Theodore payne 2013

5/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2013 (our 9th year)

5/6/2013
2
© Project SOUND
Theodore Payne:
the legacy of a CA native
plantsman
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
May 4 & 7, 2013

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Theodore Payne: a man of (and ahead of)
his time
 The man – his personal
history
 The context: the
historical and cultural
context of his life and
activities
 His legacy
 Physical legacy
 Spiritual legacy
© Project SOUND

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TPF Archive - Archives and Collections
 Currently being evaluated: not yet available; will be on-line
 Included are:
 Personal papers of Theodore Payne dating from 1893 to 1963;
 Business records from 1903 including sales ledgers, catalogues of
plants and seeds for sale, planting plans, photographs and plant lists;
 Professional communications with notable clients, seed businesses in
US/Europe;
 Payne's writing focusing on S. CA native plants, their location and care;
 Commentary about his participation in the establishment of major
public and private gardens; published papers on urban development in S.
California.
 Additional papers relate to the activities of the Theodore Payne
Foundation (TPF) since its founding in 1960.
 Assorted private papers and collections given to TPF, yet to be
evaluated.
© Project SOUND

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Theodore Payne was a man who loved
plants: he was passionate about plants
(and particularly native plants) his
entire life
© Project SOUND

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Theodore Payne: the early years
 1872 - Born in Northamptonshire,
England - June 19, 1982.
 Father dies when he is very young
– never really knew him
 Shares love of plants with mother,
who had studied botany; mother
died when he was 12
 Active during boarding school
years in botanical society; made
collection of pressed plants.
 1888 - Apprenticed to a nursery
firm at age 16 for thorough
training in nursery and seed
business. – guaranteed a job once
completed
© Project SOUND
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~engcbanb/families/hartwell/03.htm
http://www.widecow.com/days-out-northamptonshire?see=all-days-out

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Apprenticeship at J. Cheal & Sons
 Old, respected nursery firm (still
around today) – probably difficult to
get the position & family paid for it
 Learned all aspects of nursery trade:
 Propagation
 Nursery/garden management
 Garden design & installation
 Business aspects, including doing
flower shows, etc.
 1891 - Saw large display of California
native plants at The Royal Botanical
Gardens at Kew in England.
 After three years, in 1893, Payne
completed his contract
© Project SOUND
http://europeanastatic.eu/api/image?type=TEXT&uri=h
ttp%3A%2F%2Fbhl.ait.co.at%2Ftemplates%2Fbhle%2
Fsampledata%2FcachedImage.php%3FmaxSize%3D
200%26filename%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.biodiversi
tylibrary.org%2Fpagethumb%2F21206919&size=FULL
_DOC

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Payne comes to the U.S. - 1893
 He arrived in New York, traveled to
Chicago where he visited the World's
Columbian Exhibition, then set out for
Los Angeles, California.
 Upon arriving in California in 1893,
worked for a week picking apricots, then
found a job in charge of the gardens at
the ranch of Madame Helena Modjeska
in Santiago Canyon in Orange County,
California.
 At first was nervous – he’d been told it
was ‘wild’; but it was there that he began
his lifelong interest in California native
plants, exploring the extensive natural
areas surrounding the Ranch.
© Project SOUND
http://dissenttheblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/some-cool-old-oc-
photographs.html

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Life at ‘Arden’
 Lots of work in the gardens –
even irrigation was a major issue
 Still time to get out and explore
 His memoir, Life on the
Modjeska Ranch in the Gay
Nineties , offers the best
account of daily life there.
© Project SOUND
http://smrpd.org/2011/03/ladd-canyon/
http://www.caopenspace.org/modjeska.html
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/docent-496295-modjeska-guests.html

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Theodore Payne and Matilija Poppies
 Madame Modjeska encouraged him
to use native plants in her gardens
 Matilija poppies were growing in
this area when Mr. Payne lived on
the Ranch. He tried valiantly to
grow them at the request of Mr.
Bozenta, as he called him. He was
not successful and it wasn't until
later that he learned if he had
burned some straw or dried grass
over the ground, he would have
been successful in germinating the
seed.
© Project SOUND
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
The poppy fascinated him, and
in later years he collected the
seed for exporting to Europe.

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1898: Begins work more closely related to
his career ambitions & training
 At Madam Mojeska’s insistence, he had
successfully domesticated a number of
wildflowers for the ranch garden. Payne left
the Mojeska Ranch with a new interest in
California native plants and a special
reverence for the rich variety of wildflowers
he was discovering in his adopted home.
 In 1898, Payne left the ranch for a position
with the Germain Seed Company.
 He remained with this firm for five years,
becoming head of the seed department.
© Project SOUND

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Germain Seed & Plant Co. – 1889-1957
 Founded by Eugene Germain in the
early 1870′s (as Germain Fruit Co.)
 Location: 326-330 S. Main; Los
Angeles based until the 1980’s
 The firm later exported callas,
freesias, amaryllis, cannas, other
bulb plants.
 By 1884, the firm was exclusively in
the seed business, selling seeds in
the U.S. & abroad.
 A 1900 catalog listed tree seeds
including unusual species, many
succulent plants, as well as flower
seeds.
© Project SOUND
http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/special/rarity/arch1.htm

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Germain’s was a
good place to learn
 How to run a seed business in
S. California
 What seeds people were
interested in buying
 The need to teach gardeners
the basics
 How to write an informative
catalog
 The importance of advertising
 Also made useful European
contacts on his sales & buying
trips abroad
© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics?ark=ark:/13030/hb8489p4z1/z1&&brand=calisphere

