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VOL. 43, NO. 2 • MAY 2015 FREMONTIA JOURNAL OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE TEHACHAPI REGION

THE FOUND LANDSCAPE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY

HABITAT RESTORATION FOR THE RIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT

MISSION MANZANITA: IS THE SPECIES IN DECLINE?

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY CNPS, 2707 K Street, Suite 1; Sacramento, CA 95816-5130 FREMONTIA Phone: (916) 447-CNPS (2677) Fax: (916) 447-2727 Web site: www.cnps.org Email: [email protected] VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 MEMBERSHIP Copyright © 2015 Membership is open to all. Membership form is located on inside back cover; California Native Plant Society dues include subscriptions to Fremontia and the CNPS Bulletin Mariposa Lily ...... $1,500 Family or Group ...... $75 Bob Hass, Editor Benefactor ...... $600 International or Library ...... $75 Beth Hansen-Winter, Designer Patron ...... $300 Individual ...... $45 Plant Lover ...... $100 Student/Retired/Limited Income . $25 Brad Jenkins and Mary Ann Showers, Proofreaders CORPORATE/ORGANIZATIONAL 10+ Employees ...... $2,500 4-6 Employees ...... $500 7-10 Employees ...... $1,000 1-3 Employees ...... $150 california Native Plant Society STAFF Milo Baker: Liz Parsons Dan Gluesenkamp: Executive Director Mojave Desert: Timothy Thomas Aaron Sims: Rare Plant Botanist Monterey Bay: Brian LeNeve Protecting California’s Native Flora Mount Lassen: Catie Bishop Since 1965 Becky Reilly: Events Coordinator Cari Porter: Finance and Admin. Mgr. Napa Valley: Gerald Tomboc North Coast: Larry Levine Disclaimer: Caroline Garland: Office & Sales Coord. The views expressed by authors pub- North San Joaquin: Jim Brugger Daniel Hastings: Vegetation Field Asst. lished in this journal do not necessarily Orange County: Thea Gavin Danny Slakey: Rare Plant Treasure Hunt reflect established policy or procedure of Redbud: Denise Della Santina Proj. Coord. CNPS. Riverside/San Bernardino: Katie Barrows Greg Suba: Conservation Program Dir. Sacramento Valley: Glen Holstein Hei-ock Kim: Special Projects Coord. San Diego: David Varner Jaime Ratchford: Associate Vegetation San Diego: Marty Foltyn Ecologist San Gabriel Mtns.: Orchid Black Jennifer Buck-Diaz: Vegetation Ecologist San Luis Obispo: David Chipping North Coast Shasta Julie Evens: Vegetation Program Dir. Sanhedrin: Allison Rofe Santa Clara Valley: Judy Fenerty Kendra Sikes: Vegetation Ecologist Santa Cruz County: Deanna Giuliano Mona Robison: Rare Plant Program Mgr. Sequoia: Vacant Mt. Lassen Sara Taylor: Vegetation Field Lead Shasta: Ken Kilborn Tahoe Shanna Goebel: Administrative Assistant Sierra Foothills: Vacant

Sanhedrin Redbud Stacey Flowerdew: Membership & Dev. South Coast: David Berman Sacramento Dorothy Milo El Dorado Coord. Tahoe: Brett Hall King Young Napa Baker Valley Willis Willis L. Jepson: Mary Frances Kelly-Poh Linn Jepson CONTRACTORS & CHAPTER STAFF Yerba Buena: Ellen Edelson Sierra Foothills Marin East Bay North Bob Hass: Fremontia/CNPS Bulletin Editor San Joaquin BOARD OF DIRECTORS Yerba Buena Santa Mack Casterman: E. Bay Conserv. Analyst Clara Valley Mark Naftzger: Webmaster Laura Camp: President Santa Cruz County Sequoia David Bigham: Vice President Bristlecone Vern Goehring: Legislative Analyst Monterey Nancy Morin: Treasurer Bay Alta Peak Carolyn Longstreth: Secretary CHAPTER COUNCIL—CHAPTERS & Kristie Haydu: Director DELEGATES San Luis Gordon Leppig: Director Obispo Kern Mojave Alta Peak: Joan Stewart Jean Robertson: Director Baja: César García Valderrama Michael Vasey: Director Channel Islands San Gabriel Steve Windhager: Director Mtns. Bristlecone: Stephen Ingram Carol Witham: Director Riverside – Channel Islands: David Magney San Bernardino Glen Holstein: CC Representative Los Angeles – Orange Dorothy King Young: Nancy Morin Santa Monica Mtns. County David Varner: CC Representative East Bay: Lesley Hunt San Diego South Coast El Dorado: Susan Britting CHAPTER COUNCIL OFFICERS Kern County: Dorie Giragosian Orchid Black: CC Chair LA/Santa Monica Mtns.: Betsey Landis Larry Levine: CC Vice Chair Baja Marin: David Long Marty Foltyn: CC Secretary California MATERIALS FOR PUBLICATION CNPS members and others are welcome to contribute materials for publication in Fremontia. See the inside back cover for submission instructions.

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FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 CONTENTS

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

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

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

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

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

BOOK REVIEW by Vince Scheidt ...... 31 WHAT SHAPED YOUR LOVE OF NATURE? by Dee Wong ...... 32

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

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 1 Typical mid-elevation foothills in the Tehachapi region landscape are characterized by grasslands and blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodland. This landscape is largely comprised of private working ranches lying between public and protected lands to the north and south. Photograph by Ian Shive. HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE TEHACHAPI REGION by Zachary Principe and Michael D. White

magine a part of California where people. That is a good characteriza- Central Valley and the urban and diverse and unique natural re- tion of the Tehachapi Mountains of suburban lands of the Greater Los sources are hidden within a couple California, sandwiched between the Angeles area. The privately owned I hours’ drive of over 15 million vast agricultural lands of the Great land in the region—much of it work- 2 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 ing ranches—has remained relatively communities from the western lands conservation strategies, and intact, thus preserving amazing Mojave Desert, and is the lynchpin novel private lands conservation and biodiversity and presenting enor- connecting foothill and montane management approaches. mous landscape conservation oppor- habitats in California’s Coast Range, tunities. Sierra Nevada, and Transverse SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE Known by many as a stronghold Ranges (see close-up map on page for the iconic California condor, the 6). Long a target of conservation- Intertwined with its biological Tehachapi region is rich in rare and ists, the Tehachapi region has been value is the region’s notable heri- endemic species. It supports the last the focus of renewed conservation tage of scientific exploration. Many remaining unconverted grasslands efforts over the last decade. This has renowned naturalists visited the or prairie in the extreme southern stimulated development of regional Tehachapis during biological expe- San Joaquin Valley as well as plant conservation partnerships, working ditions in the 19th and first half of

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 3 0 the 20th centuries. First was John TABLE 1. RARE PLANTS OF THE TEHACHAPI REGION. Charles Frémont, the “Pathfinder” explorer and amateur naturalist Botanical Name Common Name CNPS Rare tutored by John Torrey and George Plant Rank Engelmann, who crossed the Teha- Allium howellii var. clokeyi Mt. Pinos onion 1B.3 chapis in 1844 collecting botanical Allium shevockii Spanish Needle onion 1B.3 specimens along the way. Adolphus California macrophylla round leaved filaree 1B.1 Heermann was a naturalist on the Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri Palmer’s mariposa lily 1B.2 Calochortus striatus alkali mariposa lily 1B.2 Camissonia integrifolia Kern River evening primrose 1B.3 Canbya candida white pygmypoppy 4.2 Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. calientensis Vasek’s clarkia 1B.1 Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. tembloriensis Temblor Range clarkia CBR Clarkia xantiana subsp. parviflora Kern Canyon clarkia 4.2 Convolvulus simulans small flowered morning glory 4.2 Delphinium gypsophilum subsp. parviflorum gypsum loving larkspur 3.2 Delphinium inopinum unexpected larkspur 4.3 Delphinium purpusii Kern County larkspur 1B.3 Eriastrum tracyi Tracy’s eriastrum 3.2 Eriogonum breedlovei var. breedlovei Piute buckwheat 1B.2 Eriogonum callistum Tehachapi buckwheat 1B.1 Eriogonum gossypinum cottony buckwheat 4.2 Eriogonum kennedyi var. pinicola Kern buckwheat 1B.1 Eriophyllum lanatum var. hallii Fort Tejon woolly sunflower 1B.1 Eschscholzia lemmonii subsp. kernensis Tejon poppy 1B.1 Eschscholzia lemmonii subsp. lemmonii Lemmon’s poppy CBR Fritillaria brandegeei Greenhorn fritillary 1B.3 Fritillaria striata* striped adobe lily 1B.1 Githopsis tenella delicate bluecup 1B.3 Hesperocyparis nevadensis Piute cypress 1B.2 Heterotheca shevockii Shevock’s golden aster 1B.3 Layia heterotricha pale yellow layia 1B.1 Layia leucopappa Comanche Point layia 1B.1 Loeflingia squarrosa var. artemisiarum sagebrush loeflingia 2B.2 Mimulus pictus calico monkeyflower 1B.2 Mimulus shevockii Kelso Creek monkeyflower 1B.2 Monardella linoides subsp. oblonga flaxleaf monardella 1B.3 Navarretia peninsularis Baja navarretia 1B.2 Navarretia setiloba Piute Mountains navarretia 1B.1 Nemacladus secundiflorus var. robbinsii Robbins’ nemacladus 1B.2 Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei** Bakersfield cactus 1B.1 Perideridia pringlei adobe yampah 4.3 Streptanthus cordatus var. piutensis Piute Mountains jewelflower 1B.2 Symphyotrichum defoliatum San Bernardino aster 1B.2 Triteleia piutensis Piute Mountains triteleia 1B.1 Viola pinetorum subsp. grisea grey leaved violet 1B.3

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

Source: Zachary Principe, The Nature Conservancy, 2015.

