VOL 41 / NO 1 JANUARY–MARCH 2011 NATIVE SOCIETY BULLETIN California’s First “Native Plant Week” CNPS chapters, schools, government, businesses, and other groups encouraged to participate

By Mike Ross

s California native plant enthu- siasts, we’re used to celebrating Ayear-round the beauty, diversity, and unique benefits of our native flora. Come the third week of April, however, we’re going to ask all Californians to join us—with the encouragement of the Cali-

fornia State Assembly and Senate, no less. Joshua Stark Beginning in 2011, the third week of California State Assemblywoman Noreen Evans (D-Napa, right), who introduced the April will be known officially as “Califor- state resolution creating Native Plant Week, and CNPS Executive Director Tara Hansen. nia Native Plant Week,” according to an ACR 173 recognizes the vital histori- to our state, and points out that California Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR cal, artistic, and economic contributions native plant gardening and landscaping 173) passed on August 2, 2010 by the that California’s native have made (continued on page 3) State Assembly and on August 27, 2010 by the State Senate. The first California Native Plant Week San Diego’s Fuel Treatment Strategy is (CNPW) will be officially celebrated Harming Ecosystem April 17–23, 2011, although events are expected to encompass both weekends Policymakers attempting to circumvent environmental regulations (April 16-24). By Richard Halsey and Carrie Schneider The CNPS-sponsored resolution was [Editor’s Note: The next issue of Fremontia will focus on issues related to native plants and fire safety.] introduced by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans (D-Napa), who has supported issues n increasingly familiar and unfortunate response to California’s wildfires has been related to California’s native plants in the to blame native plant communities rather than focusing on what matters most: past. It attracted bipartisan support from Aretrofitting flammable structures, removing flammable ornamental vegetation, and 48 additional Democratic and Republican creating appropriate defensible space by thinning rather than “clearing” native habitat. cosponsors, as well as the approval of hor- In a draft community wildfire protection plan issued in 2010, a citizen group in Monterey ticulturists, conservation organizations, County excluded local conservationists and scientific input and equated “clearing brush” to and nurseries from throughout California. a constitutional right. The plan erroneously refers to native shrublands as “over-mature” and By pleasant coincidence, Ms. Evan’s birth- “overgrown” fire threats. In Santa Barbara County, federal funds are being spent to clear-cut day (April 22, which is also celebrated as large expanses of native chaparral to create what a local fire safe council member has described Earth Day) will fall within California Na- as a park-like setting. Despite denials, what is actually left behind are fields of invasive, tive Plant Week during most years. (continued on page 6) CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 41 / NO 1 JANUARY–MARCH 2011

From the Executive Director hear Carol, mingle, and ask questions of longtime native plant volunteers and chap- Effective meeting formats and outreach ter leaders Laura Camp, Brad Jenkins, Celia uring the third week in October, I and sold native plants before the meeting! Kucher, Dan Songster, and many others. Dhad the pleasure of visiting our San Other volunteers sold books and answered Orange County Chapter has adopted a Diego and Orange County Chapters to questions and Dave Fleitner, chapter presi- meeting setup that includes information present an overview of the CNPS mis- dent, greeted new people as they came in. stations on various topics related to native sion and vision, and how the central office plants and conservation and chapters are working to implement it so that members can seek through our five programs. out information on top- The San Diego Chapter meeting, held ics of particular interest at the Casa del Prado building in Balboa to them. They also staff Park, was attended by roughly 50 or so a membership and regis- members and volunteers, who primarily tration table at the entry, turned out to hear Kim Camilli, a forest and greet everyone with pathologist, give a fascinating talk on CNPS membership infor- the goldspotted oak borer and its impact mation as they arrive. on San Diego oak forests. (Go to http:// Both of these meet- www.fs.fed.us/r5/spf/fhp/gsob.shtml to learn ing formats appeared about this new threat to California oaks.) to be quite effective in Even in the pounding rain, chapter vol- welcoming and educat- unteer Carolyn Martus and others brought ing new members, and the program topics were Pete DiGirolamo Pete highly informative. For CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY The historic and majestic Casa del Prado building in Balboa 2707 K Street, Suite 1 Park, site of the San Diego Chapter’s monthly meetings, and additional details about Sacramento, CA 95816-5113 also its fall plant sale. the San Diego and Or- Phone: 916-447-2677 T Fax: 916-447-2727 In Orange County, horticultural expert ange County Chapter meeting formats and Email: [email protected] Carol Bornstein gave an engaging talk outreach, please contact Dave Fleitner or Website: www.cnps.org CNPS Bulletin Email: [email protected] about the sensory delights one can experi- Laura Camp. T Tara Hansen, Executive Director ence from native plant species in residential Tara Hansen

