VOL. 43, NO. 2 • MAY 2015 FREMONTIA · 2018-03-30 · VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 1 CONTENTS THE COVER: A 20-foot tall old-growth mission manzanita in Penasquitos Canyon,

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VOL. 43, NO. 2 • MAY 2015

FREMONTIAJOURNAL OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE TEHACHAPI REGION

THE FOUND LANDSCAPE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY

HABITAT RESTORATION FOR THE RIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT

MISSION MANZANITA: IS THE SPECIES IN DECLINE?

HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE TEHACHAPI REGION

THE FOUND LANDSCAPE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY

HABITAT RESTORATION FOR THE RIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT

MISSION MANZANITA: IS THE SPECIES IN DECLINE?

F R E M O N T I A V O L . 4 3 , N O . 2 , M A Y 2 0 1 5

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CONTENTS

THE COVER: A 20-foot tall old-growth mission manzanita in Penasquitos Canyon, San Diego. With its signature smooth,reddish-brown bark, the species holds it foliage high above the ground. This specimen has been pruned of deadwood. Storybegins on page 23. Photograph by Steve Miller.

HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE TEHACHAPI REGION by Zachary Principeand Michael D. White ................................................................................................ 2In this region where many of California’s unique landscapes converge, recentconservation success is ensuring that its rich biological resources will be protected.

THE FOUND LANDSCAPE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAYby Suzanne Schettler ............................................................................................... 10Wild vegetation may contain a hidden landscapÒe design waiting to become theframework for beautiful surroundings.

LESSONS LEARNED IN HABITAT RESTORATION FOR THE RIPARIANBRUSH RABBIT by Julie Rentner ............................................................................ 15A success story about native habitat restoration that is helping to ensure the future ofan endangered rabbit species.

MISSION MANZANITA, QUEEN OF THE ELFIN FOREST: IS THE SPECIES INDECLINE? by Lee Gordon, Richard W. Halsey, Jon E. Keeley, Jon P. Rebman,Delbert Wiens, and Arne Johanson ............................................................................. 23Mission manzanita, one of San Diego County’s signature chaparral shrubs, has puzzledpeople over how, and even whether, it is still reproducing itself.

NEW CNPS FELLOW: SARAH JAYNE by Dan Songster ...................................................................... 29

BOOK REVIEW by Vince Scheidt .............................................................................................................. 31

WHAT SHAPED YOUR LOVE OF NATURE? by Dee Wong ................................................................. 32

2 F R E M O N T I A V O L . 4 3 , N O . 2 , M A Y 2 0 1 5

HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE TEHACHAPI REGIONby Zachary Principe and Michael D. White

magine a part of California wherediverse and unique natural re-sources are hidden within a couplehours’ drive of over 15 million

people. That is a good characteriza-tion of the Tehachapi Mountains ofCalifornia, sandwiched between thevast agricultural lands of the Great

Central Valley and the urban andsuburban lands of the Greater LosAngeles area. The privately ownedland in the region—much of it work-

Typical mid-elevation foothills in the Tehachapi region landscape are characterized by grasslands and blue oak (Quercus douglasii)woodland. This landscape is largely comprised of private working ranches lying between public and protected lands to the north andsouth. Photograph by Ian Shive.

I


ing ranches—has remained relativelyintact, thus preserving amazingbiodiversity and presenting enor-mous landscape conservation oppor-tunities.

Known by many as a strongholdfor the iconic California condor, theTehachapi region is rich in rare andendemic species. It supports the lastremaining unconverted grasslandsor prairie in the extreme southernSan Joaquin Valley as well as plant

communities from the westernMojave Desert, and is the lynchpinconnecting foothill and montanehabitats in California’s Coast Range,Sierra Nevada, and TransverseRanges (see close-up map on page6). Long a target of conservation-ists, the Tehachapi region has beenthe focus of renewed conservationefforts over the last decade. This hasstimulated development of regionalconservation partnerships, working

lands conservation strategies, andnovel private lands conservation andmanagement approaches.

SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE

Intertwined with its biologicalvalue is the region’s notable heri-tage of scientific exploration. Manyrenowned naturalists visited theTehachapis during biological expe-ditions in the 19th and first half of

00


RIGHT: Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) woodland of the western Mojave Desert (foreground)converging with piñon (Pinus monophylla)–juniper (Juniperus californicus) woodlands onthe eastern slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada. Photograph by Ian Shive.

the 20th centuries. First was JohnCharles Frémont, the “Pathfinder”explorer and amateur naturalisttutored by John Torrey and GeorgeEngelmann, who crossed the Teha-chapis in 1844 collecting botanicalspecimens along the way. AdolphusHeermann was a naturalist on the

TABLE 1. RARE PLANTS OF THE TEHACHAPI REGION.

Botanical Name Common Name CNPS RarePlant Rank

Allium howellii var. clokeyi Mt. Pinos onion 1B.3

Allium shevockii Spanish Needle onion 1B.3

California macrophylla round leaved filaree 1B.1

Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri Palmer’s mariposa lily 1B.2

Calochortus striatus alkali mariposa lily 1B.2

Camissonia integrifolia Kern River evening primrose 1B.3

Canbya candida white pygmypoppy 4.2

Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. calientensis Vasek’s clarkia 1B.1

Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. tembloriensis Temblor Range clarkia CBR

Clarkia xantiana subsp. parviflora Kern Canyon clarkia 4.2

Convolvulus simulans small flowered morning glory 4.2

Delphinium gypsophilum subsp. parviflorum gypsum loving larkspur 3.2

Delphinium inopinum unexpected larkspur 4.3

Delphinium purpusii Kern County larkspur 1B.3

Eriastrum tracyi Tracy’s eriastrum 3.2

Eriogonum breedlovei var. breedlovei Piute buckwheat 1B.2

Eriogonum callistum Tehachapi buckwheat 1B.1

Eriogonum gossypinum cottony buckwheat 4.2

Eriogonum kennedyi var. pinicola Kern buckwheat 1B.1

Eriophyllum lanatum var. hallii Fort Tejon woolly sunflower 1B.1

Eschscholzia lemmonii subsp. kernensis Tejon poppy 1B.1

Eschscholzia lemmonii subsp. lemmonii Lemmon’s poppy CBR

Fritillaria brandegeei Greenhorn fritillary 1B.3

Fritillaria striata* striped adobe lily 1B.1

Githopsis tenella delicate bluecup 1B.3

Hesperocyparis nevadensis Piute cypress 1B.2

Heterotheca shevockii Shevock’s golden aster 1B.3

Layia heterotricha pale yellow layia 1B.1

Layia leucopappa Comanche Point layia 1B.1

Loeflingia squarrosa var. artemisiarum sagebrush loeflingia 2B.2

Mimulus pictus calico monkeyflower 1B.2

Mimulus shevockii Kelso Creek monkeyflower 1B.2

Monardella linoides subsp. oblonga flaxleaf monardella 1B.3

Navarretia peninsularis Baja navarretia 1B.2

Navarretia setiloba Piute Mountains navarretia 1B.1

Nemacladus secundiflorus var. robbinsii Robbins’ nemacladus 1B.2

Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei** Bakersfield cactus 1B.1

Perideridia pringlei adobe yampah 4.3

Streptanthus cordatus var. piutensis Piute Mountains jewelflower 1B.2

Symphyotrichum defoliatum San Bernardino aster 1B.2

Triteleia piutensis Piute Mountains triteleia 1B.1

Viola pinetorum subsp. grisea grey leaved violet 1B.3

* California Threatened Species; ** Federal and California Endangered Species

Source: Zachary Principe, The Nature Conservancy, 2015.


1853 and 1855 railroad expeditionsled by Robert S. Williamson, whowas looking for routes from the SanJoaquin Valley across the SierraNevada to the Colorado River.Williamson’s survey team used asite in the southern San JoaquinValley at Tejon Ranch as a base

camp while surveying and collect-ing in the Tehachapi region, and anumber of taxa such as Heermann’starweed (Holocarpha heermannii)have been named in Heermann’shonor.

Perhaps János (John) Xántusmade the most extensive collections

in the region while stationed at FortTejon between 1857 and 1859, send-ing them to Spencer Baird at theSmithsonian Institution. Several taxain the region have been named inXántus’ honor, including gunsightclarkia (Clarkia xantiana), Xántus’pincushion (Chaenactis xantiana), and


Conserved lands of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy nowconnect public and private protected lands to the north and south that, until 2008, wereseparated by a 50-mile gap of unprotected lands.

Source: Brian Cohen and Zachary Principe, The Nature Conservancy, 2015.

the genus of night lizards (Xantusia).In the twentieth century, Joseph

Grinnell made his base camp underan “immense white oak” (valley oak[Quercus lobata]) at the site of FortTejon in 1904 (Grinnell 1905), andW.L. Jepson collected as he crossedthe Tehachapi Pass in 1935, notingthat the “Tehachapis are wonder-fully full of color.” In the 1950sand 1960s, Ernest C. Twisselmann,rancher, self-taught botanist, andauthor of A Flora of Kern County,explored and expanded our knowl-edge of the region’s flora and natu-ral history. After a hiatus in scien-tific surveys, newly conserved pri-vate lands in the region are nowbeing opened for exploration anddiscovery, evoking an earlier era inthe region’s history.

FIGURE 1: THE TEHACHAPI REGION SHOWING LOCATIONOF THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS.

FIGURE 2: FOURCALIFORNIA FLORISTICREGIONS THAT CONVERGEAT THE TEHACHAPIMOUNTAINS.

A CONFLUENCE OFFLORISTIC REGIONS

Geologically speaking, theTehachapi Mountains are the south-ern tail of the Sierra Nevada, rotatedinto a northeast-southwest orienta-tion by tectonic forces. Often con-sidered the gateway to SouthernCalifornia, the Tehachapi Mountainslie at the convergence of the SierraNevada, Central Valley, Coast Range,Transverse Ranges, and MojaveDesert. The area of their juxtaposi-tion is characterized by a complexgeology shaped by major fault sys-tems, including the San Andreas andGarlock faults. Geologic processeshave created a diverse terrain withbroad elevation gradients, rangingfrom relatively flat alluvial fans atelevations near sea level in the SanJoaquin Valley to steep, 8,000-footmountain peaks, with an incrediblevariety of landforms and topogra-phy in between.

California’s floristic regions tendto align with the major mountainranges and valleys of the state, andfour floristic regions from the Cali-fornia and Desert Floristic Prov-inces—Sierra Nevada, Great Cen-tral Valley, Southwestern Califor-nia, and Mojave Desert—convergeat the Tehachapis (see statewidemap on page 6). The Tehachapisencompass elements of each of thesefloristic regions, and thus supportan impressive array of vegetationcommunities including annual andperennial grasslands; coniferousand mixed hardwood-conifer for-ests; deciduous and live oak wood-lands; piñon-juniper woodlands;Joshua tree woodlands; desert

The northeast-southwest oriented Teha-chapi Mountains connect the Sierra Nevada(north) to the Transverse (southeast) andCoast Range (southwest), while separatingthe Great Central Valley (west) from theMohave Desert (east).

