Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Blogs and Diaries => Topic started by: Robert on September 09, 2014, 12:56:04 AM
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For me it has been too long since I've been able to visit the mountains. A month, or maybe more. :(
Today was a good day as I finally had a few hours to hike. Also, the vacation season is over and school is in session so the mountains are relatively empty of crowds - a good thing for someone like me who dislikes and avoids crowds - and cities and a few other things like that.
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I was hoping to gain elevation as quickly as possible. Grouse Lake trail seemed a good bet. The high peaks are just a few miles away. It is also a steep hike!
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Down in the flats there were still a few Aster occidentalis in bloom. One I also like in the garden down at the farm, where it is still blooming too. Very sweet! :)
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A view to the northwest as I make the accent.
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Another view on the way up the mountain.
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A view as I still work my way up the mountain.
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I only had an hour in each direction. 6,900 ft. to 8,100 ft. and Grouse Lake in an hour!
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Grouse Lake and now to look around -sadly with a limited amount of time.
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Some very sweet little Gentiana newberryi. Growable for me down at the farm.
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Aster alpigenus var. andersonii. I guess that I like our native plants as this is still another growing and doing well down at the farm.
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The wind was blooming like crazy! I did get this photograph of Phyllodoce breweri in bloom. Kind'a blurry! :P I guess that it forgot that it was September.
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Driving down the road there are many Epilobium canum in bloom.
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Some are much better than others. This one is quit good. An old friend - growing at the farm with all its other Epolobium friends.
For me a good day. :)
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The wind must be crazy if it's blooming. Maybe it will settled down and blow. :-[ Whao am I tired! Not the hike - harvest season!
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What are you bringing in Robert ?
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What are you bringing in Robert ?
jandals,
I value your question, unfortunately I'm not sure that I get it. I'll give it a try anyway. If this is not what you are looking for maybe you can give me some clarification.
What am I bringing in?
I farm - I just finished up stone fruits and am now starting in on apples and pears that will be finished in early November. Vegetable crops are on going each week. We are having a serious drought and I have been using my water allocations late in the season rather than early so there is much fall planting to do for the winter / late winter season.
I have a feeling this is not what you were looking for. I regret that I do not have a broad international understanding. I apologize! I do not mean any disrespect.
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I think that's all he would've been asking, Robert.
Not even a kiwi would be rude enough to ask what income you'd be earning! ;D
(That is another interpretation of "What are you bringing in"!)
Thanks for posting these pics! I enjoy seeing plants from your area as I have some hope of growing them here :D
cheers
fermi
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I think that's all he would've been asking, Robert.
Not even a kiwi would be rude enough to ask what income you'd be earning! ;D
(That is another interpretation of "What are you bringing in"!)
Thanks for posting these pics! I enjoy seeing plants from your area as I have some hope of growing them here :D
cheers
fermi
Fermi,
Thanks for setting me straight! Sometimes I feel like I can be such a dummy. Very embarrassing. :-[
I am glad that you enjoy seeing our native plants. I certainly enjoy using them in the garden. I use our native annuals, Lupinus, Mimulus, etc., with spring bulbs - I hope that I can have some good photos of this come (our) spring. I think that many of our natives would grow without much help on your part in our part of the world.
I love seeing the photos of all your bulbs. It is very inspiring!
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Thanks Fermi . That was what I meant and I appreciate your translating
I had just come in from a day in the field and really empathized with Robert because I was tired too . It hasn't rained here for 3 weeks now (unusual this time of year) so not a lot of time off
Robert - This year I didn't travel to the USA and I'm missing both the plants and the people . Thanks for posting pictures from your trips . I harvest a wee bit myself (perennial seeds) so when you said you were busy harvesting my ears perked up . I hope the season was a good one for you
I grow quite a few plants from the western USA all from seed I collected over your way and they enjoy the more benign climate here . It's also nice to have plants that have memories attached
Hope you get a bit more time for hiking now and keep posting
-Cheers
Steve
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It seems to me this thread just shows what a broad International understanding there is on this Forum. Really nice to see these plants in the wild - we lack such dramatic scenery down in the south of England but we have plenty of fruit and vegetable farming and it is easy to empathise with the hard work involved. Several farmers I know are also pretty passionate gardeners - the two are very little different. Hope to see more pictures of the Sierra Nevada.
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Thanks Fermi . That was what I meant and I appreciate your translating
I had just come in from a day in the field and really empathized with Robert because I was tired too . It hasn't rained here for 3 weeks now (unusual this time of year) so not a lot of time off
Robert - This year I didn't travel to the USA and I'm missing both the plants and the people . Thanks for posting pictures from your trips . I harvest a wee bit myself (perennial seeds) so when you said you were busy harvesting my ears perked up . I hope the season was a good one for you
I grow quite a few plants from the western USA all from seed I collected over your way and they enjoy the more benign climate here . It's also nice to have plants that have memories attached
Hope you get a bit more time for hiking now and keep posting
-Cheers
Steve
Steve,
Thanks for the positive feedback! I really appreciate it. Yes, it is a real grind on the farm now, especially with the 38 c heat right now. I've had enough of it for this season!
I get into the mountains every chance I can find, so the posting will continue.
I would love to see some photos of your California native plants growing in your home garden - as the season progresses.
Yes - Cheers! (this seems very appropriate)
P.S. My great-great grandfather had a shoe factory in Auckland, New Zealand.
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It seems to me this thread just shows what a broad International understanding there is on this Forum. Really nice to see these plants in the wild - we lack such dramatic scenery down in the south of England but we have plenty of fruit and vegetable farming and it is easy to empathise with the hard work involved. Several farmers I know are also pretty passionate gardeners - the two are very little different. Hope to see more pictures of the Sierra Nevada.
Tim,
Thanks for the positive feed back. I have to admit that going to the mountains is rejuvenating for me. Some positive feedback occasionally is appreciated too.
Ya' know, nature is in constant change, so there are those pleasant surprises in the wild plant world from time to time. It's good to get them on "film" too. And maybe some seed to share around too.
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Great to see pictures of your hike, Robert!
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Will send some American plant pictures later Robert but here is an old slide picture of Sedum oreganum , a few Kniphofia and our cat
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Great to see pictures of your hike, Robert!
Lori,
Thanks! I like your hikes too - hope to see much more!
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Will send some American plant pictures later Robert but here is an old slide picture of Sedum oreganum , a few Kniphofia and our cat
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Steve,
Interesting photograph. I missed the cat! ;D
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Today I had time to do some scouting around for plants this coming season. Most seed is long gone and there is not much in the way of flowers, however it is a great time to be out in the bush.
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Even though it is fall and everything is still dry and brown it is worth while to check new sites for plants I'm looking for in the coming season. In this case its Viola sheltonii. I would like to find some growing closer to the farm. This site is very promising - and right under my nose (i.e. a place I travel frequently).
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I looked around the dry grass to see if I could find the dried remains of this Viola - not likely but I do it anyway.
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Finding dried stems of Dichelostemma multiflorum was a good sign. Certain plants like to grow together in the same location. In other locations Dicentha uniflora often grows with V. sheltonii.
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Around the rocks grow Goldback Ferns (Pityrogramma triangularis).
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And Pellaea - there are 2 species in this area.
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Another site was this dry meadow. Along the rocky upper edge will be a good place to look this spring for Viola sheltonii. There are other Viola species in this area and the different species can and do cross with each other. Having several sites is a good idea if one wants to gather pure seed. An isolated colony generally provides true breeding seed.
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At this site there had been some logging about 20 years ago. The Verbascum is a non-native weed. Even at this low elevation it takes nature much time to repair herself. There were a few seedling trees of various species - a good sign, however no forbes such as Iris hartwegii which is very common in this area.
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As one travels through the forest one finds the trash left over from the logging, in this case a rusty old cable.
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Even with the warm temperatures fall is making progress - A Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) turning color.
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And this Blackberry.
And for me a good and productive outing! ;)
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Another site was this dry meadow. Along the rocky upper edge will be a good place to look this spring for Viola sheltonii. There are other Viola species in this area and the different species can and do cross with each other. Having several sites is a good idea if one wants to gather pure seed. An isolated colony generally provides true breeding seed.
Robert,
Thank you! Your illustrative presentation tells clearly the requirements Viola sheltonii has. Which other viola species and which crosses do
you expect there?
Gerd
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Gerd,
I have found both Viola glabella and V. lobata in this general area - about a 1 km away. V. glabella always grows where there is moisture at all times. V. lobata generally grows on shady north facing slopes under tall conifers. The sites shown are all south facing slopes. V. purpurea could grow in this area, however I have never found it in this area. Also, I have not seen natural hybrids in this area either.
There is another site about 500 meters higher up the mountain where I think that V. sheltonii should grow. I will be checking this site as soon as I can - before it starts snowing. The area is call "Iron Mountain" - very rocky and open with south facing slopes. Photographs will show this. At this site the only other Viola is V. purpurea. V. purpurea does not like the southern slopes, so I don't think that there will be hybrids at this location.
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Another autumn cold front moved through today - 15 October. Rainfall was light and the snow level was very high, 9,000 ft. (2,740 meters). I had time in the afternoon to scout out more sites for next season.
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By the time I made it to the Iron Mountain area it was still overcast but the rain had ended.
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The first site I visited lower down the mountain was unproductive. The then moved higher to 5,830 ft. (1,770 meters) and found some promising remains of Calochortus leichtlinii and Allium campanulatum.
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They grew on this open north facing slope - a volcanic soil.
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Some of other plants found in this area were:
Eriogonum nudum
E. umbellatum
E.wrightii
Penstemin laetus
P. newberryi
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Eriogonum wrightii was very common in this area.
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On a steeper, more shaded slope...
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I found dry remains of Viola purpurea.
I like Norman Weeden's handling of the species in A Sierra Nevada Flora as a "complex". The species has a wide elevation range in the Sierra and in my experience it hybridizes with the other native species fairly easily so there are times when violas are found that just do not key out. I this case, I was hoping to find V. sheltonii in pure stands - so maybe not such a good indication. However there is so much prime habitat in this area for V. sheltonii I think that I'm on the right course.
