native plants of the san jacinto and santa rosa mountains.mov

Native Plants of the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains

By: Sam ButtlesNative Plants (NR 41A)

Professor Katie BarrowsCollege of the Desert

Single Leaf Pinyon Pine Latin Name - Pinus monophylla Plant Family - Pinaceae Characteristics

Small to medium size tree reaching roughly 30 to 70 feet tall and with a trunk rarely more than 30 inches in diameter

Short, grey-green needles occurring singly rather than in bunches like most pines

Acute-globose cones broad and usually 2 to 3 inches long growing over a 26 month cycle

Habitat Native to western United States and Northwestern Mexico ranging from

southern Idaho to northern Baja California and as far east as western Utah Occurs at moderate altitudes from 3900 to 7500 feet

Uses Edible seeds known as pine nuts eaten by local wildlife and Native Americans Used as an ornamental tree in drought-tolerant and natural landscapes

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Canyon Live Oak Latin Name - Quercus chrysolepis Plant family - Fagaceae Characteristics

Shrub-like evergreen tree ranging from 6 to 30 meters in height with horizontal spreading branches

Elliptical to oblong leaves ranging from 2.5 to 8 centimeters in length with a width usually half that and with sharp spines and a leathery texture

Grows acorns that occur either singly or in pairs and ranging from 2 to 5 centimeters Habitat

Occurs in the southwestern United States mostly in California, but also in southern Oregon, western Nevada, Arizona, and northern Baja California

Found anywhere from 500 to 1500 meters in most areas, but as high as 2700 meters in parts of southern California

Uses Acorns eaten by local wildlife and prehistoric humans Provides a habitat for many forms of wildlife, especially birds and small mammals



Manzanita Latin Name - Arctostaphylos manzanita Plant Family - Ericaceae Charzcteristics

Shrub-like plant with wedge-shaped, pointy, shiny green leaves Small white flowers and white berries that turn red-brown during summer Distinctive and attractive dark-red bark make it easily identifiable

Habitat Occurs at a variety of elevations in California, but is mostly found on chaparral slopes and

low-elevation coniferous forests Uses

Berries are edible and often brewed into a cider The hardness and attractiveness of the wood makes it good for tools, ornaments, and

firewood



Arroyo Willow Latin Name - salix lasiolepis Plant Family - salicaceae Characteristics

Deciduous large shrub and small tree growing up to 33 feet tall Long, narrow leaves ranging from 3.5 to 12.5 cm long and green on the top while bottom is

covered in white hairs Yellow catkins flowers are 1.5 to 7 cm long and are produced in the spring

Habitat Grows in canyons and along pond shores and swamps Found as far north as Washington and as far south as northern Mexico and as far East as

New Mexico and even further east in parts of mexico Uses

Salicylic acid is derived from the willow as an ingredient in aspirin



Basin Sagebrush Latin Name - Artemisia tridentata Plant Family - asteraceae Characteristics

Aromatic shrub with pale grey-green leaves covered in silvery hairs and yellow flowers Rarely more than 3 meters tall Long-lived plant sometimes reaching 100 years of age

Habitat Grows in arid to semi-arid conditions in cold desert, steppe, and mountain habitats in

western North America Uses

Provides food for much of the local wildlife Used as an herbal medicine by Native Americans for a variety of conditions



Incense Cedar Latin Name - Calocedrus decurrens Plant Family - cupressaceae Characteristics

Large tree reaching 40 to 60 meters tall Has overlapping scale-like leaves occurring in whorls of four Has cones with 2 to 3 pairs of thin, erect scales

Habitat Native to western North America and found at a variety of elevations from central western

Oregon to parts of northern Baja California and as far east as western Nevada Uses

The soft and decay-resistant qualities of the wood of the incense cedar make it ideal for the manufacturing of wooden products like pencils that need to be soft and splinter-proof



Jeffrey Pine Latin Name - Pinus Jeffreyi Plant Family - Pinaceae Characteristics

Large coniferous evergreen tree reaching from 80 to 130 feet tall 5 to 9 inch long grey-green needles occurring in groups of 3 5 to 9 inch long cones that turn from dark purple to a dull brown as they mature