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Germain Seed Co. –– some surprising
offerings in the 1905 Catalog
 Abronia umbellata
 Collinsia bicolor
 Delphinium cardinales
 Delphinium parryi
 Emmenanthe penduliflora
 Eschhoztzia
 Gilia tricolor
 Clarkia rubicunda & amoena
 Helianthus californica
 Lathyrus splendens
 Lavatera trimestris
 Layia platyglossa (calliglossa)
 Limnanthes douglasii
 Lobelia cardinalis
 Lupinus nanus
 Mimulus cardinalis
 Mimulus moschatus
 Nemophila menzeisii
 Phacelia parryii
 Phlox drummondii
 Platystemon californicum
 Romneya coulteri
 Whitlavia grandiflorum
© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
 Even in the early years of
the 20th century, native
vegetation was being lost
to agriculture and housing
at an alarming rate.
 Theodore Payne, coming
from England as a young
man, was acutely aware of
this and was an early
activist – in word & in deed
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/when-los-angeles-blossomed-each-
spring.html
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/when-la-was-empty-wide-open-
socal-landscapes.html

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1903 – a nursery and seed company of
his own  Bought a struggling Los Angeles
nursery business from his British
countryman, Hugh Evans [Evans
Nursery]
 In 1903, Payne opened his first
nursery at 440 S. Broadway
Street, Los Angeles, California
 Originally featured traditional
seeds – was active in Eucalypts
 Began collecting wild flower seeds
as a hobby.
 Collecting trips with like-minded
friends
 Gradually added wildflower seed
packets to his offerings
© Project SOUND
http://www.sdfloral.org/roots-7.htm

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The beginning of the 20th century saw an
increased interest in CA native plants
 General increased interest in
gardening associated with the
Victorian era
 Also the Victorian interest in things
scientific and in collecting
 There were more people – and more
people with gardens
 The plants themselves attracted a
number of key botanists and plants-
persons to California
 And there was a general sense that
‘plants were being lost’
© Project SOUND
1906 – written by Mary Elizabeth Parsons

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© Project SOUND
http://www.letsgoseeit.com/index/county/la/claremont/loc01/cultivar/cultivar.htm
What’s unique about Theodore Payne is that he soldiered on all the
way to the 1960’s

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1905 – Moved his store to a bigger space
 Moved business to 345 S. Main where
the office remained until 1931.
 Began specializing in California wild
flowers, native plants and eucalyptus.
But continued with non-natives
 Purchased growing grounds at 33rd St.
and Hoover.
 He became known as a one-person
clearinghouse of nursery information
and a source for tracking down specific
trees, plants and seeds.
 He made regular visits to nurseries up
and down the state, keeping up with
what was being grown or tried in various
locations.
© Project SOUND
http://www.sdfloral.org/roots-7.htm
By 1907, native wildflowers
and landscapes were his
specialty.

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But making a living by selling native
plants was not easy
 Scant success attended his initial
efforts because customers lacked
interest. He had to advertise.
 He raised public awareness by:
 Creating wildflower demonstration
gardens on vacant lots
 Issuing a catalog of wildflower seeds
 Exhibiting at flower shows.
 He published numerous articles on
wildflowers, including a two-part
contribution to California Garden in
1912.
© Project SOUND
Theodore Payne’s experiences at J.
Cheal & Sons and Germain’s
taught him the time honored
methods of advertising in the
horticultural trade

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In his own words….
 ‘When I first came to California, what impressed me perhaps
more then anything else was the wonderful native flora. But
as the years went by it was with deep regret that I saw the
wildflowers so rapidly disappearing from the landscape.
 I made up my mind that I would try to do something to
awaken a greater interest in the native flora. Thus it was
that I began to specialize in the growing of wild flowers and
native plants. I collected seed of a few kinds of wild flowers,
grew them and offered the seed for sale.
 Little or no success attended this first venture, it being
generally conceded that it was foolish to waste time on "wild
flowers.”
© Project SOUND

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Demonstration
gardens become
a TP tradition
 ‘As a demonstration I secured the use
of a vacant lot in Hollywood and sowed
it with wild flower seeds. I went to
Walter Raymond of the Raymond
Hotel in Pasadena and asked him for
the use of a piece of ground for
sowing wild flower seeds. Mr. Raymond
readily consented and the following
spring there was a splendid display.’
 ‘I also secured the use of two lots in
Pasadena, one on Green Street and
the other at the corner of Lake and
Colorado, which I sowed with wild
flower seeds. All these plots were
greatly admired and I received
complimentary letters from many
people. This was really the beginning
of wild flower planting.’
© Project SOUND

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1906 – Published
first catalog
 Published first catalog
California Native Flower Seeds.
 Realized that most people didn’t
know how to grow native plant
seeds – or use the plants in
their gardens
 Catalog contained several pages
of general advice – starting
seeds, transplanting, etc.
 A bit of information on each
species: characteristics,
requirements, garden uses, etc.
© Project SOUND
http://granadanativegarden.org/

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Example: Coreopsis maritima – Sea Dahlia
 ‘Perennial 2 to 2 ½ feet
high. Large flowers 3 to 4
inches in diameter, much
resembling the Coreopsis
lanciolata of our gardens
but of a light canary yellow
color. Very fine for
cutting purposes. Pkt 10¢’
© Project SOUND
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=280