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From the second site I moved a little higher 6,000 ft. (1,830 meters).
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This was a good area, as there were a variety of habitats. Some similar to the second site others open but more forested. Somewhere in this area there will be a site of a seasonal spring or seep with not much competition from other vegetation - a good place to look for Viola sheltonii.
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On this steep cliff face I found..
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Epilobium canum still in bloom. I looked for seed and found none. It was a very windy day, I'm sure the white sails sent the seed across the whole mountains side. Late in the season there is generally little seed to find however I did find a tiny amount of seed on Penstemon laetus. It was very common in this area.
Time ran out and it was time to go. Until next time.
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Today, 20 October 2014, I traveled to the Bear Creek - Traverse Creek area not too far from the farm. The elevation at the creek is about 800 meters.
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Some of the area is exposed serpentine rock with upland chaparral.
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This is a nice view from the top of the ridge, about 100 meters above the creek below.
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In certain areas Penstemon hetrophyllus is abundant. They do not look like much now - 3 years of drought and just the beginning of the rainy season. In the spring, when they are blooming, they are quite nice - some very nice i.e. good compact habit and many flowering stems.
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This is the habitat where they grow - a mix of chaparral and Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa). A mixture of sun and shade, but mostly sun.
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Here is a sampling of some of the woody chaparral plants.
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Buck brush - Ceanothus cuneatus. Yes, it is a browse plant for the deer. The stiff, almost spiny branches make it difficult for the deer to eat more than the tender new growth.
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Toyon or Christmas berry - Heteromeles arbutifolia. In the wintertime the berries are bright red and look great against the bright green evergreen foliage. There is a yellow berried form too - it is rarely seen.
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Leather Oak - Quercus durata. A shrubby scrub oak rarely getting over 3 meters tall. Commonly found on serpentine based soils.
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Arctostaphylos viscida - White Leaf Manzanita. One of the most common chaparral plants. It blooms in the winter or very early spring with white to white flushed pink flowers. They turn on, like Christmas lights, in the early evening when there is a full moon. A very special site to see!
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And the bark is very attractive too! Some plants can get 4 meters tall with twisted trunks like a giant bonsai.
There is more to be continued next time.
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It looks really dry.
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Just wondering how we might grow some of these plants in our wetter cooler climate, and the answer - with difficulty! Even in dry sand beds many of the penstemons tend to die back; P. heterophyllus can be glorious and this makes you want to try a lot of other species too. I think a good bet would be a glasshouse like one at Glasnevin where the plants are protected but the central path is sunk several feet into the ground so that the beds on either side get irrigated from rainfall outside. Or just simply a greenhouse with open sides over the planting. The arctostaphylos and oaks are really fascinating and rather beautiful plants, so the greenhouse needs to be pretty big ;D. I've seen pictures of the Heteromeles - very attractive - but it is reckoned to be Zone 9 so just outside our climatic tolerance unless you live right on the coast. Curiously though we do grow Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius (its about 30ft high now) so hardiness doesn't always go with the provenance of plants.
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It looks really dry.
Yes, Yann it is very dry! and hot during the summer, 40c is not uncommon in this area. The last 3 years have been especially dry. So far, we have been getting some of our "normal" rainfall but we are still below normal for this rainfall season, that started 1 July.
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Just wondering how we might grow some of these plants in our wetter cooler climate, and the answer - with difficulty! Even in dry sand beds many of the penstemons tend to die back; P. heterophyllus can be glorious and this makes you want to try a lot of other species too. I think a good bet would be a glasshouse like one at Glasnevin where the plants are protected but the central path is sunk several feet into the ground so that the beds on either side get irrigated from rainfall outside. Or just simply a greenhouse with open sides over the planting. The arctostaphylos and oaks are really fascinating and rather beautiful plants, so the greenhouse needs to be pretty big ;D. I've seen pictures of the Heteromeles - very attractive - but it is reckoned to be Zone 9 so just outside our climatic tolerance unless you live right on the coast. Curiously though we do grow Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius (its about 30ft high now) so hardiness doesn't always go with the provenance of plants.
Tim,
You might be surprised by the adaptability of some of these species. Some can be quite tolerant of some summer moisture even in our heavy clay soil here at the farm. I can see how high summer time air humidity could be a factor too. Some of the species do poorly in the California fog belt along the coast, while others do fine. It all comes down to "trial and error". You might want to give some of these (and others) species a try from seed. I'll be more than happy to help you out in this regard. PM me if you are interested.
Also, Hetromeles is relatively cold hardy and tolerant of some summer moisture. The Traverse Creek area gets snow most winters. Low temperatures fall to -10c and sometimes as low as -15c. It also grows near the California coast so (some at least) it can take higher relative humidity during the summer.
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Lovely and interesting set of pictures as usual Robert.
Tim , I've had some success in gritty soil in rock pockets with some of the smaller Penstemons, (P hirsutus var. pygmaea, P. virens and P. 'Six Hills' [P. davidsonii x P eriantherus] ) probably more by good luck than good management. I bought a seedling of P. richardsonii at last years South West AGS Show and that has done really well in the garden. I didn't read that it does best hanging over a rock when I planted it and as it grew I threaded the very lax stems through a tallish wire frame. Of course time will tell if it's going to come back again.
I'm resolved to try some of the others from seed in pots as they grow on with a very sandy mix as I'm sure my garden will be too 'claggy' for them.
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I'm enjoying the pictorial diary Robert .
I love manzanitas and a few years ago I had a great weekend in the hills around Cave Junction OR with Sean Hogan who introduced me to these wonderful shrubs . Would really like to try Arctostaphylus glandulosa
Some of my American plants are flowering and I will try for some pictures soon . Geum triflorum from the Mount Ashland area is flowering as well as some Rhodiola from WY . I've just realised that the only seed I have collected in California was Lewisia oppostifolia richeyi (which I donated to the SRGC seedex) and the plants were only 6 to 12 feet south of the survey mark that indicated the Oregon-California border . So I don't grow any plants from California seed at present
This weekend is the first flower foray in the hills here in NZ and I'm looking forward to it
Keep up the good work
-Steve
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Lovely and interesting set of pictures as usual Robert.
I'm resolved to try some of the others from seed in pots as they grow on with a very sandy mix as I'm sure my garden will be too 'claggy' for them.
David,
For whatever it is worth, I grow my containerized Penstemon with the following mix: 4 parts 8mm lava rock, 1 part sand, 1 part 8mm - minus fir bark humus. This drains so quickly that I can water the pots every day all summer long, yet it holds just enough moisture that they can last the day without needing extra water even when it is 40c.
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Steve,
Thanks for the good words and encouragement. They come at a time when I really need it!
Getting out into nature is certainly enjoyable. I hope that we can see photographs of your foray. I've never been to New Zealand and some photographs are about as close as I may ever get.
You seem to be interested in California plants. You ought to PM if you would like to trade seed. I do have limits as to what I can take on, however thinking ahead for next seed season I would enjoy helping out if this is of interest to you.
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The rest of Mondays adventure continued down the ridge line northward in a seasonal creek drainage.
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The serpentine ends quickly to the red clay soil of the Sierra Foothills. This band of soil follows the length of the Sierra, north to south, from the foothills above Bakersfield, California to the Redding and Red Bluff area at the north end of the Sacramento Valley. The names Redding and Red Bluff are derived from this soil color.
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As the soil changes and the slope slants more steeply to the north the forest thickens. California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii (pictured), Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), and Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) become the dominate forest trees.
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California Bay (Umbellularia californica, pictured) is one of the "understory" trees. The scent of the foliage fills the forest. There are many other shrubs, vines and annuals/ perennials that grow in this habitat - various ferns, Trillium, Azalea, Violets and much more.
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Other trees of this type are Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophylla, pictured) and Madrone (Arbutus menziesii). The peeling bark of Madrone is quite attractive. Sorry no photo it turned out blurry.
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After crossing the dry creek bed, I worked my way up the next ridge and around to drop down in this Gray Pine forest (Pinus sabiniana).
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One of my favorite places to stops is a rock bench where this grand old manzanita grows. There is a wonderful view over the Traverse Creek - Bear Creek Valley.
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Under the manzanita grows a nice patch of Iris hartwegii. I've only seen the yellow forms in this area, however there are purple - blue forms too that grow in other areas.
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In the bottom of the valley is Traverse Creek - still with a good head of water in it after 3 years of drought and the end of the dry season. The hips of Rosa woodsii look good at this season. This species likes moisture and grows on the banks of the creek. It is found throughout western North America.
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Near the end of the hike I found this Silene californica blooming - way out of season. At first I thought that I had found a good compact form of this species. They generally grow leggy and stringy. After closer inspection I could see that it had grown leggy and this was regrowth after deer browse. Still something for me to keep in mind when growing this species back a the farm.
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I end this with Eschscholzia californica - our State Flower and so common worldwide. I can see why it is the state flower, it is such a beauty and is the first wildflower to bloom in the spring and the last to quit in the fall.
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30 October 2014
65 F (18c)
Partly Cloudy
It is hard to believe that this could be the last trip to the high country this fall. 65 F (18c) is mild for this time of year, and yet, tomorrow there might be up to 1 ft (30cm) or more for new snow. Very good news for us - very much needed snow!
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An autumn scene at my first stop near Old Iron Mountain, 5,800 ft. (1,768 meters)
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Eriogonum wrightii blooms late in the season. Some of the plants had some ripe seed as well as a few open flowers.
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This tiny California Black Oak (Quercus Kelloggii) with a beautiful red leaf.
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There was not anything new to see at the first stop, so I continued higher to 7,615 ft. (2,300meters)
The fall color was generally over however this Salix lemonii still looked nice.
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Huckleberry Oak (Quercus vaccinifolia) is thick in this area and it is very difficult to move thought its stiff branches. My time would be better spent moving higher.