Source: Jepson Regions—Universityof California, Santa Barbara,

California Gap Analysis.


scrubs; and coastal, desert, andmontane chaparrals. This conver-gence of floristic regions results insome unique species assemblages.For example, valley oaks and Joshuatrees (Yucca brevifolia) grow side-by-side in desert-draining canyonson the southeast side of theTehachapis.

This varied and intact landscapenot only supportsamazing biologicaldiversity, it is impor-tant for accommo-dating potentialshifting plant andanimal species distri-butions in responseto climate change.Modeling conductedby The Nature Con-servancy indicatesthat increased tem-peratures projectedby 2065 will stress amajority of the char-acteristic species inthe region. Unfrag-mented landscapesprovide opportuni-ties for species tomove without barri-ers, and topographi-cally heterogeneouslandscapes supportvaried microhabitatsthat may provideclimate refugia forsome species as av-erage conditions inthe region warm.

Thus, maintaining intact landscapesacross broad elevational gradients isan important conservation strategyfor this region.

For example, much of the dis-tribution of black oak (Quercuskelloggii), a higher elevation speciesof the Tehachapis, is modeled toshrink as the climate warms untillittle to no habitat remains. How-ever, recent research demonstratesthat models of future climate condi-tions considering microclimates pro-duced by complex terrain featuresallow for persistence of species asholdout populations in “islands” ofsuitable climate within a “sea” ofunsuitable climate (Hannah et al.2014). In the Tehachapis, black oaksare modeled to persist in small hold-out populations in microclimaterefugia, even in end-of-the-century,warmer climate scenarios.

AN EVOLUTIONARYHOTSPOT

Evolutionary biologists recog-nize the Tehachapis as a region ofevolutionary divergence for manytaxa. The slender salamanders (Bat-rachoseps) illustrate the fascinatingevolutionary dynamics in this area(Jockusch et al. 2012). Over evolu-tionary time, slender salamanderpopulations that were isolated fromone another became increasingly dis-tinct genetically, resulting in newspecies. As a result, the region sup-ports one-third of all slender sala-mander species; the seven species inthe Tehachapi region are endemic,including the California ThreatenedTehachapi slender salamander(Batrachoseps stebbinsi).

Recent botanical surveys havefound closely related plant taxa co-occurring in the Tehachapis, givingthe sense of watching evolutionat work. For example, on the TejonRanch, California poppy (Eschschol-zia californica), Lemmon’s poppy(Eschscholzia lemmonii subsp. lem-monii), and Tejon poppy (Eschschol-zia lemmonii subsp. kernensis) grow

side-by-side, and Vasek’s clarkia(Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. cali-entensis) and Temblor Range clarkia(Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. tem-bloriensis) occur within one mile ofeach other. The taxonomic richnessof the region provides a natural labo-ratory to investigate both the prod-ucts and process of evolution. A listof rare plant taxa found in the re-gion is found in Table 1.

The Tehachapi region supportshigh levels of floristic diversity andmany endemic or nearly endemicspecies, ranging from long-livedtrees to annual wildflowers. Endemicspecies are those found only in aspecific location and nowhere elseon earth. Two locations exemplifythe region’s unique flora—the PiuteMountains in the north and theTejon Hills in the southwest.

The Piute Mountains support the

Many of the Fritillaria found in Californiahave flowers with unique shapes andcolors, and 80% are considered rare,including these two from the Tehachapiregion. ABOVE WITH CLOSE-UP: greenhornfritillary (Fritillaria brandegeei). Bothphotographs by Clyde Golden.

The Tehachapi region supports a highdiversity of rare and endemic species. Forexample, Vasek’s clarkia (Clarkia temblor-iensis subsp. calientensis), one of the rarestspecies in the region, is known from fewerthan ten locations in a six-square-mile area(TOP). Temblor Range clarkia (Clarkia tem-bloriensis subsp. tembloriensis), anotherclosely related endemic plant, overlaps withVasek’s clarkia at the east edge of its range(MIDDLE). Kern Canyon clarkia (Clarkiaxantiana subsp. parviflora) has a distribu-tion centered on Kern River to the north ofthe Vasek’s clarkia’s occurrences (BOTTOM).All photographs by Neal Kramer.

BELOW, WITH CLOSE-UP: striped adobe lily(Fritillaria striata) found growing on claysoils throughout the region. Photographsby Clyde Golden (left) and Neal Kramer(right).


largest known stand of the narrowendemic Piute cypress (Hespero-cyparis nevadensis). This relict spe-cies is closely related to the Arizonacypress (Cupressus arizonica) andTecate cypress (Hesperocyparis for-besii). The Bodfish Grove of Piutecypress grows on clay soils derivedfrom gabbro parent material. Two

other perennial, narrow endemicspecies in this area are Piute moun-tain jewel-flower (Streptanthus cor-datus var. piutensis) and Piute buck-wheat (Eriogonum breedlovei var.breedlovei). Kern County larkspur(Delphinium purpusii) is endemic tonorthern Kern and central Tularecounties, and the more widespreadPiute Mountain navarretia (Navar-retia setiloba), adobe (Pringle’s)yampah (Perideridia pringlei), andTracy’s eriastrum (Eriastrum tracyi)also occur in the Piute Mountains.

The Tejon Hills lie at the south-eastern edge of the San Joaquin Val-ley. The northern Tejon Hills com-prised of alkaline sandy clay loamssupport populations of several spe-cial status plants including Tejonpoppy, Comanche Point layia (Layialeucopappa), pale yellow layia (Layiaheterotricha), cottony buckwheat

(Eriogonum gossypinum), alkali Mari-posa lily (Calochortus striatus), andBakersfield cactus (Opuntia basi-laris var. treleasei). The heavy claysoils of the southern hills supportPiute Mountain navarretia, smallflowered morning glory (Convolvu-lus simulans), and striped adobe lily(Fritillaria striata).

CONSERVATION ANDMANAGEMENT AT ALANDSCAPE SCALE

As early as 1930, H.L. Bauer iden-tified the Tehachapi Mountains asthe only montane linkage betweenthe Sierra Nevada and Coast Range.However, before 2008, little of theTehachapis were protected or inpublic ownership. The majority ofthese conserved lands were arrayedaround the perimeter of the regionwith a 50-mile gap between pro-tected and public lands. At that time,public and private protected landswere primarily administered by fed-eral and state agencies and The Wild-lands Conservancy.

Private land in the region is pri-marily large working cattle ranchesthreatened by conversion to ruralresidential and other land uses thatcould adversely affect sensitive habi-tat and wildlife. These large ranchesprovide excellent conservation op-portunities. Conservation easementsallow private landowners to continueto use their land for ranching butremove the threats of conversionor ranchette development. Well-managed ranching is often compat-ible with conservation goals in thisregion, and thus conservation ease-ments can provide for protectionof biodiversity while maintainingthe rancher’s livelihood—a win-winsituation.

Since 2008, conservation in theTehachapi region has advanced rap-idly. The Tejon Ranch Conserva-tion and Land Use Agreement wasexecuted in 2008, resulting in con-servation of almost 90% of the

TOP: Tehachapi buckwheat (Eriogonum callistum) is possibly the rarest species in theregion with fewer than ten documented occurrences all located within a two-square-milearea. Photograph by Neal Kramer. • ABOVE LEFT: Calico monkeyflower (Mimulus pictus), arare monkeyflower of the region, often found at the base of granitic rock outcrops ingrasslands and blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodlands. Photograph by Neal Kramer. •ABOVE RIGHT: In a landscape dominated by granitic soils, the rare Piute Mountain navarretia(Navarretia setiloba) is most often associated with clay soils scattered throughout theregion. Photograph by John Game.


The convergence of floristic regions in the Tehachapis produces interesting mixtures of species: a canyon on the Mojave Desert-side ofthe Tehachapis supports Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), California juniper (Juniperus californicus), bigberry manzanita (Arctostaphylosglauca), and Valley oak (Quercus lobata). Photograph by Michael D. White.

270,000-acre Tejon Ranch. Thisgroundbreaking agreement betweenthe Tejon Ranch Company and acoalition of respected environmen-tal resource organizations—NaturalResources Defense Council, Audu-bon California, Sierra Club, Endan-gered Habitats League, and Planningand Conservation League—pro-tected 240,000 acres and created theTejon Ranch Conservancy to holdconservation easements and stew-ard the working conserved lands.

Soon after the Tejon Ranch agree-ment, The Nature Conservancy be-gan working with ranchers to placeconservation easements over work-ing ranches to the north of Tejon, todate totaling 32,000 acres, and largelyconserving a landscape-scale link-age between Tejon Ranch and pro-tected land to the north, south, and

west. Today only a few gaps in thisconserved linkage exist. However,the conserved lands do not ad-equately represent regional habitatdiversity, so additional conservationand management are needed to en-sure ecosystem function and con-nectivity for the full suite of speciesin the region. The conservation com-munity and ranchers in the regionare continuing to work together topromote a legacy that conserves thehidden treasures of this beautiful andunique landscape.

REFERENCES

Bauer, H.L. 1930. Vegetation of theTehachapi Mountains, California.Ecology 11:263–280.

Grinnell, J. 1905. Old Fort Tejon. TheCondor 7:9–13.

Hannah, L., L. Flint, A.D. Syphard,M.A. Moritz, L.B. Buckley, and I.M.McCullough 2014. Fine-grain mod-eling of species’ response to climatechange: holdouts, stepping-stones,and microrefugia. Trends in Ecology& Evolution July 2014, Vol. 29, No.7:390-397.

Jockusch, E.L., I. Martinez-Solano,R.W. Hansen, and D.B. Wake. 2012.Morphological and molecular diver-sification of slender salamanders(Caudata: Plethodontiodae: Batra-choseps) in the southern Sierra Nevadaof California with descriptions of twonew species. Zootaxa 3190:1–30.

Zachary Principe, The Nature Conser-vancy, 402 W. Broadway, Suite 1350, SanDiego, CA 92101, [email protected];Michael D. White, Tejon Ranch Conser-vancy, P.O. Box 216, Frazier Park, CA93225, [email protected]

1 0 F R E M O N T I A V O L . 4 3 , N O . 2 , M A Y 2 0 1 5

THE FOUND LANDSCAPE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAYby Suzanne Schettler

ature often hides beauti-ful landscaping, but canwe discover it? Whenplanning a house site, a

rural-residential property owner mayclear the existing wild vegetation,build the house, and then create alandscaped setting for the home.Similarly, a purchaser of an existinghome may clear the lot in order tolandscape it. Sometimes this unin-tentionally removes aesthetic valuesthat are available for free in the formof native plants already present onthe site. It may not be necessary toclear the land and start from scratchto create a welcoming home site.The existing vegetation may con-

tain a beautiful landscape designwaiting to be discovered, but simplyhidden from view. This is “TheFound Landscape.”

