Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: Robert on February 19, 2014, 01:22:03 AM
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2014 could be an interesting season with the severe drought conditions here in Northern California. I thought that it could be interesting to report my observations.
The photographs are from Camp Creek, one of our local areas, where I have been visiting our native plants. I started getting spring water, for drinking, in this area about 1980. This has made it easy to check on the native plants often. Lilium, Fritillaria, Calochotus, Erythronium, and many other bulbous plants grow in this area. The lily population is very fluid with L. parvum growing up stream, L. pardalinum growing down stream and intermediate plants where the photographs were taken.
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The first photograph is from Stonebraker Creek a tributary of Camp Creek. Cornus nuttallii supplies the autumn color. There are a number of hybrid swarms of Lilium parvum x pardalinum in this area. At one time Trillium angustipetalum grew in this area. Logging has disturbed the habitat and I have not seen them for many years. Fortunately there are protected areas where they still can be found if one looks carefully.
Thrkild,
If I am lucky I will catch Trillium angustipetalum in bloom and get a good photograph. It is a beauty. :)
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I'll look forward to it, Robert. It will be interesting to read your observations on the effects of the drought.
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I'll look forward to it, Robert. It will be interesting to read your observations on the effects of the drought.
Thanks Anne! I'm hoping it will be an interesting project.
Many of the bulbs have a few months to go still. With the recent rains the Dodecathion hendersonii have exploded from the ground - it seems well budded too. Also, maybe, Dodecathion is stretching the term bulb a bit. :)
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Hello Robert.
I look forward to seeing your photos of Trillium angustipetalum.
Just a couple of Lilium to look at:
Picture 1: Lilium canadense
Picture 2: Lilium Henryi.
Thorkild.
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Hello Robert.
I look forward to seeing your photos of Trillium angustipetalum.
Just a couple of Lilium to look at:
Picture 1: Lilium canadense
Picture 2: Lilium Henryi.
Thorkild.
Thorkild,
My wife and I just got back from opening our Sacramento Valley home for the Farmers' Market season. The Liliums are fantastic! We have some nice L. michiganense at our Sacramento garden. I hope to get some good photographs this season. They are quite nice. There are lots of L. henryi and henryi hybrids that do well there too.
I love the photographs. :)
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Another nice rainy day in drought stricken California.
In general, at this time, it is soil moisture and not temperature that is driving the growth of our perennial and annual natives. By the end of February Blue Dicks, Dichelostemma capitatum are in bloom at the lower elevations. Lots of growth now but no flowers yet.
The Dodecatheon hendersonii is blooming in a tiny habitat restoration bed that I have irrigated during the dry winter. In other areas where there has only been rain water they are still a few week behind.
In our restoration areas we are attempting to reestablish our native bunch grasses. The bed pictured has Festuca californica, Ranunculus occidentalis, various Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, and Triteleia, as well as some Dodecatheon.
The last two photographs are the acres of non-native annual grasses. A month ago the grass was brown where it would have been green. It is good that we are getting rain and things are greening up.
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It is becoming clear that lack of rain and snow up through January has impacted and delayed the development of our native bulbs, perennials and annuals. Even with our recent precipitation temperatures have been running much above normal. Our native trees and shrubs are starting to leaf out now and are about 2 weeks ahead of average. The bulbs, perennials, and annuals so far are about 2 weeks behind average. It is going to be very interesting to see how this season "pans out".
Below are photographs of our native shooting stars now just getting started with their bloom cycle. It has been very good to see them spread to new locations around our farm.
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Lovely Robert.
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Your photos of lovely shooting stars, Dodecatheon hendersonii remind me that in the last few years the plants in our garden have dwindled somewhat - time for a note about new seed, this season I think.
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Robert
very interesting posts. In view of the drought we are giving a trip over there a miss this year and have booked for the French Alps.
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The drought is effecting not only California, but the whole Great Basin of the USA. It will be interesting to see how this turns out. It may not be the best year to visit if one is interested in our native plants in their native habitat.
For me it will be a good time to have a "look about", and gather seed for the seed exchange if appropriate.
Thank you for the positive comments. There are some very good places to visit locally, I've been planning locations to visit, and will have camera in hand. Hopefully it will all go over well. ;)
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The season has progressed enough where I made the short walk down the road from our Sierra - Foothill / Mountain farm to check on the serpentine barren. It was a windy day and a little difficult for me to photograph, but not much of a big deal as the plants are just starting to bloom.
Echscholzia californica and Dichelostemma capitatum are among the first to bloom. I also enjoy the early annuals such as 'Cream Cups', Platystemon californicus (Papaveraceae) and 'Goldfields', Lasthenia californica (Asteraceae) that will turn the whole area golden yellow. The show will not be as nice as in wet years however it is nice to see our annuals progressing despite the drought.
My favorite plant in this area is Lewisia rediviva. I think that they can survive anything except development. Some are well budded and will be blooming soon.
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Robert, I have loved Echscholzia californica ever since I first saw it in my Grandparents' Scottish garden when I was a very little girl. I has always spoken to me of summer and happy days - I am pleased whenever I see it, all these many years later. Wonderful how plants can be such memory triggers. I have seen photographs of huge swathes of these flowering in nature and though I have never seen that myself, nor do I expect so to do, these are happiness flowers for me - I can even imagine the scent of them!
