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Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden




    Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
                   Project SOUND - 2009
                                               © Project SOUND
Seeds for Birds

  C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
   CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve


     Madrona Marsh Preserve
     November 7 & 10, 2009

                                    © Project SOUND
How do birds rate your yard?



                                           Excellent
                                           Good
                                           Fair
                                           Poor




What makes a garden a good habitat for birds?
                                            © Project SOUND
What every bird needs




                                                                                Food
                                                                                Shelter
                                                                                Water
http://aquafornia.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/garden-tour-2.jpg        © Project SOUND
To attract birds we need to understand
       their habits & preferences




                                 © Project SOUND
Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
                                                                                  Generalists
                                                                                     Eat many different kinds
                                                                                      of food – whatever is
                                                                                      available
                                                                                     Well-adapted to different
                                                                                      – and changing –
                                                                                      environments
                                                                                     Often are common in urban
                                                                                      & suburban yards – that’s
                                                                                      why many people know
                                                                                      them by name
                                                                                     Examples: Crows, Scrub
                                                                                      Jays, Robins
http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/WildlifeSightings/WildlifesightNovember06.htm


                                                                                                   © Project SOUND
Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
                                                            Specialists
                                                               Eat selected kinds of foods –
                                                                at least primarily
                                                                    Raptors – meat-eaters
                                                                    Insect-eaters
                                                                    Fruit-eaters
http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/lounge/?p=624
                                                                    Seed-eaters
                  CA Towhee
                                                               Often very well adapted to a
                                                                specific environment – have
                                                                ‘developed together over time’
                                                               Often are less common in
                                                                urban & suburban yards
                                                               Examples: Lesser Gold Finch,
                                                                CA Towhee, Orioles, Tanagers

 http://thebirdguide.com/washington/BigDayReport2007.htm


            Audubon’s Warbler                                                       © Project SOUND
Form follows function




http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/crow.jpg
  http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/black-phoebe.jpg
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/BirdBeaksA.svg/220px-BirdBeaksA.svg.png         © Project SOUND
SHAPE                        TYPE                                                         ADAPTATION

                                                       Seed eaters like sparrows and cardinals have
                           Cracker
                                                       short, thick conical bills for cracking seed.

                                                       Birds of prey like hawks and owls have sharp,
                           Shredder
                                                       curved bills for tearing meat.

                                                       Woodpeckers have bills that are long and chisel-
                           Chisel
                                                       like for boring into wood to eat insects.

                                                       Hummingbird bills are long and slender for
                           Probe
                                                       probing flowers for nectar.

                                                       Insect eaters like warblers have thin, pointed
                           Tweezer
                                                       bills.

                           Swiss                       Crows have a multi-purpose bill that allows them
                           Army                        to eat fruit, seeds, insects, fish, and other
                           Knife                       animals.
http://science.wannajava.net/scienceunits/units/current/01Bird_Feet_and_Beak_Adaptations.pdf                © Project SOUND
So how are the seed-eaters different?

                                                      Birds generally tend to select the food
                                                       items they can process faster
                                                      Food-selection experiments suggest that
                                                       the evolution of bird granivory (seed-
                                                       eating) has been mainly focused on the
                                                       development of morphologic adaptations
                                                       for the mechanical digestion of seeds
                                                      Seed eating birds have modifications of
                                                       the skull which allow them to exert lots of
                                                       pressure on seeds but have a flexible hinge
                                                       that protects the jaw joint. Some birds are
                                                       very powerful. The hawfinch, for instance,
                                                       can crush olive pits. The amazing strength
                                                       in the upper and lower jaws of these
http://ivytechlibraryftwpuppets.files.wordpress.co     organisms allows the birds to deal with
                                                       hard pits and seeds by shearing forces.
m/2008/06/finch.jpg




                                                                                      © Project SOUND
Why eat seeds?
                                                               Readily available – formerly in large
                                                                numbers (plants have to produce
                                                                many seeds to insure reproduction)
                                                               Seeds are ‘super food’ – lots of
                                                                bang for the buck
                                                                  The bulk of most seeds consist of
                                                                   stored food – needed by the
                                                                   seedling
                                                                  That stored food is calorie-dense –
                                                                   fats, oils, starches
                                                                  Both plants & animals can digest
                                                                   that food – animals share lots of
                                                                   basic enzymes with plants

                                                               It’s not surprising that many
                                                                migratory birds eat seeds
                                                                                         © Project SOUND
http://asweknowit.net/images_edu/DWA%205%20plant%20seed.jpg
Many of our key seed sources for birds
  are annual wildflowers & grasses




                                 © Project SOUND
Seeds that birds eat on the plant




http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/lesser-goldfinch.jpg


                                                                    © Project SOUND
Lesser Goldfinch - Carduelis psaltria
                   The Lesser Goldfinch can often
                    be seen in the chaparral eating
                    Chamise and Wooley Bluecurls
                    seeds. They also like to feed on
                    Asteraceae (Sunflower family).
                   Some other plants used are
                    Miner's lettuce, Red Maids,
                    Fiddle neck, Amsinckia spp. and
                    Dove weed, Eremocarpus
                    setigerus, Night Shades,
                    Solanum spp, Sage Salvia spp,
                    Catch-fly, Silene spp. Tar weed
                    Hemizonia spp.,




                                         © Project SOUND
Macoun's Cudweed – Pseudognaphalium macounii




http://www.labunix.uqam.ca/~fg/MyFlora/Asteraceae/Pseudognaphalium/Macounii/macounii.e.shtml


                                                                                               © Project SOUND
Remember, Everlastings also make good
            cut flowers




  http://www.woodherbs.com/gnaphalium.html


                                             © Project SOUND
Macoun's Cudweed – Pseudognaphalium macounii
                                                                     A plant of N. America
                                                                        Grows from Pennsylvania and
                                                                         Arizona, north to Nova Scotia
                                                                         and British
                                                                         Columbia
                        http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?fl
                        ora_id=1&taxon_id=250067390                     In CA, found in many parts of
                                                                         state

                                                                     Grows in open places - open
                                                                      woods, pastures, roadsides

                                                                     Named after John Macoun
                                                                      (1831-1920), one of the great
                                                                      Canadian naturalists of the 19th
                                                                      Century. He was a prolific
                                                                      collector and cataloguer of
                                                                      Canadian flora and fauna.
http://www.paghat.com/cudweed.html

                                                                                           © Project SOUND
The Cudweeds
                                 Genera: Gnaphalium;
                                  Pseudognaphalium

                                 Other common names:
                                    Rabbit Tobacco – because
                                     rabbits chew it like chewing
                                     tobacco
                                    Everlasting – because the
                                     flowers (bracts) last a long time
 Pseudognaphalium canescens
                                 Many uses:
                                    Often used as a tobacco
                                     substitute (chewed or smoked)
                                    Often used medicinally
                                    Are great all-round habitat
                                     plants – attracting both insects
                                     & birds



Pseudognaphalium californicum                            © Project SOUND
Characteristics of Macoun’s Cudweed
                                                              Size:
                                                                   1-2 ft tall – perhaps to 3 ft.
                                                                   1-3 ft wide

                                                              Growth form:
                                                                 Herbaceous annual or biennial
                                                                 Generally erect from a basal
                                                                  rosette of leaves

                                                              Foliage:
                                                                 Bright to yellow-green above;
                                                                  wooly-white below
                                                                 Leaf bases are wide, extend
                                                                  down the stem
                                                                 Plant is sweetly fragrant – some
                                                                  say ‘balsam-like’ scent
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=4549    Roots: taproot
                                                                                     © Project SOUND
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC
Flowers are ‘everlasting’
                                                                                     Blooms summer/fall: usually July
                                                                                      to Sept-Oct in our area

                                                                                     Flowers:
                                                                                        Sunflower heads – without the
                                                                                         ray flowers
                                                                                        On rather tall, many-branched
                                                                                         flowering stalks
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=2297



                                                                                        One of the showier everlastings
                                                                                        Sweet-scented

                                                                                     Seeds:
                                                                                        Small, with fluffy wings – wind
                                                                                         dispersed




                                                                                                              © Project SOUND
http://saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com/2009/09/rocky-outcrops-colorful-moss.html
Everlastings = habitat

                                                                   Foliage
                                                                      Provide cover for ground-
                                                                       dwellers and foragers
                                                                      Provide larval food for
                                                                       Lady butterflies & for
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species-
page.asp?sp=Vanessa-virginiensis

                                                                       other insects

                                                                   Flowers
                                                                      Nectar attracts a whole
                                                                       host of insects
                                                                      Seeds are relished by
                                                                       seed eating birds in
                                                                       summer & fall

http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=2297
                                                                                      © Project SOUND
Everlasting are easy                                           Soils:
                                                                   Texture: just about any; not
                                                                    particular
                                                                   pH: any local

                                                               Light: full sun

                                                               Water:
                                                                   Winter/spring: like any
                                                                    annual wildflower – needs
                                                                    good winter/spring rain