A Found Landscape can work atmultiple scales. It may be as small asa single specimen or an area of a fewhundred square feet that is a quietretreat from the concerns of dailylife. At a medium scale it may be anarea immediately adjacent to a resi-dence where vegetation is modifiedwithin a larger environment. Or itcan address the whole parcel.

Some native plant habitatspresent especially good opportuni-ties for finding a hidden landscapein the existing vegetation. Chapar-

N

ABOVE: Inspiration can be found in nature, sometimes created by accident. ThisPajaro manzanita (Arctostaphylos pajaroensis), California Rare Plant Rank (CRPR)1B.1, was bisected when a maintenance road was cut through chaparral, revealingthe kind of structure that inspires bonsai artists. If planted from scratch, it wouldtake decades to duplicate such character, not to mention the chartreuse lichen.All photographs by the author. • LEFT: Nature is an excellent designer of landscapes.This grouping, located near the previous photo, of a coast live oak (Quercusagrifolia) and three species of manzanita (Arctostaphylos), needs only a littletidying up to show off the interesting trunk and branches of the oak, to distinguishit from the anchoring understory, and to reveal a garden-worthy composition.

rals, mixed evergreen forests, andoak woodlands are particularly wellsuited to selective removal of exist-ing vegetation in order to showcasethe most beautiful features. Thisopens up views of the best elements,creates access to walk amid the re-tained vegetation, and makes pos-sible an intimate relationship withone’s surroundings. The examplesbelow are drawn from the CentralWest region of The Jepson Manual,2nd edition, but the concept is ap-plicable almost anywhere in thestate.

The Found Landscape involvesputting on protective gear and bush-whacking to find hidden beauty. Theprocess is iterative and somewhatcontemplative. The most desirableelements are likely to be identifiedearly, and then the less desirableelements are gradually removed insubsequent passes. It is essential tostand back and assess the resultsalong the way, perhaps on differentdays. It may take three or four care-ful passes, or even more, to pruneaway visual distractions and clutterby stages, keeping in mind that iftoo much is removed it cannot beput back. While this approach de-stroys some native vegetation, it alsocelebrates beautiful native vegeta-tion that was previously unseen. Thegoal is to achieve the right aestheticbalance between the two.

The creation of a Found Land-scape requires a poetic eye and pa-tience. The process is something likelearning the art of ikebana: students

F R E M O N T I A 1 1V O L . 4 3 , N O . 2 , M A Y 2 0 1 5

BEFORE (RIGHT): The owners of a property in the Santa Cruz Mountains walk by this siteevery day for their newspaper and mail. The foreground vegetation obscured a little oakgrove until the dead bracken ferns and dead woody material were removed, and the canopywas “decluttered.” • AFTER (BELOW): The little oak grove was once an impenetrable thicketbut is now a great place for children to play. This kind of natural setting stimulatesimagination more than a lawn.

make floral arrangements, then theinstructor comes by to evaluate theresults and removes one or two ele-ments to perfect the arrangement.It also resembles carving stone orwood, in that it is created by sub-tracting material that obscures adesired result.

The vegetation that is removedcan be hauled off-site to a greenwaste or composting facility. It canbe chipped for mulch or for pathsurfaces. Twiggy stuff can be left onthe ground and trampled to decom-pose in place. Where safety permits,the cut material can be put in a burnpile. To minimize fungus problems,it is best to do the cutting duringperiods of dry weather.

Besides oaks and manzanitas,other species worth saving for their

variety of attractive features includetoyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia),hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. cal-ifornica), coffeeberry (Frangulacalifornica), gooseberries and cur-rants (Ribes spp.), madrone (Arbu-tus menziesii), buckeye (Aesculuscalifornica), and elderberry (Sambu-cus spp.). Among the taller Ceanothusspecies, the three-veined Euceano-thus (one section of the genus) aremostly more graceful than the holly-leaved Cerastes (the other section).Some understory species may ap-pear on their own in the first year ortwo, seemingly out of nowhere, af-ter they receive increased sunlight.It is often preferable to wait and seewhat happens before adding addi-tional plants. Good candidates toadd include:

• manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.),low-growing

• wild ginger (Asarum caudatum)• round-fruited sedge (Carex globosa)• wild lilacs (Ceanothus spp.), low-

growing• native bulbs (Calochortus ssp., Frit-

illaria spp., Trillium spp.)• selected native annuals (clarkias,

baby blue-eyes)


• yerba buena (Clinopodium doug-lasii)

• bleeding hearts (Dicentra spp.)• wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca)• native irises (Iris spp.)• June grass (Koeleria macrantha)• bush monkeyflowers (Mimulus

spp.)• skullcap (Scutellaria spp.)• modesty (Whipplea modesta)

In a conventional landscape, thelarger woody plants are positionedfirst and each tree and shrub is ex-pected to be a perfect specimen. In aFound Landscape, the best trees andshrubs are typically identified first,but retaining some imperfect speci-mens provides coherence and conti-nuity of design to mimic the beautyand tranquility of nature.

Manzanitas in particular offer awealth of aesthetic opportunity inchaparral and in gardens. They comein all sizes from perfectly flat ground-covers to small trees. They have goodevergreen foliage, flowers that sus-tain hummingbirds in late winter,and richly colored statuesque trunks.Trunks are important because theyare in scale with our human line of

BEFORE (LEFT): A field technician is working to open up views into mixed evergreen forest. He dubbed this work “Wildland Zen Gardening”for its contemplative aspect. The dominant trees are redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga douglasii), tanoaks(Lithocarpus densiflora), and interior live oak (Quercus wislizeni). • AFTER (RIGHT): At the end of the work day, one can see into the forest.The view now has depth. The light-barked leaning tanoak and the redwood on the right are reference points for comparison with theprevious photo.

ABOVE: Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’ is a naturalhybrid cultivar that exemplifies the attractive foliage and flowersof manzanitas found in the wild. • RIGHT: Arctostaphylosmanzanita ‘Dr. Hurd’, a tall manzanita selection, at an artist’sstudio near Santa Cruz. It was planted by a previous owner andthen retained by the new owner, using the principle of TheFound Landscape.


sight, which tends to focus fromknee-height to a short distance over-head.

Interesting trunks are also char-acteristic of oak woodlands, whichcontain rich landscape potential. Theunderstory beneath the multi-trunked coast live oaks (Quercusagrifolia) at the site shown abovehas not been colonized by invasivespecies and comprises a number ofnative species. The first five of theseare desirable in a garden context:

• native honeysuckle (Lonicera his-pidula)

• round-fruited sedge• bush monkeyflower

This mature oak woodland contains superb makings for a Found Landscape.

• native iris• yerba buena• native blackberry (Rubus ursinus)• bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum

var. pubescens)• Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)• poison oak (Toxicodendron diver-

silobum)

There is a wide spectrum of po-tential approaches to oak woodlandsites like this, ranging from lightmanipulation to serious gardening.The simplest approach would be touse hand clippers and a rake to cleara path, possibly a loop trail thatmakes for a leisurely stroll. Yerbabuena can be deliberately left on the

path where footfalls will occasion-ally release its minty fragrance. Amore intensive effort would removeall sapling firs, dead woody mate-rial, blackberry, and dead brackenfern. Poison oak could be removedthroughout, or retained in somelocations to provide wildlife valueand fall color. Alternatively, a dedi-cated native plant gardener mightincrease the best understory plantsalready present by propagating themfrom the immediate site. A bench orgazebo could be added to create afocal point.

A Found Landscape is not thesame thing as a shaded fuel break.The retained canopy may vary from


ABOVE: Nature or horticulture? This could be a trail through a nature preserve ora path through the Tilden Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley. Shownhere are Kings Mountain manzanita (Arctostaphylos regismontana), CRPR 1B.2,and western sword fern (Polystichum munitum).

LEFT: At an office complex in sensitive habitatnear Monterey, developers were required topreserve several existing native species out-side the immediate building envelopes. Theresult is a Found Landscape, without theneed for additional planting. Chamise (Ade-nostoma fasciculatum, center), common inmuch of California, often has a rangy growthhabit but takes pruning well and can evenbe sheared. The lighter green shrubs aresandmat manzanita (Arctostaphylos pumila),CRPR 1B.2.

one spot to another, depending onthe distribution of the most pleas-ing elements, and may average 50%or more overall. A shaded fuel breakis more heavily thinned and maynot necessarily be attractive. Al-though it seems intuitive that ashaded fuel break should befire-resistant, there is dis-agreement as to whether itactually slows the progressof a wildfire. Some fire agen-cies claim the primary pur-pose of a shaded fuel breakis to provide access to fight afire. In either case, the pur-pose of The Found Land-scape is not so much fireresistance, or even forestmanagement. Its primarygoal is aesthetic.

There are numerous ben-

efits of The Found Landscape. Itreduces the work and cost to estab-lish a new planting. It conserves wa-ter, reduces soil disturbance and ero-sion, and minimizes disruption ofwildlife habitat. It conserves not justthe local native species but also thelocal gene pool and its site-specificadaptations—which can vary fromplace to place within a given speciesand even within a given watershed.It can contribute fire resistance whenhorizontal and vertical gaps are stra-tegically located in the retainedvegetation. It eliminates the initialraw look of an all-new landscape,and creates a settled appearance byretaining some mature elements.Perhaps best of all, it is a way forhumans to integrate into and be-come at home within our naturalsurroundings.

Suzanne Schettler, P.O. Box 277, BenLomond, CA 95005, [email protected]

BELOW: The goal of a shaded fuel break is usually fuelreduction rather than aesthetics.


LESSONS LEARNED IN HABITAT RESTORATIONFOR THE RIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT

by Julie Rentner

he ongoing recovery of ri-parian brush rabbit habitatalong the Lower San JoaquinRiver is a model of integra-

tion of wildlife and plant restora-tion ecology. A highly functioningpublic-private partnership has beenable to rapidly and successfully re-establish a new population of thisendangered species across thousandsof acres of new habitat in its historicrange. This partnership has explic-itly looked at the connections be-tween the factors limiting the recov-ery of this rabbit and the factorslimiting the recovery of its habitat,which consists of riparian shrub-lands dominated by native black-berry and roses. The restored habi-tat has proven to be resilient to thedisturbances it will face into the fu-ture, including fires and floods.

