Buttermilk Bend Trail Trees & Shrubs 5. Gray Pine (formerly called leached out of them, the black oak acorn was consid- Digger Pine). This is a rather ered to be the tastiest and most preferred one. (Species are marked with yellow numbers) scraggly-looking pine tree with very long needles. It is gray- 9. Redberry. This small bush has 1. Incense Cedar. This large green in color, hence the name. inconspicuous flowers in early April conifer is a common tree in and produces small inedible red berries This tree conserves water by producing very later in the summer. It has very small Nevada County at the higher few needles and conserves its energy in order to holly-like leaves. elevations, but not common produce massive cones, which could be damag- along our river basin. It is ing to any heads that are in their pathway when 10. Himalayan Blackberry. We love easily recognized by the flat dropping to the ground! The roots of this tree the beautiful pink flowers and the fruit of this non- sprays of “leaves”, rather than obvious needles were useful for making baskets. native bush. Unfortunately, it is an invasive species so typical of other conifers. The heavily fur- and it will push out our native plants. It is a member rowed bark is another distinctive feature. 6. Wild grape. Native wild of the rose family. grapes are very common here 2. Northern California where they can be seen climbing 11. Coffeeberry. This is a medium to large bush with Black Walnut. This is the over branches of even our tallest only native walnut tree in tough gray-green leaves. trees. The tiny green clusters of The flowers are inconspicuous but the fruit, which is our region and is endan- grapes turn to purple in the autumn, while the deep purple, resembles coffee beans, hence its name. gered. It is found in areas leaves turn to various tones of pink before they The birds love the berries of this bush. where Native Americans formerly had fall. The fruit is too seedy for eating, but does campsites. The leaves are large and are made make delicious jelly, if you can pick them be- 12. Interior Live Oak. This up of 15-19 smaller leaflets. Besides being a fore they are eaten by the wildlife. evergreen oak is in great abun- beautiful shade tree, it produces a very edible dance here and throughout our nut. 7. Blue Oak. This is a small county. Like the Canyon Live to medium sized, deciduous Oak, it can survive on thin soil. The leaves on both trees are also very thick and 3. Osage Orange. This tree oak. It gets its name from was brought West by set- drought tolerant, making them ideal trees for this the its leaves which have a area, where temperatures can remain elevated for tlers who came from the bluish cast in late summer. The tree does some- days at a time. Acorns are very different than the south central part of our country. In spite of its thing very unique in that it will completely drop Canyon Live Oak, and are typically small, narrow, name it is not useful as an edible fruit tree. It its leaves until the next year, if the temperatures and conical in shape. does produce a very interesting grapefruit sized, remain at very high levels for extended periods. bumpy-surfaced, green, shiny fruit in the late This makes it extremely drought tolerant. It is 13. Squaw Bush. This small bush summer. This tree was utilized for the handles natures' way of conserving moisture and aids in looks very much like poison oak of hand tools and for making fence posts. its ability to survive. This tree is in great abun- and is a close relative to it, but it dance in our park. does not carry the same toxic 4. Elderberry. Widely chemicals. It was a useful plant for weaving baskets. known for the wine and jelly 8. Black Oak. This deciduous that can be made from its oak likes a little thicker soil fruit; however, the deep blue than the live oaks, so it is a little For more information visit the websites below. berries are bitter and inedible before this pro- fussier about where it will grow cessing. This was a useful tree to the native in our park. It produces the largest leaves of South Yuba California State Maidu of this area, who had many uses for it, any oak in our park or in our county. Though River Park Parks including the making of flutes from its older acorns, in general, were a staple food for the na- Association parks.ca.gov hollow branches. tive peoples, as long as the bitter tannins were southyubariverstatepark.org 14. Poison Oak. There is proba- caught for the next meal. It is illegal for you to 21. White Alder. This medium bly more poison oak in this park catch fish this way! sized tree is riparian, meaning than any other plant. Be careful! that it grows along waterways. Leaves of three, stay away from 17. Toyon. This So if you see an alder, you