                                                                   Summer: no water after
                                                                    flowering – needed for
                                                                    proper seed development

                                                               Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

                                                               Other: may reseed itself on
                                                                 bare soil; might want to save
                                                                 some seeds
                                                                                     © Project SOUND
 http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC
Garden uses for native
                                                                    annual Everlastings
                                                                       Make interesting, fragrant
                                                                        pot plants – in general do fine
                                                                        in containers

                                                                       Look nice mixed with other
                                                                        native wildflowers, flowering
                                                                        perennials & grasses

                                                                       Fall-dry areas of the yard –
                                                                        may be out-of-the-way
                                                                        places
      http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC




                                                                       In a ‘cut-flower’ garden or
                                                                        herb garden

                                                                       Dry spots near the vegetable
                                                                        garden – attracts pollinators
http://www.paghat.com/cudweed.html
                                                                                          © Project SOUND
Medicinal uses of native Everlastings
                               Teas & infusions of leaves
                                  Gastrointestinal upsets
                                  Respiratory illness; colds
                                  As a gargle for sore throats

                               Poultice of crushed or
                                heated/boiled leaves
                                  Externally, to relieve swelling
                                  Placed on cotton bandages and
                                   then applied to wounds as a
                                   compress

                               Sometimes smoked or smudged
Resinous exudates have          for ceremonial purposes
been shown indeed to have
antimicrobial or fungicidal
properties
                                                         © Project SOUND
Southern Goldenrod – Solidago spectabilis var. confinis




http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm

                                                      © Project SOUND
Southern Goldenrod – Solidago spectabilis var. confinis

                                                                        Mostly a CA native
                                                                         goldenrod
                                                                           Mostly west of Sierras
                                                                           Also down into N. Baja
                                                                        Usually found on wet
                                                                         streambanks, springs and
                                                                         marshes to 7500' in coastal
                                                                         sage scrub, chaparral and
                                                                         yellow pine forest
                                                                        Locally, found near seeps
                                                                         and marshes
                                                                        Still called Solidago confinis
                                                                         in Jepson’s Manual – and may
                                                                         be sold under this name
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1838,1842


                                                                                          © Project SOUND
The genus Solidago: the Goldenrods
                                       ~ 100 perennial species
                                       Most grow in meadows, pastures,
                                        along roads & ditches in North
                                        America
                                       Unfairly blamed for hay fever in
                                        late summer/fall - Ragweed
                                        (Ambrosia sp.), blooming at the
                                        same time but wind-pollinated, is
                                        the usual culprit.
                                       Easily recognized by their golden
                                        flowering stalks with hundreds of
                                        small flowers.
CA Goldenrod - Solidago californica
                                       Their alternate leaves are linear
Goldenrods have been used               to lanceolate. Their margins are
in British gardens for > 200            usually finely to sharply serrated.
years                                                             © Project SOUND
the genus Solidago: the Goldenrods
                                       Propagation by wind-
                                        disseminated seed or
                                        underground rhizomes (form
                                        patches that are vegetative
                                        clones of a single plant).

                                       Goldenrod is a companion plant,
CA Goldenrod - Solidago californica

                                        playing host to beneficial
                                        insects, repelling some pests
                                       Goldenrods are also important
                                        habitat plants for a wide range
                                        of native insects, butterflies,
                                        birds, etc.
                                                            © Project SOUND
Little known fact: Goldenrod tires

                                                                     Inventor Thomas Edison
                                                                      experimented with goldenrod to
                                                                      produce rubber, which it contains
                                                                      naturally.
                                                                     His experiments produced a 12
                                                                      foot tall plant that yielded as much
                                                                      as 12 percent rubber.
                                                                     The tires on the Model T given to
                                                                      him by his friend Henry Ford were
                                                                      made from goldenrod.
http://www.speedace.info/automotive_directory/car_images/ford_mod
el_t_henry.jpg                                                       Examples of the rubber can still be
                                                                      found in his laboratory, elastic and
                                                                      rot free after more than 50 years.


                                                                                              © Project SOUND
In nature, always in
                                                            winter-wet areas
                                                         Suggests possible places
                                                          for Southern Goldenrod
                                                          in the home garden
http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm


                   Central CA Coast




 http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/OasisHabitats.html
                                                                       © Project SOUND
                   Mojave Desert
Southern Goldenrod is an herbaceous perennial

                                           Size:
                                                2-3 ft tall
                                                2+ ft wide, spreading

                                           Growth form:
                                              Stout looking herbaceous
                                               perennial
                                              Fall/winter deciduous; dies
                                               back to basal rosette

                                           Foliage:
                                              Leaves lance-shaped – mostly
                                               basal
                                              Leaves fleshy, bright to pale
                                               green

                                           Roots: spreads via rhizomes

                                                                  © Project SOUND
         © 2003 Christopher L. Christie
Probably our showiest
                                      Goldenrod
                                  Blooms: summer/fall - usually
                                   in July or Aug. to Oct. in
                                   western L.A. County

                                  Flowers:
                                      Typical for Goldenrods;
                                       showy flowering stalks above
                                       the leaves
                                      Flower heads are small – but
                                       there are LOTS of them –
                                       spectacular
                                      Among our better fall-
                                       bloomers


                                  Seeds: small, ‘sunflower’ seeds
© 2003 Christopher L. Christie      with a bristle
                                                       © Project SOUND
Propagating
                                                                                  Goldenrods is easy

                                                                                   From seed:
                                                                                      Use fresh, dry seed (fall
                                                                                       collected)
                                                                                      Plant in spring – when
 © 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate
                                                                                       weather warms up
                                                                                      Just barely cover seeds

                                                                                   From divisions:
                                                                                      Very easy
                                                                                      In winter/early spring
                                                                                      You can just spade up new
                                                                                       plantlets – with a section
                                                                                       of root containing at least
                                                                                       one plantlet - and repot


© 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate    http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm                       © Project SOUND
Goldenrods thrive in moist spots in the garden
                                   Soils:
                                       Texture: any local – sandy to heavy
                                        clay
                                       pH: any local

                                   Light: full sun to light shade

                                   Water:
                                       Winter: fine with plenty of water –
                                        takes winter flooding
                                       Summer: needs some water for
                                        good blooming – Zone 2-3 or even 3
                                        is fine

                                   Fertilizer: none needed – but won’t
                                     kill it either.

                                   Other: easy to grow with adequate
                                     water; just dig it up if it spreads too
 © 2003 Christopher L. Christie
                                     far                       © Project SOUND
Use Goldenrods for habitat and fall color
                                                                           Great in areas bordering
                                                                            the lawn – can take the
                                                                            extra water
                                                                           Nice addition to the
                                                                            perennial bed
                                                                           As an attractive container
                                                                            plant
                                                                           Nice around ponds
                                                                           A must for bird and
                                                                            butterfly gardens
                                                                           Makes a nice cut flower
                                                                                           © Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/solidago-confinis
Goldenrods (and others in the Sunflower
            family) make great natural dyes




http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/solidago-confinis
  http://www.jennydean.co.uk/wordpress/?cat=15                            http://www.fieryfelts.co.uk/index.php
                                                                                                                  © Project SOUND
Why ‘sunflowers’
                            are such good food

                            Healthy unsaturated
                             fats, protein and fiber
                            important nutrients
                             like vitamin E,
                             selenium, copper, zinc,
                             folate, iron
                            Other phytochemicals
                            All of this in a neat
                             little package – the
                             sunflower seed.
© 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate


                                            © Project SOUND
Other good native Goldenrods




Solidago californica   Euthamia (Solidago) occidentalis
                                              © Project SOUND
Other plants to attract ‘on the plant’ seed eaters




        Encelias                Heterotheca grandiflora




   Helianthus annuus           Cirsium occidentale
                                                © Project   SOUND
Think about adding a birdbath




http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Finches/Lesser_Goldfinch/Lesser_Goldfinch.html



                                                                                            © Project SOUND
Seeds for ground-foraging birds




http://www.birdseek.com/bird/tag/mourning-dove/
                                                  © Project SOUND
To attract Mourning Doves
          Diet is typically 95% seeds or plant
           parts.
          Eat a wide variety of seeds, waste
           grain, fruit, and insects.
          They prefer seeds that rest on the
           ground. Occasionally they eat in
           trees and bushes when ground foods
           are scarce.
          Favorites: native grasses & sedges,
           Croton species, Sourberry (Rhus
           trilobata), ‘Sunflowers’ & other
           wildflowers
          Need bare ground for feeding


                                    © Project SOUND
Common Eucrypta – Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia
                                               var. chrysanthemifolia




 http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/eucrypta.htm
                                                                        © Project SOUND
Common Eucrypta – Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia
                                              var. chrysanthemifolia

                                                                                Central & S. CA (CA
                                                                                 Floristic Province) to AZ,
                                                                                 NV and Baja
                                                                                Common on burns and in
                                                                                 shaded places like canyon
                                                                                 bottoms to 3000', coastal
                                                                                 sage scrub, chaparral, oak
                                                                                 woodlands, disturbed
                                                                                 areas
                                                                                Dominant fire-follower
  http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4518,4538,4539,4541

                                                                                                © Project SOUND
The genus Eucrypta
                                                                         Only two species, both native to
                                                                          U.S. Southwest.
                                                                         Name Eucrypta means "well-
                                                                          hidden", which refers to the
                                                                          seeds being "hidden" in the small
                                                                          green bristled fruits.
                                                                         Known generally as hideseeds.
                                                                         Are annuals with sticky, aromatic
                                                                          green foliage. The leaves are
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eucrypta_chrysanthemifolia     strongly lobed and look somewhat
                                                                          like fern fronds. Some plants
These are among the first plants to                                       have very few leaves and are
spring up after an area has been                                          mostly stems bearing flowers and
cleared by fire.                                                          fruits.