The San Joaquin Valley oncesupported vast and complex wet-land habitat types including diverseriparian woodlands. Woodlandsranged from mixed willow-cotton-wood stands, to stately valley oakgroves laden with dangling grapevines, to vigorous shrublands domi-nated by native blackberry and roses.These woodlands supported com-plex wildlife communities includ-ing salmon and steelhead trout, Neo-tropical migratory songbirds, ante-lope, deer, coyote, and bear. Just asmany garden flowers develop sea-sonally through bloom, seed-set, andsenescence, and over time requirereplanting, pruning, and training,wild riparian forest communitiesalso change both seasonally and overthe years.

In the past, springtime in theSan Joaquin Valley has broughtwarm, slow flooding as a result ofsnowmelt from the Sierra Nevada,and rapid greening of the landscape.

Sierra snowmelt to drain to the val-ley floor. When drought renderssloughs and channels too dry foraquatic communities, terrestrialwildlife and plants proliferate. Ex-tended wet periods reclaim thoseareas for aquatic species.

Just like the plants adapted tothe drying and wetting dynamics ofthe San Joaquin River, so did thewildlife. Riparian bird and fish popu-lations adopted a migratory strategy:they simply move into the area onlywhen the season is right. Small mam-mals adopted a population survivalstrategy involving high fecundity:they simply reproduce abundantlyonly when conditions are good.

As humans settled the SanJoaquin Valley we built dams, drains,

Riparian brush rabbits bred in captivity and released into restored and remnant habitatareas are equipped with unique identifiers on eartags, and radio collars to facilitate locationand identification during bi-annual trapping. Photograph courtesy of the EndangeredSpecies Recovery Program at California State University, Stanislaus.

Historically, overbank inundationwas the norm. This kept most of theSan Joaquin Valley impassiblethroughout much of the year andsupplied perennial species with deepwaterings. As summer progressed,channels and sloughs would dry up,and late season vegetation and pio-neering species would encroach inchannels and banks. This dryingphenomenon still occurs today inriparian forest remnants.

The effect of flooding on the phe-nology of native plants is so distinctthat Oregon ash (Fraxinus velutina)from the Sacramento River Valleyproduces leaves on average onemonth before San Joaquin Valleyecotypes, presumably due to thelonger time required for southern

T


levees, and highways. We drainedwetland complexes and severely al-tered the frequency and extent offlooding. We also cleared the ripar-ian forests and shrublands along theriver’s edge, even resorting to dyna-mite to remove the massive root ballsof ancient valley oaks. What standsin their place today are dairies, or-chards, and occasionally a small cityperched precariously next to thelevee or drain. When the human-made river system of the San JoaquinValley is overwhelmed, the result-ing water damages exceed hundredsof millions of dollars. These con-structed places are tenuously reliantupon aging, publicly maintained in-frastructure for both flood safety (viadams and levees) and continued ag-ricultural productivity (via reservoirsand canals).

In early January 1997 a warmstorm dropped 30 inches of rain atelevations up to 11,000 feet on thesouthern Sierra Nevada while it wasalready laden with higher than aver-age snow. Over the course of a few

Following a flood in 2006, project planners went back to the drawing boards and designed “bunny mounds” to protect the rabbits frompredators in case of future flood events. The mounds were planted with a variety of nativee shrubs including a skirt of sandbar willow(Salix exigua) that serves as green rip-rap, reinforcing the mound base from erosion. Planting densities range from 227 to 845 plants peracre depending on target habitat conditions. Image courtesy of River Partners.

FIGURE 1: FLOOD REFUGIA OR ”BUNNY MOUNDS.”

Habitat restoration is focused on lands depicted in green at the San Joaquin River NationalWildlife Refuge, as well as lands depicted in red and purple at Dos Rios Ranch and theadjacent Hidden Valley Ranch totaling over 5,000 acres at the confluence of the SanJoaquin and Tuolumne Rivers.

Source: River Partners, 2014.

FIGURE 2. HABITAT RESTORATION AREAS IN STANISLAUSCOUNTY.


days, this rain-on-snow event cre-ated runoff conditions that quicklyovertopped the dams and punchedholes in carefully engineered leveesas if they were small mounds in asandbox. Water stretched for milesfrom the foothills of the Sierras tothe Coast Range along the lower SanJoaquin River. It inundated vast ex-panses of farmlands and the stragglyremnants of our native riverbankplant communities, drowning outtheir wildlife populations.

Researchers that had been care-fully documenting the extent andabundance of a rare riparian rabbitfor several years feared that thesefloods had finally driven the speciesto extinction. The riparian brushrabbit (RBR) (Sylvilagus bachmaniriparius) once inhabited riparianwoodlands from Stockton to Fresno,but due to vegetation clearing wasnow only known from one smallpopulation at Caswell MemorialState Park near Modesto. This spe-cies and another also found inthe same area, the riparian woodrat(RW) (Neotoma fuscipes riparia),were proposed for listing in 1997,and listed as federally endangeredin 2000. Thankfully the 1997 floodsdid not completely destroy the rab-bit and woodrat populations, and afew scattered populations have beenfound since then.

If you’ve ever heard the phrase,“Never let a good disaster go towaste,” this disaster proved a primeexample. It was the birth of a suc-cessful recovery effort, successful be-cause it linked agency and privatesector partners; scientists and farm-ers; and wildlife recovery and horti-cultural restoration specialists in anadaptive management framework.Since 1997 this collaborative group,the Riparian Mammals TechnicalGroup (see Table 1) has been work-ing towards the recovery of endan-gered wildlife species through landacquisition and protection, habitatrestoration, research, captive breed-ing, reintroduction, and integratedflood management. In 2002, the larg-

and wild rose (Rosa californica),nettles (Urtica dioica, Stachys aju-goides), sedges (Carex spp.), mug-wort (Artemisia douglasiana), andGreat Valley gumplant (Grindeliacamporum) may be even more im-portant to wildlife recovery thanthose iconic tree species.

Restoration ecologists from RiverPartners, the US Fish and WildlifeService, CSU Stanislaus’ EndangeredSpecies Recovery Program, and otheragencies and organizations met todiscuss habitat needs for the rabbit.In particular the team focused onthe logistics of horticultural restora-tion to support the rabbit while con-sidering the effects of today’s dams,levees, canals, and diversions on thenatural riverine landscape.

From 2002 to 2006, over 800acres of habitat restoration was com-pleted at the Refuge, including thecultivation of 22 native plant spe-cies in a variety of patterns designed

TABLE 1. PARTNERS IN THE RECOVERY OF THERIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT.

US Fish and Wildlife Service

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

US Bureau of Reclamation

US Army Corps of Engineers

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

California Department of Water Resources

California Wildlife Conservation Board

Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

CSU Stanislaus Endangered Species Recovery Program

River Partners

Point Blue Conservation Science

Stanislaus Audubon Society

Tuolumne River Trust

American Rivers

Natural Resources Defense Council

Natural Heritage Institute

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation


est contiguous riparian habitat resto-ration initiative in California waslaunched at the San Joaquin RiverNational Wildlife Refuge, and in 2012and 2013 more than 2,000 acres werepurchased and permanently pro-tected at Dos Rios Ranch in StanislausCounty, primarily to support recov-ery of RBR in coordination with im-proved flood management.

When the restoration began therewere so few remaining stands of val-ley riparian forest that we lacked bothsolid reference sites and sufficientsuitable plant material needed topropagate native trees and shrubsfor this large-scale project. Fremont’scottonwood (Populus fremontii),valley oak (Quercus lobata), andGoodding’s black willow (Salixgooddingii) serve as the megaflorafor valley riparian forests. However,the vegetative complexity of the un-derstory (shrubs and herbs such asCalifornia blackberry (Rubus ursinus)


to attract target wildlife. (See Table2 for a list of plants used in therestoration project.) These restoredforests are sometimes affectionatelycalled “Franken-forests” because no-where along the San Joaquin Rivertoday would you find such native

floral diversity in one location. Weplanted slow-growing valley oaksnext to fast-growing cottonwoodsand willows to provide forest covertoday and for the next 100 years.We planted coyote brush (Baccharispilularis) next to buttonbush (Cepha-

lanthus occidentalis) to provide con-tinuous shrub cover during periodsof drought and floods.

After two growing seasons car-ing for the trees and shrubs, helpingthem to develop deep root systemsthrough flood irrigation, and per-

This series of images (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) shows a restoration project from planting through three growing seasons. Seasonalvariation in vegetation is evident in the bottom right image (springtime) and bottom left image (autumn). Photographs courtesy of RiverPartners.


forming aggressive weed controlaround their bases, we seeded a na-tive understory of creeping wild rye(Elymus triticoides), mugwort, andgumplant. These perennial speciesare abundant on undisturbed flood-plains of the San Joaquin River, andgrow fast enough to outcompete an-nual invaders.

In 2006 as an additional 300

acres were being prepared for resto-ration, a late spring flood event onceagain broke the levees and testedour restoration. Floodwaters per-sisted for over four months in somelocations, helping to sort out the“Franken-forests” into more-natu-ral mosaicked native plant commu-nities based on each individual plantspecies’ tolerance to flooding. Forexample, in localized high-groundareas, flood-sensitive elderberries(Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea) per-sisted and provided cover from pre-dation for the rabbit and otherground-dwelling wildlife. In low-lying areas that were deeply flooded,the elderberries did not survive. Incontrast, sandbar willow (Salix exi-gua) and buttonbush thrived andspread in localized wet areas. In dryyears since then, we have seen adeath of willows and buttonbush inhigher elevation areas due to droughtstress. Such sorting has made therestoration a mosaic of plant com-munities that are well-adapted tocurrent on-site conditions.

At first, we were not able to re-store vegetation on levees, whichare maintained free of vegetation dueto regulations of the US Army Corpsof Engineers (USACE). In the floodof 2006, snakes, squirrels, foxes, andrabbits fleeing the rising floodwa-ters were stranded on levees andwere easy pickings for the circlinghawks and owls. Our restorationcollaborative quickly realized thatin order to recover a resilient rabbitpopulation, additional work wasneeded to provide vegetated floodrefugia for rabbits and other preyspecies. Following this 2006 floodevent, we went to work fundraisingand designing specific flood refugiarestoration projects.

The Restoration Plan for the 300prepared and flooded acres waschanged to include excavation ofwetland swales to support migra-tory waterfowl, and piling the exca-vated material into flood refugia or“bunny mounds” across the land-scape (Figure 1). A topographic sur-

vey was performed showing thoseareas most appropriate for earth-moving. Bunny mounds were thenplanted with drought and flood tol-erant shrubs and herbs, and pro-tected from erosion by a dense plant-ing of sandbar willow around thebase—a sort of “green rip-rap.” Withcollaboration from the USACE andCalifornia Department of WaterResources, the previously denudedlevee slopes were planted withwoody shrubs on drip irrigation. Intotal, over 30 bunny mounds and 8miles of levee slopes across morethan 3,000 acres of SJR floodplainswere vegetated with plants specifi-cally targeting RBR and RW.