Habitat Found as far north as southwestern Oregon and as south as northern Baja California, but

grows mostly in California Found in elevations of 4900 to 6900 feet in its northern regions and from 5900 to 9500 feet

in its more southern regions Uses

Wood is often used for construction and other purposes N-heptane is distilled from the resin found in Jeffrey pines



Wax Currant Latin Name - Ribes cereum Plant Family - grossulariaceae Characteristics

Spreading or erect shrub growing up to 2 meters tall Aromatic spicy scent Fuzzy, glandular stems with rounded leaves that are teethed at the edges White to pink flowers grow in clusters Grows small, tasteless red berries

Habitat Native to western North America from southern California to southern British Columbia Grows in a variety of habitats, but mostly mountain forests in alpine climates

Uses Berries provide food for wildlife and Native Americans Used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans Grown as an ornamental plant



Sugar Pine Latin Name - Pinus lambertiana Plant Family - Pinaceae Characteristics

Largest of the pines growing from 130 to 200 feet and taller and with a trunk diameter of 5 to 8 feet

Needles are 2 to 4 inches long with a deciduous sheath and occur in bundles of 5 Cones are the longest of the pines at 10 to 20 inches long

Habitat Grows in the mountains of Oregon, California, and Baja California

Uses Pine nuts are edible and utilized by wildlife and Native Americans Wood can be used as lumber



California Fuchsia Latin Name - Epilobium canum Plant Family - Onagraceae Characteristics

Perennial subshrub rarely growing taller than 60 centimeters Exhibits extreme variation:

• leaves can be opposite or alternate, oval-like or long and slender, and range in color from white to green

• Flowers can be tubular or funnel-shaped and can range in color from fuchsia to pink to red-orange

Spreads via rhizomes, or roots Habitat

Native to dry slopes and the chaparral of western North America especially in California Uses

Can be grown as an ornamental plant in many gardens and landscapes



Cupleaf Ceanothus Latin Name - Ceanothus greggii Plant Family - Rhamnaceae Characteristics

Erect shrub growing up to 7 feet in height Gray and somewhat hairy woody parts Evergreen leaves vary in shape and may or may not be toothed at edges Grows clusters of white flowers The fruit is a horned capsule only a few millimeters wide and bursts open to expel the 3

seeds it contains. These seeds require wildfires to be germinated. Habitat

Grows in dry habitats such as desert scrub and chaparral in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico

Uses Grazed by wildlife such as big horn sheep and mule deer



Bush Chinquapin Characteristics

Shrub growing 3 to 7 feet tall Blunt-pointed leaves growing 1 to 3 inches long Thin, smooth bark Fruit occurs as a densely spiny cupule usually containing 3 edible nuts

Habitat Occurs in the Klamath mountains of Oregon and the Sierra Nevada, San

Gabriel, San Bernardino, and San Jacinto mountains of California from 3300 to 9800 feet in elevation

Uses Edible sweet nuts contained in fruit provide food for wildlife and Native

Americans



California Black Oak Latin Name - Quercus Kelloggii Plant Family - Fagaceae Characteristics

Deciduous tree which can sometimes be shrub-like growing from 30 to 80 feet in height and with a trunk diameter of 1 to 5 feet

Young trees have a slender crown that spreads out to become quite broad and rounded as the tree ages. The first 20 to 40 feet of the trunk is usually free of branches.

Leaves are larger than most oaks at 4 to 8 inches long and are deeply lobed Acorns are also relatively large at 1 inch long and only slightly less wide Lifespan is 100 to 200 years with some living up to 500 years

Habitat Native to the western United States from western central Oregon to northern Baja

California Grows in mixed evergreen forests, oak woodlands, and coniferous forests

Uses Acorns provide food for wildlife and Native Americans Often used as hardwood timber



California Buckwheat Latin Name - Eriogonum fasciculatum Plant Family - polygonaceae Characteristics

Evergreen bush roughly 12 to 39 inches in height and 28 to 51 inches wide Leather leaves with a wooly underside grow in clusters along the branches Pink and white flowers occur in dense clusters at the ends of branches

Habitat Native to southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico and grows in dry climates

in locations like chaparral and dry washes Uses

Used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes Attractive to honey bees Good source of nectar



Ribbonwood Latin Name - Adenostema sparsifolium Plant Family - Rosaceae Characteristics

Multi-trunked tree or shrub 1 to 5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide Shaggy bark constantly frays and falls