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

4 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 1853 and 1855 railroad expeditions camp while surveying and collect- in the region while stationed at Fort led by Robert S. Williamson, who ing in the Tehachapi region, and a Tejon between 1857 and 1859, send- was looking for routes from the San number of taxa such as Heermann’s ing them to Spencer Baird at the Joaquin Valley across the Sierra tarweed (Holocarpha heermannii) Smithsonian Institution. Several taxa Nevada to the Colorado River. have been named in Heermann’s in the region have been named in Williamson’s survey team used a honor. Xántus’ honor, including gunsight site in the southern San Joaquin Perhaps János (John) Xántus clarkia (Clarkia xantiana), Xántus’ Valley at Tejon Ranch as a base made the most extensive collections pincushion (Chaenactis xantiana), and

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 5 FIGURE 1: THE TEHACHAPI REGION SHOWING LOCATION OF THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS. A CONFLUENCE OF FLORISTIC REGIONS

Geologically speaking, the Tehachapi Mountains are the south- ern tail of the Sierra Nevada, rotated into a northeast-southwest orienta- tion by tectonic forces. Often con- sidered the gateway to Southern California, the Tehachapi Mountains lie at the convergence of the Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, Coast Range, Transverse Ranges, and Mojave Desert. The area of their juxtaposi- tion is characterized by a complex geology shaped by major fault sys- tems, including the San Andreas and Garlock faults. Geologic processes have created a diverse terrain with broad elevation gradients, ranging from relatively flat alluvial fans at elevations near sea level in the San Joaquin Valley to steep, 8,000-foot mountain peaks, with an incredible variety of landforms and topogra- phy in between. California’s floristic regions tend to align with the major mountain ranges and valleys of the state, and Conserved lands of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy now four floristic regions from the Cali- connect public and private protected lands to the north and south that, until 2008, were fornia and Desert Floristic Prov- separated by a 50-mile gap of unprotected lands. inces—Sierra Nevada, Great Cen- Source: Brian Cohen and Zachary Principe, The Nature Conservancy, 2015. tral Valley, Southwestern Califor- nia, and Mojave Desert—converge the genus of night lizards (Xantusia). FIGURE 2: FOUR at the Tehachapis (see statewide In the twentieth century, Joseph CALIFORNIA FLORISTIC map on page 6). The Tehachapis Grinnell made his base camp under REGIONS THAT CONVERGE encompass elements of each of these an “immense white oak” (valley oak AT THE TEHACHAPI floristic regions, and thus support [Quercus lobata]) at the site of Fort MOUNTAINS. an impressive array of vegetation Tejon in 1904 (Grinnell 1905), and communities including annual and W.L. Jepson collected as he crossed perennial grasslands; coniferous the Tehachapi Pass in 1935, noting and mixed hardwood-conifer for- that the “Tehachapis are wonder- ests; deciduous and live oak wood- fully full of color.” In the 1950s lands; piñon-juniper woodlands; and 1960s, Ernest C. Twisselmann, Joshua tree woodlands; desert rancher, self-taught botanist, and author of A Flora of Kern County, explored and expanded our knowl- The northeast-southwest oriented Teha- edge of the region’s flora and natu- chapi Mountains connect the Sierra Nevada (north) to the Transverse (southeast) and ral history. After a hiatus in scien- Coast Range (southwest), while separating tific surveys, newly conserved pri- the Great Central Valley (west) from the vate lands in the region are now Mohave Desert (east). being opened for exploration and Source: Jepson Regions—University discovery, evoking an earlier era in of California, Santa Barbara, the region’s history. California Gap Analysis.

6 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 scrubs; and coastal, desert, and Thus, maintaining intact landscapes montane chaparrals. This conver- across broad elevational gradients is gence of floristic regions results in an important conservation strategy some unique species assemblages. for this region. For example, valley oaks and Joshua For example, much of the dis- trees (Yucca brevifolia) grow side- tribution of black oak (Quercus by-side in desert-draining canyons kelloggii), a higher elevation species on the southeast side of the of the Tehachapis, is modeled to Tehachapis. shrink as the climate warms until This varied and intact landscape little to no habitat remains. How- Many of the Fritillaria found in California not only supports ever, recent research demonstrates have flowers with unique shapes and amazing biological that models of future climate condi- colors, and 80% are considered rare, including these two from the Tehachapi diversity, it is impor- tions considering microclimates pro- region. ABOVE WITH CLOSE-UP: greenhorn tant for accommo- duced by complex terrain features fritillary (Fritillaria brandegeei). Both dating potential allow for persistence of species as photographs by Clyde Golden. shifting plant and holdout populations in “islands” of animal species distri- suitable climate within a “sea” of side-by-side, and Vasek’s clarkia butions in response unsuitable climate (Hannah et al. (Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. cali- to climate change. 2014). In the Tehachapis, black oaks entensis) and Temblor Range clarkia Modeling conducted are modeled to persist in small hold- (Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. tem- by The Nature Con- out populations in microclimate bloriensis) occur within one mile of servancy indicates refugia, even in end-of-the-century, each other. The taxonomic richness that increased tem- warmer climate scenarios. of the region provides a natural labo- peratures projected ratory to investigate both the prod- by 2065 will stress a AN EVOLUTIONARY ucts and process of evolution. A list majority of the char- HOTSPOT of rare plant taxa found in the re- acteristic species in gion is found in Table 1. the region. Unfrag- Evolutionary biologists recog- The Tehachapi region supports mented landscapes nize the Tehachapis as a region of high levels of floristic diversity and provide opportuni- evolutionary divergence for many many endemic or nearly endemic ties for species to taxa. The slender salamanders (Bat- species, ranging from long-lived move without barri- rachoseps) illustrate the fascinating trees to annual wildflowers. Endemic ers, and topographi- evolutionary dynamics in this area species are those found only in a cally heterogeneous (Jockusch et al. 2012). Over evolu- specific location and nowhere else landscapes support tionary time, slender salamander on earth. Two locations exemplify varied microhabitats populations that were isolated from the region’s unique flora—the Piute that may provide one another became increasingly dis- Mountains in the north and the climate refugia for tinct genetically, resulting in new Tejon Hills in the southwest. some species as av- species. As a result, the region sup- The Piute Mountains support the erage conditions in ports one-third of all slender sala- the region warm. mander species; the seven species in BELOW, WITH CLOSE-UP: striped adobe lily the Tehachapi region are endemic, (Fritillaria striata) found growing on clay The Tehachapi region supports a high including the California Threatened soils throughout the region. Photographs by Clyde Golden (left) and Neal Kramer diversity of rare and endemic species. For Tehachapi slender salamander (right). example, Vasek’s clarkia (Clarkia temblor- (Batrachoseps stebbinsi). iensis subsp. calientensis), one of the rarest Recent botanical surveys have species in the region, is known from fewer than ten locations in a six-square-mile area found closely related plant taxa co- (TOP). Temblor Range clarkia (Clarkia tem- occurring in the Tehachapis, giving bloriensis subsp. tembloriensis), another the sense of watching evolution closely related endemic plant, overlaps with at work. For example, on the Tejon Vasek’s clarkia at the east edge of its range Ranch, California poppy (Eschschol- (MIDDLE). Kern Canyon clarkia (Clarkia zia californica), Lemmon’s poppy xantiana subsp. parviflora) has a distribu- tion centered on Kern River to the north of (Eschscholzia lemmonii subsp. lem- the Vasek’s clarkia’s occurrences (BOTTOM). monii), and Tejon poppy (Eschschol- All photographs by Neal Kramer. zia lemmonii subsp. kernensis) grow

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 7 (Eriogonum gossypinum), alkali Mari- posa lily (Calochortus striatus), and Bakersfield cactus (Opuntia basi- laris var. treleasei). The heavy clay soils of the southern hills support Piute Mountain navarretia, small flowered morning glory (Convolvu- lus simulans), and striped adobe lily (Fritillaria striata).

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT AT A LANDSCAPE SCALE

As early as 1930, H.L. Bauer iden- tified the Tehachapi Mountains as the only montane linkage between the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range. However, before 2008, little of the Tehachapis were protected or in public ownership. The majority of these conserved lands were arrayed around the perimeter of the region other perennial, narrow endemic with a 50-mile gap between pro- species in this area are Piute moun- tected and public lands. At that time, tain jewel-flower (Streptanthus cor- public and private protected lands datus var. piutensis) and Piute buck- were primarily administered by fed- wheat (Eriogonum breedlovei var. eral and state agencies and The Wild- breedlovei). Kern County larkspur lands Conservancy. (Delphinium purpusii) is endemic to Private land in the region is pri- northern Kern and central Tulare marily large working cattle ranches counties, and the more widespread threatened by conversion to rural Piute Mountain navarretia (Navar- residential and other land uses that retia setiloba), adobe (Pringle’s) could adversely affect sensitive habi- yampah (Perideridia pringlei), and tat and wildlife. These large ranches Tracy’s eriastrum (Eriastrum tracyi) provide excellent conservation op- also occur in the Piute Mountains. portunities. Conservation easements largest known stand of the narrow The Tejon Hills lie at the south- allow private landowners to continue endemic Piute cypress (Hespero- eastern edge of the San Joaquin Val- to use their land for ranching but cyparis nevadensis). This relict spe- ley. The northern Tejon Hills com- remove the threats of conversion cies is closely related to the Arizona prised of alkaline sandy clay loams or ranchette development. Well- cypress (Cupressus arizonica) and support populations of several spe- managed ranching is often compat- Tecate cypress (Hesperocyparis for- cial status plants including Tejon ible with conservation goals in this besii). The Bodfish Grove of Piute poppy, Comanche Point layia (Layia region, and thus conservation ease- cypress grows on clay soils derived leucopappa), pale yellow layia (Layia ments can provide for protection from gabbro parent material. Two heterotricha), cottony buckwheat of biodiversity while maintaining the rancher’s livelihood—a win-win TOP: Tehachapi buckwheat (Eriogonum callistum) is possibly the rarest species in the situation. region with fewer than ten documented occurrences all located within a two-square-mile Since 2008, conservation in the area. Photograph by Neal Kramer. • ABOVE LEFT: Calico monkeyflower (Mimulus pictus), a Tehachapi region has advanced rap- rare monkeyflower of the region, often found at the base of granitic rock outcrops in grasslands and blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodlands. Photograph by Neal Kramer. • idly. The Tejon Ranch Conserva- ABOVE RIGHT: In a landscape dominated by granitic soils, the rare Piute Mountain navarretia tion and Land Use Agreement was (Navarretia setiloba) is most often associated with clay soils scattered throughout the executed in 2008, resulting in con- region. Photograph by John Game. servation of almost 90% of the

8 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 The convergence of floristic regions in the Tehachapis produces interesting mixtures of species: a canyon on the Mojave Desert-side of the Tehachapis supports Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), California juniper (Juniperus californicus), bigberry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca), and Valley oak (Quercus lobata). Photograph by Michael D. White.