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Maggi,
I definitely can relate to your statement. I think that I started growing our native alpine plants for the good memories they would bring to me. When I was young, my father and uncle brought me along with them on their trips to the high back-country. The first trip was when I was 5 years old! The flowers towered over my head and clearly made a deep impression. Growing challenging plants can be enjoyable; however common and easy plants clearly have there place too. Thank you for sharing your experience. :)
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The wind died down today and I was able to get some better photos of our first spring bulbs and annuals from the local serpentine barren.
The Platystemon and Lasthenia are both California native annuals. Their blooming season is just getting started. If we get a bit more rain the whole serpentine area will be gold and cream with their blossoms. In a good season they can bloom for several months. Also, I enjoy growing annuals in our garden, not the garden center type, but these and other California native annuals. It is very different.
You can see from the last photo that the Lewisia rediviva are budded and have maybe a week or so before the start blooming.
All this is the first wave, in a good season there will be Delphiniums, Mimulus, Clarkia, and others.
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The Dichelostemma are the first to bloom in our area. They can be very weedy in the garden - beautiful in the wild.
The only other bulb that grows in this serpentine area is Calochortus superbus. It flowers much later when almost everything else is drying up for the season. There can be considerable variation in the flower color of this species and it will hybridize with other Calochortus species in the area. This population is very stable.
The Erythroniums will be blooming soon. I'm hoping to check on them very soon.
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It gets busy on the farm - so I don't always have time to get off the place. :'( Some photos from past seasons.
It is Erythronium season at the lower elevations. The photograph was taken several years ago in the Rubicon River Canyon. The mountainside has millions. It is a site to see. ;)
Fritillaria recurva blooms a few weeks later. This photograph was taken in the Feather River canyon. I hope to have more on this - there are many beautiful plants in this area.
Springtime in the California Foothills. Near our farm.
Sunset on Table Mountain - Northern Sacramento Valley. One of our best spring wildflower sites. :)
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Dreams of California....nice pictures
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Dreams of California....nice pictures
Yann,
Thanks for the compliment.
Maybe I'm dreaming too. I hope to get to Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley's twin sister, this spring. Awesome scenery and beautiful wildflowers - also, burned over by the Rim fire last summer/fall. I'm dreamin' that the damage is not too bad.
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I finally checked on our low elevation population of Erythronium multiscapoideum. The timing is good as they have just started to bloom and the site is only 10 minutes away from the farm.
The habitat is extremely hot and dry during the summer. Very different from their habitat farther up the mountain.
At this low elevation the Erythroniums grow mostly in the shade of the chaparral shrubbery - Arctostaphylos viscida (Whiteleaf Manzanita), Adenostoma fasciculatum (Chamise) are the most common.
This time of year the Redbuds (Cercis occidentalis) look nice.
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Robert, if you are only ten minutes away from Erythroniums in nature, don't be surprised if you wake up one day and there's a skinny Scotsman on your doorstep - it'll be Ian Young!
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Robert, if you are only ten minutes away from Erythroniums in nature, don't be surprised if you wake up one day and there's a skinny Scotsman on your doorstep - it'll be Ian Young!
Oh my! :o
Thanks for the heads up. When do we send him home? ;) There is a lot to see here!
It looks like more rain for us this coming week, but maybe rain is something you may not want to here about.
And talking about folks that just show up - We received some good tips on were to find more of our local native Trilliums...... somebody showing up out of the blue.
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Today was our last sunny day before another series of storms hit and more much needed rain. It was a good day to check on the local Erythroniums. I brought my GPS today - 365m elevation. I know of only one colony that grow at a lower elevation. Most grow at a higher elevation and in a very different habitat. Enjoy! :)
And yes these are wild E. multiscapoideum - a 10 minute drive from our farm. and I drive slow!
I will have more notes on them in a day or two.
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A few more notes on E. multiscapoideum before I move on.
In our area, most of the Erythronium bulbs grow very shallow - generally 3-5 cm deep. This is consistent in all the locations I am familiar with. I often find them growing on rocks or boulders with moss and sometimes very little soil. In the Deer Valley / Pine Hill area they grow in a gritty clay / gabbro based soil. Most of the plants grow in the shade of prominent chaparral plants and / or resprouting Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizeni).
At this site I noticed rodent activity. The rodents do not seem to bother the bulbs. This is also true in our ornamental garden.
Most of he colonies in this area seem quite old. In some locations where the chaparral has been partly removed some time ago they are still growing, now with the aromatic Salvia sonimensis, a sun loving native perennial.
The bulbs bake all summer. There is little or no rainfall from the first of June to mid-October. Temperatures of 38-40c are common during the summer. In our ornamental garden they seem to do better without summer irrigation, however they will grow and bloom with irrigation if the soil drains well.
The last photo is of Pine Hill home to a few endemic plants. It is one of the few location where Calochortus luteus grows and is safe from development. Calochortus superbus also grows on Pine Hill and there are nice natural hybrids of the two species. I've been long winded and it is time to move on. ;)
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It has been a good rainy week here in Northern California. Between the wet weather and the demands of livelihood I haven't had a chance to check on some of the places I've been wanting to visit. Nevertheless, I did get down the road to check on the serpentine barrens. The rains that started in February have brought things along well.
The Goldfields (Lasthenia californica), Cream Cups (Platystemon californicus) and California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are blooming well. This will last more or less as long as the spring rains persist.