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Silver Lake and the mountain ridge above.
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I still had some distance to travel to get to the higher peaks.
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Round Top Peak covered with a bit of snow from some earlier storms.
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When I arrived at the summit there was snow on the ground - luckily not much.
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At 8,600 ft. (2,521 meters) the meadows were already asleep and ready for winter.
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Moving higher there were some Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) with there beautiful fall foliage.
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Penstemon procurus - there was still a tiny amount of seed on some of the plants.
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Lupinus lepidus var. sellulus, or Lupinus lobbii for short. The foliage of Torrey's Lupine has long silky hairs - to me very beautiful.
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I moved up the back side of a north facing ridge and finally reaches the 9,000 ft. (2,743 meters) elevation. I enjoy going out at all times of the year and getting familiar with the plants in all their seasons. This time of year there is nobody around which suits me well. The scenery is fantastic!
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In the snow there we tracks from a cougar. Maybe a day old, however I kept a lookout for the big cat.
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There are 4 or 5 Eriogonums in this area. This trip I saw E. marifolium frequently. Many had nice fall foliage.
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Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) is common in this area too. They can have massive trunks and are quite the site.
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Their berries were ripe - a brilliant bluish color that gets ones attention.
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Artemisia arbuscula - a real gem for the rock garden!
And a good end for the day and maybe the season here in the high country. I saw many good plants, found a few with seed still, and will start planning for next season in the high country.
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Wonderful scenery and plants! We are just off to the North York Moors near to where one daughter is studying. It won't be anything like the Sierra Nevada but a new place to explore. Can't boast of finding tracks of a cougar though! Nice to be able to expand your wings a little in a big country :)
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A fairly strong cold front is moving into the area today. It will be bringing much needed rain and snow down to about 4,000 ft. (1,219mters). It might be the end of the season in the high country, but there is still much to explore at the lower elevations.
Yes, I it very nice to be able to expand my wings in this big country!
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It seems to me that some of these places would be super to explore on horseback - does anyone do that ? Might you meet folks riding those trails?
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It seems to me that some of these places would be super to explore on horseback - does anyone do that ? Might you meet folks riding those trails?
Maggi,
Yes, some places do allow horses and other pack animals. The area I traveled the other day is one such place. There was one horse trailer parked in the parking area and fresh horse droppings on the trail. Someone on horseback was enjoying the area. Most of the trail is above tree line so I bet there is a lot to see on top of a horse. And its all beautiful!
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Hi Robert,
I have just taken time to read through your adventures! Very exciting and very different from my part of the world! The scenery is amazing and the plants look fabulous even in their fall costumes.
Jandals asked what you bring in, and I'm glad he didn't ask me because I though he ment what kind of gear you bring with you on your walks ;D
Here everything is dripping wet and although this is at the wet west coast we have had unusually amounts of rain. And today, November 1, the temperature has already reached 16.5C (61.7F) which is unheard of!
Some of the plants you mention do very well here. I have planted a bigleaf maple where I work and ia ponderosa pine in my garden. Both are coming of ages and look good.
The Madrona has been more difficult, probably wrong provenience for my climate.
I am looking forward to the next chapters of your adventures during the winter and spring!
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Maggi,
Yes, some places do allow horses and other pack animals. The area I traveled the other day is one such place. There was one horse trailer parked in the parking area and fresh horse droppings on the trail. Someone on horseback was enjoying the area. Most of the trail is above tree line so I bet there is a lot to see on top of a horse. And its all beautiful!
Sounds just wonderful to me!
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Hi Robert,
I have just taken time to read through your adventures! Very exciting and very different from my part of the world! The scenery is amazing and the plants look fabulous even in their fall costumes.
Jandals asked what you bring in, and I'm glad he didn't ask me because I though he ment what kind of gear you bring with you on your walks ;D
Here everything is dripping wet and although this is at the wet west coast we have had unusually amounts of rain. And today, November 1, the temperature has already reached 16.5C (61.7F) which is unheard of!
Some of the plants you mention do very well here. I have planted a bigleaf maple where I work and ia ponderosa pine in my garden. Both are coming of ages and look good.
The Madrona has been more difficult, probably wrong provenience for my climate.
I am looking forward to the next chapters of your adventures during the winter and spring!
Trond,
Very interesting - the weather in your part of the earth. I understand that there were forest fires last winter in the far north of Norge. It had been very dry! Or maybe my report was not correct. And too much warm weather it sounds like! My brother is a climate scientist so I will pass on the information.
Madrone needs excellent soil drainage and good air circulation. It is even tricky to grow around here. It is interesting to know what California native plants work for you in your home area.
Sounds just wonderful to me!
Maggi,
It has been a number of years since I have been on a horse, however it can be a great way to visit the high country - especially if the horse is nice. Unfortunately, some horses are not user friendly!
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Trond,
Very interesting - the weather in your part of the earth. I understand that there were forest fires last winter in the far north of Norge. It had been very dry! Or maybe my report was not correct. And too much warm weather it sounds like! My brother is a climate scientist so I will pass on the information.
Madrone needs excellent soil drainage and good air circulation. It is even tricky to grow around here. It is interesting to know what California native plants work for you in your home area.
The wildfires were several places and not in the far north but mostly in the northwestern parts of the southern half ;) We had the driest winter on records and where they had below freezing as well as desiccating easterly winds they also lost a lot of plants.
Fortunately we had a mild winter where I live so we escaped both wildfires and the worst damage from freeze drying.
2011 was the coldest winter on record and this summer (and possibly the whole year) is the warmest ever (well, since the bronze age maybe). This fall has been among the wettest!
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5 November 2014
69 F (20.5c)
High Clouds
Today I scouted for acorns - mostly from Quercus chrysolepsis (Canyon Live Oak). I started at the upper limit of its altitude range, about 4,000 ft. (1,219 meters). There was not an acorn to find - on any species.
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The Ceanothus prostratus (Mahala Mats) was looking nice in most places. At this elevation this species carpets the shady forest floor where other vegetation is not growing. Most plants looked healthy however some had considerable die-out due to the on going drought.
This area was not productive for acorns so I moved lower into the canyon of the South Fork of the American River, about 1,700 ft. (518 meters) elevation.
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Quercus chrysolepsis likes the north facing slopes, where Lonicera interrupta grows through the various tree species looking lush and almost tropical. This time of year the berries are showy.
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Quercus chrysolepsis has two types of leaves spine-toothed like these
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and entire leaves. Many times both types are found on the same tree.
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There was not one acorn to find this day. Drought had reduced the crop and the wildlife had finished off the rest. The seed of Aesculus californica (California Buckeye) is toxic. California Native Americans crushed the seed into pulp and then dumped the mix into streams to stun fish. An easy way to catch dinner.
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Before leaving for the day, I scouted around for plants of Iris hartwegii. I have found the lavender -blue form in this area. There were plenty of plants around so I'll be coming back in the spring when they are blooming.
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The Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifoia) berries are starting to color up.
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Some plants are loaded with berries. Around here they are sometimes call Christmas berry as the berries often last through the holiday season.
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I'm always on the lookout for bulbs. The ghost-like remains of Calochortus albus were everywhere. Fritillaria micrantha grows nearby too, at the top of Ol' Stone Face - a 10 to 15 meter high stone face coming out of the South Fork of the American River. When I was young a group of us would come down here and dive off the top into the river below. Too old for that now!
Until next time!
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Great to see the detail of those plants. The Oaks of California look to be as fascinating as the Manzanitas, and we have recently had a talk on irises which included a little about the Pacific Coast species - rather elegant plants and not so much cultivated here.
These are just a few pictures from the North York Moors - a very different environment on a much different scale, but equally full of detail. South Moor is small sheep farm surrounded mostly by Forestry plantations of firs and larch. Not such a good place for a variety of other plants except in rougher spots and along streams which have retained more natural deciduous woodland. But there is still something about the place with small farms and villages dotted about in quite isolated valleys - a much softer landscape than California, but with quite a harsh and bleak climate at times. Lots of stone walls and buildings like Low Staindale (Cotswald stone, which is very similar, has been described as 'trapped sunlight' - very apt). I could easily imagine making a rock garden in such an environment! The Bridestones Nature Reserve (National Trust) is a more natural and undisturbed area of wood and moorland which we just skirted the edge of - would be nice to explore more of this.
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Tim's landscape is more like what I have around me here than yours, Robert, except that his lacks the fjords! But it is fascinating to compare. When I look at such pictures I am always tempted to go and look in person. . .
Robert, it seems you had a nice walk despite the meagre result gathering acorns. Better luck next year.
I have a small California Buckeye in my garden but it has never flowered and now I am tempted to try Mahala Mats and Toyen too!
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Tim,
Thanks so much for sharing the photographs. Beautiful countryside! I would not hesitate hiking in that environment at all! It seems as though there is plenty to explore and much to see if one has a keen eye.
Commercial logging in our area has created a somewhat similar situation. The natural undergrowth is gone with the monoculture of timber trees. With our elections yesterday it appears this situation is likely to accelerate. Much has been lost around here - the "49ers" (gold mining) was very destructive to the native flora (and more) and most of our old growth habitat was lost with commercial logging in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Even as a young boy I remember the towering ancient sugar pines (Pinus lambertiana) - long gone now. I feel there is a considerable need for me to get out there and save what treasures I can find before they are lost. I'm constantly surprised by what I find. Nature is constantly changing which makes things fun and interesting for me.
Trond,
I really appreciate your comments. In general I gather seed for my own use - so there is much that I pass by. Now that I know that you are interested in Ceanothus and Heteromeles I easily gather seed for you when their time is ripe.
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Robert, your accounts and pictures are fascinating. If you ever have seed of Pinus attenuata or Pinus lambertiana I would be very interested!
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Robert, your accounts and pictures are fascinating. If you ever have seed of Pinus attenuata or Pinus lambertiana I would be very interested!