Restoration has continued toproceed in phases over the yearsas funding and permits allow. Onebenefit of restoration phasing wasthat our team was afforded theopportunity to analyze the perfor-mance of restoration actions andadapt the plan for the next phase toimprove restoration success (ourversion of “adaptive management”).For example, in 2008 a fire sweptacross the Refuge, burning over 400acres of previously restored andremnant riparian forests and shrub-lands. Our team was able to observethe response of the restored andremnant plant communities, alter-ing the planting plans as a result ofthese observations.

We also learned over time aboutother wildlife species using the res-toration areas. In 2006 and 2007,Least Bell’s Vireo (once the mostabundant riparian songbird in theSan Joaquin Valley, now near ex-tinction and federally endangered)nested in our “Franken-forests.” Weobserved the nesting and replicatedthose conditions in other locationsacross the project area.

In total, over $50 million in fee-title and easement acquisition andhabitat restoration funding was gar-nered from more than a dozen dif-ferent sources. Over 5,300 acres wereprotected for riparian forest restora-tion specifically targeting RBR, RW,


native fish, waterfowl, and Neo-tropical migratory songbirds. Phasedrestoration continues today, and isexpected to be completed in 2025.By then this project will have in-creased the available habitat for RBRby more than 30 times its 1997 ex-tent, and the restored habitat willprotect the population from nearingextinction in inevitable future floodevents.

Both vegetation and rabbit moni-toring have documented our suc-cess. Survival of plantings neverdropped below 80% after three yearsof growth, and vegetative cover con-tinued to meet or beat expectations.The restored vegetation was alsoaggressive enough to outcompeteinvaders. Over time we have seennatural recruitment of native veg-etation, showing that once the plantcommunities are established, they

TABLE 2. PLANTS USED IN THE RESTORATION PROJECT.

High-Ground Floodplains Bottomland ForestsFlood Refugia

Trees

Arroyo willow Valley oak Valley oak

Box elder Fremont’s cottonwood Fremont’s cottonwood

Goodding’s black willow Goodding’s black willow

Arroyo willow Arroyo willow

Box elder Box elder

Oregon ash

Shrubs

Coyote brush Coyote brush Buttonbush

Mulefat Buttonbush Sandbar willow

California California blackberry California blackberryblackberry

California rose California rose California rose

Mexican elderberry Golden currant Golden currant

Golden currant

Herbs and Grasses

Mugwort Mugwort Mugwort

Great Valley Great Valley gumplant Great Valley gumplantgumplant

Creeping wild rye Creeping wild rye Creeping wild rye

Evening primrose Evening primrose Evening primrose

Spanish clover Stinging nettle Hedge nettle

Basket sedge Telegraph weed Stinging nettle

Salt grass Spanish clover Dogbane



Flooding along the San Joaquin River in March 2011 inundated restored habitat at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge andagricultural fields at Dos Rios Ranch in Stanislaus County. Photograph courtesy of River Partners.

are well adapted to the site. Al-though encouraging, plant survivaland cover is only part of the storyfor this project to be deemed suc-cessful.

Starting in 2003, radio collarswere deployed to monitor rabbitsthat had been bred in captivity andreleased into the restored areas.Through this monitoring, we foundthat the RBR preferred using thebunny mounds and other flood refu-gia to restored floodplains, even dur-ing dry years. Radio-collared rabbitsalso helped us to prioritize land ac-quisitions. Seasonal rabbit trappingshowed us that the restoration wasworking, yielding higher frequencyof trapping each year that the resto-ration matured.

Rising floodwaters in 2011 pro-

vided the real test of restoration suc-cess. While not a large flood year formost of the state, spring of 2011brought enough snowmelt to theLower San Joaquin River to over-whelm the flood control levees againand inundate the Refuge and CaswellMemorial State Park. This time veg-etated flood refugia were availableacross the landscape for rabbits flee-ing the rising waters. In fact, so manyrabbits found their way to the floodrefugia that they caused a dramaticdenuding of the carefully restoredvegetation during their stay. Con-cerned wildlife managers boated outwith provisions for the stranded bun-nies only to find some bunnymounds also hosting coyote, foxes,and weasels (predators of RBR).

Following the 2011 flood, RBR

trapping across the Refuge showedthat not only had the bunny moundspreserved a small portion of the RBRpopulation to serve as the foundersfor a repopulation, but that just twomonths after floodwaters had re-ceded, RBR were venturing back outonto the floodplain. Today we de-scribe the Refuge as a restored popu-lation of RBR. While we still expectflooding to cause periodic damageto the vegetation and the wildlife,we know that the plants and thebunnies are resilient and will nowbe able to weather such disturbancesinto the future.

Julie Rentner, Director of Special Projects,River Partners, 912 11th Street, SuiteLL2, Modesto CA, 95354, [email protected]



MISSION MANZANITA, QUEEN OF THE ELFIN FOREST:IS THE SPECIES IN DECLINE?

by Lee Gordon, Richard W. Halsey, Jon E. Keeley, Jon P. Rebman, Delbert Wiens, and Arne Johanson

ission manzanitas (Xy-lococcus bicolor) haveworried some bota-nists for years because

there has been no reliable evidencethat the species has been success-fully reproducing. The species iscommon now, but are populationsdwindling? This was on our mindsin late January 2015 as we walked atrail to visit one of the largest andmost beautiful mission manzanitaspecimens in San Diego County.

This tree stands 20 feet tall abovePeñasquitos Canyon at the entranceto a mission manzanita elfin forest.This miniature forest extends hun-dreds of feet upslope to the east andwest. The climb to get there is diffi-cult, but the effort is well worth it.

Stands of mixed chaparral usu-ally form impenetrable tangles ofbranches and leaves, but old-growth stands of mission manza-nita monocultures are different.They hold their foliage high abovethe ground. Under the canopy, theforest opens up with vistas ofsmooth, slender, reddish-brownstems. You are inside an enclosedroom, shut off from the world. Thisis a place to linger, to ponder, andto reflect. The plants’ stems are thecolumns of an ancient cathedralwhich support the green leaves thatform the roof above. A redwoodforest creates this on a grand scale,while a mission manzanita forestdoes so in miniature.

Mission manzanitas, a prominentspecies in San Diego chaparral, de-serve to be considered the queen ofthe elfin forest because of their ex-

ceptional beauty. Inside a missionmanzanita forest you experience thehalls of the elfin queen.

MISSION MANZANITASPECIES AND HABITAT

Mission manzanitas are one ofmany members of the Heath family(Ericaceae) found in San DiegoCounty. They were at first classifiedas true manzanitas (Arctostaphylos),

but now they have their own genus,Xylococcus. Mission manzanitas havesmooth trunks like most true man-zanitas, but their thin bark has abrowner tint. The leaves have a shiny,deep-green top and a whitish matteunderside, hence the species’ name,bicolor. Another member of Ericaceaein San Diego County, summer holly(Comarostaphylis diversifolia), lookssimilar but has a rough trunk, ser-rated leaves, and red berries. The

M

FACING PAGE: A tall mission manzanita standsat the entry to a forest of mission manzanitain Los Peñasquitos Canyon, San Diego.Photograph by Steve Miller.

Beneath the foliage, mission manzanita forests create a calm space for contemplativeseclusion. All photographs by Lee Gordon unless otherwise noted.


rare Baja California bird-bush (Ornithostaphylosoppositifolia) is a third in-

teresting member of the Ericaceae inthe county. The species is restrictedto one mesa and slope area just north

of the California-0Baja border, al-though it is more common furthersouth. It differs from the missionmanzanita in that it has a whitishbark and smaller white flowers.

Like other Ericaceae, missionmanzanitas produce white to pink-ish urn-shaped flowers that makequite a show when they are in fullbloom. Their berry-like fruits aredrupes, a fruit with seeds insidea hard stone. Mission manzanitadrupes are roughly 1/4" in diameter,red/green in the spring and thenbrown by the fall. The drupes tendto hang on the plant until the fol-lowing year. The name Xylococcuscomes from the Greek words “woodberry” which refers to the hard stonesthat can hold up to five seeds each.

Mission manzanitas are mostcommon in the western half of SanDiego County, with isolated popula-tions in Los Angeles and RiversideCounties and Catalina Island. Theirrange also extends into northwest-ern Baja California from Tijuanasouth to El Rosario and on CedrosIsland in the Pacific. They also occuron sky islands farther south on thepeninsula. The isolated populationssuggest the species was once morewidespread. Distribution maps alsoshow them extending into TulareCounty, but after a careful investiga-tion, Keeley concluded that this waslikely the result of misidentification.Individual shrubs grow best on northslopes, which are cool and moist dur-ing the growing season, but they canalso be found on hotter, flatter expo-sures. They grow in both sandy andclay soils as long as there is adequatedrainage.

Mission manzanitas grow to 20feet tall, but most are less than 10feet. Their wood is tough and hard,decaying slowly, so it is common tofind decades-old dead branches onlive specimens. Mission manzanitasresprout from an underground lig-notuber or burl after the aboveground portion of the plants havebeen burned and killed during high-intensity crown fires that are char-

HOW TO GROW MISSION MANZANITAS FROM SEED

ission manzanitas have been notoriously difficult to propagatefrom seed. Nearly all nursery plants are grown from cuttings,

but plants grown from seeds better preserve genetic diversity. How-ever, it turns out to be easy to get mission manzanitas to germinate. Allthey need is moisture and a period of cooler temperatures. The follow-ing is a short summary, and you can find more in Gordon (2015).

The first step is to remove the thin, fibrous, gooey outerlayer of the fruit from the stone inside. If you put the fruitsinto water in a blender, it will take several minutes at highspeed to clean the stones of this outer material. High speedblending leaves stones less than a year old intact. Sharp wirecutters can then be used to break the stones apart to releaseseeds. Because stones are brittle, around half the seeds can bereleased undamaged and fertile.

Seeds that are damaged in this process are susceptibleto fungus and other pathogens, which can travel througha batch and kill them all. You can reduce this by soaking themfor a day in a solution of 0.3% hydrogen peroxide and coppersoap. The water soak also accelerates germination. Seedsgerminate best when stratified at 55˚F. They will not germi-nate at room temperature. You can stratify the seedsin small refrigerators by packing the lower half of smallplastic food storage containers with fine, moist potting soiland laying the seeds on top of the soil. About half typicallygerminate in less than two weeks.