2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS gardens. About 100 members turned out to Executive Director Brett Hall, President Lauren Brown, Vice President Sarah Jayne, Secretary Carol Witham, Treasurer Landfill Mitigation Helps Native Plants Orchid Black (CC Rep), Laura Camp, Ellen Dean, Arvind Kumar, Brian LeNeve (CC Rep), n densely urbanized Los Angeles County, The Habitat Authority’s primary goal Nancy Morin, Vince Scheidt, Ithe concept of mitigation is being applied is to protect biological diversity. The plan Alison Shilling in an unconventional way. The Puente also involves making this preserve part of a CHAPTER COUNCIL Hills Landfill, the largest sanitary land- larger wildlife corridor that connects Cleve- David Magney, Chair fill in the West, is located there. In 1994, land National Forest, in Orange County, Larry Levine, Vice-Chair Marty Foltyn, Secretary the Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat through the Puente Hills to the San Ga- ­Authority was established as mitigation briel River, which in turn would connect CNPS BULLETIN Bob Hass, Editor for the landfill. A portion of the tipping to Angeles National Forest. Although this Lisa Roth, Design fee charged for each ton of refuse is now project is not CNPS-sponsored, it is useful Diana Hickson, Arvind Kumar, Joe and Doris Willingham, Proofreaders being used to purchase and restore public to know of this creative initiative that is open space in the Puente Hills, located in helping to conserve native plants. T MAILING LABEL CHANGES southeastern Los Angeles County. To date Norman Ackerman Send to: [email protected] the preserve has grown to 3,860 acres. San Gabriel Mountains Chapter

PAGE 2 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 41 / NO 1 JANUARY–MARCH 2011