Ralph,
Pinus lambertiana has already shed its seed for the season, so most likely there will not be any seed until next season. Sometimes I've been able to pick them off the ground - with the drought I'm not counting on this. The wild animals are very hungry and are not leaving much this season. I will take note to gather seed next year. When I come across Pinus attenuata I'll get a few cones. They never open until one puts them in the oven. I generally get excellent germination.
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. . . .
Trond,
I really appreciate your comments. In general I gather seed for my own use - so there is much that I pass by. Now that I know that you are interested in Ceanothus and Heteromeles I easily gather seed for you when their time is ripe.
Glad to hear that - and thank you!
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Robert following this thread I'm really struck by how different your flora is to ours; it's a completely contrasting environment! We hear a lot about how similar California is to South Australia, and in terms of climate I suppose that's true, plus you have our Eucalyptus trees everywhere now apparently. However get up into the mountains and it's clearly worlds away. I'm looking forward to the spring, hoping that you might find the time to continue the photo essay. I'm going to make a concerted effort to post more of our local indigenous flora; in varying environments.
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Jamus,
Interesting comments - and I think very true. If one uses the Life Zones of C. Hart Merrium, in an hour one can drive from the Lower Sonoran Zone (Sacramento Valley) to the Arctic Alpine Zone (Sierra Crest) up the mountain. In some places in the Southern Sierra it is even more dramatic such as King's Canyon National Park.
From our Great Central Valley driving west, within an hour one is at the Pacific Coast and the climate is very different from the inland valleys. The coastal fog belt rarely gets warm from the cool fog that arrives more or less every day during the summer.
NW California has (had) Giant Coastal Redwoods and rain forest conditions - SE California has Death Valley, an extreme of dry and heat (120 F , 50c is common sometimes even hotter!). A long days drive will get me to either location.
With such extremes there is an incredible variety of plants.
Also, my photo easy will be on going. During the winter I will be focusing my attention on the lower elevations scouting for various plants (there are many - Calochortus is one group) that need attention before they are lost due to the rampant development.
There are and have been many extremely talented people who have devoted themselves to learning and understanding our native flora. Having said that, I think that we really do not understand everything that is out there. Much work remains to be done. By brother is a (now retired) research scientist - he tells me that good field work trumps lab work. I know that there are talented people working in the field now, however I think that average ordinary people like me can contribute too.
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... Having said that, I think that we really do not understand everything that is out there. Much work remains to be done. ...
Very true Robert. About even familiar things we understand just a little.
That is the endless fascination of the world, and of science as a tool to explore it.
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Here in Australia we have a few good citizen science projects. Atlas of Living Australia is probably the largest. http://www.ala.org.au/ (http://www.ala.org.au/)
Incredibly valuable contributions from interested amateurs; this sort of thing is the future for sure.
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Really interesting to follow your adventures, Robert. Hope the terrible drought comes to an end soon.
Tim, I loved your first picture of the farm because you could see the stone wall close-up. The top course of stone is wonderful - parallel slabs laid on a fairly steep slant. I saw this a lot in the west of Ireland near the Burren. Always wanted to do that - maybe in my next life!
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Really interesting to follow your adventures, Robert. Hope the terrible drought comes to an end soon.
Yes, I hope the drought ends now! Right now it is still too dry and warm. It appears that the pattern is changing - at least a little. I get worried when I see the Polar Vortex set up over Greenland - the old pattern.
The short term forecast (7day) is for a zonal flow to set up over most of the U.S.A. This would bring rain and snow to at least Northern California and cold frosty weather.
Off to the farmers' market now - only 3 (including tomorrow) more for us and then some much needed rest - at least a little. Around here there is a saying "A woman's work is never done" - I'll add to that "A farmers' work is never done". ;D
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And heaven help the woman farmer, eh? !! No rest at all..... ! :)
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Robert, what kind of products are sold at the marked? All kind of vegetables and fruit I presume, but what more? Do people come from far away or is it a local event?
No drought here, you could gladly have some of our rain!
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And heaven help the woman farmer, eh? !! No rest at all..... ! :)
It's the laundry! ;D
And heaven help the farmers' wife. My wife and joke that the laundry it is never ending.
Robert, what kind of products are sold at the marked? All kind of vegetables and fruit I presume, but what more? Do people come from far away or is it a local event?
No drought here, you could gladly have some of our rain!
Have Rain? We will gladly take what you do not need.
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17 November 2014
A chilly morning - 35 F (2c)
Afternoon high - 64 F (17c)
Sunny and Clear
Today I went out to Rattlesnake Bar scouting habitat for Calochortus luteus. Rattlesnake Bar is a low elevation site on the North Fork of the American River and usually flooded by Folsom Lake the main water source for the greater Sacramento area (population 2 million!) and much farm land in the central valley of California.
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The habitat of Calochortus luteus is under great pressure from development. This area is isolated between the South Fork and North Fork of the American River - a long drive, no water for development and rouged terrain. A good place to start scouting around.
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Here are a few shot of the typical low elevation chaparral. Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), or Grease Brush as it is called locally, is the dominant plant in this type of ecosystem.
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In clearings around rock outcroppings is an excellent place to look around of Calochortus luteus.
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In this area most of the land is private, so I moved lower into the oak savanna.
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The foothill oak savanna can be park-like in the spring, however most of the grass land is unproductive for my project.
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The early autumn rain has brought the Goldback Ferns (Pentogramma triangularis) into growth. It is a xeric species growing it the grass among the oaks, Quercus douglasii being the dominant species.
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To find interesting plants I look around the rock out-cropping.
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Today I did not find much. I have been to this area in the past and knew it was a long hike back into the chaparral. In the past I have found Fritillaria agrestis, somewhat rare now, and Iris macrosiphon, our common low elevation Iris in this lower chaparral area. No sign today, however I did notice that some of the early bulbs had new green leaves, most likely Dichelostemma capitatum.
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Among the rocks in shady places Polypodium californicum was coming into growth. Another xeric species.
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Before turning back I found the dormant fronds of Adiantum jordanii, a nice Maidenhair Fern, that can also be xeric. It is generally found in shady canyons, sometimes near water, but not always.
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This is the season for Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) to bloom.
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Quercus x morehus is somewhat rare, a natural hybrid between Q. wislizinii and Q. kelloggii. There was no Quercus kelloggii in the area, at least I did not see any. Interesting how it might have arrived here.
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Lastly, the multiple trunks of Quercus wislizinii. Generally an indication of fire in the past.
A nice day to be out before the next batch of rain arrives.
There are two other promising sites to scout for Calochortus luteus - for another day.
Now off to town (Sacramento) tomorrow, an all day trip for supplies.
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Robert,
Thanks for this lively report - just the right pics for the dull weather here!
Gerd
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Gerd,
Today, 19 November, brings overcast and gray skies here in Northern California. This is good news as we are likely to get more much needed rain over the next few days. Despite having more rainfall now than we did last year at this time we are still below average to date. The westerly winds are still weak and the Eastern Pacific too warm, however there are signs that the pattern is slowly changing. We are hoping for a good rainfall and snow season. Several years with above average rain and snow would be even better.
The next site I want to visit is called Salmon Falls, on the South Fork of the American River. The old Salmon Falls bridge is high and dry now for only the third time in the last 60 years. Generally it is flooded by Folsom Lake (Reservoir) the main water source for the greater Sacramento area, now with 2 million inhabitants. The reservoir is also the source of irrigation water for many farms in the Central Valley, a major agricultural area. It would be nice to see the reservoir full again.
If all goes well, I will get some photographs of the old bridge. This route is a good short cut from Sweetwater Creek to a very isolated area on the other side of the South Fork. This is a good area to look for interesting plants, however too low in elevation for Violets, however I have made much good progress on the violet front. At some later date I can PM you with the details as some of the research is still in progress.
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Looking forward to more Robert.
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Robert,
it's great to see some of the countryside as well as the individual plants and flowers,
cheers
fermi
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Thank you everyone for your encouragement!
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Here is a photograph that did not get posted the other day.
Sanicula crassicaulis awaking from its summer dormancy - Rattlesnake Bar 500 feet (152 meters) elevation. S. bipinnatifida grows naturally at the farm. I checked yesterday to see if they were up yet. Nothing was showing yet - 1,450 feet (432 meters)
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When I get back from an outing I go over my notes and continue my research, confirming plant names. I had been using the name Polypodium californicum for this fern and have now decided to change and use the name P. calirhiza. For me, the new name helps distinguish this Polypodium from the others that grow at higher elevations or along the California coast.
Some of my thoughts on the use of plant names might be helpful given the shifting sands of plant nomenclature.
First, I tend to trust my empirical knowledge, based on the idea of "this is how it seems", not "this is how it is". As a gardener, I like to use names that help distinguish a plant, thus I tend to be a splitter rather than a lumper. Viola purpurea has such variety. Using all the different variety names helps me distinguish the different forms.
Second, I tend to use old familiar names. I will still use Rhamnus californica vs Frangula californica - at least for the time being. How to handle the name for California Snowdrop Bush is more difficult. Do I use Styrax officinalis var. californiaca, the old name that I learned to use, or S. officinalis var. fulvescens, S. o. var. redivivus, or Styrax redivivus? Ultimately it comes down to my caprice at the time!
Ideas and understanding in science change all the time. It is no different for me.
I hope expressing these ideas helps those that read about my plant adventures.
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I read your expressions with interest, Robert.
When I am out walking I usually use the common (official) Norw. name both in my thoughts and when speaking about it. But sometimes I find the Latin name easier to remember! And I usually use the Latin name I learnt when I was younger and not the newest ones. (I learnt my first Latin name when I was a kid about 7 years old. It was Tussilago farfara that I always picked to my mother as soon as I found some in the spring.)
Although it is important to know the correct name when discussing plants I am more of a lumper than a splitter because I think many species have a (very) wide ecological niche and it is better to talk about provenances than splitting in species or subspecies etc on the basis of some subtle details in the phenotype.