                                                                                               © Project SOUND
Eucrypta in the wild

                                                                  Why do wildflowers thrive
                                                                   after a wildfire?
                                                                     A few annual wildflowers
                                                                      need heat/smoke to
                                                                      germinate well; this is more
                                                                      common with perennial
                                                                      species, trees, shrubs

                                                                     More commonly, due to
                                                                      availability of resources:
                                                                        Sunlight
                                                                        Winter/spring moisture
http://www.lasmmcnps.org/geoffburleigharchive/selection/44.jpg
                                                                        Nutrients



                                                                                       © Project SOUND
Common Eucrypta – pretty little annual
                                Size:
                                   1-2 ft tall
                                   1-2 ft wide

                                Growth form:
                                   Annual wildflower

                                Foliage:
                                   Pale green to yellow-green
                                   Leaves look almost fern-like
                                   Sticky, with characteristic
                                    scent
                                Often grows with other
                                 wildflowers and grasses
© 2004 Michelle Cloud-Hughes                            © Project SOUND
Flowers are little
                                                                                              Blooms: in spring - usually Mar-
                                                                                               May, depending on winter rains

                                                                                              Flowers:
                                                                                                 Small and dainty looking
                                                                                                 Bell-shaped with pale purple
                                                                                                  markings
                                                                                                 Butterflies and bees attracted
                                                                                                  by nectar

                                                                                              Seeds:
                                                                                                 Two kinds; round & wrinkled –
                                                                                                  different germination times
                                                                                                 Both eaten by ground-feeding
                                                                                                  birds

http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/commoneucrypta.html



                                                                                                                  © Project SOUND
                         http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/1335818709_0f590ac2d2.jpg?v=0
Eucrypta’s not demanding
                                                                                     Soils:
                                                                                         Texture: any, from sandy to
                                                                                          clay
                                                                                         pH: any local

                                                                                     Light:
                                                                                         Part-sun to shade
                                                                                         Perhaps more sun on coast

http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/ecology/plants/species_detail.cfm?plants_id=99
                                                                                     Water:
                                                                                         Winter: need good rains for
                                                                                          germination and growth
   Pretty easy to grow – like
                                                                                         Summer: treat as Zone 1 (no
   many native S. CA wildflowers                                                          summer water) after it
                                                                                          blooms

                                                                                     Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
                                                                                                            © Project SOUND
Garden uses for
                                                                               Common Eucrypta
                                                                          As an attractive pot plant
                                                                          Under toyon or Elderberry
                                                                          With common associates: Collinsia
                                                                           heterophylla, Eschscholzia californica,
                                                                           Eremocarpus setigerus, Lomatium
                                                                           utriculatum, Calandrinia ciliata, Solidago
                                                                           californica, Salvia columbariae,
 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eucrypta_chrysanthemifolia     Uropappus lindleyi, Plantago erecta




http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/1336701558_6786b2d742.jpg?v=0
                                                                                                      © Project SOUND
Dove Plant/Turkey Mullein – Croton setigerus




                                        © Project SOUND
Dove Plant/Turkey Mullein – Croton setigerus
                                            A plant of the west:
                                                Drier (eastern) parts of
                                                  WA/OR to Baja
                                                Much of CA, usually in
                                                  ocean-influenced areas
                                                 < 2500 ft elevation
                                                common in coastal sage
                                                  scrub, valley grassland and
                                                  oak woodland

                                            A plant of disturbed
 http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
 bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3618,3660,


                                             places (natural or man-
 3661




                                             made):
                                                Burned & flooded areas
                                                Roadsides, agricultural
                                                 lands

http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Eremocar                              © Project SOUND
pus_setigerus.gif
Crotons are Euphorbias (Euphorbiaceae)




CA Croton (Croton californicus)   Rattlesnake Plant - Chamaesyce
A sub-shrub of coastal areas      albomarginata




Dove Plant (Croton setigerus)       CA Spurge - Euphorbia miseraSOUND
                                                          © Project
An annual wildflower
Dove Plant is an interesting annual…
                                                        Size:
                                                             < 1 ft tall
                                                             2-3 ft wide

                                                        Growth form:
                                                           Herbaceous annual
                                                           Rather sprawly, mounded
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/doveweed.html
                                                            growth habit

                                                        Foliage:
                                                           Leaves heart-shaped, rather
                                                            stiff-looking, pale green
                                                           Entire plant covered in
                                                            prickly hairs – need to handle
                                                            with care
                                                           Foliage toxic to animals – if
                                                            crazy enough to eat it

                                                           Unique, sweet scentSOUND
                                                                          © Project
Flowers are weird
            Blooms in summer/fall: can
             range from May to Oct.

            Flowers: in a word, ‘unique’
                      Separate male & female
                       flowers; male clustered
                       above several female
                       flowers
                      Male flowers rudimentary –
                       no petals
                      Flowers small, yellow-green,
                       very hairy
                      Very interesting looking,
                       but not obviously showy

            Fruit: a dry capsule
             containing 1 seed
                                     © Project SOUND
© 2009 Neal Kramer
Two different seed
                                                                         strategies
                                                                  Two different seeds:
                                                                     Uniform gray; may be flatter;
                                                                      produced later in season
                                                                     Mottled; may be larger, rounded

                                                                  Two different strategies insure
http://www.ransomseedlab.com/genus/e/eremocarpus_setigerus.htm     survival:
                                                                     Gray seeds germinate under drier
                                                                      conditions; not eaten by birds due
                                                                      unpalatable taste of seed coat
                                                                     Mottled seeds germinate under
                                                                      wetter conditions; loved by
                                                                      ground-feeding birds

                                                                  Common names (Dove Plant;
                                                                   Turkey Mullein) from the affinity
                                                                   of Doves and Wild Turkeys for
                                                                   the seeds.
 Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
                                                                                          © Project SOUND
Plant Requirements                                         Soils:
                                                                 Texture: likes well-drained
                                                                  soils
                                                                 pH: any local, incl. alkali

                                                             Light: full sun

                                                             Water:
                                                                 Winter: like any annual; needs
                                                                  good winter/spring water
                                                                 Summer: Dry – Zone 1 or 1-2

                                                             Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

                                                             Other: will reseed on bare
                                                              ground – can become weedy in
                                                              areas with regular irrigation


http://www.coestatepark.com/eremocarpus_setigerus_coe.htm
                                                                                   © Project SOUND
Dove Plant is habitat
 As an interesting container
  plant
 In dry, out-of-the way spots
  of the garden
 In a habitat garden
 With its natural associates:
  Baby Blue-eyes, Creamcups,
  Goldfields & others




                   © Project SOUND
One of the main reasons that seed-eaters are
                uncommon in urban areas is that there are no seeds




                                                                                   © Project SOUND

http://tiee.ecoed.net/vol/v5/practice/dalgleish/img/konza1-prairie-1600x1200.jpg
The importance of wild places in the
             garden

                It was an old farm practice
                 to plant zero-maintenance
                 medicinal herbs like yarrows
                 & cudweeds at property
                 edges, to harvest for use in
                 home remedies.
                ‘Wild’ places like that are
                 also important for native
                 creatures
                We need to consider bringing
                 some ‘wild’ into our gardens &
                 neighborhoods
                                      © Project SOUND
Seed plants for ground-eating birds –
 consider them for your ‘wild area’

                    Native grasses
                    Native sedges
                    Native Wildflowers
                     – particularly those
                     wth larger seeds
                    Any Buckwheat
                    Any Salvia

                                  © Project SOUND
White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
                       Usually nests near the ground
                        in dense cover. In forest areas
                        they will use a willow in a
                        maintain meadow or a low
                        conifer branch near the
                        meadow. In coastal areas they
                        use a shrub for nesting.
                       Likes brushy habitats. Happy
                        with CSS plants, especially if
                        you supply water for drinking
                       Eats mainly grass and forb
                        seeds. They will also eat
                        insects and spiders especially
                        in the breading season as these
                        provide more protein.
                       They feed on or near the
                        ground in open areas near
                        cover.
                                           © Project SOUND
*Munz’s Sage – Salvia munzii