When radicles appear, move the seeds directly to potscontaining a commercial potting soil mixed with additionalperlite to improve drainage. At this point they are delicate andthey need shade and periodic mist. In a few weeks cotyledonsrise and expand inside fibrous sheaths. When the sheaths falloff, you can remove them from the mist, but they still needsome time in the shade as their roots develop.

This method is slow and laborious, and not well suited fornurseries. We need to find a less labor intensive procedurethat triggers uniform germination. The stone creates a nearlyimpenetrable barrier for water. A valuable improvement willcome if we can find a physical or chemical procedure thatenables water to penetrate.

—Lee Gordon

M

Mission manzanita propagation from stone to seedling. • TOP PHOTO,CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, stone and seed: A whole stone with the thin layerof fruit removed; stone broken longitudinally to reveal five seeds, two ofwhich remain inside; a seed; a piece of stone showing the seed cavity. Thegrid is 0.1 inch. • OTHER PHOTOS, TOP TO BOTTOM: After 13 days of stratification,a radicle begins to protrude. • In a few weeks, the cotyledons begin to ejecta fibrous sheath. • Real leaves grow above the cotyledons after about 6weeks. • This seedling germinated in May 2014 and by February 2015 hadbecome nine inches tall.


acteristic of the chaparral ecosys-tem. The magnificent tree we foundin Peñasquitos Canyon was able toattain its size because the area hasbeen free of fire for at least 80 years.It is unusual for chaparral popula-tions to go this long without firegiven the increasing frequency ofhuman-caused ignitions.

ARE MISSION MANZANITAPOPULATIONS IN DECLINE?

Mission manzanitas have longpuzzled scientists, because althoughthey produce abundant fruit, bota-nists and chaparral ecologists havereported never finding seedlings inthe field (e.g., Keeley and Davis2007). In addition, seeds are diffi-cult to germinate with traditionalpropagation techniques. Hence, asis the case with the propagation ofmany native shrubs, nursery plantsare nearly all grown from cuttings.

Intrigued by the mystery, in 2004Halsey began searching for missionmanzanita seedlings throughout SanDiego County by establishing studyquadrats in stands on Cowles andBernardo Mountains and along DelDios Highway near Lake Hodges.He also conducted post-fire surveysafter the 2007 Witch Creek Fire, butfound no seedlings. This confirmedprevious observations by others, in-

cluding Keeley and P. Zedler (per-sonal communication, 2014).

Wiens, et al. (2012) observed thateach chaparral fire kills a small pro-portion of the red shanks (Ade-nostoma sparsifolium) population,but red shanks do not appear to re-produce as a result of fires. Human-caused ignitions have greatly in-creased the frequency of chaparralfires, and red shank’s natural repro-duction rates has been insufficientto sustain its population in the faceof this increase. The same process

could lead to a slow declinein mission manzanitas.Wiens found red shank’slow reproduction rates tobe associated with a highrate of seed abortion (about97%) and the inability ofthe rare seedlings to sur-vive. In 2011, Wiens inves-tigated the viability of mis-sion manzanita seeds fromfive San Diego County sites.He found that 61% of thestones had at least one seedfilled with live endosperm.In contrast to red shanks,mission manzanitas appearto have no problem regard-ing seed viability.

Another hypothesis suggestedthat the seeds needed to be scarifiedby passing through the gut of thenow extinct grizzly bear. Or alterna-tively, the seeds needed to be re-leased from the hard stones by thebears’ strong teeth during mastica-tion (Halsey interview by McFee,2008). Of course considering theantiquity of this plant there are aslew of potential seed dispersers thatare now extinct that could haveplayed a similar role.

Field observations offered an-other possibility—the plants may de-pend on vegetative reproductionthrough root sprouts. Halsey foundone such sprout on a lateral rootapproximately six feet from a motherplant in Mission Trails RegionalPark, San Diego.

The search for the answer to themission manzanita mystery accel-erated after a fortuitous discoveryduring the May 2008 Bioblitz inSan Diego. The Bioblitz is a 24-hour biological survey by volun-teers to count as many species aspossible in a particular area. Dur-ing the event, Rebman found twopossible mission manzanita saplingsin Florida Canyon, an open spacearea near the San Diego Natural

LEFT: The delicate-looking, bell-shaped flowers of mission manzanita hang in small clusters.Photograph by Steve Miller. RIGHT: Red-green berry-like fruit are from January 2015, andbrown fruit are a year older. Photograph by Lee Gordon.

FIGURE 1. DISTRIBUTION MAP OF MISSIONMANZANITAS, SAN DIEGO COUNTY, 2015.

Source: This map is based on specimens collected anddeposited in the San Diego Natural History MuseumHerbarium as part of the San Diego County Plant Atlasproject: sdplantatlas.org.


History Museum in Balboa Park.He brought Halsey to the site wherethey found another possible sap-ling and 53 seedlings growing inthe leafy litter under a medium sizedmission manzanita shrub. As theycontinued their search, a few moreseedlings were found under othermanzanitas, but at lower numbersthan under the first plant. A survey

the following February found noneof the 2008 seedlings, but did find asmaller number of new ones. Noneof these survived a full year.

EXCAVATION OF AYOUNG PLANT

Mission manzanitas are commonin the Artesia Creek watershed

southwest of Lake Hodges in SanDiego County, where they grow inconsolidated clay sandstone with hotsunny exposures. Many of the plantsthere are small, less than a foot tall,and have no obvious burl. Gordon,Halsey, and Johanson wonderedwhat the roots of a small missionmanzanita would look like. Theyfound a small, desiccated, scruffy

MISSION MANZANITAS IN LANDSCAPES

o learn about mission manzanitas in garden landscapes, we con-tacted some well-known native plant landscape designers including

Clayton Tschudy (horticulturalist at the Water Conservation Gardenat Cuyamaca College, El Cajon), Greg Rubin (California’s Own NativeLandscape, Escondido), Scott Jones (Plants Comprehensive, SanDiego), and Wes Hudson (North Park Native Plants, San Diego).Designers have mixed feelings about mission manzanitas in theirdesigns because they grow slowly and are finicky about the soil theygrow in. If they are not cared for properly, some may consider them lessthan attractive. Rubin, Hudson, and Jones use them in their designs,

but they are allcareful about thesites they select,how they areplanted, and howthey are watered(see Rubin andWarren 2013).

Mission manzanitas are exceedingly drought toler-ant, so they need little dry season irrigation, but infre-quent summer irrigation keeps them green and attractiveand accelerates their growth. Greg Rubin recommendsthat you “make them feel like they have been in a thun-dershower.” When you water the plant, also water thearea around it, then leave it alone for long intervals. Inoptimal situations, mission manzanita grows six inchesto a foot each year to become an attractive foundationplant. People who are willing to take the long viewinclude them in their gardens and are rewarded for theirpatience. Mission manzanitas can be one of the mostbeautiful plants you can grow in a garden.

Some people are fortunate enough to have nativemission manzanitas already growing in their yards. Fireregulations require that vegetation be thinned and trimmednear homes, but not that you remove all vegetation.Mission manzanitas are ideal plants for vegetation man-agement zones because they naturally hold their foliagehigh above the ground. They are beautiful, require littlecare, and are relatively fire resistant if properly thinned.

—Lee Gordon

A mission manzanita at the left and a big berry manzanita(Arctostaphylos glauca) at the right have been trimmed bya homeowner who is designing his landscape aroundselected plants growing in native chaparral.

The glossy green foliage and large berriesof mission manzanita are attractive ingardens. Photograph by Ed Rubin.

T


plant at the side of a dirt road whereit cut into the hill.

The plant could not have beenolder than the road, but they won-dered: did it grow from a seed or didit sprout from the root of a neigh-boring plant? The road provides ac-cess to power transmission towersand is approximately 30 years old(SDG&E technician, personal com-munication, 2015). They knew theplant would be killed sooner or laterby future road grading, so it wasremoved for further study. A fewmonths later, the road was gradedand the spot where the plant oncestood was obliterated.

After washing the soil from itsroots, the authors were surprised todiscover that the plant was mucholder than it appeared. Under thesoil, it had grown a one-inch second-ary burl at the base of a larger onethat had burned eleven years earlier.Given the relative sizes of the twoburls, they speculated the specimenwas about the same age as the road.Its roots all radiated downward, notsideways, and it had nothing like thelateral root sprout Halsey had oncefound. They concluded that it hadgerminated from seed in the baredirt of the road bed and had grown toa stately 12 inches. This plant offersthe possibility that mission manza-nitas are still capable of regeneratingfrom seed and surviving.

The specimen spent the summerin a three-gallon pot, and in the fallof 2014 sprouted leaves both fromthe branches and the burl. It is nowa beauty, covered with deep greenleaves and growing vigorously in ahabitat restoration area. Its successdemonstrates the durability of thespecies.

HOW OLD CAN MISSIONMANZANITAS BE?

The largest mission manzanitawe have found thus far is located incentral San Diego County. It is grow-ing out of a 63" x 58" burl, as mea-sured by the portion exposed at the

surface. We estimate its stems to bearound a century old, based on theaverage 21.4" stem circumference.Our estimate is based on growthring studies we have performed onother stem samples. The under-ground burl is likely much olderthan the stems themselves.

Burls develop over time in a cycleof growth and fire. The small plantfrom the Artesia Creek watersheddemonstrates that new growth canstart at both the top and the bottomof a burl. Most burls that survivefire are charred on the top with newshoots arising at the periphery ofthe old burl. In time, these new stemsenlarge at the base to replace the oldburls. The burl expands step-by-stepas this process repeats itself.

It is difficult to quantify the ageof an old mission manzanita becauseburls do not have neat tree ring his-tories as do bristlecone pines or red-woods. In addition, the stems canonly be dated to the last fire event.On the other hand, there is no obvi-ous limit to the age of individualmission manzanitas. The burl of thelargest specimen we found in SanDiego County is clearly ancient. Weknow of no reason why the speciescannot grow for hundreds of years.

SURPRISE IN THE ELFINFOREST

When we climbed up to the mis-sion manzanita specimen we foundin Peñasquitos Canyon in January2015, there was a surprise awaitingus. There under its canopy grew adozen tiny seedlings. We clamberedfurther into the forest beyond andfound many more. Later, we visitedMission Trails Regional Park, BalboaPark, a hill in Scripps Ranch, andTorrey Pines State Park. We foundseedlings in all the sites we searched,though seedlings were present onlyunder some of the shrubs at eachsite. Most were under parent plants,but a few were as far as 20 feet fromthe nearest individual.

We found seedlings growing inall kinds of conditions. Some werein shade, while others were in theopen. Some grew in bare clay soil,some in bare sandy soil, and othersin six-inch deep composting leaf lit-ter. What they had in common, how-ever, was exposure to the recentweather pattern. August and Sep-tember thunderstorms may haveprovided the initial stimulus. A wetDecember kept the soil moistthrough all of a dry January. De-

This mission manzanita in San Diego’s Mission Trails Park grows out of a five-foot diameterunderground burl. Photograph by Richard Halsey.


cember frosts may also have been afactor.