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1910 – California Wildflowers – Their
Culture & Care
 ‘A treatise describing upward of a
hundred beautiful species with a
few notes on their habits and
characteristics’
 Many native plant nurseries have
resorted to printing small
pamphlets to answer FAQs –
Theodore Payne was among them
 ‘California Wildflowers’ was part
book – part seed catalog
© Project SOUND
http://www.larnerseeds.com/_pages/books.html

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1910 : Annual Wildflower mixes were
available from T. Payne
 Shady/partly shady
 Very dry, sunny places
 Orange, yellow & cream-
colored
 Blue, purple and lavender
shade
 Low-growing for small beds
& borders
 Perennials for dry banks
© Project SOUND
A tradition the Theodore Payne
Foundation continues to this day

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Examples of 1910 seed mixes
Shady/Part-shady
 Nemophylla menziesii
 Nemophylla maculata
 Viola pedunculata
 Collinsia heterophylla
 Clarkia bottae
 Clarkia amoena
 Clarkia unguiculata
 Clarkia grandiflora
 Mimulus brevipes
Perennials for dry banks
 Epilobium canum
 Lupinus arboreus
 Encelia californica
 Trichostema lanataum
 Penstemon heterophyllus
© Project SOUNDhttp://www.theodorepayne.org/history/seedspmix2a.jpg

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Some common garden favorites from 1910
 Baby Blue-eyes
 Five-spot
 Tidy-tips
 Purple Owl’s Clover
 Globe Gilia
 Bird’s-eye Gilia
 Chinese Houses
 Elegant Clarkia
 Other Clarkias: bottae,
amoena
 Blue-eyed Grass
 Annual Sunflower
 CA Poppy
© Project SOUND

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Native bulbs available in 1910
 Bloomeria crocea
 Brodiaea: grandiflora,
 Calochortus: alba, catalinae,
clavatus, plummerae &
spendens
 Dichelostemma: capitata,
coccinea
 Fritillaria: biflora, lanceolata,
recurva
 Lillium: humboltii, pardalinum,
parryi,
 Tritellia laxa
© Project SOUND
http://www.theodorepayne.org/history/1927bulbs.jpg

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1910 – native trees and shrubs were just
around the corner
 ‘I am making a specialty of
growing our native trees
and shrubs, but as it takes
years to build up a stock of
these, especially as most of
them are raised from seed,
it is my intention to issue
price lists, from time to
time, of the latest I have
large enough for sale. The
list will be mailed free on
application’
© Project SOUND
http://www.theodorepayne.org/history/bulb1927-2.jpg

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© Project SOUND
White Alder – Alnus rhombifolia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Alnus_rhombifolia_NPS.jpg

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© Project SOUND
White Alder – Alnus rhombifolia
 Western U.S. from Baja to British
Columbia – east to ID
 In CA, Coastal mountains and
foothills, Sierra Foothills
 Locally in Santa Monica & San
Gabriel Mtns – below ~ 7000 ft.
 Usually in rocky or gravelly soils
along the sides of permanent
streams, in canyon bottomlands and
gulches
 Singly or in small patches
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=5480&flora_id=1http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?2016,2017,2019

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© Project SOUND
Characteristics of
White Alder
 Size:
 40-75 ft tall
 30-40 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Woody tree; winter deciduous
 Fast-growing in first decade;
good for quick establishment
 Relatively short-lived – will
last your lifetime
 One to several trunks; white-
gray bark - pretty
 Foliage:
 Rounded, medium-green
leaves ; prominent veins
 Roots: will seek source of water
– plant well away from water- and
sewer lines
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences http://www.canopy.org/db/main.asp?tree=74

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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements
 Soils:
 Texture: any – not fussy
 pH: any local
 Light: anything from full sun to quite
shady; depends on how much water you
give it.
 Water:
 Winter: good, moist soil
 Summer: fairly regular water; Zone
2-3 or 3 – 2 if your neighbor
waters
 Fertilizer: likes a richer soil; fine
with fertilizer, etc.
 Other:
 Use organic mulch, self-mulch or
grasses
 Strong roots can wreck sidewalks,
concrete
Watch for flathead borers – can kill

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© Project SOUND
White Alter: monoecious
male
female
 Blooms: winter or spring; any time
from Nov. to Apr. in our area
 Flowers:
 Small flowers on drooping
branches ‘catkins’
 Separate male and female
flowers – on same tree
 Female flowers produce small
cone-like structures that contain
the seeds – classical Alder
 Seeds:
 Papery; wind-borne
 Vegetative reproduction: can re-
sprout from base or roots

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© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
White Alder
 As a shade tree – in a lawn
 As an accent plant – takes a while
to become really large
 In large installations: parks,
schools, commercial plantings
 Excellent bird habitat tree; good
for stream beds
http://www.cuyamaca.net/oh170/Thumbnail_Pages/Alnus_rhombifolia.asp
http://www.pitzer.edu/offices/arboretum/tongva_garden/plants/08-alnus_rhombifolia.htm

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© Project SOUND
* Tanbark Oak – Notholithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus

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 Mainly grows on north coast & Sierra foothills
 ?’relict’ in Ventura and Santa Barbara Co.
 Moist, humid places in Redwood Forest, Mixed Evergreen
Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest
 On slopes between 0 and 8000 feet
© Project SOUND
* Tanbark Oak – Notholithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4316,4322,4323,4324
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notholithocarpus