It is difficult for me to photograph but there are thousands of Dichelostemma in bloom too. So many that it is difficult not to be stepping on them.
When checking on the Lewisia rediviva, they will be blooming any day now, I found one deep colored Dichelostemma. This is not very unusual but nice none the less.
The rains have even brought the Mimulus guttatus on. Generally they grow 15cm or more, this season they are blooming at 15-20mm.
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Robert, you bring a whole new meaning to Californian Gold Fields!
Between the wet weather and the demands of livelihood
- I love that phrase - you and your family are as keen as the rest of us, I guess, to have a roof over your heads and be able to eat! :)
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"Between the weather and the demands of livelihood..."
- I love that phrase - you and your family are as keen as the rest of us, I guess, to have a roof over your heads and be able to eat! :)
Like John Muir I've always been prone to wandering in the mountains and then there is the passion for plants and the garden. In my mind it would be pleasant to have these things as livelihood. ;) Fortunately, I've enjoyed my activities on this planet and have done my best to bring good. :)
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Robert, I very much enjoy looking at your pictures and reading your notes.
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Robert, I very much enjoy looking at your pictures and reading your notes.
David,
Thank you for the good words! :) I enjoy getting away from the farm and the work load. Visiting our native plants sharpens my skills, and it is even better when others can enjoy and/or benefit from this too. Your comments are appreciated!
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Today I attempted to visit Pine Hill. There is now a locked gate and no public access. :(
Nearby I did see this nice Lupinus albifrons, definitely one of my favorites. Perennial, silvery foliage, and a good fragrance. :)
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Robert
lovely to see,you are correct it is a nice thing . Some of the foliage is often nicer than the flowers.
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Robert
lovely to see,you are correct it is a nice thing . Some of the foliage is often nicer than the flowers.
Tony,
Yes, I agree the foliage of L. albifrons can be such a beautiful silver colour. I have some nice forms here at the farm - very silvery all year. My next visit will be to Rock Creek. There the L. albifrons grow directly out of the south facing rock face of the road cut. Needless to say they are not as lush as the previous photos. Also a good area for various Calochortus, Fritillaria, and other native bulbs.
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I finally had an opportunity to spend a few hours out in the field checking on our native bulbs and other plants. This time I went up the hill a bit to the South Fork of the American River and Rock Creek. All public land with few people.
The down side of going up the hill, this time, is that I see some of the same plants: the season is not as progressed as lower down the mountain.
Dichelostemma capitatum is everywhere on the cliff faces. This is the only bulb I saw in bloom, except one Triteleia ixiodes far up the cliff where I could not photograph it. I saw many other bulb species, but it is still to early in the season for them to be blooming.
Other wildflowers were looking good. Considering the dry season the display was surprisingly good. It is even better when we get good rainfall!
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Foothill Poppy, Eschscholzia caespitosa, is putting on quite the show now, especially with Sky Lupine, Lupinus Nanus.
The Rock faces are also covered with blooming Lupinus albifrons - everywhere!
Spider Lupine, Lupinus benthamii, is another very showy species blooming now.
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In shady areas one sees Nemophila heterophylla and Silene californica in bloom with Goldback Fern, Pityrogramma triangularis, and various Fritillaria and Calochortus - mostly F. micrantha and C. albus, not yet in bloom.
There has been enough rainfall to keep this waterfall going for another season - and the Lilium pardalium. They are located at the top of the falls on the left hand side. There are two nice clumps that should look nice in June.
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Closer to the farm at the serpentine barrens the Lewisia rediviva is now in bloom.
Also, Nemophila menziesii - nice to see wild plants, not something out of a "wildflower" seed mix.
Lots of Monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus - the rain really brought them on!
And masses of Goldfields, Lasthenia californica.
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Robert
looks wonderful. Redivia is a superb plant,only ever found one in flower but it was great to see.
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Robert
looks wonderful. Redivia is a superb plant,only ever found one in flower but it was great to see.
Thanks Tony.
I'll be following the Lewisia rediviva up the mountain as the season progresses. There are other Lewisias in the area, some are snow melt bloomers, so timing is everything. I'm not retired from work so I'll see what happens - I do enjoy getting out in the field.
Thanks again.
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Things are changing fast with the warm and dry weather the last two weeks. Today, I hiked in the Traverse Creek area. The creek flows through a serpentine area with oak - pine woodland in some of the surrounding higher areas.
Two weeks ago when I checked the Fritillaria micrantha was not even in bud and now they are finished and setting seed.
Iris hartwegii is in bloom throughout the area.
as well as Calochortus monophyllus.
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A few lewisia rediviva were still blooming, however it was too overcast for the flowers to open.
I was very happy to find Viola douglasii,
growing with Mimulus bicolor.
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The Triteleia hyacinthina were just starting to bloom,
with the Ceanothus lemmonii blooming in the higher terrain.
Another good plant was this viola, perhaps pedunculata, or a ssp. of lobata. I'll get an ID when I have a chance to key it out.
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On the way back to the farm I checked on things in the canyon of the South Fork of the American River.
In semi shaded areas Calochortus albus is everywhere. It is very common in this part of California.
Many of our Lupines are still in bloom, Lupinus benthamii among my favorites.
Dudleya cymosa blooms on cliff faces, in baking sun!
