l The Conifersof Lotusland-- 1NMOST PLACE.Son the earth, and certainly at Lotusland, the vegeta­ tion is dominated by angiosperms - the flowering plants that provide us our daily bread and enrich our LOTUSLANDworld with color. While extremely suc­ Nrws LLTIL R cessful, the angio­ sperms are relative Volume3 No.3 & Autumn1994 newcomers, having --':~><!I==~ evolvedabout 120mil­ lion years ago. They were preceded by a varied group of less­ ~ 5 ReseivatiorlS specialized seed plants I lvvfor Members collectivelytermed th e ~--~ gymnosperms. Gym- i.;' --'~!!i'lli:I-, nosperms were fairly ALTHOUGH it is late summerand the diverse in the past, but lotus are still in bloom, we're al­ are represented by ready planning ahead for 1995tour only about 750 species reservations. We would like to in the present day (in thankour membersfor their support contrast to about and patiencefor what has becomea 230,000species of an­ complex day-to-day juggling act giosperms).These liv­ Bunya-bunya (Araucariabidwillii) with our reservation system. We ing gymnospermsem ­ will save space for our members brace six distantly related groups of miliarconifers in western North Amer­ and give them priority in 1995. plants=the cycads, of which Lotusland ica include the coast redwood (Sequoia) However, because our total visitor has a world-famouscollection; Ephedra , and the big tree of the Sierra (Se­ numbers as set by the County of "Mormontea," the sourceof a potent de­ quoiadendron),both members of the Santa Barbarawill remain low, tour congestant;Gnetum. a genus of rainfor­ bald cypress family (Taxodiaceae),and space for members and the public est vines and shrubs; Welwitschia,rep­ the Monterey cypress ( Cupressusmac ­ will be limitednext year. resentedby a singlespecies in the Namib rocarpa)and the incense cedar (Ca ­ Members may call beginning Desert of southwestAfrica and surely a locedrus decurrens),both members of Monday,October 10, 1994,for 1995 contenderfor the titleof "weirdestplant the true cypress familyor Cupressaceae tour reservations. Reservationsfor in the world;" the maidenhair-tree (aren't common names confusing?1). the general public will open a Ginkgo;and the assemblagecollectively However,our North Americanimage of month later. We encourage mem­ termedthe conifers,colloquially referred what a conifer looks like is biased by bers to take advantageof this ben­ to·as "pine trees."The last group is of the fact that two families,the monkey­ efit. Youcan reach the Reservation concernto us in this presentation. puzzle family (Araucariaceae) and the Office Monday through Friday The conifersinclude seven families, podocarp family(Podocarpaceae) have from 9 a.m.until noon at (805)969 - 52 genera, and 600-plus species. Of a dominantlySouthern Hemispheredis­ 9990. Remember,the garden closes these, perhaps the most familiarare the tribution, and many genera in other every year from mid-November true pines (the genus Pirws)and their families are restricted to eastern Asia until mid-February.Tours will be- close relatives,the spruces (Picea)and and/o r the Southern Hemisphere.In­ (_ , gin againon February15, 1995. firs (Ables),all occurring in the family deed, the Santa Barbaraskyline has an Pinaceae.These show up in our gardens unusual appearancefor North America as accent plantsand often dominatethe vegetationin montane areas.Other fa- Conifers-continuedon page2 Mair1House O Rer1ovatior1 Crew THECONSTRUCTION FIRM of Lurie& Lurie (pictured,left, on front steps) recently completed a six-month renovation of the Main House at Lotusland.The pro­ ject includedseismic safety work, hand­ icapped access projects, and mod­ ifications for increased energy effi­ ciency in heatingand electricaluse. Conifers-continued from page1 they produce pollen in vast amounts, light intensitiesthan most angiosperms. because of the spare,upraised branches often dusting their surroundingswith a suiting them to dominate subarctic and of the various cultivated species of noticeable yellow mantle in season. subalpinesituations. Araucaria, otherwise native to South Most conifer seeds have wings and are While ow-gardens are dominated Americaand the southwestPacific. wind-dispersed,but some of these (e.g., by the food and color provided by the The conifersapparently form a nat­ many pines) are commonly dispersed floweringplants, conifers play an im­ ural group that traces its origins back to by birds and rodents. Junipers, yew portant role as backdropsor as accentf ) the great age of coal, some 300 million trees (Taxus) and podocarps have of color or formwithin the garden;t hey years ago. With exceptions,conifers are fleshy seeds that are clearlyanimal dis­ are used in this role to good effect at trees or shrubs with needle-like or persed. Araucaria often has immense Lotusland.They also have a major role scale-like leaves. The leaves are often seeds which are ill-suited to wind dis­ in economics.As a source of both tar arranged in a whorl on a "short shoot," persal.and must have some history of (distilled resin) and mast wood, they with the short shoots arising inter­ animal dispersal to explain its