What is a species, anyway? It depends on the definition and that's not as easy as it sounds.
(Did I get this right in English ;D)
I like ferns anyway. I plant hardy ferns in my garden. Do you have more pictures of ferns to show, Robert? In habitat please!
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Trond,
Thank you so much for your feedback! I want to do the best I can to have my plant names understandable so that as many as possible know what I'm writing about.
I do and will have more photographs of our California native ferns in habitat. The first one will start now, with today's outing.
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24 November 2014
High temperature: 58F (14c)
Low temperature: 32F (0c)
Weather: High Clouds
Today was my chance to get out to the Salmon Falls area on the South Fork of the American River.
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The trail starts out at 490 ft. (150 meters) through an area of classic low elevation chaparral.
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Chamise, Adenostoma fisciculatum, is the dominant shrub in this type of chaparral.
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It was a great day to be out. It had just rained and the scent of Salvia sonomensis filled the air. What a delight! Along the trail there were plants of Penstemon hetrophyllus as well as Garrya condonii (G. fremontii), two plants to look forward to later in the season.
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Soon the trail opens up over a grassy plain, generally flooded by the waters of Folsom Lake.
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And then off and down over the old Salmon Falls Bridge.
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This part of the outing was unproductive as it is generally under water.
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After about a mile I arrived at the old Salmon Falls Bridge. This is the third time in the last 50 years that the bridge has been above the water line. The first time I crossed it was in 1977, during the 1976-77 drought years.
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The free flowing South Fork.
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Once on the north side of the river, we arrive in "old California". This is the California I remember in my youth, a real paradise! and a great place to start looking for interesting plants. My goal today was to reach the ridge line on the highest hill in the area. I had been there in the past, about 1988, and knew that it would be a good area to look for Calochortus luteus habitat.
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I walked for another mile or so without finding anything interesting. Much of the area was once grazing land and is now an oak savanna. I finally dipped into a drainage and found a few red leaves remaining on the Vitus californica.
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The habitat started to change back to chaparral. I found a good game trail to follow - and then plants of interest started to show. Iris macrosiphon, a low elevation version of I. hartwegii higher up the mountain. I have to admit the ID is just a guess as they look the same except when in bloom.
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Mimulus aurantiacus is a common chaparral plant at this elevation. A good garden plant too, as long as it has good drainage and is not over watered. It will bloom most of the growing season if given a little irrigation. With complete xeric conditions it will dry-up and look dead, only to come back to life with the first rains in the fall. It has been hybridized with other types to create a number of clones with a good color range.
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After a very steep hike through the brush I arrived on the southern flank of the ridge, 830 ft. (253 meters). The rocky ridge runs SSE TO NNW with much of the south facing slope, rocky and open to the sun. There was a large area to explore and perfect habitat for Calochortus luteus. This area has never been grazed by livestock. The rocks and other shrubs protect the bulbs from deer and rodents. I was hoping to find some dried flowering stems of this species, but found none. There were old dried stems from other bulbs and the new shoots of Dichelostemma poking up, so I am still very hopeful to find Calochortus, at some point, when I return.
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There were other interesting plants such as Dudleya cymosa.
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Pellea mucronata, a rock fern, grew among the rocks on the south facing slope. An extremely hot and dry site during the summer. I have to admit, I was also surprised by the moss that grew in this area too. It was everywhere! Not a location where one would expect to find moss growing.
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I continued up the ridge line, knowing I had run out of time and needed to turn back. There was much still to explore.
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On the way back I found the same ferns as on my outing to Rattlesnake Bar; Pentagramma triangularis, Polypodium calirhiza, and Adiantum jordanii. This time I found some of the Adiantum with new foliage.
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I this area, one finds coyote scat with mazanita berries all the time. Here is a small group of Arctostaphylos viscida that germinated and grew from one such pile of scat.
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Taking a short cut back I found this old bridge.
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The last leg, up the drainage of Sweetwater Creek. 40 years ago, during the summer, I would come out here with friends and spend the night fishing and swimming in the warm water. There was an old Cottonwood tree that had a tree swing out over the water. The tree died and is now a large trunk slowly decaying into the earth.
It was a great day to be out and more good memories from Sweetwater Creek.
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Robert,
Thank you for this lively report. It seems the region still persists as a paradise. I am especially glad to read about the Mimulus aurantiacus site and its colour types. Can we expect some pics of flowering plants during next season?
This species does well here in my region (with frost protection in winter of course).
Gerd
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Robert,
Thank you for this lively report. It seems the region still persists as a paradise. I am especially glad to read about the Mimulus aurantiacus site and its colour types. Can we expect some pics of flowering plants during next season?
This species does well here in my region (with frost protection in winter of course).
Gerd
Gerd,
Yes, I will have photographs of the Mimulus in bloom and much more this coming season. Thank you for sharing the information on its performance in your area. For me it is somewhat of a surprise. I'm amazed how some plants adjust to new and different growing environments.
I keep a journal with notes on everything I see on each outing. I do not report on everything I see. Sometimes the photographs do not turn out, such as Castilleja foliolosa. C. foliolosa is just starting to leaf out again with the fall - winter rains. It is another plant that looks dried-up and dead during the dry summer. Its wooly gray foliage is beautiful now that the new growth has started. Its orange-red flowers are spectacular. This time around, the photographs did not turn out well, however there will be more opportunities.
I also get into remote areas where there are still native California bunch grasses. I'm quickly getting much better at identifying them. Many are good ornamentals in the garden too. Our native ferns are also good garden plants, some of which are extremely sun and/or drought tolerant.
Thank you for your good words and encouragement!
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I just want to let you know that we, here in America, also follow your "adventures" with much interest.
Your narration is a delight, and so much better than just the pictures alone! I wish more members would add even just little tidbits of information to go along with their images.
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Mimulus aurantiacus has been wonderful here this year, flowering for months. We had such a mild winter 2013/4 that it overwintered well, but it's always worth taking a few cuttings. It's growing here with cotton lavender and Buddleja 'Lochinch'. I'm with Rick and Gerd - it tells you so much more to see and learn about plants in their natural state and we don't have such a glorious flower around us here except in gardens. We may be great gardeners in the UK but we tend not to be so adventurous getting out into the wild.
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I just want to let you know that we, here in America, also follow your "adventures" with much interest.
Your narration is a delight, and so much better than just the pictures alone! I wish more members would add even just little tidbits of information to go along with their images.
Rick,
I really appreciate your comments!
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Mimulus aurantiacus has been wonderful here this year, flowering for months. We had such a mild winter 2013/4 that it overwintered well, but it's always worth taking a few cuttings. It's growing here with cotton lavender and Buddleja 'Lochinch'. I'm with Rick and Gerd - it tells you so much more to see and learn about plants in their natural state and we don't have such a glorious flower around us here except in gardens. We may be great gardeners in the UK but we tend not to be so adventurous getting out into the wild.
Tim,
I'm surprised by some of your comments concerning cold hardiness of plants. How cold can it get in your region? And, how often and for how long? Habranthus robustus is very cold hardy for us. In our area, most winters the temperature drops to 20 F, -6.6c, however there are times when the temperature drops much lower. 8 F, -13c is the coldest temperature that I have recorded in the last 40 years. There can be many days where the temperature barely reaches 32 F, 0c, such as December 2013. Snow cover can vary considerably, with some of the coldest temperatures arriving when there is little or no snow cover.
I have never notice cold damage on Mimulus aurantiacus - at least those growing in the ground and in there native habitat. In a container it is much different. It is a low elevation species. I have never observed many above 1,500 feet (455 meters) elevation in this area. They can look rather poor during the winter - mostly left-over from the summer dry.
Are the hybrid Bush Monkey flowers grown in the UK? There are a few different color forms sold commercially in our area. They tend to be short lived, especially if over watered during the summer. Also, there has been no effort to breed for cold hardiness - most are more sensitive to cold than Mimulus aurantiacus.
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A lot of our plant hardiness problems here in NE Scotland come not only from a plant's injury or death at temperatures which can drop down to minus 19 degrees C , without snow cover, but also from the amount of water that can be surrounding the plant at that time- and the level of water in the tissues of the plants when they may have winter green parts too, of course. Even temperatures only slightly below freezing can do a lot of damage in very turgid plant material or in soil which freezes solid around the plant.
And then there is the problem of those plants which do not prove "summer hardy" (so to speak!!) because they cannot cope with the amount of summer wet we can have and which has seen off at least as many plants in this garden as has winter or frost damage , over the years.
Some days, I wonder why we even bother, there are so many problems!! ;) Just really determined, I suppose!
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Our weather in Kent is pretty similar to you in N. California over winter, perhaps a little colder to around -10°C most winters (last winter we had hardly any frost; the previous one was relatively mild but went on with low temperatures for many weeks; and 2011/12 was one of the coldest down to -14°C). We get quite hot and dry (compared with Aberdeen!) over summer but nothing like your conditions in California. Probably we are around Zone 8, sometimes tending to 7. Only 20 miles away or so on the N. Kent coast nearer the North Sea the climate is significantly milder, except for cold north winds which can chill the whole of eastern Britain! We try to be 'Mediterranean' but often get the edge of the European continental winter climate which knocks plants like the Mimulus back.
But Maggi - what about all those wonderful meconopsis, primulas and corydalis - and rhododendrons? We don't do well with those, and we don't have the Scottish hills just over the horizon :)
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But Maggi - what about all those wonderful meconopsis, primulas and corydalis - and rhododendrons? We don't do well with those, and we don't have the Scottish hills just over the horizon :)
Well, I suppose it 's not ALL bad! Thanks for the cheering pep talk, Tim 8)
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Maggi points to the problem with "hardy" plants in northern latitudes: Lack of summer heat. All plants require a certain heat sum (or day degrees) during the summer. If it doesn't get that amount of warmth it doesn't take much freezing in winter. If the winter also is wet the plant is even more vulnerable.
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Seems I have to try Mimulus aurantiacus!