J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
                                                     © Project SOUND
*Munz’s Sage – Salvia munzii


                                                                         A local endemic – SW
                                                                          San Diego County
                                                                          (western slopes of Otay
                                                                          Mountain) & N. Baja
                                                                         Founding in lower
                                                                          chaparral/coastal sage
                                                                          scrub communities
                                                                         Area is very dry
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4745,4865,4882




                                                                                      © Project SOUND
Munz’s Sage is appropriate size for the garden
                                                                                       Size:
                                                                                            2-4 ft tall
                                                                                            2-4+ ft wide

                                                                                       Growth form:
                                                                                          Woody shrub/sub-shrub
                                                                                          Relatively compact, rounded form
                                                                                          Looks delicate

                                                                                       Foliage:
                                                                                          Rather similar to Black Sage
                                                                                           (Salvia mellifera) in looks, but
                                                                                           scent is more like Cleveland Sage
                                                                                          Leaves medium green, narrow
                                                                                           (wider with more water) &
                                                                                           textured

                                                                                       Roots: fibrous
                                                                                                               © Project SOUND
Dr. Dean Wm. Taylor, Jepson Herbarium
                http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/salvia-munzii
Flowers: ‘Salvia’ says it all!

                                                                   Blooms:
                                                                      Spring - usually Feb-Apr
                                                                       in our area
                                                                      May bloom again in summer
                                                                       with a little water

                                                                   Flowers:
                                                                      Typical little Salvia flowers
                                                                       in ball-like clusters along the
                                                                       flowering stems
                                                                      Color usually light blue – may
                                                                       be somewhat lavender
                                                                      Nice aroma !!
                                                                      Good habitat – attract many
                                                                       pollinators


J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
                                                                                        © Project SOUND
  http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/munzssage.html
Salvia seeds are small
                                                                 but tasty!

                                                           A veritable feast of
                                                            little seeds; birds will
                                                            eat on the plant or on
   http://www.hazmac.biz/090612/090612SalviaMunzii.html
                                                            the ground
                                                           Songbirds, lizards and
                                                            other forms of wildlife
                                                            use it for cover.




                                                                            © Project SOUND

http://www.robinssalvias.com/blue/htms/munzii.htm
One of our easier        Soils:
                              Texture: any local, from
  Salvias to grow              sandy to clay – just water
                               less in clays
                              pH: any local

                          Light: best in full sun, but can
                            take a little shade

                          Water:
                              One of our more tolerant S.
                               CA Salvias
                              In nature, endures hot dry
                               summers – so good for dry
                               gardens, tho’ will lose leaves
                              Probably looks best with
                               occasional summer water –
                               Zone 1-2, maybe even 2

                          Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© 2006 Aaron Schusteff


                                                  © Project SOUND
Munz’s sage is a
                                              garden winner

                                              One of the best Salvias
                                               for pots
                                              Small size makes it
                                               appropriate for small
                                               yards
http://calown.com/nativegarden_plants.html    Nice for informal hedge
                                               or border
                                              Excellent all-round
                                               habitat plant – nectar,
                                               seeds & cover value
                                              Pair it with Coyote Bush,
                                               Sticky Monkeyflower,
                                               and native wildflowers &
                                               bulbs.
   http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
   california/plants/salvia-munzii                         © Project SOUND
Other native Salvias are also good habitat




Annual Salvias - Chia                Black Sage




  Purple Sage                      White Sage
                                          © Project   SOUND
© Project SOUND
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Gcg6zKY-sww/SAq5aM5qnrI/AAAAAAAACCo/rpFID7U43Zw/DSC01474.JPG
Managing seed plants for wildlife – be patient…




                                         © Project SOUND
Food for all – not just humans…




                             © Project SOUND
Don’t rake up all those leaves – they’re leaf mulch




                                           © Project SOUND
California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis
                The California Towhee forages in
                 the leaf litter by scratching, with
                 both feet at once, in a fast
                 hopping motion.
                They feed on seeds and insects
                 within the leaf litter or
                 occasionally on berries or seeds in
                 bushes.

                The California Towhee likes dense
                 cover and leaf litter. Leaf litter
                 is good for many birds as well as
                 most California native plants.




                                        © Project SOUND
Some birds use unique native seeds…




http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Jays_and_magpies/scrub_jay/scrub_jay_in_your_garden.htm




     Their favorite foods are acorns
     and they also enjoy eating the
     insects attracted by an oak
     tree.
                                                                                                     © Project SOUND
Western Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma californica
                                                            Scrub Jays are
                                                             generalists - eat acorns,
                                                             seeds, fruits and nuts –
                                                             also insects & eggs.
                                                            They like to store acorns
http://www.avesphoto.com/WEBSITE/NA/species/JAYWSC-1.htm     in the soil for short-
                                                             term storage
                                                            An important dispersal
                                                             agent of oaks – think of
                                                             them as the ‘Johnny
                                                             Appleseeds’ of oaks

                                                                             © Project SOUND
‘I have no room for a Oak Tree’




http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/277961690_153fe58532_o.jpg
                                                                © Project SOUND
Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia




J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences   © Project SOUND
Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia

                                                                         Coastal CA (mainly) including
                                                                          S. CA to Baja
                                                                         Sandy soils near coast,
                                                                          coastal chaparral with a
                                                                          relatively open canopy cover,
                                                                          sand-stone, coastal sage
                                                                          scrub below 600‘
                                                                         AKA ‘Nuttal’s Scrub Oak’
                                                                         Some debate – is it really
                                                                          just Quercus dumosa (Scrub
                                                                          Oak) or a separate species
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4316,4326,4332




                                                                         Interbreeds with other live
                                                                          oaks including Q. agrifolia

                                                                                            © Project SOUND
In nature, Laguna Coast Wilderness
              Preserve




                              © Project SOUND
Scrub oaks are small live oaks
                                                                    Size:
                                                                        usually 4-10 ft tall; can grow
                                                                        to 20 ft.
                                                                       usually 4-8 ft wide

                                                                    Growth form:
                                                                       Woody shrub/small tree
                                                                       Usually quite upright
                                                                       Slow growing; long-lived (100+
                                                                        years)

                                                                    Foliage:
                                                                       Leaves dark green – evergreen
                                                                        and somewhat holly-like
                                                                       Similar to Coast Liveoak – but
                                                                        leaves may be smaller

                                                                    Roots: deep taproot – resents
                                                                     moving; shallow feeder roots
                                                                                         © Project SOUND

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Quercus+berberidifolia
Flowers are, frankly,
                               oak-like
                            Blooms: in spring - usually
                             Mar-May in our area

                            Flowers:
                               Separate male & female
© 2002 Charles E. Jones         flowers on same plant
                               Male flowers on drooping
                                catkins; female flowers
                                produce the acorns
                               Not really showy – only an
                                oak lover will notice them!

                            Seeds: acorns, of course;
                             mature in a single year



                                               © Project SOUND
Acorns are wonderful food…and scrub
 oaks produce plenty in good years




                                                                   http://www.justingee.com/pictures/lg_making-acorn-bread-
                                                                   1151349431.jpg

              http://www.archives.gov/pacific/education/curricul
              um/4th-grade/acorn-photographs.html




                     You can eat acorns too –
                      but it takes quite a bit of
                      preparation
                                                                                       © Project SOUND
Plant Requirements                                            Soils:
                                                                  Texture: any well-drained
                                                                  pH: any local

                                                              Light:
                                                                  Full sun to part-shade – in
                                                                   nature may grow on north-
                                                                   facing slopes

                                                              Water:
                                                                  Winter: adequate water; no
                                                                   flooding
                                                                  Summer: little needed one
                                                                   established – Zone 1 or 1-2

                                                              Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

                                                              Other: an easy oak to grow

http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/inlandscruboak.html

                                                                                    © Project SOUND
Scrub oaks are good
                                                                     for smaller areas
                                                                      Excellent on dry slopes,
                                                                       for erosion control
                                                                      Appropriate for parking
                                                                       strips
                                                                      Can bonsai – or trim as a
                                                                       hedge/screen
                                                                      Superb habitat plant
                                                                           Butterflies
                                                                           Other insects
                                                                           Wide range of birds
                                                                           Provides food, perches,
                                                                            nesting sites (CA Towhee)



      © 2002 Charles E. Jones

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3642572283_1852921712.jpg?v=0                     © Project SOUND
Scrub Jays are omnivores


                                                                     Western Scrub jay
                                                                      is also very fond of
                                                                      Toyon berries

                                                                     Nest in the dense
                                                                      foliage of a large
                                                                      bush or small tree,
                                                                      usually situated near
                                                                      water



http://research.pomona.edu/bfs/files/2009/06/scrub-jay_053109.jpg               © Project SOUND
* Tecate Cypress – Cupressus forbesii