dis­ were a strategic resource in the age of mittently along a "long shoot." The tribution. sail, playinga role not dissimilarto that wood of conifers is generally homo­ While many conifers occur in of oil today. Presently they are the geneous and smoothgrained, leading the mixed forests associated with broad­ mainstay of our timber industry, and group to be referred to as the "soft­ leaved trees, others, particularlyin the thus of housing and they are an im­ woods."In microscopicview, it is dom­ Pinaceae,occur in great masses in cool­ portant source of paper. inated by elongate cells which serve to temperateregimes in the mid and high Those wishing to further examine both conduct fluid and support the tree, latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. the group are referred to the classic A in contrast to the wood of angiosperms Indeed,the Pinaceaeof this area form a Handbook of Coniferae and Gink­ which has two differentcell types, one grand vegetationalunit, the TaigaBiome goaceae,by W Dallimore and A. B. dedicatedto each function.Often con­ (a.k.a.the spruce-moosebiome), which Jackson( 4th ed.), revised by S. G. Harri­ ifer wood is rich in resin which is ex­ has outliers in more southerly areas son (London, E. Arnold, 1966),or the uded when the plant is damaged.The re­ such as the Pine Barrensof New Jersey, morerecent Manual of CultivatedCon­ productive organs are predominantly and the conifer forests in the highlands ifers by G. Krussmann(2nd ed.),edited cone-like, being formed of spiraled of western North America.The success by H. D. Warda (Portland, Oregon, scales embedded among which are the of conifers in these regions has many TimberPress, 1 985). ovules or pollen sacs. However, there explanations, some local. some uni­ -Bruce H. Tiffney are exceptions to this, as many junipers versal. They are often able to tolerate and podocarpshave berry-likeseeds. nutrient-poor or water-logged soils The author is Professorof Paleobotan,._ The conifers are wind-pollinated. that flowering plants cannot. Also, it with the GeologyDept. at UCSBand a Because of the element of chance in­ appears that conifers can photosyn­ member of Lotusland's Bw1ding o volved in this mode of reproduction, thesizeat lower temperaturesand lower GroundsCommittee . 2 Staff•Profile : JOHNLAFLcUR n KeepingLotusland Plants HealthLJ & HappLJ MADAMEWALSKA personally hired John trigued by the process of eliminating fertilizing and drainage systems to Lafleur as a Lotuslandgardener in 1970 pests from the gardenby the use of pes­ create a healthier plant that naturally practicallysight unseen. She heard he ticides. He began experimentingwith resists insectsand diseases.He also uti­ was a gardener at El Mirador-the fa­ using the least toxic method of con­ lizes a combinationof Saferssoap and/ mous Arrrour family estate bordering trollingpests rather than what was then or oil which kills many pests. including Lotuslandon the north.J ohn said he ex­ considered the status quo method of aphids.but leaves the beneficialinsects pected it to be a "temporaryjob," and spraying plants twice a week with in­ unharmed.Biological control of pests is now, nearly 25 years later. he is still dustrial strengthbug spray. integralto Lotusland'spest management temporarilyhere! John's interestin pest control even­ program.The Eugenia,for instance, has John attributeshis longevityat Lo­ tually led him to the lengthy study of made a remarkablerecovery thanks to tusland to the freedom he was given to IntegratedPest Management, and he re­ tiny wasps which were brought into learn and grow and be challenged by ceived a pesticide applicator's license the garden from nursery plants to elim­ the job. John recallsMadame Walska as from the state of California.Plant pests inate the psyllid which had been caus­ being "very kind and very fond of his at Lotuslandare now controlled under ing severedamage. children." Madame Walska would ask the expert supervisionof IntegratedPest John lives in Goleta with his three that all the gardeners wait outside her ManagerJohn Lafleurand his assistant, children and his wife, Reidun,who is a door each morning for their in­ Corey Welles.Both attend severalsem­ surgery nurse at Cottage Hospital.The structions. She liked to have the staff inars each year in order to maintain family likes to relax in Hawaii where work in groups because it was easier to their proficiency. John can take a break from Lotusland's keep track of them!John was originally Johnuses culturalmethods for con­ pesky problems' put in charge of the roses and ge­ trollingplant-damaging insects and dis­ -Anne Dewey ( raniums and over the years was in- eases such as changing the watering, Deali11g with Pests Lotusland's IntegratedPest Manager,John Lafleur.demon­ strates the "bug eat bug"theory of pest control to studentsat Roosevelt ElementarySchool. 3 Horticultural Happenings 0 With MIKc IVcN Lotusland GroundsSuper intendent LOTUSLANDGARDENER Corey Welles is pictured at right with one of the three Aloe dichotomafrom the nur­ sery which have been planted in the aloe garden behind the shell pond near the A.