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In more shaded areas there are a few Delphiniums. This one was on a shaded cliff face, and I could not get close enough to it to make a positive ID, it but it is most likely D. hansenii.
Wallflowers, Erysimum capitatum, and Silene californica also share the shaded areas,
with Triteleia ixioides in the semi shade.
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In the baking sun is Tarweed, Madia, most likely elegans. I love the scent of its foliage, especially when the fall rains arrive.
Mimulus auranticus blooms until things dry-out too much. Then it looks dead, only to come back to life with the fall rains.
The drought here in California has certainly shortened the bloom season and there are fewer flowers. I was checking on a colony of Erythronium multiscapoideum today and found aborted flowers that never made it out of the ground. This was most likely due to the extreme dry from October to the end of January went the ground stayed baked and hard.
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Robert, it's wonderful to see these beautiful plants in nature and read about their growing conditions. Thank you.
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Robert for some reason I had not seen this thread before.
Thank you for making the effort to share this with us.
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The Calochortus monophyllus are charming - not that their brothers are not!
These wildflower walks with you are areal pleasure, Robert.
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Yes, this is an interesting project for me and it sharpens my skills.
I'm glad that it is appreciated by others - thank you, all, for the positive comments!
With the trip the other day I could have made things interesting, as there was a big rattlesnake in the trail sunning itself! Later, I thought that it would have made a nice photograph for the forum. I guess there is next time. ::) I will be returning to see if there will be any seed to gather this season, and maybe, my friend will be there to greet me again.
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With the longer days, I was able to make it up the mountain to look for Trilliums. I didn't find any Trillium but I did find these Orchids! Corallorhiza grows, both, in dry areas as well as near streams as long as there is plenty of organic material for them to feed on.
Dicentra formosa can also be found in seasonally dry areas as well as near streams.
Down the mountain, near the post office, the Salvia sonomensis is blooming with Ceanothus roderickii - both very lovely.
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I spent part of the day looking for Erythronium tuolumnense in the canyon of the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. This Erythronium generally blooms in March, so I was checking for seed. A very poor seed crop this season, but not surprising considering the drought.
The poppies were still blooming on the hillsides, most likely Eschscholzia caespitosa. The show is even better when there is average or above average rainfall!
In shady places there are nice drifts of Chinese Houses, Collinsia hetrophylla.
Lastly, the first of the Mariposa Lilies this season; a white form of Calochortus venustus.
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Today was the big day to visit Erythronium taylori. I was not sure what to expect with the disastrous Rim Fire last fall.
The Erythroniums had finished blooming but I was glad to see that their habitat was in fairly good shape with some of the plants having set seed. It is so dry I'm not sure that they will make a crop this season.
Some areas were a real mess. The mountains look green but it is only grass where there were trees and shrubs. They were burned to nothing! Luckily other areas benefited from the fire - burning out the small and crowded trees.
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Rather than being depressed I went over the Hetch Hetchy for some good medicine.
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I didn't see much in the way of bulbous plants however there were a few other wildflowers still in bloom.
A selection:
Castilleja exserta was one of many paintbrush species in bloom.
and California Thistle,
Erigeron foliosus grew near the trailhead,
with Heuchera rubescens,
the phlox was a nice surprise!
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The Lupines were still in bloom at the higher elevations.
Lupinus nanus and L. stiverii made a good combination.
Madia elegans, Tarweed, is wonderful near the trail, both now with its flowers, and later with its scented foliage.
Wyethia angustifolia is protected in Yosemite Park. What a blessing, out side the park cattle have eaten most of them.
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The Rim Fire burned over 400 square miles of land!
However,
salamanders survived the Rim Fire. I saw many today!
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Thanks, Robert, for the update on the Rim fire. It is good to hear that the habitat of Erythronium taylori was not too severely affected, and the plants have survived, given that the entire range of the species was within the fire perimeter. Certainly, however, many other habitats and species were severely affected.
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The big heat is here. The forecast is for 37c for the next few days. Spring is over in the low lands with the last few bulbs and wildflowers blooming locally, here, near the farm.
The California Poppies started the season and they finish the season, here with Clarkia gracilis.
Carpets of Brodiaea purdyi are everywhere - one of my favorites! and good in the rock garden as it is fairly small.
In our area the Mariposa Lilies are blooming. I like Calochortus superbus. C. luteus is even better. Unfortunately is was growing near the freeway - too dangerous to photograph!
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My ankle is finally healing and I can wear my hiking boots again.
Today I visited the spring on Camp Creek to get drinking water. Along the way the Roundtooth Ookow, Dichelostemma multiflorum, was in bloom.
Back at the farm, thousands of Brodiaea elegans are getting ready to bloom. This season could be magical, I've never seen so many ready to bloom at one time in this way before.
The high country is getting free of snow and my ankle is well enough. Where will next week take me?
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Another plant we enjoy is Salvia clevelandii, a Southern California native.
I had to share this plant as it thrives in our dry heat and during hot weather the foliage has a divine fragrance!
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Improved photographs of Salvia clevelandii. ;)
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The 40c weather is here. With the heat, it will not be long until the monsoon season starts in the Sierras with thunderstorms in the mountains and sometimes rain showers down into the Sierra Foothills and the Sacramento Valley.
Today I returned to the Traverve Creek - Bear Creek area. Despite the heat and dry weather there is still much in bloom.