Plant Week (from page 1) have tremendous positive impacts on our watersheds, on habitat recovery, and on curbing catastrophic wildfires. It recog- nizes, further, that home landscaping and gardening with native plants can reduce residential water use from 60 to 90% over conventional gardening. In particular, ACR 173 “encourages community groups, schools, and citizens to undertake appropriate activities to promote native plant conservation and restoration, and to inform their neighbors and communities of the value of native plants in nature and in horticultural settings” during California Native Plant Reny Parker Week. (For the complete text of ACR 173 A splendiforous wildflower display at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, San Mateo and a list of its sponsors, go to www.cnps. County. org. and click on Native Plant Week at the held during CNPW. Public field trips, Mike Ross is a science writer in San Jose. top right under “Conservation.”) lectures, and school activities will also He has been a member of CNPS since “The idea for this resolution came out be encouraged. he moved to California during the 1976 of discussions between Greg Suba, CNPS The celebration will by no means be drought. Conservation Program Director, Vern limited to CNPS. We will be collaborat- Goehring, CNPS Legislative Consultant, ing with many environmental groups, Join Statewide Invasives and me in planning our 2010 legislative botanic gardens, water districts, parks, initiatives,” said Tara Hansen, CNPS Ex- schools, and other organizations to hold Mapping Effort ecutive Director. “Given that 2010 was activities related to native plants during n 2006–2008 Cal-IPC mapped the ex- an election year—and that the partisan CNPW. Nurseries and other retailers Iisting distribution of all species in the divide in Sacramento showed scant signs will be encouraged to hold CNPW sales, Cal-IPC Inventory by county and Jepson of healing—this resolution was developed and promotional materials touting the floristic region. In 2010–2011 we’re con- as a positive and publicly popular measure. wisdom of protecting and gardening with tinuing to map at a finer resolution (7.5 It also meshes with our intention to reach native plants will be produced. Advance minute USGS quadrangles). new audiences and grow as a Society.” publicity will be sought for CNPW itself The keystone of this effort is to gather a CNPS will be reaching out far and as well as same-day local media coverage group of local botanists and land managers wide to promote California Native Plant of significant, popular, and attractive and map their expert knowledge. We’re Week. The Chapter Council has created events associated with CNPW. seeking input from CNPS volunteers a committee to plan and organize events The Society has also created an online with strong botanical skills and a regional and publicity for the week, and encour- calendar that the public can use to find knowledge of invasive plant distribution. ages all members to contribute their CNPW events in their neighborhoods. Come participate in our data gathering time and effort to make the first year’s “I urge all CNPS members to join meetings! celebration a resounding success. (For a together to make this first California To participate, please contact your list of CNPW committee members, see Native Plant Week a success,” said Han- chapter’s invasive species or con­ the CNPS website.) sen. “The CNPW committee members servation coordinator (if applicable) or Initial plans are being drawn up, and will be canvassing the chapters, but any email [email protected]. Visit www. it’s hoped that many annual Chapter- members with ideas for a successful event calweedmapper.org for more information. T sponsored events—such as plant sales or activity are encouraged to contact a Dana Morawitz and wildflower shows that have histori- committee member, or the chair, Mike Cal-IPC Mapping cally taken place during April—can be Ross ([email protected]).” T Program Manager

PAGE 3 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 41 / NO 1 JANUARY–MARCH 2011 CHAPTER NEWS

RIVERSIDE/SAN BERNARDINO CHAPTER: Partnering with the local water district rowing native plants is a great way plant sale, but District staff designed a bill The insert was included in approximately Gto preserve our precious water re- insert promoting the event and helped us 24,000 water bills sent to their retail sources. Fortunately for the Riverside-San on the day of the plant sale. customers, encouraging them to “Make Bernardino chapter, the Western Munici- Our first plant sale in partnership with Your Garden Water-Wise, Beautiful, and pal Water District in Riverside, California the Water District was held in November Wildlife-Friendly” by coming to our plant is also promoting water efficient plants, 2009 in the District’s parking lot, which is sale. At press time the sale had not yet including natives, in the landscape. adjacent to their demonstration gardens. been held, but we expect it to be at least So when we approached them last year The site is located in a busy area of Riv- as successful as last year’s. to ask about holding our annual fall native erside, and this proved to be our most suc- Western Municipal Water District also plant sale at their office and demonstra- cessful plant sale ever. The District again has other programs that encourage home- tion gardens, the response was enthusias- hosted our plant sale in 2010, and again owners to convert their gardens and go tic. Not only did they agree to host the sent out bill inserts announcing the sale. native. They offer a turf buy-back program to encourage the use of climate appropri- ate and waterwise plants. Through their website, they promote a free landscaping seminar that showcases water-wise and native plants. We are very grateful to Pam Pavela, water use efficiency specialist for West- ern Municipal Water District, and the entire District for this wonderful col- laboration. T

Holding the chapter’s native plant sale at the local water district brought it free publicity Katie Barrows, President on a large scale. This insert was included in bills sent out to nearly 24,000 customers. Riverside-San Bernardino Chapter