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Once Lithcarpus – now we know better
 The Lithocarpus genus is transitional between chestnuts
(Castanea spp.) and true oaks (Quercus spp.), with flowers
like chestnuts and fruits similar to those of true oaks. There
are hundreds of Lithocarpus species in Asia, but tanoak is
the only North American member of the genus
 Tanbark-oak was recently moved into a new genus,
Notholithocarpus, based on multiple lines of evidence It is
not related to the Asian tropical stone oaks, Lithocarpus,
but instead is an example of convergent morphological
evolution. The North American tanbark-oak is most closely
related to the north temperate oaks, Quercus.
© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
Tanbark Oak: a
picturesque tree
 Size:
 50-75+ ft tall
 30-50+ ft wide
 Slow-growing
 Growth form:
 Evergreen , woody tree
 Shaded trees are narrow; those
grown in open sites have broad,
open crown
 Thick, pale, cork-like bark in
mature trees – used in tanning
 Trunk forms a burl – for
resprouting
 Foliage:
 Leaves thick, leathery medium-
green , rounded
 Young leaves - dense orange hairs
 Long taproot
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences

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© Project SOUND
Flowers are oak-like
 Blooms: spring, summer or fall,
depending on the weather,
elevation, distance from coast
 Flowers:
 Trees monoecious – separate
male, female flowers on same
tree, usually on new shoots
 Male flowers: drooping catkins
 Female flowers: produce acorn-
like nut
 Wind-pollinated
 Seeds:
 Take 2 years to develop
 Vegetative reproduction: mainly
sprouting from burls
©2004 Kim Cabrera

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Acorn-like nuts with a tough shell
 0.79–1.2 in long and 2 cm diameter,
very similar to an oak acorn, but with
a very hard, woody nut shell more like
a hazel nut.
 The nut kernel is very bitter High
levels of tannins); requires extensive
leaching to make it edible for humans
 Protect the nuts from predatation –
tho’ squirrels seem immune
 Contain a comparatively large amount
of oil. On this account, tanoak acorns
were preferred by local Indians over
all other kinds.
 Can be stored longer than Oak acorns
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lithocarpus_densiflorus_acorns.jpg

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Processing nuts
 Important food source (staple
food) where it grew (n. Coast)
 Were ground, leached, and then
prepared as a soup, cooked mush,
biscuits, pancakes, and cakes. or a
kind of bread.
 They also roast the acorns and eat
them
 Traditionally, the seeds were
placed in a cloth bag and either
buried in swampy ground or
suspended in a running stream for
a few months. Once the tannins
have been removed, the seed was
then dried, ground into a powder
 Now, grind first, then leach in
several changes of hot or cold
water until sweet
© Project SOUND
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/articles/acorns.htm

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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: deep, well-drained
soils best.
 pH: slightly acidic best (5.0-7.0)
 Light: best in part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: best with occasional
to regular irrigation – Water
Zones 2 to 2-3
 Fertilizer: organic mulch
 Other:
 Highly susceptible to Sudden
Oak Death disease
http://sydkab.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/the-klamath-bioregion/

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© Project SOUND
Garden uses for Tanoak
 In a woodland garden,
particularly under pines &
other large trees
 In large plantings: campuses,
commercial, parks, boulevards
 ?? Food source; wood source
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Notholithocarpus_densif
lorus_Big_Basin_State_Park.jpg
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
http://www.bomengids.nl/uk/soortenusa/tanoak__lithocarpus_densiflorus.html

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Theodore Payne always offered some
unusual (rare) seeds to his customers
These were often collected in seed-
collecting trips with friends like Dr.
Anstruther Davidson
© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
Catalina Nightshade – Solanum wallacei
©2000 John Game

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 Endemic to S. Channel Islands
and Baja Coastal Islands: Santa
Catalina & Guadalupe Islands
 Uncommon on slopes and in
canyons
 Chaparral
 Seeds available from Theodore
Payne in 1910
© Project SOUND
Catalina Nightshade – Solanum wallacei
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7682,7700

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William Allen Wallace (1815-1893)
 Gold miner, school teacher
but mostly a newspaper
reporter and editor
 Collected in the vicinity of
Los Angeles around 1854
and slightly later ; Sent
plants to Asa Gray
(Harvard herbarium)
 Wrote The history of
Canaan, New Hampshire
© Project SOUND
http://lahistory.tumblr.com/post/23229319178/on-may-17-1851-the-first-newspaper-in-los

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Solanum wallacei
 From California Native
Plants, Theodore Payne's
1941 catalog: "A shrubby
plant 3 to 5 feet high with
rich green downy foliage
and quantities of large
violet or blue flowers.
Effective in masses or as a
color note between other
shrubs. Gallon cans, 40c.“
© Project SOUND
http://plantpropaganda.wordpress.com/tag/solanum-wallacei/

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© Project SOUND
 Size:
 3-4 ft tall
 4-8 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous sub-shrub (parts
are woody)
 Mounded, many-branched form
typical of Nightshades
 Larger than Solantum xanti
(Blue Witch)
 Foliage:
 Leaves softly hairy, sticky
 Lush and attractive appearance
 Note: all parts toxic if eaten
Lush Catalina
Nightshade
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Solanum_wallacei

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© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic
 Blooms: in spring – usually
April-May
 Flowers:
 Very pale purple (rare) to
bright purple or blue with
yellow stamens
 Flowers typical for
nightshade, but larger than S.
xanti
 ? Sweet floral fragrance at
dusk
 Fruit:
 Typical small, tomato-shaped
fruit – birds love them
 Ripens late spring; dark
purple - toxic if eaten
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Solanum_wallacei