There is no doubt now that mis-sion manzanitas can grow fromseeds, but there is still much to learnabout how they develop into matureplants. With seedlings sprouting inso many different areas this year, itwill be interesting to see which, ifany, survive. Do these seedlingsneed summer rain? Most of the seed-lings we found were directly undera parent plants’ canopy, and we have

TOP: A small mission manzanita, removedfrom the ground in March 2014 to studyits roots. A one-inch live burl grows nextto a larger older burl that was burned in a2003 fire. • BOTTOM: It was replanted inNovember 2014 after new sprouts appearedfrom its branches (top and left) and theburl (bottom). The burned burl is visibleat the bottom. The photograph was takenin mid-January 2015.

Mission manzanita seedlings are usuallyfound under a parent plant. This seedlingdiscovered in San Diego’s Balboa Park wasamong the first to be reported. Photographby Richard Halsey.

found no evidence that seedlingsunder mature shrubs ever live be-yond the first year. In the six weekssince we found seedlings, the ma-jority have already disappeared. Itremains a mystery what conditionsresult in significant reproduction ofthis species, and it is obvious that itpersists by its ability to vigorouslyresprout from substantial basal burls.

Keeley and Halsey returned tothe field again in early March 2015to survey eight different populationsof mission manzanitas in San DiegoCounty, for a total of 100 shrubs.They found seedlings too, but theywere considerably less widespreadthan what we saw in January. Fivepopulations had none at all. In gen-eral they were only present on moistnorth-facing slopes or in ravines.

We know now that mission man-zanitas can produce seedlings, butwe are still searching for evidencethat its seedlings survive to becomemature plants. Given that missionmanzanitas can potentially live forcenturies, they may have sustainedtheir populations in the past in spiteof a low rate of reproduction. Ourconcern for the future is whetherthe increasing frequency of chapar-ral fires will cause mission manzani-tas to slowly decline. In the mean-time, we must exercise good stew-ardship over the open spaces wherethe species now lives.

REFERENCES

Gordon, L. 2015. How to germinateXylococcus bicolor. http://www.cnpssd.org/gardeningcomm.html

Keeley, J.E., and F.W. Davis. 2007.Chaparral. In Terrestrial Vegetation ofCalifornia, ed. M.G. Barbour, T.Keeler-Wolf, and A.A. Schoenherr.3rd edition. Berkeley, CA: Universityof California Press, 339–366.

McFee, S. 2008. Seeds of doubt. Doesaging mission manzanita lack a bearnecessity for survival? San DiegoUnion-Tribune, May 29. http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080529/news_1c29bear.html

Rubin, G., and L. Warren. 2013. The

California Native Landscape: TheHomeowner’s Design Guide to Restor-ing Its Beauty and Balance. TimberPress, Portland, OR.

Wiens, D.L., et al. 2012. Populationdecline in Adenostoma sparsifolium(Roseaceae): An ecogenetic hypoth-esis for background extinction. Bio-logical Journal of the Linnean Society105, pp. 269–292.

Lee Gordon, Doppler Ltd., 12344 OakKnoll Rd., Suite E, Poway, CA 92064,[email protected]; Richard Halsey, Cali-fornia Chaparral Institute, P.O. Box545, Escondido, CA 92033, [email protected]; Jon E. Keeley,U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecologi-cal Research Center, Sequoia Field Sta-tion, Three Rivers, CA 93271, [email protected]; Delbert Wiens, 1919 S. Spring-brook Ln., Boise, ID 83706, [email protected]; Jon P. Rebman, San DiegoNatural History Museum, 1788 El Prado,San Diego, CA 92101, [email protected]; Arne Johanson, 17269 SilverGum Way, San Diego, CA 92127,[email protected]


n the mid-1980s the young Or-ange County Chapter of CNPSwas considering dissolving. Its de-mise, though unthinkable now

given how active the chapter is, mayhave occurred if a new membernamed Sarah Jayne, along with afew others, had not changed theconversation.

Due to their efforts it not onlyremained alive, it slowly prospered.Today it is a robust chapter thatserves its members and the countyby providing consistently interest-ing general meetings, numerous andwell planned field trips, engagingoutreach events, inspiring nativegarden tours, annual plant sales, andan informative newsletter. Almostall of these things (and many more)Sarah either originated, currentlyruns, or has had a hand in.

Sarah has served and inspiredthe Orange County Chapter andCNPS for 30 years and her contribu-tions are all-encompassing. She hasbeen a chapter board member with-out interruption since the mid-1980s, and served two terms as chap-ter president (2004–2008). She hasalso been chapter secretary (1996–1999 and 2002–2005), field tripchair (1991–2005), plant sales chairand co-chair (1988–2002), ChapterCouncil delegate (2004–2008),

chapter webmaster (1999–2012),and outreach chair (2000–2009).

Since 2013 she has been servingas chapter vice-president, and in-credibly has also held a number ofother positions, including hospital-ity chair (for several years in the1990s and again since 2010), chap-ter native garden tour chair (since2002), OC-CNPS awards commit-tee member since 2007, and educa-tion chair (since 1990). No wonderthat in 2007 Sarah was awarded thefirst “Native Perennial Award” fromthe Orange County Chapter for herlong and energetic support of CNPSand the Orange County Chapter. De-spite her involvement and leader-ship in so many areas of chapter life,she is always willing to share thework and especially the credit forprogram successes. She has recentlytransferred her chapter Web dutiesand is in the process of handing offher job as education chair, both toparticularly qualified chapter mem-bers, while grooming others to sharegarden tour duties.

Sarah is also known for her ser-

vice to CNPS state programs andgoals. She has served as ChapterCouncil secretary (2006–2008),CNPS Executive Board Member andCNPS Board of Directors Secretary(2010–2011), member of the CNPSStatewide Reorganization Commit-tee (2010–2011), CNPS Planningand Evaluation Committee (2011–2012), CNPS Education ProgramCommittee (2009–2012), and CNPSMembership Committee (2011–2012). In 2011 Sarah was publiclyrecognized by the CNPS Board ofDirectors for her tireless work asSecretary of the Board and memberof the Executive Committee.

Sarah is a selfless leader and men-tor. She does everything that needsdoing regardless of its perceived levelof importance, whether organizingan event, editing the chapter news-letter, or baking cookies for a chap-ter meeting. Her engagement is con-tagious, and with her quiet but gen-erous nature she encourages others,especially new members, to increasetheir involvement in CNPS at all lev-els. Due in large part to Sarah’s en-

I

Sarah Jayne and good friend Steve Hampson keying out the alpine gentian (Gentiana new-berryi) at timberline in Mineral King subalpine valley, Sequoia National Park, August 2000.

NEW CNPS FELLOW: SARAH JAYNEby Dan Songster


couragement and guidance, two ofour chapter’s board members havebecome CNPS presidents. LauraCamp, chapter board member andCNPS State President, stated, “Sarah’smentorship is one of the main rea-sons I’m involved in CNPS leader-ship today. She is always ready forany task, however small, but alwaysthinking about the big picture aswell.” Sarah’s work in education, con-servation, and native plant horticul-

ture extends beyondCNPS. From 1996 to2008 she worked as anaturalist/docent at La-guna Coast WildernessPark and Crystal CoveState Park, taking parkvisitors on weekly hikeson the trails, pointingout our native plants,and discussing their rolein the environment. In2002 she co-created(with Brad Jenkins) theM.A.D. (Move, Adapt, orDie) educational pro-gram for the OrangeCounty Department ofEducation, which dem-onstrates the links be-tween native plants andthe communities in

which they are found, and the conse-quences of improper developmentof wildlands. As chapter educationchair she helped redesign and ex-pand our grants and scholarships pro-gram for deserving young people andcollege students in Orange County.

Sarah was part of our conserva-tion committee’s successful involve-ment with other environmentalgroups in the 2003 litigation againsta massive, poorly designed develop-

ment planned in our foothills abut-ting the Cleveland National Forest.As Chapter board member Dori Itocommented, “After working withSarah I have come to the realizationthat what’s hidden beneath thatsoft-spoken woman of grace is actu-ally an eco-warrior armed withknowledge, conviction, and passionfor our state’s native plants.”

Sarah is well known for her in-volvement in all aspects of ourchapter’s horticultural programs,and administers our Acorn GrantProgram, which provides funds anddirection to local elementary schoolsstarting native plant gardens. Inaddition, for many years she servedas a weekly volunteer at UC IrvineArboretum, and currently volun-teers at both Golden West CollegeNative Garden, Laguna Coast Wil-derness Nursery, and the HeritageGarden at Concordia University.Also, in the last decade she has re-designed, replanted, and continuesto help maintain the prominentnative garden at Vista Verde K–8School in Irvine, CA.

Whether leading discussions re-garding new chapter projects andgoals or doing all the little thingsthat keep the chapter runningsmoothly, Sarah has always beenthere to lead the way. She is sup-portive, friendly, caring, quietly de-termined, and has had a significant,lasting influence on every aspect ofthe Orange County Chapter. SarahJayne’s goals have been, and con-tinue to be, relatively clear-cut: Shewants CNPS and its Orange CountyChapter to promote native plants,encourage their conservation, andhelp people see the many ways theseplants are essential to so many fac-ets of our lives and our environ-ment. As chapter board memberThea Gavin observed: “Sarah’s ex-ample of advocating for native plantsover a lifetime, in all kinds of roles,sends a much-needed message thatpersistence and dedication can makea difference.” Thank you, Sarah, andcongratulations!

Sarah Jayne, Laura Camp, and Jennifer Mabley in 2009at Rogers Gardens (Corona Del Mar) at the awardsceremony for the California Friendly Garden Contest. Theevent showcases gardens that use sustainable gardeningpractices.


San Diego County Native Plants inthe 1830s: The Collections of ThomasCoulter, Thomas Nuttall, and H.M.S.Sulphur with George Barclay and Ri-chard Hinds by James Lightner. 2014.San Diego Flora, San Diego, CA. 54pages, $11.00, softbound. ISBN#978-0-9749981-4-5.

Parry’s California Notebooks 1840–51 with Letters to John Torrey byJames Lightner, ed. 2014. San DiegoFlora, San Diego, CA. 170 pages,$40.00, hardcover. ISBN #978-0-9749981-6-9.

