Northern California and South West Oregon

[Tony Willis]

We had two weeks on the borders of California and Oregon visiting the redwoods and areas around them. It rained every day for the first ten days,three inches one day, and was cold. It was then hot and dry for the last few days. We were at the right time for the coast but far too early for the inland areas which were still deep in snow.

I will start with some plants of the redwood forests all in the rain. The trees at up to 300 feet tall are amazing and are completely covered below with huge ferns.


click the pix to enlarge them....
 redwoods in rain
 redwoods nurse log
 calypso bulbosa
 dicentra formosa
 disporum smithii
 oxalis oregana
 trillium ovatum clump
 trillium ovatum pink
 trillium ovatum white

[Gerdk]

Tony,
An excellent start - I am looking forward to the continuation!

Gerd

[Tony Willis]

Thanks Gerd. Here are a variety of plants from outside the woods some photographed in an occasional bit of sunshine.

 brodiaea elegans
 calochortus tolmei
 calochortus tolmei
 calochortus amabilis
 Eschscholzia californica
 erythronium sp.
 cornus nuttalii
 darlingtonia bog
 darlingtonia californica flowers
 Cercis occidentalis

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful pix Tony ! 
Too bad you had the weather against you.. 

Love the Calochortus - growing where you saw them - would you expect them to get the dry summer they are said to need to florish ??
As far as I know, that area does get it's fair share of Summer moisture ??

[Lvandelft]

Tony, the weather may have been bad, but you did see some beautiful plants in the wild.
Thanks for sharing them.
The Disporum smithii I grow here, has much more yellow flowers and different leaves??

[Tony Willis]

It was very wet whilst we were there but dried up as we left. Friends who arrived after us say it was hot and dry for their visit so perhaps we were at the end of the rain. The calochortus amabalis were growing on steep slopes and the tolmei on flat ground. As to the disporum they ranged from white to cream but this may just be the age of the flowers. I cannot comment on the leaf shape. We have used several books to identify the plants but they are not particularly good.

Here are some shrubs and a couple of views. Crater lake still had 15 foot of snow so no plants. Mt Shasta is the spiritual cente of the world where all the force lines meet.The annual Wesak festival was on (try google) and our B&B had some unusual people as guests. We did not feel the force.


Aesculus californica
Arctostaphyllus patula
Phlox diffusa
Rhodoendron occidentale
Rhododendron macrophyllum
Crater Lake
Mt Shasta
Dodecatheon hendersonii and a couple of animals

[Tony Willis]

and finally a few bulbs

Allium falcifolium
Camassia quamash
Erythronium hendersonii
Erythronium howellii
Trillium albidum
Fritillaria affinis
Fritillaria recurva

[Gerdk]

Wonderful set of pics - it's a pleasure to see well known garden plants in their native region.
Thank you Tony!

Encore?

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

A great set of pics from our own 'Wandering Star'.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great stuff Tony !!

[ian mcenery]

Absolutely great pictures Tony. Thanks for sharing

[Armin]

Tony,
thanks for the marvelous pictures. Like the Camassia field, always flowers in masses make a great show

[Tony Willis]

thank you for the comments it was a very good trip.

[arillady]

So interesting that Calochortus amabilis can do well here in South Australia drought as well in northern Cal/Oregon with all their rain.

[Paul T]

Wonderful pictures of wonderful plants.  Much of California is similar in climate to us here in parts of Aus.  Very distinct seasons seem to suit so many things from there perfectly here as well.  Calochortus are a good example of this.  My problem is trying not to water them too much when dormant... which is a problem I always have as I keep feeling sorry for things.   I feel even sorrier when I find that I have killed them with kindness. 

Thanks so much Tony for showing us these beauties.