Allium sanbornii and Brodiaea elegans are some of the late blooming bulbs in this area.
This year there are masses of Brodiaea elegans everywhere. It is very beautiful.
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In the serpentine barrens Brodieae purdyi is blooming everywhere (difficult not to step on them!). They are quite dwarf, thriving in the serpentine rock where the grasses can not grow.
It is nice to see so many Calochortus superbus. A favorite of mine.
Castilleja applegatei adds some bright color throughout this natural garden.
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I enjoy scent in our home garden - both flowers and foliage.
The foliage of Monardella has a strong mint-like fragrance and colorful flowers. I have not keyed this one out yet, but who ever it is, its scent fills the area during hot weather, like today.
Penstemon heterophyllus is another late bloomer. The good forms are very showy and have a good compact growth habit.
I think that the last plant is Eriogonum tripodum. I know that it grows in this area but I will have to key it out to make sure. Who ever it is they look good.
I'm glad to be back on my feet again!
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For the first time this season I was able to visit the high country, an hour drive from the farm.
It is clearly a dry season as the trail that is generally flowing with snow melt in June, is moist but with no flowing water. The sand flats are already very dry.
Eriogonum marifolium, very common in this area, was blooming all over the dry rocky flats.
I found this nice Calypridium umbellatum.
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Also in the dry rocky flats:
Allium campanulatum is generally common in this area. This season I saw few.
There were many Triteleia ixioides with some Mimulus breweri. This monkeyflower is tiny but can put on a good show when there is more moisture.
Eriophyllum lanatum is tough and does not seem to mind the dry weather.
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The tiny Lewisia triphylla grows in the sand flats with Lewisia nevadensis. Lewisia nevadensis can put on a good show and was looking good today.
Delphinium nuttallianum grows in the flats where there is a bit more moisture. This year they were very stunted, growing half, to a quarter, their normal size.
This was the season for the Calochortus nudus / minimus complex. There were masses of them everywhere. I'll have more on this subject. One could find a gradation from C. nudus to C. minimus. They were all very different from each other.
I found this one Calochortus with 7 flowers on the plant.
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In moist areas grows Ranunculus alismifolius. It has small flowers, however where there are masses it is showy.
Senecio integerrimus grows in the rocky, dry areas, with Valeriana californica. It looks good with the butterfly. :) And there seems to always be many butterflies in this area.
In the dry shade I found a few Viola bakeri. Small, but a very sweet little viola.
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In moist areas grows Camassia quamash. A very showy native bulb. In another area, I know of meadows where they grow by the thousands. The bears seem to like this area too.
Mertensia ciliata likes moisture too, but also seems to be where the ground is rocky.
Nemophila maculata grows everwhere along the trail. Along with Castilleja minata, which is just getting started.
I found this nice Arnica. I will have to ID it. :-\
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I enjoy the color of the Hackelia. In a good season, they bloom throughout the forest. It is a great sight!
And lastly, Penstemon newberryi.
I hope that you have enoyed! ;)
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Many thanks Robert. Lovely to see Lewisia triphylla in the wild which I doubt is in cultivation in the UK. Interesting that my L. nevadensis are way over.
Then I got to the bears!!!!! Do you need to take a gun with you on your hikes?
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Many thanks Robert. Lovely to see Lewisia triphylla in the wild which I doubt is in cultivation in the UK. Interesting that my L. nevadensis are way over.
Then I got to the bears!!!!! Do you need to take a gun with you on your hikes?
Oh, never a gun! :-\
In this same area I came across Mama Bear and her Cubs. Not a good situation, however it all turned out okay. I backed up, then made a lot of noise as I moved around them at a good distance. Other than that, I like seeing the bears, mountain lions, and other wild life.
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Back to Traverse Creek this week. Things are very dry and hot, 35-40c almost every day now. I do enjoy the scent of the chaparral during the heat of the day.
A few scenes of the area.
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Traverse Creek is still flowing. With 3 years of severe drought it may be dry by September. I hope not - there are trout that live in the creek.
Oak pine forest is the dominant forest type in this area, mainly Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) and California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggi) but with many other species mixed in.
In the serpentine areas of Traverse Creek California Gray Pine (Pinus sabiniana) is dominant.
Some other common shrubs of serpentine:
Quercus durata - a shrub oak of about 2 meters in height.
Rhamnus californica - Coffee Berry
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More shrubs common to the serpentine:
Ceanothus cuneatus - Buckbrush Yes, the deer do eat it.
Heteromeles arbutifolia - Toyon or Christmas Berry The red berries are beautiful during the wintertime.
Arctostaphylos viscida - White-leaf Manzanita Generally the bark peels to reveal a chestnut inner bark. On this one the inner bark is tan, not a very common feature.
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Well into the dry season there are still some plants blooming.
Eriogonums are generally late bloomers and thrive in the heat.
Still a few Paintbrushes, Castilleja, before they dry-up.
Penstemon heterophyllus is a late bloomer with some flowers still coming on.
The only bulb I saw today was a few Brodiaea elegans.
California Poppies almost always the first to bloom in the spring and the last to finish in the summer heat.
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Poison Oak - you do not want to run into this one! :P Fall color and it is only 2 July.
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It is a treat to be shown the range of plantlife there at this season. The risk of fire in such areas must be very great - a frightening prospect.