270,000-acre Tejon Ranch. This west. Today only a few gaps in this Hannah, L., L. Flint, A.D. Syphard, groundbreaking agreement between conserved linkage exist. However, M.A. Moritz, L.B. Buckley, and I.M. the Tejon Ranch Company and a the conserved lands do not ad- McCullough 2014. Fine-grain mod- coalition of respected environmen- equately represent regional habitat eling of species’ response to climate tal resource organizations—Natural diversity, so additional conservation change: holdouts, stepping-stones, Resources Defense Council, Audu- and management are needed to en- and microrefugia. Trends in Ecology bon California, Sierra Club, Endan- sure ecosystem function and con- & Evolution July 2014, Vol. 29, No. gered Habitats League, and Planning nectivity for the full suite of species 7:390-397. Jockusch, E.L., I. Martinez-Solano, and Conservation League—pro- in the region. The conservation com- R.W. Hansen, and D.B. Wake. 2012. tected 240,000 acres and created the munity and ranchers in the region Morphological and molecular diver- Tejon Ranch Conservancy to hold are continuing to work together to sification of slender salamanders conservation easements and stew- promote a legacy that conserves the (Caudata: Plethodontiodae: Batra- ard the working conserved lands. hidden treasures of this beautiful and choseps) in the southern Sierra Nevada Soon after the Tejon Ranch agree- unique landscape. of California with descriptions of two ment, The Nature Conservancy be- new species. Zootaxa 3190:1–30. gan working with ranchers to place REFERENCES conservation easements over work- Zachary Principe, The Nature Conser- ing ranches to the north of Tejon, to Bauer, H.L. 1930. Vegetation of the vancy, 402 W. Broadway, Suite 1350, San date totaling 32,000 acres, and largely Tehachapi Mountains, California. Diego, CA 92101, [email protected]; conserving a landscape-scale link- Ecology 11:263–280. Michael D. White, Tejon Ranch Conser- age between Tejon Ranch and pro- Grinnell, J. 1905. Old Fort Tejon. The vancy, P.O. Box 216, Frazier Park, CA tected land to the north, south, and Condor 7:9–13. 93225, [email protected]

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 9 THE FOUND LANDSCAPE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY by Suzanne Schettler

ature often hides beauti- tain a beautiful landscape design rals, mixed evergreen forests, and ful landscaping, but can waiting to be discovered, but simply oak woodlands are particularly well we discover it? When hidden from view. This is “The suited to selective removal of exist- planning a house site, a Found Landscape.” ing vegetation in order to showcase Nrural-residential property owner may A Found Landscape can work at the most beautiful features. This clear the existing wild vegetation, multiple scales. It may be as small as opens up views of the best elements, build the house, and then create a a single specimen or an area of a few creates access to walk amid the re- landscaped setting for the home. hundred square feet that is a quiet tained vegetation, and makes pos- Similarly, a purchaser of an existing retreat from the concerns of daily sible an intimate relationship with home may clear the lot in order to life. At a medium scale it may be an one’s surroundings. The examples landscape it. Sometimes this unin- area immediately adjacent to a resi- below are drawn from the Central tentionally removes aesthetic values dence where vegetation is modified West region of The Jepson Manual, that are available for free in the form within a larger environment. Or it 2nd edition, but the concept is ap- of native plants already present on can address the whole parcel. plicable almost anywhere in the the site. It may not be necessary to Some native plant habitats state. clear the land and start from scratch present especially good opportuni- The Found Landscape involves to create a welcoming home site. ties for finding a hidden landscape putting on protective gear and bush- The existing vegetation may con- in the existing vegetation. Chapar- whacking to find hidden beauty. The process is iterative and somewhat contemplative. The most desirable elements are likely to be identified early, and then the less desirable elements are gradually removed in subsequent passes. It is essential to stand back and assess the results along the way, perhaps on different days. It may take three or four care- ful passes, or even more, to prune away visual distractions and clutter by stages, keeping in mind that if too much is removed it cannot be put back. While this approach de- stroys some native vegetation, it also celebrates beautiful native vegeta- tion that was previously unseen. The goal is to achieve the right aesthetic balance between the two. The creation of a Found Land- scape requires a poetic eye and pa- tience. The process is something like learning the art of ikebana: students

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

10 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 make floral arrangements, then the variety of attractive features include • manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.), instructor comes by to evaluate the toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), low-growing results and removes one or two ele- hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. cal- • wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) ments to perfect the arrangement. ifornica), coffeeberry (Frangula • round-fruited sedge (Carex globosa) It also resembles carving stone or californica), gooseberries and cur- • wild lilacs (Ceanothus spp.), low- wood, in that it is created by sub- rants (Ribes spp.), madrone (Arbu- growing tracting material that obscures a tus menziesii), buckeye (Aesculus • native bulbs (Calochortus ssp., Frit- desired result. californica), and elderberry (Sambu- illaria spp., Trillium spp.) The vegetation that is removed cus spp.). Among the taller Ceanothus • selected native annuals (clarkias, can be hauled off-site to a green species, the three-veined Euceano- baby blue-eyes) waste or composting facility. It can thus (one section of the genus) are be chipped for mulch or for path mostly more graceful than the holly- surfaces. Twiggy stuff can be left on leaved Cerastes (the other section). the ground and trampled to decom- Some understory species may ap- pose in place. Where safety permits, pear on their own in the first year or the cut material can be put in a burn two, seemingly out of nowhere, af- pile. To minimize fungus problems, ter they receive increased sunlight. it is best to do the cutting during It is often preferable to wait and see periods of dry weather. what happens before adding addi- Besides oaks and manzanitas, tional plants. Good candidates to other species worth saving for their add include:

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

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 11 BEFORE (LEFT): A field technician is working to open up views into mixed evergreen forest. He dubbed this work “Wildland Zen Gardening” for its contemplative aspect. The dominant trees are redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga douglasii), tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflora), and interior live oak (Quercus wislizeni). • AFTER (RIGHT): At the end of the work day, one can see into the forest. The view now has depth. The light-barked leaning tanoak and the redwood on the right are reference points for comparison with the previous photo.

• yerba buena (Clinopodium doug- In a conventional landscape, the Manzanitas in particular offer a lasii) larger woody plants are positioned wealth of aesthetic opportunity in • bleeding hearts (Dicentra spp.) first and each tree and shrub is ex- chaparral and in gardens. They come • wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) pected to be a perfect specimen. In a in all sizes from perfectly flat ground- • native irises (Iris spp.) Found Landscape, the best trees and covers to small trees. They have good • June grass (Koeleria macrantha) shrubs are typically identified first, evergreen foliage, flowers that sus- • bush monkeyflowers (Mimulus but retaining some imperfect speci- tain hummingbirds in late winter, spp.) mens provides coherence and conti- and richly colored statuesque trunks. • skullcap (Scutellaria spp.) nuity of design to mimic the beauty Trunks are important because they • modesty (Whipplea modesta) and tranquility of nature. are in scale with our human line of

ABOVE: Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’ is a natural hybrid cultivar that exemplifies the attractive foliage and flowers of manzanitas found in the wild. • RIGHT: Arctostaphylos manzanita ‘Dr. Hurd’, a tall manzanita selection, at an artist’s studio near Santa Cruz. It was planted by a previous owner and then retained by the new owner, using the principle of The Found Landscape.

12 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 This mature oak woodland contains superb makings for a Found Landscape. sight, which tends to focus from • native iris path where footfalls will occasion- knee-height to a short distance over- • yerba buena ally release its minty fragrance. A head. • native blackberry (Rubus ursinus) more intensive effort would remove Interesting trunks are also char- • bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum all sapling firs, dead woody mate- acteristic of oak woodlands, which var. pubescens) rial, blackberry, and dead bracken contain rich landscape potential. The • Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) fern. Poison oak could be removed understory beneath the multi- • poison oak (Toxicodendron diver- throughout, or retained in some trunked coast live oaks (Quercus silobum) locations to provide wildlife value agrifolia) at the site shown above and fall color. Alternatively, a dedi- has not been colonized by invasive There is a wide spectrum of po- cated native plant gardener might species and comprises a number of tential approaches to oak woodland increase the best understory plants native species. The first five of these sites like this, ranging from light already present by propagating them are desirable in a garden context: manipulation to serious gardening. from the immediate site. A bench or The simplest approach would be to gazebo could be added to create a • native honeysuckle (Lonicera his- use hand clippers and a rake to clear focal point. pidula) a path, possibly a loop trail that A Found Landscape is not the • round-fruited sedge makes for a leisurely stroll. Yerba same thing as a shaded fuel break. • bush monkeyflower buena can be deliberately left on the The retained canopy may vary from

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 13 LEFT: At an office complex in sensitive habitat near Monterey, developers were required to preserve several existing native species out- side the immediate building envelopes. The result is a Found Landscape, without the need for additional planting. Chamise (Ade- nostoma fasciculatum, center), common in much of California, often has a rangy growth habit but takes pruning well and can even be sheared. The lighter green shrubs are sandmat manzanita (Arctostaphylos pumila), CRPR 1B.2.

efits of The Found Landscape. It reduces the work and cost to estab- lish a new planting. It conserves wa- ter, reduces soil disturbance and ero- sion, and minimizes disruption of wildlife habitat. It conserves not just the local native species but also the local gene pool and its site-specific adaptations—which can vary from place to place within a given species and even within a given watershed. It can contribute fire resistance when horizontal and vertical gaps are stra- tegically located in the retained vegetation. It eliminates the initial raw look of an all-new landscape, and creates a settled appearance by retaining some mature elements. one spot to another, depending on Perhaps best of all, it is a way for the distribution of the most pleas- humans to integrate into and be- ing elements, and may average 50% come at home within our natural or more overall. A shaded fuel break surroundings. is more heavily thinned and may not necessarily be attractive. Al- Suzanne Schettler, P.O. Box 277, Ben though it seems intuitive that a Lomond, CA 95005, [email protected] shaded fuel break should be fire-resistant, there is dis- BELOW: The goal of a shaded fuel break is usually fuel agreement as to whether it reduction rather than aesthetics. actually slows the progress of a wildfire. Some fire agen- cies claim the primary pur- pose of a shaded fuel break is to provide access to fight a fire. In either case, the pur- pose of The Found Land- scape is not so much fire resistance, or even forest management. Its primary goal is aesthetic. There are numerous ben-

