moist/riparian places
Named for David Douglas (1798-1834), Scottish botanist who made several journeys to America. Douglas provided the material from which some 300 species of California plants were to be described
‘Mugwort’ from use of this species in mugs to flavor beer prior to hops
http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Artemisia_douglasiana.gif
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Mugwort characteristics Size: 1-5 ft tall Increases; spreading via
underground stems (rhizomes)
Growth form: Perennial shrub arising from a
rhizome Stems are stout, upright
Foliage: Bright green fading to gray-
green; white below Most of the leaves low on the
stems
Flowers: Summer: June to Oct, depending
on year Yellow-green; small and not very
noticeable Once again, typical for sunflower
family
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/mugwort.html
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Garden conditions
Soils: Texture: any pH: any
Light: full sun to partial shade; brighter green in shadier areas
Water: Winter: moist soils; tolerates
flooding Summer:
Low summer needs once established; once a month fine
Will spread with summer water – can become invasive
Fertilizer: none needed; organic mulch would work well
Other: prune back heavily in fall to keep it looking good
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Artemisia-douglasiana/
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Uses for CA Mugwort
Ground cover on naturally landscaped slopes, hillsides
Under trees/shrubs like Mule Fat
In planters & pots – contained situations
For erosion control
For habitat: seeds, foliage, insects and cover for ground dwellers
This is an important medicine plant
for Native Californians. Used as a
purifying plant in ceremonies. Also
good for treating stomach & other
gastrointestinal illnesses
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Guidelines for creating habitat in your own
garden Provide dense shrub/grass cover –
perching, cover & nest sites
Provide a brush pile/logs for cover
Provide sunning spots – with cover close by
Leave some areas relatively ‘human-free’ for most of the day
Let native plants go to seed/fruit
Provide water at ground level (or close)
Provide cover near the water source – lower branches
Try to minimize effect of
cats
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