                             Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
                                           © Project SOUND
* Tecate Cypress – Cupressus forbesii
                                                                      In the Santa Ana Mountains
                                                                       (Orange County); Guatay
                                                                       Mountain and Otay Mountain
                                                                       (San Diego County); Mount
                                                                       Tecate on the U.S.-Mexican
                                                                       boundary. Also in northern
                                                                       Baja
                                                                      Very rare – 15 U.S.
                                                                       populations; formerly more
                                                                       widespread – in La Brea tar
                                                                       from Pleistocene
                                                                      Commonly on dry slopes,
                                                                       exposed hillsides, and
   http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm                         ridgetops; also along
                                                                       streambanks and arroyos, at
                                                                       elevations from 1,500 to
                                                                       5,000 feet
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?157,160,166
                                                                                       © Project SOUND
Tecate Cypress in Cuyumaca Mountains




http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm




                                              © Project SOUND
Tecate Cypress is a well-mannered evergreen
                                                               Size:
                                                                   to 20+ ft tall; grows
                                                                   quickly to 12 ft. then slows
                                                                  6-8 ft wide

                                                               Growth form:
                                                                  Woody evergreen tree;
                                                                   may be shrubby, many-
                                                                   branched with age
                                                                  Bark lovely; peeling and
                                                                   nice colors
                                                                  Long-lived (100’s of years)

                                                               Foliage:
                                                                  Pretty typical Cypress
                                                                  Nice looking; neater than
                                                                   Italian Cypress

http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm                    Roots: taproot and laterals
  http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/tecatecypress.html                    © Project SOUND
Cones are distinctive
                                                       Flowers:
                                                          Separate male & female
                                                           flowers
                                                          You probably won’t notice it
                                                           blooming

                                                       Cones:
                                                          Male cones numerous; unusual
                                                           looking – on small branches

                                                          Female cones are larger and
                                                           attached to larger branches
                                                              Start out green – gradually
                                                               become dry & hard
                                                              Take 2 years to mature;
                                                               remain on tree for several
                                                               years

        http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm                                    © Project SOUND
Seeds not easily released

                                                                                           The cones of California
                                                                                            cypress are closed; they
                                                                                            usually persist on the tree
                                                                                            until opened by the heat of a
http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm
                                                                                            fire or from desiccation due
                                                                                            to age.
                                                                                           Seeds are shed gradually
                                                                                            over several months after
                                                                                            the cones open. Seeds shed
                                                                                            from detached cones rarely
                                                                                            result in seedling
                                                                                            establishment, usually due to
                                                                                            lack of a suitable seedbed.
                                                                                           Seed dispersal is primarily
                                                                                            by wind and rain
                                                                                                            © Project SOUND

                                              http://www.hazmac.biz/050214/050214CupressusForbesii.html
Plant Requirements    Soils:
                          Texture: best in coarse, well-
                           drained soils
                          pH: any local

                      Light: full sun

                      Water:
                          Winter: rain usually adequate
                          Summer: none or very little
                           after established; over
                           watering can make
                           susceptible to blow-down

                      Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

                      Other: Easy under proper
                       conditions


                                            © Project SOUND
Uses in the garden
                                                    Anywhere you might
                                                     consider an Italian
                                                     Cypress
                                                    Great on dry hillsides
                                                    Excellent as an
                                                     evergreen hedge or
                                                     screen
                                                    Impressive specimen
                                                     plant
                                                    Is fire-prone; also some
                                                     insect & fungal pests,
                                                     but hardier than non-
                                                     native species
http://www.geographylists.com/tecate_cypress.jpg


                                                                    © Project SOUND
Tecate Cypress as informal screen




http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/pictures/Cupressus_forbesii_tecate_cypress.jpg



                                                                                  © Project SOUND
If you want a really big cypress -
                  Monterey Cypress




                                                     © Project SOUND
http://www.geographylists.com/monterey_cypress.jpg
Things you can do to attract more birds
                     A greater variety of plants
                      will attract a greater diversity
                      of birds, so include a mixture
                      of taller and shorter trees,
                      shrubs, native flowers, and
                      grasses.
                     Diversify the height, leaf
                      type, and food (fruits, berries,
                      and nuts) provided by the
                      plants in your garden.
                     Plant shrubs and trees that
                      provide berries well into the
                      winter to attract fruit-eating
                      birds such as waxwings.


                                         © Project SOUND
Things you can do to attract more birds

                  Plant in groupings to give the
                   edge effect so attractive to
                   birds.
                  By planting native
                   wildflowers you attract
                   insects which feed insect-
                   eating birds and the young of
                   many seed eaters.
                  Allowing flowers such as
                   sunflowers, goldenrod,
                   thistles, or daisies to go to
                   seed will attract finches,
                   juncos, sparrows, and other
                   seed-eating birds.

                                      © Project SOUND
Things you can do to attract more birds

                    Provide clean, safe water
                    Provide a dusting spot for
                     birds by leaving bare a
                     circle of sandy soil about
                     20 inches (50 cm) across
                     in a sunny corner of your
                     yard. This will allow birds
                     to clean their feathers
                     and get rid of parasites.
                    You can supplement your
                     natural food sources by
                     adding some feeders