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Maggi,
With 3 years of drought now and much standing timber, the wild fire danger is tremendous! There have already been a number of destructive fires, burning a few homes to the ground and the loss to nature. We are hoping we do not have a repeat of last year's Rim Fire.
Also, the streams and rivers are already low. The wildlife is showing up at the farm looking for water, which we provide. Even the mountain lions and bears are coming around. Normally they are very shy of humans, especially the mountain lions. It is very difficult for all the wildlife.
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One nice thing about our farm is that it is a short drive to the high mountains. After working all day, I can sneak off to the higher areas where it is still green and lush. A paradise of wildflowers even in this drought year. The good news is that the Monsoon will be starting soon, maybe in a few days, bringing much needed rain to the high country.
The meadows are still green with many wildflowers.
Photo #2 - A meadow filled with Erigeron peregrinus - and many other little treasures.
Erigeron peregrinus is very common in the high country. It seem to do well in the garden at our farm too.
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One of many treasures hidden in the meadows is Mimulus primuloides. A very sweet little gem that also does well in a tough for us.
Various species of Lupine are blooming everywhere in this area.
Spiraea densiflora brightens the edges of the meadows. I like it in our garden too.
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In other areas there are columbine, Aquilegia formosa
various Paintbrushes, Castilleja miniata, one of a number of species.
and more Lupines.
I could spend days up there - no, a life time! :)
I had only an hour or so to look around and there is so much to see and photograph (not enough time for everything :o ). I first when to this site in 1960 and am still finding new plants today. I think that I could say the same thing a thousand years from now even if I went everyday. ;)
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The monsoon season has been early and very strong this year. The Sierra is receiving much needed rainfall, sometimes to the point of flash floods.
After working the farm for the day, I decided to chase thunderstorms in the mountains.
Jenkinson Reservoir is our main source of drinking and irrigation water. It is good to see that it has a good amount of water still.
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It was easy to get distracted with plants.
Eriogonum umbellatum and E. nudum were blooming side by side at one stop.
With Penstemon roezlii still in bloom.
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At the headwaters of Camp Creek,
a nice stand of Rudbeckia californica
mixed with Lupinus polyphyllus.
Lotus corniculatus is not native to California. It has naturalized disturbed areas in parts of the Sierras.
A very short trip!
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Lotus corniculatus is a wildflower we are fond of here , Robert - I did not know it had naturalised in the USA - now I read that it is considered a nuisance in some states. Learn something new every day.
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Lotus corniculatus is a wildflower we are fond of here , Robert - I did not know it had naturalised in the USA - now I read that it is considered a nuisance in some states. Learn something new every day.
I'm not sure that Lotus corniculatus is a problem in our area? It seems to act as a pioneer plant, growing in the most difficult areas, then gone as other plants grow.
I found these growing on an old logging deck where nothing else was growing. They looked good.
I read that they were not native but did not know where they came from. I sounds like the UK or Northern Europe? Yes, learn something every day!
Harvest season - off to the farmers' market.
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When I was investigating the distribution (http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=loco6) of the Lotus in the USA I found that it is not welcome in Minnesota :
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/herbaceous/birdsfoottrefoil.html (http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/herbaceous/birdsfoottrefoil.html)
It does not seem to be harshly regarded in California and in some places it is used for stabilising areas prone to erosion.......
http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_loco6.pdf (http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_loco6.pdf)
http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/gbase/data/Pf000344.htm (http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/AGPC/doc/gbase/data/Pf000344.htm)
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Robert, I wish your pictures were bigger, they're all so small, just a smidge larger than the tiny thumbnail image. It's too bad, because you're showing so many great plants, but only postage stamp size images. They can be larger, example, here's a photo of Triteleia hyacinthina taken in my garden late May 2014, where one can see the detail of this exquisite species, up close and personal.
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Robert, I wish your pictures were bigger, they're all so small, just a smidge larger than the tiny thumbnail image. It's too bad, because you're showing so many great plants, but only postage stamp size images. They can be larger, example, here's a photo of Triteleia hyacinthina taken in my garden late May 2014, where one can see the detail of this exquisite species, up close and personal.
Mark,
I completely agree with your statement!
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This may seem hard to believe, but I confess that I am a neophyte to technology. Before this time, my wife and I lived somewhat like the Amish, and still do,to a degree. I enjoy this forum and am motivated to adjust and change as I learn more. For me there is a huge learning curve, even for things that you might find very simple. In addition, I'm working with out-dated, primitive equipment. Saying all of this, I will do the best I can to improve the photos. I have a very old camera, but it does take reasonably good quality photos considering its age and what it is. If this is a soft-ware problem, not much I can do right now.
Thanks for your feedback! I never would have known I could change the photo size unless you said something! ;)
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How is this?
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Maybe this will work too. ;)
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Robert, I wish your pictures were bigger, they're all so small, just a smidge larger than the tiny thumbnail image. It's too bad, because you're showing so many great plants, but only postage stamp size images. They can be larger, example, here's a photo of Triteleia hyacinthina taken in my garden late May 2014, where one can see the detail of this exquisite species, up close and personal.
Mark,
I think that I have made some improvements. I would like you feed-back on the last two images.
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You got it Robert.
John B. Trying to grow all the rare flowers I can.
Kansas
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Photos size is perfect now, Robert!