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

14 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 LESSONS LEARNED IN HABITAT RESTORATION FOR THE RIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT by Julie Rentner

he ongoing recovery of ri- parian brush rabbit habitat along the Lower San Joaquin River is a model of integra- tionT of wildlife and plant restora- tion ecology. A highly functioning public-private partnership has been able to rapidly and successfully re- establish a new population of this endangered species across thousands of acres of new habitat in its historic range. This partnership has explic- itly looked at the connections be- tween the factors limiting the recov- ery of this rabbit and the factors limiting the recovery of its habitat, which consists of riparian shrub- lands dominated by native black- berry and roses. The restored habi- tat has proven to be resilient to the disturbances it will face into the fu- ture, including fires and floods. The San Joaquin Valley once supported vast and complex wet- Riparian brush rabbits bred in captivity and released into restored and remnant habitat land habitat types including diverse areas are equipped with unique identifiers on eartags, and radio collars to facilitate location riparian woodlands. Woodlands and identification during bi-annual trapping. Photograph courtesy of the Endangered ranged from mixed willow-cotton- Species Recovery Program at California State University, Stanislaus. wood stands, to stately valley oak groves laden with dangling grape Historically, overbank inundation Sierra snowmelt to drain to the val- vines, to vigorous shrublands domi- was the norm. This kept most of the ley floor. When drought renders nated by native blackberry and roses. San Joaquin Valley impassible sloughs and channels too dry for These woodlands supported com- throughout much of the year and aquatic communities, terrestrial plex wildlife communities includ- supplied perennial species with deep wildlife and plants proliferate. Ex- ing salmon and steelhead trout, Neo- waterings. As summer progressed, tended wet periods reclaim those tropical migratory songbirds, ante- channels and sloughs would dry up, areas for aquatic species. lope, deer, coyote, and bear. Just as and late season vegetation and pio- Just like the plants adapted to many garden flowers develop sea- neering species would encroach in the drying and wetting dynamics of sonally through bloom, seed-set, and channels and banks. This drying the San Joaquin River, so did the senescence, and over time require phenomenon still occurs today in wildlife. Riparian bird and fish popu- replanting, pruning, and training, riparian forest remnants. lations adopted a migratory strategy: wild riparian forest communities The effect of flooding on the phe- they simply move into the area only also change both seasonally and over nology of native plants is so distinct when the season is right. Small mam- the years. that Oregon ash (Fraxinus velutina) mals adopted a population survival In the past, springtime in the from the Sacramento River Valley strategy involving high fecundity: San Joaquin Valley has brought produces leaves on average one they simply reproduce abundantly warm, slow flooding as a result of month before San Joaquin Valley only when conditions are good. snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada, ecotypes, presumably due to the As humans settled the San and rapid greening of the landscape. longer time required for southern Joaquin Valley we built dams, drains,

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 15 FIGURE 1: FLOOD REFUGIA OR ”BUNNY MOUNDS.”

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

FIGURE 2. HABITAT RESTORATION AREAS IN STANISLAUS levees, and highways. We drained COUNTY. wetland complexes and severely al- tered the frequency and extent of flooding. We also cleared the ripar- ian forests and shrublands along the river’s edge, even resorting to dyna- mite to remove the massive root balls of ancient valley oaks. What stands in their place today are dairies, or- chards, and occasionally a small city perched precariously next to the levee or drain. When the human- made river system of the San Joaquin Valley is overwhelmed, the result- ing water damages exceed hundreds of millions of dollars. These con- structed places are tenuously reliant upon aging, publicly maintained in- frastructure for both flood safety (via dams and levees) and continued ag- ricultural productivity (via reservoirs and canals). In early January 1997 a warm Habitat restoration is focused on lands depicted in green at the San Joaquin River National storm dropped 30 inches of rain at Wildlife Refuge, as well as lands depicted in red and purple at Dos Rios Ranch and the elevations up to 11,000 feet on the adjacent Hidden Valley Ranch totaling over 5,000 acres at the confluence of the San southern Sierra Nevada while it was Joaquin and Tuolumne Rivers. already laden with higher than aver- Source: River Partners, 2014. age snow. Over the course of a few

16 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 days, this rain-on-snow event cre- ated runoff conditions that quickly TABLE 1. PARTNERS IN THE RECOVERY OF THE overtopped the dams and punched RIPARIAN BRUSH RABBIT. holes in carefully engineered levees as if they were small mounds in a US Fish and Wildlife Service sandbox. Water stretched for miles USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service from the foothills of the Sierras to US Bureau of Reclamation the Coast Range along the lower San Joaquin River. It inundated vast ex- US Army Corps of Engineers panses of farmlands and the straggly California Department of Fish and Wildlife remnants of our native riverbank California Department of Water Resources plant communities, drowning out California Wildlife Conservation Board their wildlife populations. Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board Researchers that had been care- fully documenting the extent and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission abundance of a rare riparian rabbit CSU Stanislaus Endangered Species Recovery Program for several years feared that these River Partners floods had finally driven the species Point Blue Conservation Science to extinction. The riparian brush rabbit (RBR) (Sylvilagus bachmani Stanislaus Audubon Society riparius) once inhabited riparian Tuolumne River Trust woodlands from Stockton to Fresno, American Rivers but due to vegetation clearing was Natural Resources Defense Council now only known from one small Natural Heritage Institute population at Caswell Memorial State Park near Modesto. This spe- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation cies and another also found in the same area, the riparian woodrat Source: River Partners, 2014. (RW) (Neotoma fuscipes riparia), were proposed for listing in 1997, and listed as federally endangered est contiguous riparian habitat resto- and wild rose (Rosa californica), in 2000. Thankfully the 1997 floods ration initiative in California was nettles (Urtica dioica, Stachys aju- did not completely destroy the rab- launched at the San Joaquin River goides), sedges (Carex spp.), mug- bit and woodrat populations, and a National Wildlife Refuge, and in 2012 wort (Artemisia douglasiana), and few scattered populations have been and 2013 more than 2,000 acres were Great Valley gumplant (Grindelia found since then. purchased and permanently pro- camporum) may be even more im- If you’ve ever heard the phrase, tected at Dos Rios Ranch in Stanislaus portant to wildlife recovery than “Never let a good disaster go to County, primarily to support recov- those iconic tree species. waste,” this disaster proved a prime ery of RBR in coordination with im- Restoration ecologists from River example. It was the birth of a suc- proved flood management. Partners, the US Fish and Wildlife cessful recovery effort, successful be- When the restoration began there Service, CSU Stanislaus’ Endangered cause it linked agency and private were so few remaining stands of val- Species Recovery Program, and other sector partners; scientists and farm- ley riparian forest that we lacked both agencies and organizations met to ers; and wildlife recovery and horti- solid reference sites and sufficient discuss habitat needs for the rabbit. cultural restoration specialists in an suitable plant material needed to In particular the team focused on adaptive management framework. propagate native trees and shrubs the logistics of horticultural restora- Since 1997 this collaborative group, for this large-scale project. Fremont’s tion to support the rabbit while con- the Riparian Mammals Technical cottonwood (Populus fremontii), sidering the effects of today’s dams, Group (see Table 1) has been work- valley oak (Quercus lobata), and levees, canals, and diversions on the ing towards the recovery of endan- Goodding’s black willow (Salix natural riverine landscape. gered wildlife species through land gooddingii) serve as the megaflora From 2002 to 2006, over 800 acquisition and protection, habitat for valley riparian forests. However, acres of habitat restoration was com- restoration, research, captive breed- the vegetative complexity of the un- pleted at the Refuge, including the ing, reintroduction, and integrated derstory (shrubs and herbs such as cultivation of 22 native plant spe- flood management. In 2002, the larg- California blackberry (Rubus ursinus) cies in a variety of patterns designed

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 17 This series of images (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) shows a restoration project from planting through three growing seasons. Seasonal variation in vegetation is evident in the bottom right image (springtime) and bottom left image (autumn). Photographs courtesy of River Partners. to attract target wildlife. (See Table floral diversity in one location. We lanthus occidentalis) to provide con- 2 for a list of plants used in the planted slow-growing valley oaks tinuous shrub cover during periods restoration project.) These restored next to fast-growing cottonwoods of drought and floods. forests are sometimes affectionately and willows to provide forest cover After two growing seasons car- called “Franken-forests” because no- today and for the next 100 years. ing for the trees and shrubs, helping where along the San Joaquin River We planted coyote brush (Baccharis them to develop deep root systems today would you find such native pilularis) next to buttonbush (Cepha- through flood irrigation, and per-