                                      © Project SOUND
Let’s go see some good bird habitat




                             © Project SOUND

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Seeds for birds 2009

  • 1. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2009 © Project SOUND
  • 2. Seeds for Birds C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve Madrona Marsh Preserve November 7 & 10, 2009 © Project SOUND
  • 3. How do birds rate your yard?  Excellent  Good  Fair  Poor What makes a garden a good habitat for birds? © Project SOUND
  • 4. What every bird needs  Food  Shelter  Water http://aquafornia.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/garden-tour-2.jpg © Project SOUND
  • 5. To attract birds we need to understand their habits & preferences © Project SOUND
  • 6. Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’  Generalists  Eat many different kinds of food – whatever is available  Well-adapted to different – and changing – environments  Often are common in urban & suburban yards – that’s why many people know them by name  Examples: Crows, Scrub Jays, Robins http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/WildlifeSightings/WildlifesightNovember06.htm © Project SOUND
  • 7. Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’  Specialists  Eat selected kinds of foods – at least primarily  Raptors – meat-eaters  Insect-eaters  Fruit-eaters http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/lounge/?p=624  Seed-eaters CA Towhee  Often very well adapted to a specific environment – have ‘developed together over time’  Often are less common in urban & suburban yards  Examples: Lesser Gold Finch, CA Towhee, Orioles, Tanagers http://thebirdguide.com/washington/BigDayReport2007.htm Audubon’s Warbler © Project SOUND
  • 8. Form follows function http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/crow.jpg http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/black-phoebe.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/BirdBeaksA.svg/220px-BirdBeaksA.svg.png © Project SOUND
  • 9. SHAPE TYPE ADAPTATION Seed eaters like sparrows and cardinals have Cracker short, thick conical bills for cracking seed. Birds of prey like hawks and owls have sharp, Shredder curved bills for tearing meat. Woodpeckers have bills that are long and chisel- Chisel like for boring into wood to eat insects. Hummingbird bills are long and slender for Probe probing flowers for nectar. Insect eaters like warblers have thin, pointed Tweezer bills. Swiss Crows have a multi-purpose bill that allows them Army to eat fruit, seeds, insects, fish, and other Knife animals. http://science.wannajava.net/scienceunits/units/current/01Bird_Feet_and_Beak_Adaptations.pdf © Project SOUND
  • 10. So how are the seed-eaters different?  Birds generally tend to select the food items they can process faster  Food-selection experiments suggest that the evolution of bird granivory (seed- eating) has been mainly focused on the development of morphologic adaptations for the mechanical digestion of seeds  Seed eating birds have modifications of the skull which allow them to exert lots of pressure on seeds but have a flexible hinge that protects the jaw joint. Some birds are very powerful. The hawfinch, for instance, can crush olive pits. The amazing strength in the upper and lower jaws of these http://ivytechlibraryftwpuppets.files.wordpress.co organisms allows the birds to deal with hard pits and seeds by shearing forces. m/2008/06/finch.jpg © Project SOUND
  • 11. Why eat seeds?  Readily available – formerly in large numbers (plants have to produce many seeds to insure reproduction)  Seeds are ‘super food’ – lots of bang for the buck  The bulk of most seeds consist of stored food – needed by the seedling  That stored food is calorie-dense – fats, oils, starches  Both plants & animals can digest that food – animals share lots of basic enzymes with plants  It’s not surprising that many migratory birds eat seeds © Project SOUND http://asweknowit.net/images_edu/DWA%205%20plant%20seed.jpg
  • 12. Many of our key seed sources for birds are annual wildflowers & grasses © Project SOUND
  • 13. Seeds that birds eat on the plant http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/lesser-goldfinch.jpg © Project SOUND
  • 14. Lesser Goldfinch - Carduelis psaltria  The Lesser Goldfinch can often be seen in the chaparral eating Chamise and Wooley Bluecurls seeds. They also like to feed on Asteraceae (Sunflower family).  Some other plants used are Miner's lettuce, Red Maids, Fiddle neck, Amsinckia spp. and Dove weed, Eremocarpus setigerus, Night Shades, Solanum spp, Sage Salvia spp, Catch-fly, Silene spp. Tar weed Hemizonia spp., © Project SOUND
  • 15. Macoun's Cudweed – Pseudognaphalium macounii http://www.labunix.uqam.ca/~fg/MyFlora/Asteraceae/Pseudognaphalium/Macounii/macounii.e.shtml © Project SOUND
  • 16. Remember, Everlastings also make good cut flowers http://www.woodherbs.com/gnaphalium.html © Project SOUND
  • 17. Macoun's Cudweed – Pseudognaphalium macounii  A plant of N. America  Grows from Pennsylvania and Arizona, north to Nova Scotia and British Columbia http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?fl ora_id=1&taxon_id=250067390  In CA, found in many parts of state  Grows in open places - open woods, pastures, roadsides  Named after John Macoun (1831-1920), one of the great Canadian naturalists of the 19th Century. He was a prolific collector and cataloguer of Canadian flora and fauna. http://www.paghat.com/cudweed.html © Project SOUND
  • 18. The Cudweeds  Genera: Gnaphalium; Pseudognaphalium  Other common names:  Rabbit Tobacco – because rabbits chew it like chewing tobacco  Everlasting – because the flowers (bracts) last a long time Pseudognaphalium canescens  Many uses:  Often used as a tobacco substitute (chewed or smoked)  Often used medicinally  Are great all-round habitat plants – attracting both insects & birds Pseudognaphalium californicum © Project SOUND
  • 19. Characteristics of Macoun’s Cudweed  Size:  1-2 ft tall – perhaps to 3 ft.  1-3 ft wide  Growth form:  Herbaceous annual or biennial  Generally erect from a basal rosette of leaves  Foliage:  Bright to yellow-green above; wooly-white below  Leaf bases are wide, extend down the stem  Plant is sweetly fragrant – some say ‘balsam-like’ scent http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=4549  Roots: taproot © Project SOUND http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC
  • 20. Flowers are ‘everlasting’  Blooms summer/fall: usually July to Sept-Oct in our area  Flowers:  Sunflower heads – without the ray flowers  On rather tall, many-branched flowering stalks http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=2297  One of the showier everlastings  Sweet-scented  Seeds:  Small, with fluffy wings – wind dispersed © Project SOUND http://saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com/2009/09/rocky-outcrops-colorful-moss.html
  • 21. Everlastings = habitat  Foliage  Provide cover for ground- dwellers and foragers  Provide larval food for Lady butterflies & for http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species- page.asp?sp=Vanessa-virginiensis other insects  Flowers  Nectar attracts a whole host of insects  Seeds are relished by seed eating birds in summer & fall http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=2297 © Project SOUND
  • 22. Everlasting are easy  Soils:  Texture: just about any; not particular  pH: any local  Light: full sun  Water:  Winter/spring: like any annual wildflower – needs good winter/spring rain  Summer: no water after flowering – needed for proper seed development  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils  Other: may reseed itself on bare soil; might want to save some seeds © Project SOUND http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC
  • 23. Garden uses for native annual Everlastings  Make interesting, fragrant pot plants – in general do fine in containers  Look nice mixed with other native wildflowers, flowering perennials & grasses  Fall-dry areas of the yard – may be out-of-the-way places http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=GNAMAC  In a ‘cut-flower’ garden or herb garden  Dry spots near the vegetable garden – attracts pollinators http://www.paghat.com/cudweed.html © Project SOUND
  • 24. Medicinal uses of native Everlastings  Teas & infusions of leaves  Gastrointestinal upsets  Respiratory illness; colds  As a gargle for sore throats  Poultice of crushed or heated/boiled leaves  Externally, to relieve swelling  Placed on cotton bandages and then applied to wounds as a compress  Sometimes smoked or smudged Resinous exudates have for ceremonial purposes been shown indeed to have antimicrobial or fungicidal properties © Project SOUND
  • 25. Southern Goldenrod – Solidago spectabilis var. confinis http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm © Project SOUND
  • 26. Southern Goldenrod – Solidago spectabilis var. confinis  Mostly a CA native goldenrod  Mostly west of Sierras  Also down into N. Baja  Usually found on wet streambanks, springs and marshes to 7500' in coastal sage scrub, chaparral and yellow pine forest  Locally, found near seeps and marshes  Still called Solidago confinis in Jepson’s Manual – and may be sold under this name http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1838,1842 © Project SOUND
  • 27. The genus Solidago: the Goldenrods  ~ 100 perennial species  Most grow in meadows, pastures, along roads & ditches in North America  Unfairly blamed for hay fever in late summer/fall - Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.), blooming at the same time but wind-pollinated, is the usual culprit.  Easily recognized by their golden flowering stalks with hundreds of small flowers. CA Goldenrod - Solidago californica  Their alternate leaves are linear Goldenrods have been used to lanceolate. Their margins are in British gardens for > 200 usually finely to sharply serrated. years © Project SOUND
  • 28. the genus Solidago: the Goldenrods  Propagation by wind- disseminated seed or underground rhizomes (form patches that are vegetative clones of a single plant).  Goldenrod is a companion plant, CA Goldenrod - Solidago californica playing host to beneficial insects, repelling some pests  Goldenrods are also important habitat plants for a wide range of native insects, butterflies, birds, etc. © Project SOUND
  • 29. Little known fact: Goldenrod tires  Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally.  His experiments produced a 12 foot tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber.  The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from goldenrod. http://www.speedace.info/automotive_directory/car_images/ford_mod el_t_henry.jpg  Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. © Project SOUND
  • 30. In nature, always in winter-wet areas  Suggests possible places for Southern Goldenrod in the home garden http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm Central CA Coast http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/OasisHabitats.html © Project SOUND Mojave Desert