can't TreesTrees andand ShrubsShrubs me! Poison oak is very variable attractive, large be very far from water! You will notice that of the Buttermilk in form; it can be a leafless twig, a fully-leaved bush was thought to this tree has little seed “cones”, which seems of the Buttermilk large bush or a significantly large vine climbing be a type of holly odd for a deciduous tree. BendBend TrailTrail a tree. Leaves can be dull, shiny, green, orange, when settlers moved into southern Califor- red, or purplish in color. If you aren't sure, you nia….hence Hollywood was named when peo- 22. Canyon Live Oak. This oak shouldn't touch it. In spring it produces whitish ple saw this red-berried bush on the hillsides. It is found along river canyons, typ- flowers and in the summer it will have small is quite prevalent along the trail here at South ically preferring rocky abodes, white berries. Yuba River. Long stems made good arrows for but not in great abundance along the Buttermilk the native peoples and the berries of the bush Bend Trail. The tree is evergreen, with leaves 15. Western Redbud. This were quite edible. that are very light green on the underside and bush draws attention to itself dark green on the topside. The leaves have both year around. In spring it puts 18. Common Snowberry. This a spiny form and a smooth form. The acorn has out a profusion of pinkish- small upright bush is a member a hairy golden cap that can leave a powdery purple flowers, followed by a of the honeysuckle family, and gold dust in your hands. display of dusty green round leaves, and cli- like honeysuckles, has leaves A Self-guided maxed by a profusion of rusty colored large pea that are opposite each other on very slender 23. Oracle Oak. This tree is a pods which hang on the tree until the next branches. The flowers are inconspicuous and hybrid cross between a black Trail spring. Native peoples used the dye produced rarely seen, and the berries produced are small oak and an interior oak. It is from the bark of this tree to color their baskets. and snow white. produced when the pollen of the abundant interior oaks pollinate the infre- 16. Buckeye. This tree's closest 19. White Leaf Manzanita. quent black oaks along the trail. The leaves are The South Yuba relatives reside in Ohio, the This very large manzanita is smaller than those of the black oak, and lack River State Park is “Buckeye State”. Also related to often the size of a small tree their deep lobes. When the leaves drop in the part of a natural plant the chestnut, this tree has very and one of the largest manzani- fall, only about half of them drop because the community called a thin leaves, and so it has a rather tas in the country. It has a distinctive red bark, interior oak parent tree is an evergreen and the Blue Oak Woodland. different adaptation to dry habitats than other and the limbs are very strong and difficult to black oak parent tree is deciduous. Here you can find, a thick-leaved native trees. It produces its large cut. Manzanita translated from Spanish means palmate, compound leaves early in the season, “little apple”; it was very important to the na- 24. Spicebush. This one is a multitude of trees but soon after it is pollinated, it yellows and tive peoples, who used the berries or “little ap- slowpoke to leaf out and flow- and shrubs. The drops its leaves before the prolonged heat of the ples” for making a lemonade-type drink. er out but, when it does, you rainfall here is summer. When it produces flowers in mid- will know it was worth the wait. This bush is higher than in the April, this large bunch is really composed of 20. Pacific Willow. Like all usually found around waterways where it en- central valley, which multiple individual flowers. Only one of these of our native willows, this joys the moist soil. The leaves are very similar promotes greater individual flowers can be pollinated, followed willow is a common species along rivers and to those of a rhododendron in shape, though variety and density in by the development of a large chestnut-sized streams, where it prefers wet soils. As its name often times larger; when crushed you will no- the plants and fruit, whose seed resembles a large eyeball, suggests, it is native to the Pacific states. The tice a spicy aroma, hence its name. The sum- animals. hence the name “buckeye”. This fruit is poi- leaves are long and pointed. In the spring this mer-blooming, large flowers are soft red and South Yuba River State Park sonous; when cut open it was thrown into the tree produces long hairy catkins at the ends of exotic looking. Tel: (530) 432-2546 water to stun fish, which were then easily leafy twigs. 17660 Pleasant Valley Road Text by: Judy McAuliffe Design by: Steve Pauly Penn Valley, CA 95946 Rev 8/14