18 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 acres were being prepared for resto- vey was performed showing those ration, a late spring flood event once areas most appropriate for earth- again broke the levees and tested moving. Bunny mounds were then our restoration. Floodwaters per- planted with drought and flood tol- sisted for over four months in some erant shrubs and herbs, and pro- locations, helping to sort out the tected from erosion by a dense plant- “Franken-forests” into more-natu- ing of sandbar willow around the ral mosaicked native plant commu- base—a sort of “green rip-rap.” With nities based on each individual plant collaboration from the USACE and species’ tolerance to flooding. For California Department of Water example, in localized high-ground Resources, the previously denuded areas, flood-sensitive elderberries levee slopes were planted with (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea) per- woody shrubs on drip irrigation. In sisted and provided cover from pre- total, over 30 bunny mounds and 8 dation for the rabbit and other miles of levee slopes across more ground-dwelling wildlife. In low- than 3,000 acres of SJR floodplains lying areas that were deeply flooded, were vegetated with plants specifi- the elderberries did not survive. In cally targeting RBR and RW. contrast, sandbar willow (Salix exi- Restoration has continued to gua) and buttonbush thrived and proceed in phases over the years spread in localized wet areas. In dry as funding and permits allow. One years since then, we have seen a benefit of restoration phasing was death of willows and buttonbush in that our team was afforded the higher elevation areas due to drought opportunity to analyze the perfor- stress. Such sorting has made the mance of restoration actions and restoration a mosaic of plant com- adapt the plan for the next phase to munities that are well-adapted to improve restoration success (our current on-site conditions. version of “adaptive management”). At first, we were not able to re- For example, in 2008 a fire swept store vegetation on levees, which across the Refuge, burning over 400 are maintained free of vegetation due acres of previously restored and to regulations of the US Army Corps remnant riparian forests and shrub- of Engineers (USACE). In the flood lands. Our team was able to observe of 2006, snakes, squirrels, foxes, and the response of the restored and rabbits fleeing the rising floodwa- remnant plant communities, alter- ters were stranded on levees and ing the planting plans as a result of were easy pickings for the circling these observations. hawks and owls. Our restoration We also learned over time about collaborative quickly realized that other wildlife species using the res- in order to recover a resilient rabbit toration areas. In 2006 and 2007, population, additional work was Least Bell’s Vireo (once the most needed to provide vegetated flood abundant riparian songbird in the refugia for rabbits and other prey San Joaquin Valley, now near ex- species. Following this 2006 flood tinction and federally endangered) event, we went to work fundraising nested in our “Franken-forests.” We forming aggressive weed control and designing specific flood refugia observed the nesting and replicated around their bases, we seeded a na- restoration projects. those conditions in other locations tive understory of creeping wild rye The Restoration Plan for the 300 across the project area. (Elymus triticoides), mugwort, and prepared and flooded acres was In total, over $50 million in fee- gumplant. These perennial species changed to include excavation of title and easement acquisition and are abundant on undisturbed flood- wetland swales to support migra- habitat restoration funding was gar- plains of the San Joaquin River, and tory waterfowl, and piling the exca- nered from more than a dozen dif- grow fast enough to outcompete an- vated material into flood refugia or ferent sources. Over 5,300 acres were nual invaders. “bunny mounds” across the land- protected for riparian forest restora- In 2006 as an additional 300 scape (Figure 1). A topographic sur- tion specifically targeting RBR, RW,

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 19 TABLE 2. PLANTS USED IN THE RESTORATION PROJECT.

High-Ground Floodplains Bottomland Forests Flood Refugia

Trees

Arroyo willow Valley oak Valley oak

Box elder Fremont’s cottonwood Fremont’s cottonwood

Goodding’s black willow Goodding’s black willow

Arroyo willow Arroyo willow

Box elder Box elder

Oregon ash

Shrubs

Coyote brush Coyote brush Buttonbush

Mulefat Buttonbush Sandbar willow

California California blackberry California blackberry blackberry

California rose California rose California rose

Mexican elderberry Golden currant Golden currant native fish, waterfowl, and Neo- tropical migratory songbirds. Phased Golden currant restoration continues today, and is expected to be completed in 2025. By then this project will have in- Herbs and Grasses creased the available habitat for RBR by more than 30 times its 1997 ex- Mugwort Mugwort Mugwort tent, and the restored habitat will protect the population from nearing Great Valley Great Valley gumplant Great Valley gumplant extinction in inevitable future flood gumplant events. Both vegetation and rabbit moni- Creeping wild rye Creeping wild rye Creeping wild rye toring have documented our suc- cess. Survival of plantings never Evening primrose Evening primrose Evening primrose dropped below 80% after three years Spanish clover Stinging nettle Hedge nettle of growth, and vegetative cover con- tinued to meet or beat expectations. Basket sedge Telegraph weed Stinging nettle The restored vegetation was also aggressive enough to outcompete Salt grass Spanish clover Dogbane invaders. Over time we have seen natural recruitment of native veg- Source: River Partners, 2014. etation, showing that once the plant communities are established, they

20 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 Flooding along the San Joaquin River in March 2011 inundated restored habitat at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge and agricultural fields at Dos Rios Ranch in Stanislaus County. Photograph courtesy of River Partners. are well adapted to the site. Al- vided the real test of restoration suc- trapping across the Refuge showed though encouraging, plant survival cess. While not a large flood year for that not only had the bunny mounds and cover is only part of the story most of the state, spring of 2011 preserved a small portion of the RBR for this project to be deemed suc- brought enough snowmelt to the population to serve as the founders cessful. Lower San Joaquin River to over- for a repopulation, but that just two Starting in 2003, radio collars whelm the flood control levees again months after floodwaters had re- were deployed to monitor rabbits and inundate the Refuge and Caswell ceded, RBR were venturing back out that had been bred in captivity and Memorial State Park. This time veg- onto the floodplain. Today we de- released into the restored areas. etated flood refugia were available scribe the Refuge as a restored popu- Through this monitoring, we found across the landscape for rabbits flee- lation of RBR. While we still expect that the RBR preferred using the ing the rising waters. In fact, so many flooding to cause periodic damage bunny mounds and other flood refu- rabbits found their way to the flood to the vegetation and the wildlife, gia to restored floodplains, even dur- refugia that they caused a dramatic we know that the plants and the ing dry years. Radio-collared rabbits denuding of the carefully restored bunnies are resilient and will now also helped us to prioritize land ac- vegetation during their stay. Con- be able to weather such disturbances quisitions. Seasonal rabbit trapping cerned wildlife managers boated out into the future. showed us that the restoration was with provisions for the stranded bun- working, yielding higher frequency nies only to find some bunny Julie Rentner, Director of Special Projects, of trapping each year that the resto- mounds also hosting coyote, foxes, River Partners, 912 11th Street, Suite ration matured. and weasels (predators of RBR). LL2, Modesto CA, 95354, jrentner@ Rising floodwaters in 2011 pro- Following the 2011 flood, RBR riverpartners.org

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 21 22 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 MISSION MANZANITA, QUEEN OF THE ELFIN FOREST: IS THE SPECIES IN DECLINE? by Lee Gordon, Richard W. Halsey, Jon E. Keeley, Jon P. Rebman, Delbert Wiens, and Arne Johanson

ission manzanitas (Xy- lococcus bicolor) have worried some bota- nists for years because Mthere has been no reliable evidence that the species has been success- fully reproducing. The species is common now, but are populations dwindling? This was on our minds in late January 2015 as we walked a trail to visit one of the largest and most beautiful mission manzanita specimens in San Diego County. This tree stands 20 feet tall above Peñasquitos Canyon at the entrance to a mission manzanita elfin forest. This miniature forest extends hun- dreds of feet upslope to the east and west. The climb to get there is diffi- cult, but the effort is well worth it. Stands of mixed chaparral usu- ally form impenetrable tangles of branches and leaves, but old- growth stands of mission manza- nita monocultures are different. They hold their foliage high above the ground. Under the canopy, the forest opens up with vistas of smooth, slender, reddish-brown stems. You are inside an enclosed room, shut off from the world. This is a place to linger, to ponder, and to reflect. The plants’ stems are the columns of an ancient cathedral Beneath the foliage, mission manzanita forests create a calm space for contemplative which support the green leaves that seclusion. All photographs by Lee Gordon unless otherwise noted. form the roof above. A redwood forest creates this on a grand scale, ceptional beauty. Inside a mission but now they have their own genus, while a mission manzanita forest manzanita forest you experience the Xylococcus. Mission manzanitas have does so in miniature. halls of the elfin queen. smooth trunks like most true man- Mission manzanitas, a prominent zanitas, but their thin bark has a species in San Diego chaparral, de- MISSION MANZANITA browner tint. The leaves have a shiny, serve to be considered the queen of SPECIES AND HABITAT deep-green top and a whitish matte the elfin forest because of their ex- underside, hence the species’ name, Mission manzanitas are one of bicolor. Another member of Ericaceae many members of the Heath family in San Diego County, summer holly FACING PAGE: A tall mission manzanita stands at the entry to a forest of mission manzanita (Ericaceae) found in San Diego (Comarostaphylis diversifolia), looks in Los Peñasquitos Canyon, San Diego. County. They were at first classified similar but has a rough trunk, ser- Photograph by Steve Miller. as true manzanitas (Arctostaphylos), rated leaves, and red berries. The