SEQUOIA CHAPTER: Restoration project enters planting phase

n 2002 the Sequoia Chapter began a the project will be a long and gradual Irestoration project at China Creek, process of planting and encouraging an undeveloped 120-acre Fresno Coun- native grasses to compete with and take ty park of remnant oak woodland near the place of YST and the exotic annual the Kings River. It sounds odd to admit grasses that dominate the Park’s savan- that in eight years all we’ve done is kill nah areas. But with the help of up to 12 Warren Shaw Warren weeds, mainly the noxious weed yellow chapter volunteers and Vulcan Materials, Spreading mulch where weeds once star thistle (YST). However, finally in we’ve already spread mulch on about an abounded at China Creek County Park. September 2010 we started something acre of this area so far. for enough rain this season to germinate new: on a seven-acre test plot we actu- Next we plan on adding native grass the seed and start the renewal process. T ally began preparing for planting! cuttings, and then integrating the cuttings Warren Shaw We realize the revegetation phase of and mulch with a mower. We’re hoping Sequoia Chapter

PAGE 4 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 41 / NO 1 JANUARY–MARCH 2011 Corps’ Plan to Remove Levee Vegetation Violates ESA he California Delta is a labyrinth dangered Species Act, which requires on potential impacts to listed species. of sloughs located roughly be- that before vegetation can be removed, Vegetation in the Delta is important for Ttween Sacramento in the north federal wildlife agencies must be consulted listed species such as salmon, steelhead, and Stockton in the south. It encompasses giant garter snake, and Valley elderberry about 1,000 miles of waterways. Much of longhorn beetle. Moreover, as pointed out the Delta’s riparian vegetation is found on in a joint document issued by the Cali- levees. fornia Department of Water Resources The Army Corps of Engineers has is- and Department of Fish and Game, the sued a new nationwide policy requiring preponderance of scientific evidence sug- the removal by local flood control districts gests that well-managed levee vegetation of riparian vegetation along levees, which poses very little risk to levee integrity, would impact vegetation in the Delta. and often reduces the risk of erosion. The This could result in the loss of from 25% removal of trees may actually compromise to over 80% of existing important and rare Example of expected extent of clearing of levee safety. riparian vegetation types including valley Delta levees (gray) overlain onto a recent The Center for Biological Diversity has oak, white alder forest, and Mexican el- detailed vegetation map to show the filed notice of intent to sue the Corps if it effect on channel margin riparian growth derberry woodland. (yellow polygons). Map courtesy of Vegetation implements the new policy, based on im- The Corps’ policy violates the En- Classification and Mapping Program, DFG. pacts to endangered species in California. T

In Appreciation: Brad Jenkins The driving force behind a more user-friendly rare plant database rad Jenkins is very excited about The need for a more advanced yet user- support, leadership, and vision that Brad a new endeavor. This comes as no friendly interface encouraged Brad to look Jenkins has provided to this valuable Bsurprise to the many CNPS members into new database display possibilities. achievement. In turn, Brad credits the who know him. For many years Brad has Surprisingly, it was Brad’s background in amazing wealth of volunteers at CNPS been a high-profile volunteer in the Orange investing which provided an unexpected saying, “Completing this endeavor deep- County Chapter, the CNPS Board of boon: when using screening tools for ens my appreciation for every member Directors, and the CNPS Chapter Council. equity research, he realized the instant who volunteers time or provides funding His latest passion is the new Rare Plant criteria matching style could be adapted for valuable CNPS projects.” T Online Inventory which he says “will make to online rare plant research. It was after searching for rare plant data fast and fun.” Nick Jensen assumed several coordination Stacey Flowerdew, Membership & Brad gives credit to everyone whose tasks for the Inventory and the nonprofit Development Coordinator past work has in some way made possible Calflora demonstrated that sophisti- this new online version of the Inventory, cated botanical database coding was from evolutionary botanist G. Ledyard possible, that people started getting Stebbins, who started maintaining a really excited about the changes. card catalog of locally rare Californian The final obstacle—namely how plants in 1968; to Larry Levine, who the project could be funded— was has maintained an online version of removed thanks to a CNPS Board al- The Inventory of Rare and Endangered location from the funds donated by the Plants since 2001; as well as former late June Bilisoly, contributions from CNPS Rare Plant Botanists Kristi Lazar Online Inventory users, and a gener- and Nick Jensen, and current Rare Plant ous donation from the Jenkins Family