Here is Mimulus cupreus(?) and M. luteus(?) from Argentina (not my garden!).
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Trond,
I wish that our Mimulus cupreus and M. luteus looked that good! I think that the slugs finished the M. cupreus off. :(
I definitely appreciate your comments, and all the others, on cold hardiness. I had not considered summer heat and the hardening of the current seasons growth and how that interacts with winter moisture. Generally not an issue around here. It appears that this may account for some of the "hardiness" issues in Tim and Maggi's gardening situations.
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We are finally getting some good rainfall amounts here in Northern California. Here at the farm we are near average to-date for this rainfall season. Snow levels have been extremely high, 7,000 ft. (2134 meters). Considering the drought conditions we will take whatever we can get.
Personally, I enjoy hiking and getting out in stormy, rainy, windy conditions. It is not so good for the camera or photographs, so that will have to wait for another day. In the mean time here are a few photographs from past trips.
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A shot from the top of Mt. Price looking south.
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Now looking Northeast towards Lake Tahoe, hiding behind Dicks Peak. Lake Aloha in the foreground.
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This photograph was taken in the autumn near the south end of Lake Aloha. Vaccinium caespitosum with red foliage and Phyllodoce breweri. A good plant combination seen often in the Sierra Nevada.
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A beautiful valley on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. This is in the Monitor Pass area, one of my favorite areas to visit. I hope that I will be able to travel to this area this coming summer / fall and report on the beautiful alpine plants from this area. Much of the area is from 6,000 - 10,000 ft. (1,829 - 3,048 meters) elevation with a variety of habitats.
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Mount Dana and the high country of Yosemite National Park. Its looking very dry as it was the autumn. This is good, Shepard's Pass is even better. A very high and difficult pass to traverse and, of coarse, being remote, with the flora intact! This trip takes me a full day driving to reach the trailhead, then 2 days hiking, then climbing to reach the pass. The upper Kern River watershed is still a remote wilderness. High on my list of places to visit.
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The Ebbetts Pass area is another favorite place to visit.
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Calochortus leichtlinii, a species often seen in the high Sierra Nevada.
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Monardella odoritissima, looking very good. Var. pallida is often seen too, with very pale almost white flowers.
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Heuchera rubescens growing out of a rock.
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And the last one for today. Hope Valley from Round Top Peak. Not the best lodging for a stormy night. I did find an avalanche shoot to protect me from the wind. The rocks did not seem that hard, or maybe I was tired, anyway I slept well.
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Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing.
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Yes, makes me want to reach for my walking boots - but not much wilderness in Kent! Thank you Robert.
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Thank you so much!
I am very happy that you (all) have enjoyed a few photographs from some past adventures.
Today was quite the adventure too. I have a few photographs from today's trip to Camp Creek. They will have to wait. I got in late, a friend wrecked her auto. She is okay, however the car is totaled (a complete loss). My wife and I are helping out the best we can until she can get back on her feet, not that there is much we can do. I think that sometimes what really matters is that somebody cares, and does what they can do to help out.
Camp Creek will be tomorrow. It was an adventure too, as you will find out.
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4 December 2014
Weather: Cloudy with rain showers.
Temperature: 57 F at 4,000 ft. (14c at 1,219 meters)
High: 60 F (15.5c) Low 53 F (11.5c)
We are finally getting some good rainfall amounts in our area, with a line of storms in the westerlies due to arrive throughout the coming week.
Our rainfall amounts are near average to date. Some sites in our area have had flash flooding from down pours and are well above average. Still the snow levels remain high at about 7,000 ft. (2,134 meters), although they are expected to lower to around 5,000 ft. (1,524 meters) later this coming week.
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I started the day on an upper stretch of Camp Creek. I was hoping to check on a patch of Aralia californica. The rain had brought the creek level up more than I was comfortable with - I was not interested in starting the day wet!
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I traveled to a site below the diversion dam where crossing the creek was much easier. I found this beautiful seedling of Darmera peltata in the rocks. This stretch of the creek is a scared site and I was surprised to find a camp of vagrants. Since the 2007 economic melt down, this has become a more frequent sight. It also explains the increase in "No Trespassing" signs in the last few years.
I became silent as a deer and slowly traverse around the camp without being noticed. The camp was in good order and kept clean.
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In areas along an east facing slope there were clumps of Polystichum. I did not take a sample to key out, so I am not sure of the species, as there are several in this area.
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Aspidotis densa, Dense Lace Fern or Indian's Dream, was common among the rocks in drier areas.
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It is another California native fern that can take xeric conditions during the summer.
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I traveled down stream past sites where my wife and I have often come.
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Here there are thickets of Rhododendron occidentale. The fragrant flowers are a delight in May - June when the whole canyon can be sweetly scented.
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Lilium pardalinum is frequently seen in this area too. I was surprised to find seed in some of the seed capsules. It had been extremely windy the previous day.
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After a good survey of the plants in this area it was time to return to the truck on the ridge top. I was not going to return via the vagrant camp. These folks seemed clean and nice and I wished to leave them in their peace. I have had trouble with vagrants in other areas, so it was time to bushwhack my way straight up the canyon through the brush.
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Everything was wet and slippery from the rain - a difficult climb out of the canyon.
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There can often be benefits from such situations. I found these Acrtostaphylos plants about half way up the slope. They were clearly different from A. viscida the most common species at this elevation. I have read about "other species" that grow in this area, species that I have never seen before. I'll return in the spring when they are blooming and hopefully they will key out.
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I arrived at the ridge top and the truck - just in time. Shortly afterwards the heavens opened up with heavy rain. I was dressed in my rain gear, but was happy not to be caught out in this storm.
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An interesting landscape, Robert! And ferns too ;-) I even like the moss!
I prefer walking in sunny or overcast weather although I can see the charm in a wet landscape in rainy weather - if it isn't too cold or too windy!
What kind of gear do you bring on those trips? If I stay overnight outside (it's quite rare now) I am certain the ground is harder and rougher than some years ago. . . .
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An interesting landscape, Robert! And ferns too ;-) I even like the moss!
I prefer walking in sunny or overcast weather although I can see the charm in a wet landscape in rainy weather - if it isn't too cold or too windy!
What kind of gear do you bring on those trips? If I stay overnight outside (it's quite rare now) I am certain the ground is harder and rougher than some years ago. . . .
Trond,
When I get a chance I'll take a photograph of the gear I bring on my "day" hikes and describe the gear. I do bring a few extras, as I have been caught in unexpected weather or have needed to stay the night. I do pack as light as possible.
There are more fern species, even at the lower elevations, that I have not shown yet. I have a good idea where I'll be going next, so hopefully I'll find some of the other species that grow in our area on this trip.
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Great! Looking forward to hear more - .
Have you tried sowing spores? I have - and some are easy and some difficult. Maybe they need to be quite fresh.
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Fern babies.
Spores are sown at the surface of peat and covered by something. Often I place the pot in an empty plastic box. When the spores germinate it is important that the prothallia never dry out.
Later when small sporophytes have developed I place the peat directly on a moist surface lake this corner in the greenhouse.
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Great! Looking forward to hear more - .
Have you tried sowing spores? I have - and some are easy and some difficult. Maybe they need to be quite fresh.
Trond,
I have not tried sowing spores,.......yet.
I enjoy our native ferns, so this seems like a good idea for me. With some species, the spores germinate in some of the older seed pans without any help on my part, however most do not. For me, a more systematic approach would be a good idea. Some of our native species will divide out, if somewhat slowly.
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I'm also fascinated by these xerophytic ferns. We have grown Cheilanthes on the nursery in the past and they seem more tolerant than many other species and spores can hold viability for some time. These are just on the borderline of hardiness with us but maybe some of the Californian species would be hardier? I enjoy seeing these mountain and dryland ferns at Alpine Shows as much as dionysias and rosulate violas ;). There some very interesting S. American species too, hardly cultivated I suppose.
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10 December 2014
Weather: Cloudy
High: 57F (14c) Low: 43F (5.5c)
Today, I scouted the Middle Fork of the American River. I had not hiked in this part of the canyon for over 30 years. Now it is part of a State Park. Generally, I'm apprehensive of such places, however this turned out to be an excellent place to visit. There is an extensive trail system both up and down river and on both the south facing and north facing sides of the river. There are plenty of spur trails, too, where the bulk of the visitors never travel.
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Today, I started upstream on the north facing bank.
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This is a State Park now, so they have to have their warning signs.
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The rattlesnake and Cougar signs I liked the best. There were others. About 30 years ago a jogger was attacked and killed by a cougar in this area, however most of the time they shy away from humans.
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Being the north facing bank, there were many fern species. This being Dryopteris arguta, Wood Fern.
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Another shot of Dryopteris arguta.
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One last photograph, a group of Dryopteris arguta growing in the shade of Bigleaf Maples, Acer macrophylla. Today, I came across 5 species of fern, the others were Adiantum jordanii, Pentagramma triangularis, Polypodium calirhiza, and Asidotis densa.
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I found a good spur-trail that traversed its way up the side of the canyon. On the cliff faces grew Heuchera micrantha.
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There were also many Dudleya cymosa.
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Most growing directly out of the rock faces. There orange-yellow flowers will be spectacular in the spring when they are all blooming.
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Another common plant on these shaded, seasonally moist, and rocky areas were Saxifraga californica.
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10 December 2014
The rattlesnake and Cougar signs I liked the best.
Yikes!
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10 December 2014
Being the north facing bank, there were many fern species. This being Dryopteris arguta, Wood Fern.
Is the small leafed plant also a fern? It is very interesting.
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Some of the side canyons were very moist and shaded. Moss on a Bigleaf Maple, enjoying the rain this season.
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This outing was another low elevation outing. The trailhead started at 660 ft. (201 meters). The spur-trail ended at 1,065 ft. (about 323 meters) and this limestone cliff face. I was needing to turn back - but this will be a very interesting area to check on later. There were no trails leading into this area so it may be very undisturbed.