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 23 of the California-0Baja border, al- HOW TO GROW MISSION MANZANITAS FROM SEED though it is more common further south. It differs from the mission ission manzanitas have been notoriously difficult to propagate manzanita in that it has a whitish M from seed. Nearly all nursery plants are grown from cuttings, bark and smaller white flowers. but plants grown from seeds better preserve genetic diversity. How- Like other Ericaceae, mission ever, it turns out to be easy to get mission manzanitas to germinate. All manzanitas produce white to pink- they need is moisture and a period of cooler temperatures. The follow- ish urn-shaped flowers that make ing is a short summary, and you can find more in Gordon (2015). quite a show when they are in full The first step is to remove the thin, fibrous, gooey outer bloom. Their berry-like fruits are layer of the fruit from the stone inside. If you put the fruits drupes, a fruit with seeds inside into water in a blender, it will take several minutes at high a hard stone. Mission manzanita speed to clean the stones of this outer material. High speed drupes are roughly 1/4" in diameter, blending leaves stones less than a year old intact. Sharp wire red/green in the spring and then cutters can then be used to break the stones apart to release brown by the fall. The drupes tend seeds. Because stones are brittle, around half the seeds can be to hang on the plant until the fol- released undamaged and fertile. lowing year. The name Xylococcus Seeds that are damaged in this process are susceptible comes from the Greek words “wood to fungus and other pathogens, which can travel through berry” which refers to the hard stones a batch and kill them all. You can reduce this by soaking them that can hold up to five seeds each. for a day in a solution of 0.3% hydrogen peroxide and copper Mission manzanitas are most soap. The water soak also accelerates germination. Seeds common in the western half of San germinate best when stratified at 55˚F. They will not germi- Diego County, with isolated popula- nate at room temperature. You can stratify the seeds tions in Los Angeles and Riverside in small refrigerators by packing the lower half of small Counties and Catalina Island. Their plastic food storage containers with fine, moist potting soil range also extends into northwest- and laying the seeds on top of the soil. About half typically ern Baja California from Tijuana germinate in less than two weeks. south to El Rosario and on Cedros When radicles appear, move the seeds directly to pots Island in the Pacific. They also occur containing a commercial potting soil mixed with additional on sky islands farther south on the perlite to improve drainage. At this point they are delicate and peninsula. The isolated populations they need shade and periodic mist. In a few weeks cotyledons suggest the species was once more rise and expand inside fibrous sheaths. When the sheaths fall widespread. Distribution maps also off, you can remove them from the mist, but they still need show them extending into Tulare some time in the shade as their roots develop. County, but after a careful investiga- This method is slow and laborious, and not well suited for tion, Keeley concluded that this was nurseries. We need to find a less labor intensive procedure likely the result of misidentification. that triggers uniform germination. The stone creates a nearly Individual shrubs grow best on north impenetrable barrier for water. A valuable improvement will slopes, which are cool and moist dur- come if we can find a physical or chemical procedure that ing the growing season, but they can enables water to penetrate. also be found on hotter, flatter expo- —Lee Gordon sures. They grow in both sandy and clay soils as long as there is adequate Mission manzanita propagation from stone to seedling. • TOP PHOTO, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, stone and seed: A whole stone with the thin layer drainage. of fruit removed; stone broken longitudinally to reveal five seeds, two of Mission manzanitas grow to 20 which remain inside; a seed; a piece of stone showing the seed cavity. The feet tall, but most are less than 10 grid is 0.1 inch. • OTHER PHOTOS, TOP TO BOTTOM: After 13 days of stratification, feet. Their wood is tough and hard, a radicle begins to protrude. • In a few weeks, the cotyledons begin to eject a fibrous sheath. • Real leaves grow above the cotyledons after about 6 decaying slowly, so it is common to weeks. • This seedling germinated in May 2014 and by February 2015 had find decades-old dead branches on become nine inches tall. live specimens. Mission manzanitas resprout from an underground lig- notuber or burl after the above rare Baja California bird- teresting member of the Ericaceae in ground portion of the plants have bush (Ornithostaphylos the county. The species is restricted been burned and killed during high- oppositifolia) is a third in- to one mesa and slope area just north intensity crown fires that are char-

24 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 acteristic of the chaparral ecosys- tem. The magnificent tree we found in Peñasquitos Canyon was able to attain its size because the area has been free of fire for at least 80 years. It is unusual for chaparral popula- tions to go this long without fire given the increasing frequency of human-caused ignitions.

ARE MISSION MANZANITA POPULATIONS IN DECLINE? Mission manzanitas have long puzzled scientists, because although they produce abundant fruit, bota- nists and chaparral ecologists have reported never finding seedlings in the field (e.g., Keeley and Davis LEFT: The delicate-looking, bell-shaped flowers of mission manzanita hang in small clusters. 2007). In addition, seeds are diffi- Photograph by Steve Miller. RIGHT: Red-green berry-like fruit are from January 2015, and cult to germinate with traditional brown fruit are a year older. Photograph by Lee Gordon. propagation techniques. Hence, as is the case with the propagation of cluding Keeley and P. Zedler (per- Another hypothesis suggested many native shrubs, nursery plants sonal communication, 2014). that the seeds needed to be scarified are nearly all grown from cuttings. Wiens, et al. (2012) observed that by passing through the gut of the Intrigued by the mystery, in 2004 each chaparral fire kills a small pro- now extinct grizzly bear. Or alterna- Halsey began searching for mission portion of the red shanks (Ade- tively, the seeds needed to be re- manzanita seedlings throughout San nostoma sparsifolium) population, leased from the hard stones by the Diego County by establishing study but red shanks do not appear to re- bears’ strong teeth during mastica- quadrats in stands on Cowles and produce as a result of fires. Human- tion (Halsey interview by McFee, Bernardo Mountains and along Del caused ignitions have greatly in- 2008). Of course considering the Dios Highway near Lake Hodges. creased the frequency of chaparral antiquity of this plant there are a He also conducted post-fire surveys fires, and red shank’s natural repro- slew of potential seed dispersers that after the 2007 Witch Creek Fire, but duction rates has been insufficient are now extinct that could have found no seedlings. This confirmed to sustain its population in the face played a similar role. previous observations by others, in- of this increase. The same process Field observations offered an- could lead to a slow decline other possibility—the plants may de- FIGURE 1. DISTRIBUTION MAP OF MISSION in mission manzanitas. pend on vegetative reproduction MANZANITAS, SAN DIEGO COUNTY, 2015. Wiens found red shank’s through root sprouts. Halsey found low reproduction rates to one such sprout on a lateral root be associated with a high approximately six feet from a mother rate of seed abortion (about plant in Mission Trails Regional 97%) and the inability of Park, San Diego. the rare seedlings to sur- The search for the answer to the vive. In 2011, Wiens inves- mission manzanita mystery accel- tigated the viability of mis- erated after a fortuitous discovery sion manzanita seeds from during the May 2008 Bioblitz in five San Diego County sites. San Diego. The Bioblitz is a 24- He found that 61% of the hour biological survey by volun- stones had at least one seed teers to count as many species as filled with live endosperm. possible in a particular area. Dur- In contrast to red shanks, ing the event, Rebman found two Source: This map is based on specimens collected and deposited in the San Diego Natural History Museum mission manzanitas appear possible mission manzanita saplings Herbarium as part of the San Diego County Plant Atlas to have no problem regard- in Florida Canyon, an open space project: sdplantatlas.org. ing seed viability. area near the San Diego Natural

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 25 History Museum in Balboa Park. the following February found none southwest of Lake Hodges in San He brought Halsey to the site where of the 2008 seedlings, but did find a Diego County, where they grow in they found another possible sap- smaller number of new ones. None consolidated clay sandstone with hot ling and 53 seedlings growing in of these survived a full year. sunny exposures. Many of the plants the leafy litter under a medium sized there are small, less than a foot tall, mission manzanita shrub. As they EXCAVATION OF A and have no obvious burl. Gordon, continued their search, a few more YOUNG PLANT Halsey, and Johanson wondered seedlings were found under other what the roots of a small mission manzanitas, but at lower numbers Mission manzanitas are common manzanita would look like. They than under the first plant. A survey in the Artesia Creek watershed found a small, desiccated, scruffy

MISSION MANZANITAS IN LANDSCAPES o learn about mission manzanitas in garden landscapes, we con- Ttacted some well-known native plant landscape designers including Clayton Tschudy (horticulturalist at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, El Cajon), Greg Rubin (California’s Own Native Landscape, Escondido), Scott Jones (Plants Comprehensive, San Diego), and Wes Hudson (North Park Native Plants, San Diego). Designers have mixed feelings about mission manzanitas in their designs because they grow slowly and are finicky about the soil they grow in. If they are not cared for properly, some may consider them less than attractive. Rubin, Hudson, and Jones use them in their designs, but they are all careful about the sites they select, how they are planted, and how The glossy green foliage and large berries they are watered of mission manzanita are attractive in (see Rubin and gardens. Photograph by Ed Rubin. Warren 2013). Mission manzanitas are exceedingly drought toler- ant, so they need little dry season irrigation, but infre- quent summer irrigation keeps them green and attractive and accelerates their growth. Greg Rubin recommends that you “make them feel like they have been in a thun- dershower.” When you water the plant, also water the area around it, then leave it alone for long intervals. In optimal situations, mission manzanita grows six inches to a foot each year to become an attractive foundation plant. People who are willing to take the long view include them in their gardens and are rewarded for their patience. Mission manzanitas can be one of the most beautiful plants you can grow in a garden. Some people are fortunate enough to have native mission manzanitas already growing in their yards. Fire regulations require that vegetation be thinned and trimmed near homes, but not that you remove all vegetation. Mission manzanitas are ideal plants for vegetation man- agement zones because they naturally hold their foliage A mission manzanita at the left and a big berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) at the right have been trimmed by high above the ground. They are beautiful, require little a homeowner who is designing his landscape around care, and are relatively fire resistant if properly thinned. selected plants growing in native chaparral. —Lee Gordon

26 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 plant at the side of a dirt road where it cut into the hill. The plant could not have been older than the road, but they won- dered: did it grow from a seed or did it sprout from the root of a neigh- boring plant? The road provides ac- cess to power transmission towers and is approximately 30 years old (SDG&E technician, personal com- munication, 2015). They knew the plant would be killed sooner or later by future road grading, so it was removed for further study. A few months later, the road was graded and the spot where the plant once stood was obliterated. After washing the soil from its roots, the authors were surprised to discover that the plant was much This mission manzanita in San Diego’s Mission Trails Park grows out of a five-foot diameter older than it appeared. Under the underground burl. Photograph by Richard Halsey. soil, it had grown a one-inch second- ary burl at the base of a larger one surface. We estimate its stems to be SURPRISE IN THE ELFIN that had burned eleven years earlier. around a century old, based on the FOREST Given the relative sizes of the two average 21.4" stem circumference. burls, they speculated the specimen Our estimate is based on growth When we climbed up to the mis- was about the same age as the road. ring studies we have performed on sion manzanita specimen we found Its roots all radiated downward, not other stem samples. The under- in Peñasquitos Canyon in January sideways, and it had nothing like the ground burl is likely much older 2015, there was a surprise awaiting lateral root sprout Halsey had once than the stems themselves. us. There under its canopy grew a found. They concluded that it had Burls develop over time in a cycle dozen tiny seedlings. We clambered germinated from seed in the bare of growth and fire. The small plant further into the forest beyond and dirt of the road bed and had grown to from the Artesia Creek watershed found many more. Later, we visited a stately 12 inches. This plant offers demonstrates that new growth can Mission Trails Regional Park, Balboa the possibility that mission manza- start at both the top and the bottom Park, a hill in Scripps Ranch, and nitas are still capable of regenerating of a burl. Most burls that survive Torrey Pines State Park. We found from seed and surviving. fire are charred on the top with new seedlings in all the sites we searched, The specimen spent the summer shoots arising at the periphery of though seedlings were present only in a three-gallon pot, and in the fall the old burl. In time, these new stems under some of the shrubs at each of 2014 sprouted leaves both from enlarge at the base to replace the old site. Most were under parent plants, the branches and the burl. It is now burls. The burl expands step-by-step but a few were as far as 20 feet from a beauty, covered with deep green as this process repeats itself. the nearest individual. leaves and growing vigorously in a It is difficult to quantify the age We found seedlings growing in habitat restoration area. Its success of an old mission manzanita because all kinds of conditions. Some were demonstrates the durability of the burls do not have neat tree ring his- in shade, while others were in the species. tories as do bristlecone pines or red- open. Some grew in bare clay soil, woods. In addition, the stems can some in bare sandy soil, and others HOW OLD CAN MISSION only be dated to the last fire event. in six-inch deep composting leaf lit- MANZANITAS BE? On the other hand, there is no obvi- ter. What they had in common, how- ous limit to the age of individual ever, was exposure to the recent The largest mission manzanita mission manzanitas. The burl of the weather pattern. August and Sep- we have found thus far is located in largest specimen we found in San tember thunderstorms may have central San Diego County. It is grow- Diego County is clearly ancient. We provided the initial stimulus. A wet ing out of a 63" x 58" burl, as mea- know of no reason why the species December kept the soil moist sured by the portion exposed at the cannot grow for hundreds of years. through all of a dry January. De-