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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained best
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Afternoon shade or dappled
sun
 To fairly shady in very hot
gardens
 Water:
 Summer: drought tolerant
once established – Water
Zone 1-2, even 2
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: pinch back new growth
for bushier habit
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

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© Project SOUND
Garden accent
 In water-wise perennial beds; mix
with yellow-flowered
 For ‘Channel Island’ gardens
 Under oaks, other trees
 On hillsides – not fussy at all
 In large containers
 Good habitat plant: pollinators, birds
http://plantpropaganda.wordpress.com/tag/solanum-wallacei/
http://eol.org/pages/580450/overview

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1913 – Becoming established
 Became President of
Wildflower Club of Southwest
Museum.
 Laid out its native garden.
 Developed herbarium there.
 Co-owned ranch in Thermal
with John Ruopp, foreman at
Modjeska.
 But he needed a larger forum
to promote his beloved native
plants – and was no doubt
influenced by his own
memories of English floral
Expositions
© Project SOUND
http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/2/2/2/ar133743038922211.jpg

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Native Plant Garden – Exposition Park -
1915
© Project SOUND
http://www.westadams-normandie.com/lapl/Exposition-Park-Coliseum.php

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The California Wild Garden in Exposition
Park: It’s History and Objects - Theodore Payne
(1919 S. CA Acad. Of Science)
 ‘For years I had dreamed of planting a California wild
garden; a garden in which there should be nothing but plants
native to California; a garden planted after nature’s own
fashion. In the fall of 1913 I conceived the idea of making
such a garden at one or both of the large expositions to be
held in 1915 in San Francisco and San Diego.
 I soon abandoned the idea of San Francisco it being too far
away. Then after some negotiations with the authorities in
charge of the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, I
gave this up also, not being able to make such arrangements
as would warrant the undertaking’
© Project SOUND

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CA Wild Garden, cont.
 ‘In a letter of Feb. 9, 1914, from Mr. Frank B. Davidson of
the State Building in Exposition Park, the suggestion was
made that I should obtain a permit from the Park Board to
make and maintain at my own expense a small growing exhibit
of California native plants in the park, somewhere near the
Exposition Building. A few weeks later I appeared before
the Board of Park Commissioners and asked permission to
make a California wild garden in this park.’
 Site and plans accepted by Board in 1914
 County provided funds and did grading, sprinkler installation
 By March, 1915 scheduled to began the plant installation –
irrigation, walkways not done
 May, 1915 began installation
© Project SOUND

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Exposition Park
 Originally created in 1872 as an
agricultural park, and 160 acres
were set aside for the Southern
District Agricultural Society.
 In 1913, it was renamed
Exposition Park according to the
“City Beautiful” movement with 4
anchor tenants:
 The Exposition Building (now
California Museum of Science
and Industry)
 National Armory
 Domed National History Museum
 Sunken Garden (which in 1928
was later renamed the Rose
Garden).
© Project SOUND
Looking west to Nat. History Museum ~1915
Looking east to National Armory

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Theodore Payne described the area
 About 5 acres; an odd shape
due to the race track
 Located along Figueroa,
between Figueroa and the
grandstand/race track
 Planned thick stands of large
trees to hide racetrack and
Figueroa from the garden
 Location was Ok - was near
enough the State Exposition
Building - and on Figueroa -
that it would attract people
© Project SOUND
State Exposition Building - 1913

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Where was Payne’s Wild Garden located?
© Project SOUND

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66
The ‘Wild Garden’ as described by TP
 Series of ‘groves’ planted at the intersections of
major walkways; natural appearing with understory
plants (262 species in all); key role of wildflowers
 Sycamore Grove
 Oak Grove
 Redwood Grove
 Big Tree Grove
 Monterey Pine Grove
 Torrey Pine Grove
 8 ‘crops’ of weeds were grown and removed before
seeding wildflowers
© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
http://www.westadams-normandie.com/lapl/Exposition-Park-Coliseum.php

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‘Wild Garden’
 ‘In the spring of 1916 the wild flowers commenced to bloom
and in a few weeks the whole garden was a mass of yellow
and orange and blue and purple shades. Thousands of people
visited it daily and on Sundays the walks could hardly
accommodate the crowds. There were species of trees,
shrubs and flowers collected from all parts of the state. To
see these growing and to study them in their natural
habitats, it would be necessary for the student to travel
many hundreds of miles besides spending much money and
time. A label was provided for each species in the garden
giving first the botanical name and below it the common
name of the plant. This label was placed…near the walk so
that it could be easily read by the public.’
 ‘All the schools of the city used it for their botanical
classes. Students also came from Pasadena, Long Beach and
other nearby towns’
© Project SOUND

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 ‘Artists painted pictures of it, every
day students and nature lovers
visited it, birds, bees and butterflies
made it their home.
 As visitors came down the main path
they felt the breath of the wild and
forgot they were almost in the heart
of a big city. “Why its just wild”
they would exclaim.
 This spontaneous expression of their
feelings was very gratifying to me
for I felt that I had really achieved
MY WILD GARDEN .
© Project SOUND
Several newspapers and magazines wrote descriptions of the garden
and I received many very complimentary letters concerning it.’