San Diego author Jim Lightnerhas published two new books onthe historical roots of Californiabotany. The first, a small paperbackfocused on San Diego County,evolved from an extended lecturethat Mr. Lightner presented to theSan Diego chapter of the CaliforniaNative Plant Society in early 2013.The book that grew out of that lec-ture is filled with fascinating anec-dotes about San Diego County inthe earliest days of exploration byscientists and trained plant collec-tors. Right from the start, the bookgrabs you. From the introduction:

For historians of Califor-nia, the 1830s is the decade ofsecularization. Anti-Spanishsentiment, competition forwealth, and general anarchyconspired to ruin the Catholicmissions. Sixty years of reli-gious work unraveled in oneunruly decade. . . . For bota-nists of California, the 1830sare the decade when famousUnited Kingdom collectors,including David Douglas, ex-plored the territory and dis-covered hundreds of nativeplants. The west coast of NorthAmerica became a rich newsource of species.

The subtitle of the book, “TheCollections of Thomas Coulter,Thomas Nuttall, and HMS Sulphurwith George Barclay and RichardHinds,” drops names. All of theseindividuals took part in expeditionsfrom the United Kingdom duringthe 1830s, and all were trainedbotanists who collected and ob-served in the same way we do to-day. Their journeys followed dif-ferent routes, and hence they were

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exposed to differing floras alongthe way.

In addition to a wonderful nar-rative, Lightner’s book contains vari-ous illustrations including a num-ber of excellent herbarium sheetimages courtesy of the Kew Her-barium in London. The text is care-fully annotated throughout and con-tains a useful list of native plantscollected by the explorers between1832 and 1839. This little book is a


I

Jason Wong

DEE WONGSanta Clara Valley Chapter

was born and raised in the bus-tling city of Hong Kong. Although

Hong Kong was a city of high risesand a concrete jungle, I was veryfortunate to have lived in the Peak(the highest neighborhood in thecity), surrounded by large expansesof natural jungles and magnificentviews of Victoria Harbor. My child-hood days were spent exploringthese jungles, not knowing the dan-gers of the very poisonous greenbamboo snakes that thrive there. Iwould hear and try to find the bark-ing deer, shy Asian deer that barkmuch like dogs. Although my fatherwas not a gardener, he loved to haveliving plants all around our home.

I moved to the Bay Area in 2000.I fell in love with my first nativeplant, common jewelflower (Strep-tanthus glandulosa ssp. glandulosa)in April 2009 while hiking Stile

[Editor’s Note: Fremontia readers areinvited to send in stories of what shapedyour love of nature. If you are motivatedto send us yours, it can be about 250words, and should be emailed to [email protected]. Be sure to include a high-quality headshot, or a photograph of your-self in a natural place you love, and thename of the photographer who took it.]

enjoy botanizing with others in myCNPS chapter. I have a degree inenvironmental horticulture andlandscape design from Foothill Col-lege, and am a published photogra-pher. I was previously chapter trea-surer and am currently the chapterfield trip chair. You can view someof my photos at dswongclick.zenfolio.com.

Dee Wong on a birthday trip with son Jason (taking the photo) at Bumpass Hell, LassenVolcanic National Park, August 2013. The two often go nature exploring, and in 2010actually got lost in Death Valley for three days. A blog about the experience is at:calnativehortgal.blogspot.com/2010/12/wrong-turn-surviving-death-valley.html.

quick read, but absolutely packedwith information for California bota-nists and history buffs with an inter-est in this remarkable period in thestate’s history.

The second book, Parry’s Cali-fornia Notebooks 1840–51, is a pains-taking transposition by Lightnerfrom the original, hand-written fieldnotes that he discovered buried inthe archives of the Iowa State Uni-

versity library. The notes read like adiary—one that I found hard to putdown. In addition to presenting adetailed image of life in the mid-1800s, Parry was not afraid to recordstrong opinions: “March 7 – Leavefor town again rather a disgustedindividual.”

Both of Lightner’s books are wor-thy volumes in any natural his-torian’s library. All of us owe a debt

of gratitude to him for bringing thesefascinating events to life from thearchives. Had he not discoveredthem, and written about them, theymight have well disappeared to theravages of time. The books preservemuch more than botanical notes ofthe day. They present a vision of Cal-ifornia that is not entirely gone, to anaudience working to conserve it.

—Vince Scheidt

Ranch Trail in San Jose. I fell on myknees and gazed at this amazinglybeautiful plant. My love of naturehas led me to my current career as alandscape maintenance managerspecializing in California native plantgardens at The Village Gardener inSan Carlos.

In my free time I photographwildflowers and native plants, and

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❏ $2,500 10+ Employees ❏ $1,000 7-10 Employees ❏ $500 4-6 Employees ❏ $150 1-3 Employees

SUBMISSIONINSTRUCTIONS

CNPS members and others areinvited to submit articles for pub-lication in Fremontia. If inter-ested, please first send a shortsummary or outline of whatyou’d like to cover in your ar-ticle to Fremontia editor, BobHass, at [email protected]. Instruc-tions for contributors can befound on the CNPS website,www.cnps.org, under Publica-tions/Fremontia.

Fremontia Editorial AdvisoryBoardJim Andre, Phyllis M. Faber,Holly Forbes, Naomi Fraga, DanGluesenkamp, Brett Hall, DavidKeil, Patrick McIntyre, Kara Moore,Pam Muick, Bart O’Brien, RogerRaiche, Teresa Sholars, DickTurner, Mike Vasey

CONTRIBUTORS (continued from back cover)

Michael White is conservation science director of the Tejon Ranch Conservancyand an ecologist.

Delbert Wiens is a research associate with the White Mountain Research Center,and was previously a Professor of Biology at the University of Utah.

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F R E M O N T I A V O L . 4 3 , N O . 2 , M A Y 2 0 1 5

CONTRIBUTORS

California Native Plant Society2707 K Street, Suite 1Sacramento, CA 95816-5130

Nonprofit Org.

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(continued on inside back cover)

Lee Gordon is a physical oceanographer and engineer whohas taken an interest in seed propagation of native plants.

Richard W. Halsey is director of the California ChaparralInstitute and devoted to preservation of California’s chap-arral.

Arne Johanson, a retired project manager in the computerindustry, is chair of the CNPS San Diego Chapter’s InvasivePlant Committee and devoted to restoration of California’schaparral.

Jon E. Keeley is a research scientist at the USGS, and anadjunct professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolu-tionary Biology at UCLA.

Zachary Principe is a stewardship ecologist with The Na-ture Conservancy and has also worked as a land manager inSouthern California.

Jon P. Rebman is curator of botany at the San Diego NaturalHistory Museum.

Julie Rentner is a forester and arborist who has been restor-ing wetland habitat areas in California since 2005.

Suzanne Schettler is a licensed landscape contractor spe-cializing in the restoration of native plants and in findingbeauty in the wild. She is the owner of Greening Associates,a life member of CNPS, and a former CNPS state president.

Dan Songster is a longtime Orange County chapter boardmember currently serving as co-vice president alongsideSarah Jayne. He is also a founding director of the GoldenWest College Native Garden in Huntington Beach.

Printed on sustainably harvested paper containing 50% recycled and10% post-consumer content, processed chlorine-free.

(continued on inside back cover)

FROM THE EDITOR

here now appears to be a consensus on the part of mostscientists in the US and around the world that climatechange exists, that these changes are in large part caused

by human activities, and that this process is largely irrevers-ible. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), under the auspices of the United Nations, is theleading international scientific body working on issues ofclimate change. Its latest report (fall 2014), produced byhundreds of scientists around the world, synthesizes themost current state of scientific knowledge relevant to cli-mate change. It confirms that human activities are the pri-mary cause for global warming over the past 50 years. It willbe of great interest to CNPS members, and I strongly encour-age you to download it at ipcc.ch/index.htm and read it.

Closer to home, our own National Academy of Sciencesproduces a report on climate change every four years. Itslatest report in 2013, available at nca2014.globalchange.gov/report, details the wide-ranging impacts that climate changeis having on every region of the US and throughout oureconomy. More extreme weather events are prominent, andthese are significantly impacting plants, animals, and hu-mans. Other reports simply reconfirm this burgeoning bodyof scientific findings, including one by the National AudubonSociety in September 2014 (climate.audubon.org).

Climate change is a grim reality for those of us whoattempt to keep up with it, and certainly not one we everthought we would be passing on to our children or grand-children. But that is what we are doing, and it alwaysamazes me that the small but highly vocal group of USpoliticians who continue to deny that climate change existssomehow manage not to think about what young people intheir own families will have to deal with in the comingdecades.

—Bob Hass

T

MLP

Anza-Borrego. Photo: Dan Gluesenkamp

The rare Calochortus plummerae, Plummer’s Mariposa Lily, Photo: Amber Swanson

Cephalanthus occidentalis, Buttonwillow and skipper. Photo: Paul G. Johnson

Carrizo Plain National Monument. Photo: Julie Evens

CNPS members on field trip at Yolo Bypass. Photo: Gary Hundt

Dear Friend, We hope you enjoy this publication. It is full of great articles and beautiful photos, all contributed by dedicated volunteers, and is just one of countless benefits offered by the California Native Plant Society. CNPS is dedicated to understanding, saving, and celebrating California’s wild plants and places. You likely already know and appreciate CNPS. You love our beautiful flowers, and probably glad CNPS is saving them. You may make a field trip once in a while to reconnect with a favorite landscape that replenishes your sense of wonder, and you are happy we have laws to protect these special places. You love seeing native plant gardens springing up in front of homes and businesses, and you point out the butterflies and hummingbirds to friends. You get it; you understand: you are a CNPS-er. With your help, we can do much more. Will you please join us? Here are some of the reasons you should use the enclosed remittance form to join CNPS.

35 chapters across California and in Baja offer hikes, public programs, plant sales, restoration events, garden tours, workshops, and camaraderie. The Conservation Program continues to fight for California’s places. CNPS has been the voice for plant conservation during development of a 30 year plan that will cover 23 million acres of desert. We successfully pushed to map vegetation on 5.5 million acres, and are using these data identify areas that should be avoided by industrial scale energy projects in the region.

The Rare Plant Treasure Hunt (RPTH) teams volunteer Citizen Scientists with trained botanists to discover and map rare plants. RPTH volunteers have mapped more than 2,500 rare plant populations –1/3 of them new discoveries!

Once you join, you will receive a CNPS membership card that entitles you to discounts at dozens of nurseries, stores, and businesses. We’ll also send you the latest flower-filled issues of Fremontia and the CNPS Bulletin. You’ll learn about talks and hikes in your local chapter. Most of all you will help to save rare plants and places, train young scientists, and replace thirsty lawns with wildlife-friendly native plant gardens. Please join CNPS and help us make a real and lasting difference! Thank you for your help, Dan Gluesenkamp

Executive Director

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Documents

VOL. 43, NO. 2 • MAY 2015 FREMONTIA · 2018-03-30 · VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 1 CONTENTS THE COVER: A 20-foot tall old-growth mission manzanita in Penasquitos Canyon,