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 27 cember frosts may also have been a found no evidence that seedlings factor. under mature shrubs ever live be- There is no doubt now that mis- yond the first year. In the six weeks sion manzanitas can grow from since we found seedlings, the ma- seeds, but there is still much to learn jority have already disappeared. It about how they develop into mature remains a mystery what conditions plants. With seedlings sprouting in result in significant reproduction of so many different areas this year, it this species, and it is obvious that it will be interesting to see which, if persists by its ability to vigorously any, survive. Do these seedlings resprout from substantial basal burls. need summer rain? Most of the seed- Keeley and Halsey returned to lings we found were directly under the field again in early March 2015 a parent plants’ canopy, and we have to survey eight different populations of mission manzanitas in San Diego County, for a total of 100 shrubs. They found seedlings too, but they were considerably less widespread than what we saw in January. Five populations had none at all. In gen- eral they were only present on moist north-facing slopes or in ravines. We know now that mission man- zanitas can produce seedlings, but we are still searching for evidence Mission manzanita seedlings are usually found under a parent plant. This seedling that its seedlings survive to become discovered in San Diego’s Balboa Park was mature plants. Given that mission among the first to be reported. Photograph manzanitas can potentially live for by Richard Halsey. centuries, they may have sustained their populations in the past in spite California Native Landscape: The of a low rate of reproduction. Our Homeowner’s Design Guide to Restor- concern for the future is whether ing Its Beauty and Balance. Timber the increasing frequency of chapar- Press, Portland, OR. ral fires will cause mission manzani- Wiens, D.L., et al. 2012. Population tas to slowly decline. In the mean- decline in Adenostoma sparsifolium (Roseaceae): An ecogenetic hypoth- time, we must exercise good stew- esis for background extinction. Bio- ardship over the open spaces where logical Journal of the Linnean Society the species now lives. 105, pp. 269–292.

REFERENCES Lee Gordon, Doppler Ltd., 12344 Oak Knoll Rd., Suite E, Poway, CA 92064, Gordon, L. 2015. How to germinate [email protected]; Richard Halsey, Cali- Xylococcus bicolor. http://www. fornia Chaparral Institute, P.O. Box cnpssd.org/gardeningcomm.html 545, Escondido, CA 92033, rwh@ Keeley, J.E., and F.W. Davis. 2007. californiachaparral.org; Jon E. Keeley, Chaparral. In Terrestrial Vegetation of U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecologi- California, ed. M.G. Barbour, T. cal Research Center, Sequoia Field Sta- Keeler-Wolf, and A.A. Schoenherr. tion, Three Rivers, CA 93271, jon_keeley@ TOP: A small mission manzanita, removed 3rd edition. Berkeley, CA: University from the ground in March 2014 to study of California Press, 339–366. usgs.gov; Delbert Wiens, 1919 S. Spring- its roots. A one-inch live burl grows next McFee, S. 2008. Seeds of doubt. Does brook Ln., Boise, ID 83706, dncwiens@ to a larger older burl that was burned in a aging mission manzanita lack a bear gmail.com; Jon P. Rebman, San Diego 2003 fire. • BOTTOM: It was replanted in necessity for survival? San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, November 2014 after new sprouts appeared San Diego, CA 92101, jrebman@ from its branches (top and left) and the Union-Tribune, May 29. http:// burl (bottom). The burned burl is visible www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/ sdnhm.org; Arne Johanson, 17269 Silver at the bottom. The photograph was taken 20080529/news_1c29bear.html Gum Way, San Diego, CA 92127, in mid-January 2015. Rubin, G., and L. Warren. 2013. The [email protected]

28 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 NEW CNPS FELLOW: SARAH JAYNE by Dan Songster

n the mid-1980s the young Or- ange County Chapter of CNPS was considering dissolving. Its de- mise, though unthinkable now Igiven how active the chapter is, may have occurred if a new member named Sarah Jayne, along with a few others, had not changed the conversation. Due to their efforts it not only remained alive, it slowly prospered. Today it is a robust chapter that serves its members and the county by providing consistently interest- ing general meetings, numerous and well planned field trips, engaging outreach events, inspiring native garden tours, annual plant sales, and an informative newsletter. Almost Sarah Jayne and good friend Steve Hampson keying out the alpine gentian (Gentiana new- all of these things (and many more) berryi) at timberline in Mineral King subalpine valley, Sequoia National Park, August 2000. Sarah either originated, currently runs, or has had a hand in. chapter webmaster (1999–2012), vice to CNPS state programs and Sarah has served and inspired and outreach chair (2000–2009). goals. She has served as Chapter the Orange County Chapter and Since 2013 she has been serving Council secretary (2006–2008), CNPS for 30 years and her contribu- as chapter vice-president, and in- CNPS Executive Board Member and tions are all-encompassing. She has credibly has also held a number of CNPS Board of Directors Secretary been a chapter board member with- other positions, including hospital- (2010–2011), member of the CNPS out interruption since the mid- ity chair (for several years in the Statewide Reorganization Commit- 1980s, and served two terms as chap- 1990s and again since 2010), chap- tee (2010–2011), CNPS Planning ter president (2004–2008). She has ter native garden tour chair (since and Evaluation Committee (2011– also been chapter secretary (1996– 2002), OC-CNPS awards commit- 2012), CNPS Education Program 1999 and 2002–2005), field trip tee member since 2007, and educa- Committee (2009–2012), and CNPS chair (1991–2005), plant sales chair tion chair (since 1990). No wonder Membership Committee (2011– and co-chair (1988–2002), Chapter that in 2007 Sarah was awarded the 2012). In 2011 Sarah was publicly Council delegate (2004–2008), first “Native Perennial Award” from recognized by the CNPS Board of the Orange County Chapter for her Directors for her tireless work as long and energetic support of CNPS Secretary of the Board and member and the Orange County Chapter. De- of the Executive Committee. spite her involvement and leader- Sarah is a selfless leader and men- ship in so many areas of chapter life, tor. She does everything that needs she is always willing to share the doing regardless of its perceived level work and especially the credit for of importance, whether organizing program successes. She has recently an event, editing the chapter news- transferred her chapter Web duties letter, or baking cookies for a chap- and is in the process of handing off ter meeting. Her engagement is con- her job as education chair, both to tagious, and with her quiet but gen- particularly qualified chapter mem- erous nature she encourages others, bers, while grooming others to share especially new members, to increase garden tour duties. their involvement in CNPS at all lev- Sarah is also known for her ser- els. Due in large part to Sarah’s en-

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 29 ture extends beyond ment planned in our foothills abut- CNPS. From 1996 to ting the Cleveland National Forest. 2008 she worked as a As Chapter board member Dori Ito naturalist/docent at La- commented, “After working with guna Coast Wilderness Sarah I have come to the realization Park and Crystal Cove that what’s hidden beneath that State Park, taking park soft-spoken woman of grace is actu- visitors on weekly hikes ally an eco-warrior armed with on the trails, pointing knowledge, conviction, and passion out our native plants, for our state’s native plants.” and discussing their role Sarah is well known for her in- in the environment. In volvement in all aspects of our 2002 she co-created chapter’s horticultural programs, (with Brad Jenkins) the and administers our Acorn Grant M.A.D. (Move, Adapt, or Program, which provides funds and Die) educational pro- direction to local elementary schools gram for the Orange starting native plant gardens. In Sarah Jayne, Laura Camp, and Jennifer Mabley in 2009 County Department of addition, for many years she served at Rogers Gardens (Corona Del Mar) at the awards ceremony for the California Friendly Garden Contest. The Education, which dem- as a weekly volunteer at UC Irvine event showcases gardens that use sustainable gardening onstrates the links be- Arboretum, and currently volun- practices. tween native plants and teers at both Golden West College the communities in Native Garden, Laguna Coast Wil- couragement and guidance, two of which they are found, and the conse- derness Nursery, and the Heritage our chapter’s board members have quences of improper development Garden at Concordia University. become CNPS presidents. Laura of wildlands. As chapter education Also, in the last decade she has re- Camp, chapter board member and chair she helped redesign and ex- designed, replanted, and continues CNPS State President, stated, “Sarah’s pand our grants and scholarships pro- to help maintain the prominent mentorship is one of the main rea- gram for deserving young people and native garden at Vista Verde K–8 sons I’m involved in CNPS leader- college students in Orange County. School in Irvine, CA. ship today. She is always ready for Sarah was part of our conserva- Whether leading discussions re- any task, however small, but always tion committee’s successful involve- garding new chapter projects and thinking about the big picture as ment with other environmental goals or doing all the little things well.” Sarah’s work in education, con- groups in the 2003 litigation against that keep the chapter running servation, and native plant horticul- a massive, poorly designed develop- smoothly, Sarah has always been there to lead the way. She is sup- portive, friendly, caring, quietly de- termined, and has had a significant, lasting influence on every aspect of the Orange County Chapter. Sarah Jayne’s goals have been, and con- tinue to be, relatively clear-cut: She wants CNPS and its Orange County Chapter to promote native plants, encourage their conservation, and help people see the many ways these plants are essential to so many fac- ets of our lives and our environ- ment. As chapter board member Thea Gavin observed: “Sarah’s ex- ample of advocating for native plants over a lifetime, in all kinds of roles, sends a much-needed message that persistence and dedication can make a difference.” Thank you, Sarah, and congratulations!