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This photograph shows that the limestone vein crosses to the south facing bank of the river. Still another place to check out and see who grows there.
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An upstream photograph. This becomes wild country with few roads or trails. I have spent most of my travels in this area. It is an amazing area - whole mountainsides with Erythroniums blooming in the early spring. Also, marijuana growers! Very scary as they are extremely violent. I would much rather deal with the cougars. They live there too.
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On the way back, I found some Sanicola with new growth. I will have to see them in bloom to make the ID.
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Also, Phacelia, most likely P. hastata, growing at a low elevation. Another to ID when it is in bloom.
This turned out o be an excellent scouting trip as there is much more to explore.
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I'm also fascinated by these xerophytic ferns. We have grown Cheilanthes on the nursery in the past and they seem more tolerant than many other species and spores can hold viability for some time. These are just on the borderline of hardiness with us but maybe some of the Californian species would be hardier? I enjoy seeing these mountain and dryland ferns at Alpine Shows as much as dionysias and rosulate violas ;). There some very interesting S. American species too, hardly cultivated I suppose.
Tim,
Some of the xeric ferns have a considerable altitude range. I feel that those from the higher elevations would be hardy for you as it is much colder and snowy at the upper part of their range. There are season where the snow cover is not reliable with extremely cold weather, easily -17c.
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Is the small leafed plant also a fern? It is very interesting.
Leon,
Yes, the small leafed plant is Adiantum jordanii, a Maidenhair fern.
Yikes!
Yikes! When you read on.... This is what I think of the marijuana growers. They are heavily armed and crazy. I will be glad when the sheriff's department clears them out permanently. I never want to hear of them again.
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Ooopps! This photograph should be labeled as Lomatium
not Sanicula.
A strong winter storm has finally arrived. The winds are gusting to 60 mph. Who knows how long the power will stay on?
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Robert, I really do hope that the marijuana growers don't frighten people from walking in the wilderness!
Some I know would also be frightened by cougars or rattlesnakes! When I was in the rain forest in Ecuador we were told to look out for ants, not snakes or 4-legged animals.
On Svalbard we were warned against polar bears:
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You have again shown some beautiful scenery and interesting plants. Are Dudleia cymosa and Adiantum jordanii frost hardy?
Here is an American fern grown from spores, I think it is Polystichum munitum, in my garden:
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Just now when I am sitting and writing this we have a thunderstorm with hail outside!
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Robert, I really do hope that the marijuana growers don't frighten people from walking in the wilderness!
You have again shown some beautiful scenery and interesting plants. Are Dudleia cymosa and Adiantum jordanii frost hardy?
Here is an American fern grown from spores, I think it is Polystichum munitum, in my garden:
Trond,
Yes, the marijuana growers do frighten people from the wilderness - including me! There are certain times of year when I will not hike in some middle elevation areas. Last week, there was an article in our local newspaper that law enforcement was finally going to crack down on this activity. I certainly hope that they are successful and that no one from law enforcement is harmed. When it is safe, there is much to explore in these inaccessible middle elevation locations.
Dudleya cymosa and Adiantum jordanii are certainly hardy in our area. Every winter, it generally gets to about -7c, sometimes colder -10c to -12c. The coldest temperature I have ever recorded at the farm is 8F (-13c). Very few of our natives were damaged at this temperature. I hope that this information is helpful to you.
Your Polystichum munitum is beautiful. It clearly likes your garden and gardening climate. Dudleya cymosa and Adiantum jordanii are equally as cold hard as Polystichum munitum. The Dudleya needs good drainage and to be very dry during the summer, otherwise it will rot at the crown. Most grow on vertical cliff faces and get very little or no summer rainfall. Adiantum jordanii will go dormant during the summer when it is hot and dry. With irrigation it will stay green.
I'm glad that we do not have to deal with Polar Bears!
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Robert,
we were in fact a bit sorry we didn't see any!
Seems you have had a bit rough weather the last days?
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Here the marijuana growers can't grow outdoors so they rent houses and grow hydroponicly under
lights. We had one next door who was growing in his garage. Last month a nearby house went up in flames and the investigators found marijuana plants in the ruins. Seems to be rife around here.
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I meant I would like to see a polar bear, not a marijuana grower!
But you don't meet the last category outside. Like John says, they are indoors and use sophisticated methods and expensive equipment.
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Robert,
we were in fact a bit sorry we didn't see any!
Seems you have had a bit rough weather the last days?
Trond,
I see what you mean. It would be interesting to see Polar Bears in the wild.
Yes, we finally had a good winter type storm; strong winds, heavy rainfall, localized flooding, and cold enough for snow in the Sierra Nevada. This is very welcome considering the drought conditions for the last 3 years. We are really hoping for a good rainfall season this years. The wildflowers will be spectacular if this weather holds for the rest of our rainy season.
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Robert, please beware of the marijuana growers. We need you and hope for more
interesting pictures of your native plants in their natural habitats.
Many thanks for everything!
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Robert, please beware of the marijuana growers. We need you and hope for more
interesting pictures of your native plants in their natural habitats.
Many thanks for everything!
Yes, I will be safe! The higher elevations are safe to hike as well as most of the lower elevations. Many places in the lower elevations are private property, and off limits. Fortunately, we have some nice state parks at lower elevations that are safe and still have wild areas to explore around. There is plenty of safe areas to keep me busy and stay out of harms way. :)
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One last photograph, a group of Dryopteris arguta growing in the shade of Bigleaf Maples, Acer macrophylla. Today, I came across 5 species of fern, the others were Adiantum jordanii, Pentagramma triangularis, Polypodium calirhiza, and Asidotis densa.
Hi Robert, it is great that you are featuring ferns here. Followers of this thread in Europe and elsewhere may be interested to know that Dryopteris arguta is related to the European D. rigida (and the eastern NA D. marginalis); Adiantum jordanii is related to A. capillus-veneris, and Polypodium calirhiza is related to P. vulgare. The two polypodiums are cousins, of a sort; both are allopolyploids that combine the genes of two diploid species. In the case of P. calirhiza, the two parental species are P. glycyrrhiza and P. californicum (both species restricted to western North America), and in P. vulgare the two parental species are P. glycyrrhiza and P. sibiricum (the latter coming from northern North America and eastern Asia).
I have a couple of plants of the natural hybrid, Adiantum x tracyi, which is jordanii x aleuticum. My understanding is that A. jordanii is considered difficult to grow outside of California's Mediterranean climate, but the hybrid x tracyi is similar (though more robust) and much more amenable to cultivation. Possibly strains of A. jordanii from the upper elevation or northern geographic limits of its range may be more suited to temperate gardens but I doubt anyone has yet tested this idea.
Ed
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Hi Ed,
I would gladly test any fern here in my climate ;)
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Possibly strains of A. jordanii from the upper elevation or northern geographic limits of its range may be more suited to temperate gardens but I doubt anyone has yet tested this idea.
Ed
Greetings Ed,
Thanks for the technical information.
It is quite possible many west side (Sierra Nevada) "California" plants may be amenable to garden culture in seemingly less than ideal climates. I have recently been studying a flora of the state of Nevada. It is surprising to see that some low elevation California species also grow in Nevada. One thing that I'm always on the look out for, are species growing at the extreme end of their range or where they were previously thought not to grow. Climatically there is something of interest around our parts during all the seasons.
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We grow Polypodium scouleri in the garden, which I read in Sue Olsen's superb book is a coastal species (and needs coolth and shade, so rather different to the more xerophytic ferns). It does sound as though the higher altitude Californian ferns would be well worth a trial in the garden. I must learn more about them now seeing Robert's pictures and Ed's comments. We grow Asplenium ceterach and A. trichomanes very successfully in the sand bed. (Trond - I don't think ferns suffer so badly from the depredations of slugs, they could be good in a Norweigan garden ;))
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We grow Polypodium scouleri in the garden, which I read in Sue Olsen's superb book is a coastal species
Getting a bit off-topic here, but yes, Polypodium scouleri is an amazing tropical-like fern that is adapted to moderate temperate climates. It only grows in coastal forests of Picea sitchensis or Sequoia sempervirens, either as an epiphyte or on rock outcrops or soil banks. With age, the epiphytic clumps, in particular, can become enormous, reminiscent of epiphytic gardens in tropical cloud forests. Here is the abstract from a paper on the topic published in the American Journal of Botany in 2003:
Redwood forests contain some of the largest and most structurally complex trees on Earth. The most abundant vascular epiphyte in
these forests is the fern Polypodium scouleri (Polypodiaceae). We measured dimensions of all 765 P. scouleri mats on 32 trees (27
Sequoia sempervirens, 5 Picea sitchensis). Eighteen P. scouleri mats from 11 trees were randomly selected for removal and dissection
in the laboratory. The total fern mat mass consisted of live fronds (3.3%), dead fronds (2.4%), live rhizomes (4.2%), dead rhizomes
(8.9%), roots (34.4%), humus (28.0%), and debris (18.8%). We used multiple regression analysis to develop equations for estimation
of fern masses, and we applied these equations to undisturbed fern mats on the 32 trees. Individual trees supported up to 742 kg dry
mass of P. scouleri mats. These are the highest whole-tree epiphyte masses ever reported. We also quantified crown structure and
counted the number of vascular plant species occurring as epiphytes on each tree. Very large, complex trees had more fern mat mass
and higher vascular epiphyte species richness than smaller, simpler trees. Desiccation-sensitive organisms dependent on water stored
in fern mats may be unable to survive in managed redwood forests lacking large, complex trees with abundant P. scouleri.
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Hi Ed,
I would gladly test any fern here in my climate ;)
Casa Flora (a wholesale producer in the US) has put Adiantum x tracyi into tissue culture: http://www.casaflora.com/plant/tracys-maidenhair/. (http://www.casaflora.com/plant/tracys-maidenhair/.) So it should be readily available in the US, perhaps they could also export to Europe.