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The ‘Wild Garden’ put Theodore Payne
on the map
 A corner was turned when his five-acre “Wild Garden”
won popular acclaim and international press coverage.
 He launched a lecture tour on “Preserving the Wild
Flowers and Native Landscapes of California.”
 After a wealthy homeowner in Montecito hired Payne to
landscape her large estate in 1919, native plantings
became even more fashionable.
 Over the next 20 years, Theodore Payne narrowed his
nursery business until he was devoting himself almost
exclusively to native plants and wildflowers (even through
the Great Depression)
© Project SOUND

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Theodore Payne made many important
contacts through local scientific and
nursery societies
 S. CA Acad. of Sciences – Botany section
– long-time on Board of Directors
 S. CA Horticultural Institute
 CA Botanical Society
 S. CA Botanists
 Natural Club of S. CA
 Los Angeles Co. Horticultural Association
(Pres.)
 S. CA Arboricultural Association (Pres.)
 And many, many others
© Project SOUND

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Dr. Anstruther
Davidson -1860-1912
 Scottish by birth; M.D. by training
 Botanical activities were carried out
principally through the Southern
California Academy of Sciences and
through its Bulletin.
 Served as the second president of
the society (1892 to 1894).
 He was among the founders of the
society and served as treasurer, as
a member of the board of directors
and of the publication board. In
short he was an active associate for
forty-one years.
 Wrote ‘Plants of Los Angeles’;
‘California Plants in Their Homes’
© Project SOUND
http://theoligarchkings.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/the-oligarchs-
plan-to-sell-off-us-federal-land/
Was an important local collector,
ecologist and early colleague of
Theodore Payne

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Partnership with Ralph D. Cornell - 1919
 Formed 5-year partnership with
Ralph D. Cornell – later to be
known as the ‘Dean of American
Landscape Architecture’
 Firm designed large landscape
projects, some including:

 Pomona College
 Occidental College
 Torrey Pines Park.
 Washington Park for City of
Pasadena.
© Project SOUND

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Ralph D. Cornell,
landscape architect
1908-1972
 Attended Pomona College and
Harvard Graduate School of
Landscape Architecture
 Friendship with TP – first
introduced when a student at
Pomona
 1912 essay “Wanted: A Genuine
Southern California Park,”
 Supervising landscape architect,
UCLA, 1937-72
 Landscape architecture projects
included Pomona College (the ‘college
in a garden’), Rancho Los Cerritos
(1931), Los Angeles Music Center,
and La Brea Tar Pits
© Project SOUND
http://tclf.org/pioneer/ralph-cornell

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Good friends/Odd
partners as Cornell
became more
mainstream
 “In any institutional planting, the
landscape or decorative values
are matters of first and last
importance, since school grounds
are planted primarily to achieve
decorative effects.”
 In landscape architecture, in his
eyes, “plants become a means to
an end more often than they,
themselves are the achievement
one seeks.”
 Thus, whether or not plantings
were appropriate or would require
high levels of irrigation was in his
mind subordinated to the goal of
creating “pleasing composition and
attractive appearance”
© Project SOUND
http://tclf.org/pioneer/ralph-cornell

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Later in life, Cornell returned to his earlier
tenants – for which he’s now better known
© Project SOUND
 ‘Cornell championed design
restraint, thoughtful
indigenous plantings, and
preservation of the native
landscape as a cultural
necessity for posterity.’
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conspicuous-
california-plants-ralph-d-cornell/1111568465

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1922 – Move to a bigger, more rural nursery
 Moved nursery to 10 acres at 1969-99 Los Feliz Blvd. on
land he purchased. There were several Japanese-American
nurseries there at the time.
© Project SOUND
http://usclibraries.tumblr.com/post/9170204955/los-feliz-boulevard-under-construction-circa
http://lfia.org/RegPages/History.shtml

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© Project SOUND
Canyon Gooseberry – Ribes menziesii
©2008 Zoya Akulova

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 Coastal Ranges and Sierra
foothills from Central Ca to
southern OR
 Found in moist or marshy
areas growing with willows
as well as dry hillsides
 Redwood Forest, Mixed
Evergreen Forest,
Chaparral between 0 and
3500 feet
© Project SOUND
Canyon Gooseberry – Ribes menziesii

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 From California Native
Plants, Theodore Payne's
1941 catalog: "Loosely
branching shrub usually 5
to 8 feet high. Flowers
purplish brown and white.
Succeeds best in partial
shade. Deciduous in late
summer. Gallon cans, 60c."
© Project SOUND
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/rib_men.html

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© Project SOUND
Canyon Gooseberry
 Size:
 4-8+ ft tall
 6-8 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Woody , deciduous shrub
 Many-branched stems – very
prickly
 Loose habit – less stiff than
our Fuschia-flowered
Gooseberry
 Foliage:
 Typical rounded, aromatic
leaves if the gooseberries
©2012 Jean Pawek

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© Project SOUND
 Blooms: early spring – usually
Feb. or Mar. in our area
 Flowers:
 Small purple-red and white
flowers – similar to Fuschia-
flowered Gooseberry
 Plants are covered with
flowers in a good year – very
showy , pretty
 A hummingbird favorite
©2012 Jean Pawek

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Berries
 Ripen in summer
 Ripe berries are dark red-
purple - pretty
 Spiny (like all gooseberries)
 Edible (particularly if
cooked) – but not the
tastiest of our native Ribes
 Birds gobble them up – so
they won’t go to waste
© Project SOUND
©2008 Jorg Fleige

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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Part-shade; remember that this
species is from less sunnier
climates than ours
 Water:
 Summer: summer water tricky;
best with indirect water (plant
10-15 ft. from a lawn)
 Fertilizer: none needed if organic
mulch used
 Other: use organic mulch; don’t
plant near pines (harbors white pine
blister rust)
©2012 Jean Pawek
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