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I think that I have made some improvements. I would like you feed-back on the last two images.
Lovely!
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Thank you for the feedback! :)
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Just to follow through, thanks Robert for making the photo adjustment, it really helps. I like using the "expandable thumbnail" option, makes for less scrolling and only enlarge the photos most interested in. Notice that I tried to stay in theme with your topic, by including an image of a plant found in northern half of California ;)
Once again, I enjoy seeing the plants you're showing us.
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Mark,
As you might imagine, Triteleia hyacinthina grows here at our farm. Some years there are more than other years. They sometimes grow thickly in the pathways with Dicholstemma and Brodeia elegans and need to be weeded out, but generally I just let them grow here and there as they wish.
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Today, traveled to the Sierra crest for the first time this season. Late for most of the wildflowers. The scenery is always good.
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Roundtop Peak
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Elephant's Back
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High peaks to the south.
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This is the unnamed peak that I climbed today. As you can see, above timberline.
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And a wonderful place to see cushion plants. Way more than I dare list.
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One of the goals was to find Lupinus lobbii. A real gem and something I'd like to get started in the garden.
Another plant that I was wanting to find was Astragalus purshii. I found many plants, but did not find any plants that had set seed. :(
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Artemisia arbuscula with A. tridentata in various forms, and many other cushion plants as one climbed higher.
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Sedum lanceolatum
The wild was blowing like on the south col of Everest! :P It was very difficult to take any plant / flower photographs.
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Many Erigeron compositus Chaenactis douglasii Flowers long gone!
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Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium
The return trip from the summit was on the protected side of the mountain ridge, where there were a few alpines still in bloom.
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A nice Erigeron that I could not key out. :(
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Penstemon heterodoxus was the only Penstemon species still in bloom. However, I did see P. newberryi and P. procerus var. formosa with many good seed pods. :)
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Scarlet Gilia, Ipomopsis aggregata
Sadly :( , it is late in the season for masses of flowers, however it is a site I will continue to visit regardless of the season. Yes, I have been in places like this during the winter.
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Wonderful to see the plants and scenery there! I doubt anyone would mind if you list the cushion plants. ;D
Is this national forest land?
You ski too then?
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Wow! I guess your ankle is really better now, Robert? :) 8)
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Wonderful to see the plants and scenery there! I doubt anyone would mind if you list the cushion plants. ;D
Is this national forest land?
You ski too then?
Yes, this is national forest land! And still wild if one stays away from the trails. Many people use this area and it shows. The good news is that 99% of them never go far from the trail, leaving a lot of wild open space to explore.
No, I never ski. Way too crowded for me.
I took some notes so I guess I can put a list together. Maybe with the next set of photographs from this area, or maybe sooner if it seems like it might take too long.
Wow! I guess your ankle is really better now, Robert? :) 8)
Yes, my ankle is as good as new! Went straight up the mountain without any discomfort! You can bet that I'm happy about this! :)
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No, I never ski. Way too crowded for me.
I meant back-country ski... in the same places, off the beaten paths, where you hike. (Sorry, I was assuming your reference to visiting the same places in winter meant ski trips... though I realize I don't even know if the area gets snow cover. No worries, I don't do it either... maybe in my retirement, if DH can stand my wimpish ways out in the cold. ???) Is there high snowfall in these areas? Or any snow? Glad the ankle is fine.
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Lori,
I use my grandfather's snowshoes! He used them to take the mail from Poverty Hill, California to La Porte, Califronia. Both sites are still remote even today, however there is a gravel and dirt road to Poverty Hill now.
The Roundtop Peak area generally gets high snowfall during the winter. 10-15 feet on the ground would not be unusual at all. On the ridges and peaks where I hike I'm sure that there is less due to the strong winds.
Here is a list of most of the smaller plants I saw:
Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Artemisia arbuscula, Sedum lanceolatum, Phlox diffusa, Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum,
Eriogonum ursinum, Eriogonum rosense, Eriogonum umbellatum, Astragalus purshii, Penstemon proerus var. formosa,
Penstemon heterodoxus, Penstemon newberryi, Erigeron barbellatus, Erigeron compositus, Chaenactis douglasii, Silene sargentii,
Potentilla fruticosa, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. nevadensis, Potentilla flabellifolia, Castilleja nana, Castilleja pilosa,
Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium, Wyethia mollis, Monardella odoratissim ssp. pallida, Lupinus lobbii, Ipomopsis aggregata,
Ericameria bloomeri, Raillardella argentea :)
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Eriogonum umbellatum
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Crystal Range, looking north.
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All this is making me very homesick for California, as I lived there in my graduate school days ~ 60 years ago.
But there are now too many people and far too little water in California, so I will stay in Indiana. I do try to grow a few California bulbs in my garden, if they are hardy. No pictures, but some Triteleia and Brodiaea species are hardy here in the rock garden or even in the garden.
Jim
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Really interesting list, Robert! Thanks for posting it. I'll have to pore over it and find out what many of them look like.
Delivering mail by snowshoe sounds heroic to say the least! I can find La Porte on Google maps, but I suspect the "Poverty Hill" that comes up must not be the right one... (south of Bishop, Cal.)?
Beautiful scenery.