Botanist Aaron Sims, all of whom have Charitable Gift Fund. Linda Jenkins contributed their expertise. CNPS is grateful for the continued Brad Jenkins

PAGE 5 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 41 / NO 1 JANUARY–MARCH 2011

Fuel Treatment (from page 1) reasonable compromise is not promising. Despite more than seven years of work by flammable weeds interrupted by an oc- earlier this year. The judge made it clear local conservationists and the recent legal casional manzanita or scrub oak damaged that the use of the emergency exception decision, San Diego County has made it by the loss of the surrounding watershed. clause for a four-year fuel treatment proj- clear in a recent newspaper editorial that ect was illegal and that it intends to continue its efforts to circum- the county needed to go vent environmental protections in order back and follow the law. to clear the natural landscape of what it The county responded sees only as dangerous fuel. to the judgment by issu- In addition, the county has lobbied the ing a negative declara- state to ignore global climate change in tion, a CEQA project its development of future fire plans, and document that allows has continually claimed that the conver- development projects to sion of native shrublands to nonnative proceed if they will not grasslands is not a problem. The county’s cause any significant rationale for these viewpoints is that environmental impacts. taking such problems into consideration Richard Halsey Ironically, by filing the would interfere with its plans to conduct This fuel break has been taken over by invasive, nonnative weeds that can now invade the surrounding chaparral ecosystem. original emergency ex- major fuel treatments in the backcountry. emption, the county had For an illustration of what vegetation In San Diego County, the approach has already recognized there would indeed be removal can do to chaparral, view a been to ignore volumes of scientific re- significant impacts. before and after comparison at www.cali- search and promote a massive “fuel treat- At the same time the negative declara- forniachaparral.com/threatstochaparral.html. ment” project of more than 300 square tion was issued, the county sponsored a bill The fall 2007 cover of Fremontia shows a miles that would seriously threaten the in the California State Senate that would mature stand of manzanita, subsequently health of an entire ecosystem. have exempted future fuel treatment cleared in an attempt to “reduce fuel.” San Diego County’s actions are espe- projects from environmental review and The results of this treatment turned an cially troubling because they are based citizen oversight. Fortunately, due to the unbroken old-growth chaparral shrubland on attempting to circumvent state efforts of many dedicated conservation- into a parched hillside. environmental laws by using the emer- ists, the bill died in committee. At press Local CNPS chapters must become gency exemption clause in the California time, the County is still in the process of familiar with CEQA and fire science to Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). responding to comments on the negative protect California’s priceless native habi- The clause allows agencies to respond to declaration. The County’s final decision tats from unreasonable land management “imminent” threats such as a collapsing will determine whether or not the court projects that are claimed to be necessary bluff or a raging fire without undue delay. battle will continue. to reduce fire risk. Although vegetation However, case law has clearly established Unfortunately, the possibility of a management is a critical tool in our efforts that local governments may not use the to protect lives, property, and natural re- clause to avoid their legal obligation sources, it needs to be conducted accord- to conduct appropriate environmental ing to sound scientific principles, and not reviews of long-term projects. Unfortu- based on panic. nately, emergency exemptions for fuel To learn more about this story, please treatment projects are being increasingly visit the SD County Slash and Burn page used for this very reason. at www.californiachaparral.org. T Recognizing the danger San Diego County’s strategy presented, the Califor- Richard Halsey is director of the nia Chaparral Institute, with the support Richard Halsey California Chaparral Institute. Carrie Yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis) of the San Diego Chapter of CNPS, and wild oats (Avena sp.) overwhelm a fuel Schneider is conservation coordinator challenged the County in court and won treatment area in chaparral. with the San Diego Chapter of CNPS.