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© Project SOUND
Shade garden
 In shady corners of the garden
 Gives a woodsy feel
 N sides of buildings/walls
 Excellent for wildlife
 As a barrier plant
Photo credit: randomtruth / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
http://www.laspilitas.com/groups/ribes_currant_gooseberry/Ribes_currants_of_california.html

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Fuschia Flowering Gooseberry
Ribes speciosum
http://www.lejardindesophie.net/jardinautes/sophie/paplantes/r/ribesspec.htm

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© Project SOUND
* Fendler's Meadow Rue – Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum
© 2008 Keir Morse

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© Project SOUND
* Fendler's Meadow Rue – Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum
 California from Baja/San Diego
Co. to Oregon
 Mostly coastal in S. CA; rare in
the Sierra foothills
 Locally in Santa Monica and San
Gabriel Mtns.
 Grows along streamsides and
other moist places, in forests and
open woodlands < 4000 ft.http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501272
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6434,6569,6571,6573

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© Project SOUND
Characteristics
of Meadowrue
 Size:
 2-3 ft tall
 2-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial
 Drought deciduous; dies back to
root in summer/fall
 Looks somewhat like a Maidenhair
Fern; mounded habit
 Foliage:
 Rounded leaflets – very unusual
and attractive; somewhat like
Columbine
 Note: foliage/roots toxic if
eaten;
 Infusion of leaves used externally
– applied to sprains, pains.
 Roots: fibroushttp://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=THFEP2

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© Project SOUND
 Blooms: mid- to late spring -
usually Apr-June in our area
 Flowers:
 On tall, slender stalks above
the foliage
 Plants dioecious (separate
male & female plants)
 Male flowers slightly more
showy; neither has petals
 Pink-yellow flowers dangle
like little, fluffy bells –
nothing else like it!
 Seeds: small; carrot-like

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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained; fine in
sandy or clay
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Part-shade to quite shady;
great for N. side of buildings
 Water:
 Winter: adequate water
 Summer: more water will keep
it green longer; probably best
with Water Zone 2 to 2-3 in
shade
 Fertilizer: none to light doses fine;
organic soil amendments
 Other: organic mulches (leaf mulch
works well); low maintenance
http://www.finegardening.com/item/13893/should-it-be-called-mountain-rue

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© Project SOUND
Meadowrue: perennial filler
 For its interesting foliage, in
shady areas of the garden
 Around bases of drought-
tolerant trees, oaks
 Delicate appearance – use
like you would ferns
 As an attractive pot plant
Thalictrum fendleri and Erigeron glaucus
http://kristamaxwell.com/garden/photos2.html

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By the mid-1920’s a
respected native plantsman
 1926 - Provided ideas and 80%
of original plant materials for
Blaksley (now Santa Barbara)
Botanic Garden.
 Laid out by Frederic Clements,
Elmer Bissell, and Ervanna
Bowen Bissell – but original
inspiration was Payne’s gardens
 The garden's contributors
included nationally-significant
horticulturists and designers
Kate Sessions, Lester Rowntree,
Theodore Payne, Carl Purdy, and
E.O. Orpet
 One aim was to showcase the
beauty of California native
plants and their suitability for
use in private gardens and water
conservation
© Project SOUND

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Theodore Payne also appreciated the
garden potential of local desert plants
© Project SOUND
http://www.desertmuseumdigitallibrary.org/public/detail.php?i
d=ASDM00153

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© Project SOUND
* Desert Olive – Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

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© Project SOUND
* Desert Olive – Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens
 SW north America from TX & CO
to CA and s. to northern Mexico
 In CA, mostly in foothills of dry
desert mountains, 3000-7000 ft.
 Dry slopes, canyons, cliffs
 Creosote bush scrub, chaparral,
coastal sage scrub and foothill
woodland
 Forestiera: named after Charles
Le Forestier (?-1820), an 18th
century French physician and
naturalist,
 pubescens: with soft, downy hair
 Other common names are Elbow
Bush & New Mexico Privet
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5249,5250,5251

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© Project SOUND
Desert Olive is very
undemanding
 Soils:
 Texture: any, but well-drained best
 pH: any local (6.0-8.0)
 Light: full sun to part-shade;
 Water:
 Winter: needs enough for ground-
water replenishment
 Summer: regular water first year;
then Zone 1-2 to 2
 Other: tolerates heat, high winds,
moderate soil salinity
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/forestier
a%20pubescens.htm

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© Project SOUND
Desert Olive makes a
lovely tree
 Use as a substitute for non-native
white-bark ornamentals like Olive,
Aspen, Melaluca
 Great plant for front yard,
background areas, along roadways –
very tough and need little water
 Management:
 Start selective pruning in first
year
 Limit to 1-5 stems; prune out the
rest
 Selectively prune each winter to
provide open habit

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© Project SOUND
Can be pruned and
shaped, even hedged
 Can be sheared to a
reasonable hedge
 Mix with other species in
mixed hedge or hedgerow
 Very adaptable and useful –
could probably even be
espaliered
 Limit water to provide
better shape
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Trees/Shrubs/mexpriv.htm
http://flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2640329338/in/set-72157605994561368/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2973733432/
Forestiera & Cornus glabrata

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© Project SOUND
* Bigelow’s Beargrass/Nolina – Nolina bigelovii
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nolina_bigelovii

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 Hillsides and canyons of Southeastern
California, western Arizona, S. NV, Baja
California and Sonora, Mexico.
 Desert hillsides, Creosote Bush scrub –
often in very dry areas of Mojave & Sonoran
Deserts
 Especially prevalent along the Lower
Colorado River Valley
© Project SOUND
* Bigelow’s Beargrass/Nolina – Nolina bigelovii
©2006 Aaron Schusteff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolina_bigelovii
http://www.desertmuseumdigitallibrary.org/public/detail.php?id=ASDM01221&sp=Nolina bigelovii