Habitat Grows on dry slopes in the chaparral of Southern California and Northern Baja Mexico

Uses Used medicinally for a variety of purposes such as the treatment of arthritis and

toothaches



Chamise Latin Name - Adenostenum Fasciculatum Plant Family - Rosaceae Characteristics

Evergreen shrub growing up to 4 meters tall Small leaves 4 to 10 millimeters long and 1 millimeter wide with a pointed apex occur in

clusters along long pointy branches White, tubular flowers occur at the ends of the branches

Habitat Native to the chaparral of Southern California and Baja Mexico

Uses Erosion control



Sugar Bush Latin Name - Rhus ovata Plant Family - Anacardiaceae Characteristics

Rounded shrub or small tree 6 to 30 feet tall Thick, leathery dark green leaves folded upward in the midlle Thick reddish twigs White and pink flowers grow in clusters grow at the ends of some branches

Habitat Grows in the chaparral of Southern California, Arizona, and Baja California below 1300 meters in dry

canyons and south-facing slopes Uses

Provides a habitat for birds Fruit and flowers are eaten by wildlife and can be made into a juice Drought-tolerant for landscapes



California Juniper Latin Name - Juniperus californica Plant Family - Cupressaceae Characteristics

Shrub or small tree growing from 10 to 26 feet Leaves are scale-like and opposite occurring along shoots Cones are blue-brown and berry-like

Habitat Native to southwestern North America mainly in California, but also in sparsely in Baja

California, Nevada, and Arizona 2460 to 5200 feet in elevation

Uses Popular bonsai species Drought tolerant



Mountain Snowberry Latin Name - Symphoricarpus rotundifolius Plant Family - Caprifoliaceae Characteristics

Deciduous shrub 1.5 to 5 centimeter long leaves, rounded with one or two lobes at the bottom Flowers are small and very light green to pink Fruits are white berries

Habitat Found in many mountainous woods in much of North and Central America

Uses Fruits provide winter food for some birds but are considered poisonous to humans



Lodgepole Pine Latin Name - Pinus Contorta Plant family - Pinaceae Characteristics

Has three subspecies and can be shrub-like or a small tree ranging from 1 to 3 meters and 40 to 50 meters

Needles are dark green, pointed, and 4 to 8 centimeters Cones are 3 to 7 centimeters long with prickles on the scales. They often need to be

germinated by a forest fire. Habitat

Found in California and British Columbia in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, the mountains of Southern California and even northern Baja Mexico

Uses Timber was used in Native American construction as well as current construction Grown in gardens and can be a large bonsai species



Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany Latin name - Cercocarpus ledifolius Plant Family - Rosaceae Characteristics

Large, densely branching shrub or tree growing up to 10 meters in height Leaves are dark green, leathery, sticky, and often curled at the edges Flowers consist of a brown cone out of which protrudes a long, plume-like gynocium

covered in tiny tan hairs Habitat

Grows in low mountains and slopes of western North America Uses

Used medicinally for a variety of purposes by Native Americans



Rabbitbrush Latin Name - Chrysothamnus nauseosus Plant Family - Asteraceae Characteristics

Low subshrub rarely more than 20 centimeters in height Branches with a dark grey, fibrous, bark grow green and glandular stems with green, hairy,

glandular leaves Clusters of cylindrical, yellow flowers occur at the ends of branches

Habitat Native to southwestern North America

Uses Fed on by livestock and wildlife



White Fir Latin Name - Abies concolor Plant Family - Pinaceae Characteristics

Evergreen coniferous tree growing from 80 to 197 feet in height Needles appear flattened and ar 2.5 to 6 centimeters long Cones are 6 to 12 centimeters long and 4 to 5 centimeters wide

Habitat Grows 3000 to 11000 feet in elevation in the mountains of western North America

Uses Sometimes used in paper making and other cheap construction work Often used as Christmas decoration



Holly-leaved Redberry Latin Name - Rhamnus ilicifolia Plant Family - Rhamnaceae Characteristics

Rambling shrub growing up to 4 meters in height Leaves are rounded, dark green, and leathery with sharp teethed edges Red flowers grow at the end of some stems Fruits ripens to a bright red on the end of some stems

Habitat Found in the wooded areas and chaparral of the western United States and Mexico

Uses Fruits are edible



native plants of the san jacinto and santa rosa mountains.mov

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