PAGE 6 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 41 / NO 1 JANUARY–MARCH 2011 Delicious Native Plants By Barbara Eisenstein

hile out working in the garden I take frequent breaks to pop Wdelectable berries in my mouth. In early spring, the sweet and tart golden currants (Ribes aureum) tickle my taste buds. A few weeks later, tiny strawberries (Fragaria vesca ssp. californica) delight my tongue while providing a concentrated energy boost. And in late summer, tasty purple grapes (Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’) quench my thirst. Yet this is just the smallest bit of what the land has to offer. Strangely, though native plants provide local food in the tru-

est sense, this food is exotic and unknown Eisenstein Both photos by Barbara to most of us. And the Native Ameri- The fruits of serviceberry ( utahensis) were eaten fresh or dried for winter cans—who accumulated knowledge and food by Native Americans. It has a broad range in California and makes an excellent garden expertise on how to manage the lands with lovely white flowers. we now live on in order to provide for nature’s most delectable morsels. singing off the spines and sometimes themselves and people of future genera- Barberries (Berberis [Mahonia] spp.) straight off the shrub (Anderson 2006). I tions—are nearly gone. In recent years, can be sweet or tart, and delicious. Eat have eaten Sierra gooseberries (R. roezlii) however, there has been a resurgence of them right off the shrub or collect them but only after cutting them in half and interest in tribal peoples and in the native for an unusual jam. Two of my favorites separating the sweet insides from the plants that fed them.1 are Nevin’s and Fremont’s barberry (B. spiny skin; I cannot imagine how one There are many native plants that pro- nevinii, B. fremontii). Wild grapes (Vitis could swallow them whole. vide food and seasoning, and also make girdiana, V. californica, and V. ‘Roger’s And finally, I could not end this article excellent garden specimens. This column Red’—a hybrid used in horticulture) yield without mentioning my favorite wild is far too short to even begin to do this small, tasty, juicy fruit. When not popping berry, the blueberry. There are two native topic justice, but I would like to share a these berries directly into my mouth and that produce berries that can few of my favorite food plants, focusing on unceremoniously dispersing the seeds compete with any store bought blueberry: sweet desserts. around the garden, I collect the bunches, California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) Fruits and berries are nature’s candy. clean them, and then squish them through and serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis, Wild strawberries, mentioned above, a sieve to remove the seeds and skin. The A. alnifolia ‘Regent’ and ‘Smokey’). These make up in flavor what they lack in size. concentrated juice adds flavor and color to taste much like cultivated blueberries, but Not large like the artificial berries we get fresh lemonade, spiced with wild sage. as is the case with all wild plants, their in the store, these tiny treats are never Another genus that produces some of our flavors are less homogeneous, sometimes hard and woody, though some are a bit most delicious treats is Ribes. Both spiny tart, sometimes sweet, and always just a more sour than others. The only problem gooseberries and spineless currants can bit different. T is that you must compete with birds and be found throughout much of California. other mammals since they too are privy to Golden currant (Ribes aureum) produces Barbara Eisenstein is a native plant shiny golden to nearly black berries. garden writer, consultant, and enthusiast. 1 Tending the Wild by M. Kat Anderson. 2006. Hillside gooseberry (R. californicum) When not working in her own garden or University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. can be eaten as well if you do not mind in the South Pasadena Nature Park, she Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel E. Moer- man, 1998. Timber Press, Portland, OR, http:// the spines. It is reported that Native may be found updating her website: www. herb.umd.umich.edu/. Americans ate these berries, sometimes weedingwildsuburbia.com.

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The California Native Plant Society is a statewide, A.M.S. nonprofit organization of amateurs and professionals with a common interest in learning about and preserving California’s native plants and plant communities. Membership is open to all. Visit cnps.org

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