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Lori,
Poverty Hill was more like a gold mining camp with a few cabins for the miners. There was a mine shaft from the top of the mountain down to Slate Creek (It might be on a map). There were sluice boxes the length of the mine shaft where they collected the gold. As a little boy, my father still remembers them bringing the gold to the kitchen table every night. All of this was during the Great Depression.
In the early 1970's I would go camping there myself. Unfortunately the cabin was taken over by bikers and the whole place was trashed. I did get the "Our Prize" wood cook stove that I still use today, the snowshoes, and the old style long, narrow, cross-country skis (Unfortunately those were later stolen). It has been too depressing to return, so who knows what it is like now.
Also, the photograph labeled Erigeron compositus should read as Chaenactis douglasii. Oops! :)
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It was clear that I was not going to make it to the high country this week. :( I did need spring water, so off to Camp Creek. I've been gathering spring water here for 40 years now. How everything has changed over the years.
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Camp Creek
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Right off I spotted Mimulus cardinalis blooming here and there. (Sorry, photograph is not so good.) Very easy to grow in the garden here at the farm.
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Still some late blooming flowers on Lilium pardalinum.
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Darmera peltata grows everywhere in and around the creek. The leaves can get 1 meter across. Easy to grow if you can give it enough water.
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I came across this nice colony of Monkeyflowers.
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In some cases, Mimulus guttatus can be perennial. Around the farm it tends to behave as an annual. I started with my first plants from the ditch in front of the property. Now they seed themselves around parts of the garden without any help on my part, although I do like to spread seed around if I get a chance. They are very sweet in the garden.
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Near the end of my hike I came across this clear cut. Disappoint for me, as this is where I cut the hazel wood for the marriage staff I made before my wife and I were married. :(
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On the way back I found a patch of gooseberries, Ribes roezlii. Too bad I didn't have anything to put some of them in. I had a few and they were good.
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It was brutally hot yesterday - 40c with a strong monsoon flow. In the afternoon I did the best I could to work on the compost / humus for next season. Too hot! A friend had asked me if I could gather seed from Salvia sonomensis. A little late in the season but a hike out in the chaparral would be divine during the evening.
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Not much seed, but maybe enough to send some to the seed exchange.
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All this was reason enough to visit Uncle Elwin's
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The Redbuds, Cercis occidentalis, are nice this time of year with the reddish seed pods and green leaves.
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I saw some of my old friends: Quail, Cottontail, Bushtits, Towhees, etc. No Bobcat this evening.
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I spent my early adult life living here. This is the California I love and remember - lots of open space and nature.
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Mount Murphy - tan mountain right, upper center. In the spring the whole mountain turns gold with Eschscholzia of various species.
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It seems fitting as Mount Murphy sit above Coloma (down in the valley) where gold was discovered in December of 1848.
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Fall color is starting - Cercis occidentalis - drought stressed plants.
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This time of year it is difficult to get away to the high country - harvest season. However, I did make it to Lyon's creek the other evening for an hour or so.
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The monsoon has brought much needed rainfall to the high country. I thought that Lyon's Creek might dry-up this fall, instead it has a good amount of water in it for this time of year.
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The late bloomers have started: Aster occidentalis. There were a few Aster integrifolius - at sometime I'll get a photo as I like the ragged flowers.
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Solidago canadensis var. elongata Easy-to-grow in the garden.
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Still many giant paintbrush, Castilleja miniata.
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Late season fireweed.
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Lupinus lepidus - Many were still blooming in the drier meadows.
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And here and there a few Lupinus polyphyllus - most were already seeded out.
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By a feeder creek I found one last flower of Aconitum columbianum.
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Sorbus californica - The berries and fall color will be looking good soon.
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It was very difficult to turn back, but the sunlight was giving out.
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Aspen, Populus tremuloides - I enjoy sound in the garden too - rattling pods and leaves, running water. etc. I love the sound of aspen leaves in the garden.
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Pyramid Peak in the distance, between the trees. I hope I can get up there this season.
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"History of fire and drought shapes the ecology of California, past and future" - http://www.sciencecodex.com/history_of_fire_and_drought_shapes_the_ecology_of_california_past_and_future-139116 (http://www.sciencecodex.com/history_of_fire_and_drought_shapes_the_ecology_of_california_past_and_future-139116)
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I enjoy your hikes very much Robert, thanks for posting.
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I enjoy your hikes very much Robert, thanks for posting.
Very pleased to here from you David. This is the same location where I was able to gather seed of Lewisia triphylla. The seed is safe in the frig right now. I'm still looking for L. kelloggii - getting kind of late so maybe next season for it. At this same site Calochortus minimus grows abundantly. I was lucky to see a few empty seed pods. These alpines do not waste any time getting their seeds ripened.
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"History of fire and drought shapes the ecology of California, past and future" - http://www.sciencecodex.com/history_of_fire_and_drought_shapes_the_ecology_of_california_past_and_future-139116 (http://www.sciencecodex.com/history_of_fire_and_drought_shapes_the_ecology_of_california_past_and_future-139116)
Maggi,
The Eurasian grasses, as we call them, are a huge problem. Our native bunch grasses stay "green" all year and thus do not burn as easily as the Eurasian grasses. Sadly now, one rarely sees the native bunch grasses. My wife and I are making an effort to reestablish our native bunch grasses here at the farm. It is very slow going as the Eurasian grasses are very aggressive.
Thanks! It is all very interesting. :)