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I could wish I had the redwoods to go with it! Reading that I know see that we don't have those coastal fogs that P. scouleri really needs, even if it does grow in the garden moderately well. The higher altitude ferns that Robert shows are more likely to grow successfully, and certainly in pots as we have grown Cheilanthes.
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I could wish I had the redwoods to go with it! Reading that I know see that we don't have those coastal fogs that P. scouleri really needs, even if it does grow in the garden moderately well. The higher altitude ferns that Robert shows are more likely to grow successfully, and certainly in pots as we have grown Cheilanthes.
In California, there is an interesting transition zones between the coastal redwood forest and the hot interior. Most of the time this zone is at the summit crest of the first mountain ridges in the coastal range, however where coastal rivers cut through the coast range this transition zone is larger and not as abrupt as on the mountain crest. When my uncle was alive I had access to Mount Tamalpais through some little known back trails very near to his home. Much of the coastal area seems well explored, but I sure wish that I had that access to those trails now. At least, I learned that there were coastal plant species that spilled over into a warmer environment. Certainly it appears that there are possibilities that there could be coastal plant communities that possess greater heat tolerance than those well within the summer fog belt.
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18 December 2014
Weather: High Clouds
High:53F (11.5c) Low:39F (3.5c)
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Today, I thought that I would give the North Fork of the American River a try. The North Fork and the Middle Fork of the American River converge at 595 ft (182 meters), where the trailhead begins. For the first 2 to 3 miles the North Fork runs north-south then turns to the east. Today, I scouted the east facing west bank. When the river turned to the east, I would be on the south facing bank, a different exposure than last weeks outing.
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At the beginning the trail is as wide as a one lane dirt road (basically that is what it is). The cut faces were full of ferns. Polypodium calirhiza (pictured) and Pentagramma triangularis were the predominant ferns.
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A terrible photograph, but seeing is believing, Ranunuculus californicus or R. canus in bloom. Very unusual for this time of year!
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At first I thought that I might not find much as I worked my way up stream, now on a path.
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As usual, once I start getting off the beaten path the plants start getting interesting.
Pellaea andromedifolia, Coffee Fern, one of the Cliff-brake Ferns. They generally grow in very dry locations. I found them both in somewhat sunny locations as well as shaded locations, always where it would be very dry during the summer.
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I do my best to keep an eye on everything. I found this Phacelia cicutaria in the grass (upper, center), something to look forward to this spring.
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Bulbs were sprouting everywhere. I found the dry remains of Calochortus, Erythronium, and much more. I will be back in the spring.
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I also found these Ranunculus that were extremely interesting. I am still uncertain who they are.
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On shady cliff faces were many Dudleyia cymosa.
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I crossed several feeder creeks on my way up river. I was really hoping that I would find Woodwardia ferns.
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As usual I ended up on a game trail, then no trail. Out of time it was time to turn back.
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I took a different route back and found Woodwardia fimbriata by one of the feeder streams.
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Here is another look. They can get somewhat large, 1 x 1 meter would be, maybe, average size, and always water lovers, growing near creeks or springs.
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A close-up, and then back down to the truck waiting for me. It would be dark soon and I was not interested in being out in the dark.
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I can only imagine what those dudleyas look like in flower! Very enjoyable following your walk and I learn something new every time. We have grown Woodwardia unigemmata successfully for many years, even through one exceptionally dry summer, which surprised me greatly. I have just planted W. fimbriata under the apples with many other ferns. No stream nearby but I hope it might show similar tolerance to drier summers. Species of dryopteris and polystichum all do very well and they add a great deal to the garden.
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Casa Flora (a wholesale producer in the US) has put Adiantum x tracyi into tissue culture: http://www.casaflora.com/plant/tracys-maidenhair/. (http://www.casaflora.com/plant/tracys-maidenhair/.) So it should be readily available in the US, perhaps they could also export to Europe.
Thanks for the link, Ed but I think they only do wholesale.
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I imagine that I am following in your steps, Robert, seeing what you see!
Interesting details, what lacks is the smells and sounds that always are accompanying you at a walk like that!
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I have just planted W. fimbriata under the apples with many other ferns. No stream nearby but I hope it might show similar tolerance to drier summers. Species of dryopteris and polystichum all do very well and they add a great deal to the garden.
Around here Woodwardia fimbriata is a complete "water hog". I have never seen them growing away from a water source of some sort, even in the coastal fog belt. It will extremely interesting to learn how it does for you in your climatic situation and current planting site - irrigation program or non irrigation.
For us Dryopteris arguta and Polystichum minutum are tolerant of drier conditions and can still preform well.
Thanks for the brief report. It would be interesting to know if you are growing any of our other California Polystichum species. Most are from a higher elevation in the Sierra Nevada. No photograph of them until the snow melts this coming summer.
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I imagine that I am following in your steps, Robert, seeing what you see!
Interesting details, what lacks is the smells and sounds that always are accompanying you at a walk like that!
Trond,
I was able to recover a few spores off of Dryopteris arguta. I planted them already. I may be able to recover more - hopefully it is not too late.
For me it will be interesting growing our native ferns on from spores. Many of them divide out easily, some of the others sprout and grow without any effort on my part, but most do not. The spores ripen and dehisce at different seasons for the various species. I have a feeling, for some, it may be tricky to get the spores to sprout and grow on.
PM me if you are interested in more details.
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Robert, unlike your conditions in California with such severe drought earlier on we have had the most rainfall we've ever recorded this year - getting on for 42" compared with our long term average of 27". The ferns have never looked so good and many of the woodland plants have stayed in growth much longer than normal. We do grow Polystichum munitum but it seems less tolerant of dry conditions than many other species - I should probably move it to a better spot. I remember seeing a magnificent plant of it in an Irish garden, which stood out because it's such a distinctive species. Don't grow any other Californians but I will check the BPS (British Pteridological Society) spore list after Christmas.
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Around here Woodwardia fimbriata is a complete "water hog". I have never seen them growing away from a water source of some sort, even in the coastal fog belt. It will extremely interesting to learn how it does for you in your climatic situation and current planting site - irrigation program or non irrigation.
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Glad to know! I do plant different kinds of ferns around in the garden and it is useful to know of their habitat. Although it usually is moist here the summers can be rather dry (but not like a Californian drought though!).
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31 December 2014
Weather: Mostly clear, some high clouds.
Temperature High:52F (11c) Low:22F (-5.5C)
Back at the farm now after a little time away.
Today was a good day to scout out American Canyon Creek, a 3 mile hike down the canyon to the Middle Fork of the American River.
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The trail starts at the top of the ridge at 1,750 feet (685 meters) and works its way down the east facing canyon side. This slope was covered with mature Douglas Fir (Pseuditsuga menziesii) and Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis) as the dominant canopy trees, with an understory of Bay (Umbellularia californica), Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), and Philadelphus lewisii.
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In this habitat ferns are everywhere. The slopes are covered in Dryoptris arguta (pictured), as well as Pentagramma triangularis, Adiantum jordanii, and Polypodium calirhiza this species mostly growing out of cliff faces.
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Where there is year round running water, Giant Chain Ferns (Woodwardia fimbriata) are often found. It is hard to tell, but this one was huge standing nearly 2 meters tall!
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I took a wrong turn and ended up on an upper trail over looking the canyon. This turned out okay, as my main mission was to scout habitat for Erythroniums. Conditions looked good. I will be returning a bit later in the season to see if I find any coming up.
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Back tracking to the correct trail, I finally arrived at the bottom of the canyon and crossed American Canyon Creek and different habitat on the west facing slope.
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I found this waterfall down a steep icy slope. Good place the take a swim during the heat of the summer.
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The cliff face on the other opposite bank was covered with icicles. I was in the shade most of the day where it never thawed out. This caused problems with my camera as it did not want to function in the relative cold. Bummer :P as there were some new plants that I wanted to photograph.
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Near the Middle Fork of the American River there were these beautiful frozen rock gardens of Sedum spathulifolium, Heuchera micrantha, Polypodium calirhiza and a few other plants.
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Bracken Ferns, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens, very dormant, and growing at a somewhat low elevation for this species.
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Finally I arrived at the Middle Fork. 685 feet (209 meters). The trail crosses the River here at Poverty Bar, the water too high for a crossing today so it was time to turn back. I did find a few new plants on this outing that I will want to investigate this coming spring. I found an interesting Ribes species, most likely R. roezlii, a common species a little higher up the mountain, however it could also be R. amarum, a species I have never found. They key out close together so I will just have to come back later. ;)
Symphoricarpus mollis was common on this outing, and I did find a few Rubus leucodermis. The camera did not want to cooperate with this one - the blue stems with a white bloom are striking on this species. I finally found some Styrax - they can be abundant when one finds the correct habitat. The flowers are very fragrant. Very drought tolerant like Philadelphus lewisii and excellent in our garden too.
Another good outing and with many new things to check out this coming new year.
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I am a bit jealous, Robert!
Although I really like skiing it isn't much green to see while being out at this time of the year, at least not up here. The days are very short also so even at home where we usually have no snow you don't reach much. The flora isn't that rich either - you'll find pretty much the same from sea level and up in the mountains.
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Trond,
The flora here in California is amazing. Here in the coldest part of our winter, I can still go out and identify 45 or so different species all in the same life zone. In the spring it will be in the 100's. Each life zone also has its subtleties. Even though I'm working the same general life zone right now, I generally find 5-10 plants that I didn't see on a previous outing.
It is unfortunate that my camera had such difficulties on my last outing, there were some beautiful sites on some of the frozen cliff and rock faces. If I hold my hand around the battery end of the camera it will work, but then I often need both hands to stay safe, especially when it is icy. I'm sure that the new cameras are much better than my old camera in this regard. Some feed back on cameras in cold weather would be helpful to me. At some point I will need to buy a new one, one that will work when it is cold. Has anyone been on Everest with a digital camera that still works?
The high Sierra Nevada are covered with snow now (a good thing!), so there is not much to see there plant wise. I will most likely take a few trips up there this winter as I like their winter beauty too.