30 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 BOOK REVIEW

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

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

San Diego author Jim Lightner has published two new books on the historical roots of California botany. The first, a small paperback The subtitle of the book, “The exposed to differing floras along focused on San Diego County, Collections of Thomas Coulter, the way. evolved from an extended lecture Thomas Nuttall, and HMS Sulphur In addition to a wonderful nar- that Mr. Lightner presented to the with George Barclay and Richard rative, Lightner’s book contains vari- San Diego chapter of the California Hinds,” drops names. All of these ous illustrations including a num- Native Plant Society in early 2013. individuals took part in expeditions ber of excellent herbarium sheet The book that grew out of that lec- from the United Kingdom during images courtesy of the Kew Her- ture is filled with fascinating anec- the 1830s, and all were trained barium in London. The text is care- dotes about San Diego County in botanists who collected and ob- fully annotated throughout and con- the earliest days of exploration by served in the same way we do to- tains a useful list of native plants scientists and trained plant collec- day. Their journeys followed dif- collected by the explorers between tors. Right from the start, the book ferent routes, and hence they were 1832 and 1839. This little book is a grabs you. From the introduction:

For historians of Califor- nia, the 1830s is the decade of secularization. Anti-Spanish TELOS RARE BULBS sentiment, competition for wealth, and general anarchy conspired to ruin the Catholic The most complete offering missions. Sixty years of reli- of bulbs native to the western USA gious work unraveled in one available anywhere, our stock is unruly decade. . . . For bota- propagated at the nursery, nists of California, the 1830s with seed and plants are the decade when famous from legitimate sources only. United Kingdom collectors, including David Douglas, ex- plored the territory and dis- Telos Rare Bulbs covered hundreds of native P.O. Box 1067, Ferndale, CA 95536 plants. The west coast of North www.telosrarebulbs.com America became a rich new source of species.

VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015 FREMONTIA 31 quick read, but absolutely packed versity library. The notes read like a of gratitude to him for bringing these with information for California bota- diary—one that I found hard to put fascinating events to life from the nists and history buffs with an inter- down. In addition to presenting a archives. Had he not discovered est in this remarkable period in the detailed image of life in the mid- them, and written about them, they state’s history. 1800s, Parry was not afraid to record might have well disappeared to the The second book, Parry’s Cali- strong opinions: “March 7 – Leave ravages of time. The books preserve fornia Notebooks 1840–51, is a pains- for town again rather a disgusted much more than botanical notes of taking transposition by Lightner individual.” the day. They present a vision of Cal- from the original, hand-written field Both of Lightner’s books are wor- ifornia that is not entirely gone, to an notes that he discovered buried in thy volumes in any natural his- audience working to conserve it. the archives of the Iowa State Uni- torian’s library. All of us owe a debt —Vince Scheidt

WHAT SHAPED YOUR LOVE OF NATURE?

Jason Wong [Editor’s Note: Fremontia readers are invited to send in stories of what shaped your love of nature. If you are motivated to send us yours, it can be about 250 words, and should be emailed to bhass@ cnps.org. Be sure to include a high- quality headshot, or a photograph of your- self in a natural place you love, and the name of the photographer who took it.]

DEE WONG Santa Clara Valley Chapter was born and raised in the bus- I tling city of Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong was a city of high rises and a concrete jungle, I was very fortunate to have lived in the Peak (the highest neighborhood in the city), surrounded by large expanses of natural jungles and magnificent views of Victoria Harbor. My child- Dee Wong on a birthday trip with son Jason (taking the photo) at Bumpass Hell, Lassen hood days were spent exploring Volcanic National Park, August 2013. The two often go nature exploring, and in 2010 these jungles, not knowing the dan- actually got lost in Death Valley for three days. A blog about the experience is at: gers of the very poisonous green calnativehortgal.blogspot.com/2010/12/wrong-turn-surviving-death-valley.html. bamboo snakes that thrive there. I would hear and try to find the bark- Ranch Trail in San Jose. I fell on my enjoy botanizing with others in my ing deer, shy Asian deer that bark knees and gazed at this amazingly CNPS chapter. I have a degree in much like dogs. Although my father beautiful plant. My love of nature environmental horticulture and was not a gardener, he loved to have has led me to my current career as a landscape design from Foothill Col- living plants all around our home. landscape maintenance manager lege, and am a published photogra- I moved to the Bay Area in 2000. specializing in California native plant pher. I was previously chapter trea- I fell in love with my first native gardens at The Village Gardener in surer and am currently the chapter plant, common jewelflower (Strep- San Carlos. field trip chair. You can view some tanthus glandulosa ssp. glandulosa) In my free time I photograph of my photos at dswongclick. in April 2009 while hiking Stile wildflowers and native plants, and zenfolio.com.

32 FREMONTIA VOL. 43, NO.2, MAY 2015 Join Today!

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CONTRIBUTORS (continued from back cover) SUBMISSION Michael White is conservation science director of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy INSTRUCTIONS and an ecologist. CNPS members and others are invited to submit articles for pub- Delbert Wiens is a research associate with the White Mountain Research Center, lication in Fremontia. If inter- and was previously a Professor of Biology at the University of Utah. ested, please first send a short summary or outline of what you’d like to cover in your ar- ticle to Fremontia editor, Bob Hass, at [email protected]. Instruc- tions for contributors can be found on the CNPS website, www.cnps.org, under Publica- tions/Fremontia.

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CONTRIBUTORS FROM THE EDITOR

Lee Gordon is a physical oceanographer and engineer who here now appears to be a consensus on the part of most has taken an interest in seed propagation of native plants. scientists in the US and around the world that climate T change exists, that these changes are in large part caused Richard W. Halsey is director of the California Chaparral by human activities, and that this process is largely irrevers- Institute and devoted to preservation of California’s chap- ible. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change arral. (IPCC), under the auspices of the United Nations, is the leading international scientific body working on issues of Arne Johanson, a retired project manager in the computer climate change. Its latest report (fall 2014), produced by industry, is chair of the CNPS San Diego Chapter’s Invasive hundreds of scientists around the world, synthesizes the Plant Committee and devoted to restoration of California’s most current state of scientific knowledge relevant to cli- chaparral. mate change. It confirms that human activities are the pri- mary cause for global warming over the past 50 years. It will Jon E. Keeley is a research scientist at the USGS, and an be of great interest to CNPS members, and I strongly encour- adjunct professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolu- age you to download it at ipcc.ch/index.htm and read it. tionary Biology at UCLA. Closer to home, our own National Academy of Sciences produces a report on climate change every four years. Its Zachary Principe is a stewardship ecologist with The Na- latest report in 2013, available at nca2014.globalchange.gov/ ture Conservancy and has also worked as a land manager in report, details the wide-ranging impacts that climate change Southern California. is having on every region of the US and throughout our Jon P. Rebman is curator of botany at the San Diego Natural economy. More extreme weather events are prominent, and History Museum. these are significantly impacting plants, animals, and hu- mans. Other reports simply reconfirm this burgeoning body Julie Rentner is a forester and arborist who has been restor- of scientific findings, including one by the National Audubon ing wetland habitat areas in California since 2005. Society in September 2014 (climate.audubon.org). Climate change is a grim reality for those of us who Suzanne Schettler is a licensed landscape contractor spe- attempt to keep up with it, and certainly not one we ever cializing in the restoration of native plants and in finding thought we would be passing on to our children or grand- beauty in the wild. She is the owner of Greening Associates, children. But that is what we are doing, and it always a life member of CNPS, and a former CNPS state president. amazes me that the small but highly vocal group of US politicians who continue to deny that climate change exists Dan Songster is a longtime Orange County chapter board somehow manage not to think about what young people in member currently serving as co-vice president alongside their own families will have to deal with in the coming Sarah Jayne. He is also a founding director of the Golden decades. West College Native Garden in Huntington Beach. —Bob Hass

FREMONTIA ((continued on inside back cover)) VOL. 43, NO. 2, MAY 2015

Dear Friend,

We hope you enjoy this publication. It is full of great articles and beautiful photos, all contributed by dedicated volunteers, and is just one of countless benefits offered by the California Native Plant Society. CNPS is dedicated to understanding, saving, and celebrating California’s wild plants and places.

You likely already know and appreciate CNPS. You love our beautiful flowers, and probably glad CNPS is saving them. You may make a field trip once in a while to reconnect with a favorite landscape that replenishes your sense of wonder, and you are happy we have laws to protect these special places. You love seeing native plant gardens springing up in front of homes and businesses, and you point out the butterflies and hummingbirds to friends. You get it; you understand: you are a CNPS-er. Anza-Borrego. Photo: Dan Gluesenkamp With your help, we can do much more. Will you please join us?

Here are some of the reasons you should use the enclosed remittance form to join CNPS.

35 chapters across California and in Baja offer hikes, public programs, plant sales, restoration events, garden tours, workshops, and camaraderie.

The Conservation Program continues to fight for California’s places. CNPS has been the voice for plant conservation during development of a 30 year plan that will cover 23 million acres of desert. We successfully pushed to map vegetation on 5.5 million acres, and are using these data identify areas that should be avoided by industrial scale energy projects in the region. The rare Calochortus plummerae, Plummer’s Mariposa Lily, Photo: Amber Swanson The Rare Plant Treasure Hunt (RPTH) teams volunteer Citizen Scientists with trained botanists to discover and map rare plants. RPTH volunteers have mapped more than 2,500 Cephalanthus occidentalis, Buttonwillow rare plant populations –1/3 of them new discoveries! and skipper. Photo: Paul G. Johnson

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

Please join CNPS and help us make a real and lasting difference!

Thank you for your help,

Dan Gluesenkamp Carrizo Plain National Monument. Photo: Julie Evens Executive Director

CNPS members on field trip at Yolo Bypass. Photo: Gary Hundt Glue Strip Clearance (when folded)