  • 31. Southern Goldenrod is an herbaceous perennial  Size:  2-3 ft tall  2+ ft wide, spreading  Growth form:  Stout looking herbaceous perennial  Fall/winter deciduous; dies back to basal rosette  Foliage:  Leaves lance-shaped – mostly basal  Leaves fleshy, bright to pale green  Roots: spreads via rhizomes © Project SOUND © 2003 Christopher L. Christie
  • 32. Probably our showiest Goldenrod  Blooms: summer/fall - usually in July or Aug. to Oct. in western L.A. County  Flowers:  Typical for Goldenrods; showy flowering stalks above the leaves  Flower heads are small – but there are LOTS of them – spectacular  Among our better fall- bloomers  Seeds: small, ‘sunflower’ seeds © 2003 Christopher L. Christie with a bristle © Project SOUND
  • 33. Propagating Goldenrods is easy  From seed:  Use fresh, dry seed (fall collected)  Plant in spring – when © 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate weather warms up  Just barely cover seeds  From divisions:  Very easy  In winter/early spring  You can just spade up new plantlets – with a section of root containing at least one plantlet - and repot © 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate http://www.jcsemple.uwaterloo.ca/goldenrod_figs.htm © Project SOUND
  • 34. Goldenrods thrive in moist spots in the garden  Soils:  Texture: any local – sandy to heavy clay  pH: any local  Light: full sun to light shade  Water:  Winter: fine with plenty of water – takes winter flooding  Summer: needs some water for good blooming – Zone 2-3 or even 3 is fine  Fertilizer: none needed – but won’t kill it either.  Other: easy to grow with adequate water; just dig it up if it spreads too © 2003 Christopher L. Christie far © Project SOUND
  • 35. Use Goldenrods for habitat and fall color  Great in areas bordering the lawn – can take the extra water  Nice addition to the perennial bed  As an attractive container plant  Nice around ponds  A must for bird and butterfly gardens  Makes a nice cut flower © Project SOUND http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/solidago-confinis
  • 36. Goldenrods (and others in the Sunflower family) make great natural dyes http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/solidago-confinis http://www.jennydean.co.uk/wordpress/?cat=15 http://www.fieryfelts.co.uk/index.php © Project SOUND
  • 37. Why ‘sunflowers’ are such good food  Healthy unsaturated fats, protein and fiber  important nutrients like vitamin E, selenium, copper, zinc, folate, iron  Other phytochemicals  All of this in a neat little package – the sunflower seed. © 2006 Adonis (Don) Tate © Project SOUND
  • 38. Other good native Goldenrods Solidago californica Euthamia (Solidago) occidentalis © Project SOUND
  • 39. Other plants to attract ‘on the plant’ seed eaters Encelias Heterotheca grandiflora Helianthus annuus Cirsium occidentale © Project SOUND
  • 40. Think about adding a birdbath http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Finches/Lesser_Goldfinch/Lesser_Goldfinch.html © Project SOUND
  • 41. Seeds for ground-foraging birds http://www.birdseek.com/bird/tag/mourning-dove/ © Project SOUND
  • 42. To attract Mourning Doves  Diet is typically 95% seeds or plant parts.  Eat a wide variety of seeds, waste grain, fruit, and insects.  They prefer seeds that rest on the ground. Occasionally they eat in trees and bushes when ground foods are scarce.  Favorites: native grasses & sedges, Croton species, Sourberry (Rhus trilobata), ‘Sunflowers’ & other wildflowers  Need bare ground for feeding © Project SOUND
  • 43. Common Eucrypta – Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/eucrypta.htm © Project SOUND
  • 44. Common Eucrypta – Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia  Central & S. CA (CA Floristic Province) to AZ, NV and Baja  Common on burns and in shaded places like canyon bottoms to 3000', coastal sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodlands, disturbed areas  Dominant fire-follower http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4518,4538,4539,4541 © Project SOUND
  • 45. The genus Eucrypta  Only two species, both native to U.S. Southwest.  Name Eucrypta means "well- hidden", which refers to the seeds being "hidden" in the small green bristled fruits.  Known generally as hideseeds.  Are annuals with sticky, aromatic green foliage. The leaves are http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eucrypta_chrysanthemifolia strongly lobed and look somewhat like fern fronds. Some plants These are among the first plants to have very few leaves and are spring up after an area has been mostly stems bearing flowers and cleared by fire. fruits. © Project SOUND
  • 46. Eucrypta in the wild  Why do wildflowers thrive after a wildfire?  A few annual wildflowers need heat/smoke to germinate well; this is more common with perennial species, trees, shrubs  More commonly, due to availability of resources:  Sunlight  Winter/spring moisture http://www.lasmmcnps.org/geoffburleigharchive/selection/44.jpg  Nutrients © Project SOUND
  • 47. Common Eucrypta – pretty little annual  Size:  1-2 ft tall  1-2 ft wide  Growth form:  Annual wildflower  Foliage:  Pale green to yellow-green  Leaves look almost fern-like  Sticky, with characteristic scent  Often grows with other wildflowers and grasses © 2004 Michelle Cloud-Hughes © Project SOUND
  • 48. Flowers are little  Blooms: in spring - usually Mar- May, depending on winter rains  Flowers:  Small and dainty looking  Bell-shaped with pale purple markings  Butterflies and bees attracted by nectar  Seeds:  Two kinds; round & wrinkled – different germination times  Both eaten by ground-feeding birds http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/commoneucrypta.html © Project SOUND http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/1335818709_0f590ac2d2.jpg?v=0
  • 49. Eucrypta’s not demanding  Soils:  Texture: any, from sandy to clay  pH: any local  Light:  Part-sun to shade  Perhaps more sun on coast http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/ecology/plants/species_detail.cfm?plants_id=99  Water:  Winter: need good rains for germination and growth Pretty easy to grow – like  Summer: treat as Zone 1 (no many native S. CA wildflowers summer water) after it blooms  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils © Project SOUND
  • 50. Garden uses for Common Eucrypta  As an attractive pot plant  Under toyon or Elderberry  With common associates: Collinsia heterophylla, Eschscholzia californica, Eremocarpus setigerus, Lomatium utriculatum, Calandrinia ciliata, Solidago californica, Salvia columbariae, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eucrypta_chrysanthemifolia Uropappus lindleyi, Plantago erecta http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1259/1336701558_6786b2d742.jpg?v=0 © Project SOUND
  • 51. Dove Plant/Turkey Mullein – Croton setigerus © Project SOUND
  • 52. Dove Plant/Turkey Mullein – Croton setigerus  A plant of the west:  Drier (eastern) parts of WA/OR to Baja  Much of CA, usually in ocean-influenced areas < 2500 ft elevation  common in coastal sage scrub, valley grassland and oak woodland  A plant of disturbed http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3618,3660, places (natural or man- 3661 made):  Burned & flooded areas  Roadsides, agricultural lands http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Eremocar © Project SOUND pus_setigerus.gif
  • 53. Crotons are Euphorbias (Euphorbiaceae) CA Croton (Croton californicus) Rattlesnake Plant - Chamaesyce A sub-shrub of coastal areas albomarginata Dove Plant (Croton setigerus) CA Spurge - Euphorbia miseraSOUND © Project An annual wildflower
  • 54. Dove Plant is an interesting annual…  Size:  < 1 ft tall  2-3 ft wide  Growth form:  Herbaceous annual  Rather sprawly, mounded http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/doveweed.html growth habit  Foliage:  Leaves heart-shaped, rather stiff-looking, pale green  Entire plant covered in prickly hairs – need to handle with care  Foliage toxic to animals – if crazy enough to eat it  Unique, sweet scentSOUND © Project
  • 55. Flowers are weird  Blooms in summer/fall: can range from May to Oct.  Flowers: in a word, ‘unique’  Separate male & female flowers; male clustered above several female flowers  Male flowers rudimentary – no petals  Flowers small, yellow-green, very hairy  Very interesting looking, but not obviously showy  Fruit: a dry capsule containing 1 seed © Project SOUND © 2009 Neal Kramer
  • 56. Two different seed strategies  Two different seeds:  Uniform gray; may be flatter; produced later in season  Mottled; may be larger, rounded  Two different strategies insure http://www.ransomseedlab.com/genus/e/eremocarpus_setigerus.htm survival:  Gray seeds germinate under drier conditions; not eaten by birds due unpalatable taste of seed coat  Mottled seeds germinate under wetter conditions; loved by ground-feeding birds  Common names (Dove Plant; Turkey Mullein) from the affinity of Doves and Wild Turkeys for the seeds. Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND
  • 57. Plant Requirements  Soils:  Texture: likes well-drained soils  pH: any local, incl. alkali  Light: full sun  Water:  Winter: like any annual; needs good winter/spring water  Summer: Dry – Zone 1 or 1-2  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils  Other: will reseed on bare ground – can become weedy in areas with regular irrigation http://www.coestatepark.com/eremocarpus_setigerus_coe.htm © Project SOUND
  • 58. Dove Plant is habitat  As an interesting container plant  In dry, out-of-the way spots of the garden  In a habitat garden  With its natural associates: Baby Blue-eyes, Creamcups, Goldfields & others © Project SOUND
  • 59. One of the main reasons that seed-eaters are uncommon in urban areas is that there are no seeds © Project SOUND http://tiee.ecoed.net/vol/v5/practice/dalgleish/img/konza1-prairie-1600x1200.jpg
  • 60. The importance of wild places in the garden  It was an old farm practice to plant zero-maintenance medicinal herbs like yarrows & cudweeds at property edges, to harvest for use in home remedies.  ‘Wild’ places like that are also important for native creatures  We need to consider bringing some ‘wild’ into our gardens & neighborhoods © Project SOUND
  • 61. Seed plants for ground-eating birds – consider them for your ‘wild area’  Native grasses  Native sedges  Native Wildflowers – particularly those wth larger seeds  Any Buckwheat  Any Salvia © Project SOUND
  • 62. White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys  Usually nests near the ground in dense cover. In forest areas they will use a willow in a maintain meadow or a low conifer branch near the meadow. In coastal areas they use a shrub for nesting.  Likes brushy habitats. Happy with CSS plants, especially if you supply water for drinking  Eats mainly grass and forb seeds. They will also eat insects and spiders especially in the breading season as these provide more protein.  They feed on or near the ground in open areas near cover. © Project SOUND
  • 63. *Munz’s Sage – Salvia munzii J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND
  • 64. *Munz’s Sage – Salvia munzii  A local endemic – SW San Diego County (western slopes of Otay Mountain) & N. Baja  Founding in lower chaparral/coastal sage scrub communities  Area is very dry http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4745,4865,4882 © Project SOUND
  • 65. Munz’s Sage is appropriate size for the garden  Size:  2-4 ft tall  2-4+ ft wide  Growth form:  Woody shrub/sub-shrub  Relatively compact, rounded form  Looks delicate  Foliage:  Rather similar to Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) in looks, but scent is more like Cleveland Sage  Leaves medium green, narrow (wider with more water) & textured  Roots: fibrous © Project SOUND Dr. Dean Wm. Taylor, Jepson Herbarium http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/salvia-munzii
  • 66. Flowers: ‘Salvia’ says it all!  Blooms:  Spring - usually Feb-Apr in our area  May bloom again in summer with a little water  Flowers:  Typical little Salvia flowers in ball-like clusters along the flowering stems  Color usually light blue – may be somewhat lavender  Nice aroma !!  Good habitat – attract many pollinators J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/munzssage.html
  • 67. Salvia seeds are small but tasty!  A veritable feast of little seeds; birds will eat on the plant or on http://www.hazmac.biz/090612/090612SalviaMunzii.html the ground  Songbirds, lizards and other forms of wildlife use it for cover. © Project SOUND http://www.robinssalvias.com/blue/htms/munzii.htm
  • 68. One of our easier  Soils:  Texture: any local, from Salvias to grow sandy to clay – just water less in clays  pH: any local  Light: best in full sun, but can take a little shade  Water:  One of our more tolerant S. CA Salvias  In nature, endures hot dry summers – so good for dry gardens, tho’ will lose leaves  Probably looks best with occasional summer water – Zone 1-2, maybe even 2  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils © 2006 Aaron Schusteff © Project SOUND
  • 69. Munz’s sage is a garden winner  One of the best Salvias for pots  Small size makes it appropriate for small yards http://calown.com/nativegarden_plants.html  Nice for informal hedge or border  Excellent all-round habitat plant – nectar, seeds & cover value  Pair it with Coyote Bush, Sticky Monkeyflower, and native wildflowers & bulbs. http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of- california/plants/salvia-munzii © Project SOUND
  • 70. Other native Salvias are also good habitat Annual Salvias - Chia Black Sage Purple Sage White Sage © Project SOUND
  • 72. Managing seed plants for wildlife – be patient… © Project SOUND
  • 73. Food for all – not just humans… © Project SOUND
  • 74. Don’t rake up all those leaves – they’re leaf mulch © Project SOUND
  • 75. California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis  The California Towhee forages in the leaf litter by scratching, with both feet at once, in a fast hopping motion.  They feed on seeds and insects within the leaf litter or occasionally on berries or seeds in bushes.  The California Towhee likes dense cover and leaf litter. Leaf litter is good for many birds as well as most California native plants. © Project SOUND
  • 76. Some birds use unique native seeds… http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Jays_and_magpies/scrub_jay/scrub_jay_in_your_garden.htm Their favorite foods are acorns and they also enjoy eating the insects attracted by an oak tree. © Project SOUND
  • 77. Western Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma californica  Scrub Jays are generalists - eat acorns, seeds, fruits and nuts – also insects & eggs.  They like to store acorns http://www.avesphoto.com/WEBSITE/NA/species/JAYWSC-1.htm in the soil for short- term storage  An important dispersal agent of oaks – think of them as the ‘Johnny Appleseeds’ of oaks © Project SOUND
  • 78. ‘I have no room for a Oak Tree’ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/277961690_153fe58532_o.jpg © Project SOUND
  • 79. Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences © Project SOUND
  • 80. Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia  Coastal CA (mainly) including S. CA to Baja  Sandy soils near coast, coastal chaparral with a relatively open canopy cover, sand-stone, coastal sage scrub below 600‘  AKA ‘Nuttal’s Scrub Oak’  Some debate – is it really just Quercus dumosa (Scrub Oak) or a separate species http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4316,4326,4332  Interbreeds with other live oaks including Q. agrifolia © Project SOUND
  • 81. In nature, Laguna Coast Wilderness Preserve © Project SOUND
  • 82. Scrub oaks are small live oaks  Size:  usually 4-10 ft tall; can grow to 20 ft.  usually 4-8 ft wide  Growth form:  Woody shrub/small tree  Usually quite upright  Slow growing; long-lived (100+ years)  Foliage:  Leaves dark green – evergreen and somewhat holly-like  Similar to Coast Liveoak – but leaves may be smaller  Roots: deep taproot – resents moving; shallow feeder roots © Project SOUND http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Quercus+berberidifolia
  • 83. Flowers are, frankly, oak-like  Blooms: in spring - usually Mar-May in our area  Flowers:  Separate male & female © 2002 Charles E. Jones flowers on same plant  Male flowers on drooping catkins; female flowers produce the acorns  Not really showy – only an oak lover will notice them!  Seeds: acorns, of course; mature in a single year © Project SOUND
  • 84. Acorns are wonderful food…and scrub oaks produce plenty in good years http://www.justingee.com/pictures/lg_making-acorn-bread- 1151349431.jpg http://www.archives.gov/pacific/education/curricul um/4th-grade/acorn-photographs.html  You can eat acorns too – but it takes quite a bit of preparation © Project SOUND
  • 85. Plant Requirements  Soils:  Texture: any well-drained  pH: any local  Light:  Full sun to part-shade – in nature may grow on north- facing slopes  Water:  Winter: adequate water; no flooding  Summer: little needed one established – Zone 1 or 1-2  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils  Other: an easy oak to grow http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/inlandscruboak.html © Project SOUND
  • 86. Scrub oaks are good for smaller areas  Excellent on dry slopes, for erosion control  Appropriate for parking strips  Can bonsai – or trim as a hedge/screen  Superb habitat plant  Butterflies  Other insects  Wide range of birds  Provides food, perches, nesting sites (CA Towhee) © 2002 Charles E. Jones http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3642572283_1852921712.jpg?v=0 © Project SOUND
  • 87. Scrub Jays are omnivores  Western Scrub jay is also very fond of Toyon berries  Nest in the dense foliage of a large bush or small tree, usually situated near water http://research.pomona.edu/bfs/files/2009/06/scrub-jay_053109.jpg © Project SOUND
  • 88. * Tecate Cypress – Cupressus forbesii Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND
  • 89. * Tecate Cypress – Cupressus forbesii  In the Santa Ana Mountains (Orange County); Guatay Mountain and Otay Mountain (San Diego County); Mount Tecate on the U.S.-Mexican boundary. Also in northern Baja  Very rare – 15 U.S. populations; formerly more widespread – in La Brea tar from Pleistocene  Commonly on dry slopes, exposed hillsides, and http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm ridgetops; also along streambanks and arroyos, at elevations from 1,500 to 5,000 feet http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?157,160,166 © Project SOUND
  • 90. Tecate Cypress in Cuyumaca Mountains http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm © Project SOUND
  • 91. Tecate Cypress is a well-mannered evergreen  Size:  to 20+ ft tall; grows quickly to 12 ft. then slows  6-8 ft wide  Growth form:  Woody evergreen tree; may be shrubby, many- branched with age  Bark lovely; peeling and nice colors  Long-lived (100’s of years)  Foliage:  Pretty typical Cypress  Nice looking; neater than Italian Cypress http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm  Roots: taproot and laterals http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/tecatecypress.html © Project SOUND
  • 92. Cones are distinctive  Flowers:  Separate male & female flowers  You probably won’t notice it blooming  Cones:  Male cones numerous; unusual looking – on small branches  Female cones are larger and attached to larger branches  Start out green – gradually become dry & hard  Take 2 years to mature; remain on tree for several years http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm © Project SOUND
  • 93. Seeds not easily released  The cones of California cypress are closed; they usually persist on the tree until opened by the heat of a http://www.conifers.org/cu/cup/forbesii.htm fire or from desiccation due to age.  Seeds are shed gradually over several months after the cones open. Seeds shed from detached cones rarely result in seedling establishment, usually due to lack of a suitable seedbed.  Seed dispersal is primarily by wind and rain © Project SOUND http://www.hazmac.biz/050214/050214CupressusForbesii.html
  • 94. Plant Requirements  Soils:  Texture: best in coarse, well- drained soils  pH: any local  Light: full sun  Water:  Winter: rain usually adequate  Summer: none or very little after established; over watering can make susceptible to blow-down  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils  Other: Easy under proper conditions © Project SOUND
  • 95. Uses in the garden  Anywhere you might consider an Italian Cypress  Great on dry hillsides  Excellent as an evergreen hedge or screen  Impressive specimen plant  Is fire-prone; also some insect & fungal pests, but hardier than non- native species http://www.geographylists.com/tecate_cypress.jpg © Project SOUND
  • 96. Tecate Cypress as informal screen http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/pictures/Cupressus_forbesii_tecate_cypress.jpg © Project SOUND
  • 97. If you want a really big cypress - Monterey Cypress © Project SOUND http://www.geographylists.com/monterey_cypress.jpg
  • 98. Things you can do to attract more birds  A greater variety of plants will attract a greater diversity of birds, so include a mixture of taller and shorter trees, shrubs, native flowers, and grasses.  Diversify the height, leaf type, and food (fruits, berries, and nuts) provided by the plants in your garden.  Plant shrubs and trees that provide berries well into the winter to attract fruit-eating birds such as waxwings. © Project SOUND
  • 99. Things you can do to attract more birds  Plant in groupings to give the edge effect so attractive to birds.  By planting native wildflowers you attract insects which feed insect- eating birds and the young of many seed eaters.  Allowing flowers such as sunflowers, goldenrod, thistles, or daisies to go to seed will attract finches, juncos, sparrows, and other seed-eating birds. © Project SOUND
  • 100. Things you can do to attract more birds  Provide clean, safe water  Provide a dusting spot for birds by leaving bare a circle of sandy soil about 20 inches (50 cm) across in a sunny corner of your yard. This will allow birds to clean their feathers and get rid of parasites.  You can supplement your natural food sources by adding some feeders © Project SOUND
  • 101. Let’s go see some good bird habitat © Project SOUND