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© Project SOUND
Bigelow’s Nolina: like a very large bunch grass
 Size:
 6-10 ft tall (with flowering
stalk)
 4-6 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Grass-like perennial sub-shrub
 Many (to 150) leaves, initially
in basal rosette, but may
reach 5-6 ft in older plants
 Leafy stalk is stout, somewhat
woody
 Foliage:
 Leaves narrow, strap-like , 1-3
ft long (depends on water)
 Often blue-green color
 No spines – unlike Yucca©2005 James M. Andre
http://www.gardeninginarizona.com/Plants/Agavaceae/big/Nolina_bigelovii2.html

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© Project SOUND
Flowers like Yucca
 Blooms: in spring (Apr-June)
 Flowers:
 Mature plants flower – not
every year
 Stout flowering stem above
the foliage – like a cross
between Yucca and Pampas
Grass in appearace
 Small, cream-colored flowers –
sweetly scented
 ?toxins – sapoginens – cause
photosensitive rash
 Seeds: papery capsules; wind-
borne
 Vegetative reproduction: off-
sets (pups)
©2003 Charles E. Jones
http://seedsofsuccess.smugmug.com/Bureau-of-Land-Management/BLM-
AZ930/4721139_mQqj3Q/350681596_4zNGBPC#!i=350681445&k=5GK6jMP

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© Project SOUND
One tough plant!
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to light shade
 Water:
 Summer: very drought tolerant
once established; Water Zone
1 or 1-2.
 Needs fall dry period
 Other:
 Rock mulch – or none
 Very low maintenance – plant
and ignore
©2006 Aaron Schusteff

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© Project SOUND
Nolina: nice accent
 Nice accent plant in any dry
garden
 Right at home in desert gardens,
rock gardens, hot places
 Leaves used green or bleached in
basketry; young flowers stalks
can be baked and eaten
http://www.delange.org/BeargrassBig/BeargrassBig.htm
http://gallery.cvetq.info/displayimage.php?album=267&pos=4

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 Southwestern U.S. into N.
Mexico
 Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran
Desert mountains
 Dry slopes and washes in
Joshua Tree woodland (CA)
and Pinyon-juniper woodland
(elsewhere)
© Project SOUND
* Banana Yucca – Yucca baccata
©2010 Lee Dittmann
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102056
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8681,8682

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The Yuccas: Plants of many uses
 ~ 40 yucca species, all native to the
New World.
 Most have dry hard fruits; fruits of
banana yucca are fleshy and
succulent.
 Besides food, yuccas have many
other traditional uses.
 The leaf blades can be woven into
baskets, used to make brushes, or
with the fleshy leaf tissue removed
the remaining stiff fibers can be
made into a combination needle and
thread.
 The roots are prized as a natural
soap.
© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
Banana Yucca: dramatic accent
 Size:
 2-6 ft tall (flower stalk taller)
 2-10 ft wide (spreads slowly)
 Growth form:
 Evergreen perennial ‘sub-shrub’ –
typical Yucca form
 Many strap-like leaves in basal
rosette
 Foliage:
 Leaves 1-3 ft long – depends on
water
 Sharp spines on tips
 Roots: forms offsets (‘pups’) along
rhizomes; long-lived
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Agavaceae/Yucca_baccata.html

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© Project SOUND
Fabulous Yucca flowers
 Blooms: in spring ; usually
April to June
 Flowers:
 Along a stalk slightly above
the leaves – depends on
available moisture
 Flowers: cream with pink-
purple blush
 Large for Yucca – 1-3
inches – and rather fleshy
 Truly amazing – very
pretty
 Flowers last ~ 2 weeks
 Pollinated by the nocturnal
pronuba moth

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Banana Yucca saves it’s resources…
 Extended water storage is
achieved through thickened
leaves and leaf bases.
 Banana yucca experiences
crassulacean acid metabolism
(CAM), allowing carbohydrate
stores built up in the summer
and early spring to assist
during the reproductive period
in late spring.
 3-year reproductive cycle in
wild; ?? In garden
© Project SOUND

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112
…for flowering and producing it’s unusual
fruits
 Thick, fleshy fruits resemble
small bananas – hence the
common name
 Contain many large flat black
seeds
 Are considered a SW delicacy
 Most often baked or roasted,
then eaten like a sweet potato
© Project SOUND

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113
© Project SOUND
Easy Yucca to grow  Soils:
 Texture: well drained; rocky-
sandy best
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun to light shade –
sun-tolerant
 Water:
 Winter: good rains or
irrigation
 Summer: drought tolerant;
looks best with monthly water
 Other: requires little care –best
if mostly ignored; carefully remove
spent stalks (wear eye protection;
long leather gloves)
©2010 Lee Dittmann

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114
© Project SOUND
Dramatic accent
 Desert-themed or rock gardens
 As a spiny deterrent plant
 Large containers
 Habitat or edibles garden
 Where ever you would plant a
Yucca or Agave
http://unkowndestination.blogspot.com/2012/08/yucca-review-yucca-baccata-banana-yucca.html
http://coldhardycactus.com/Pages/YU003.htm http://www.sm.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=24551&return=l1

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The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens
 1927 - Assisted Mrs. Susanna
Bixby Bryant with siting and
design of original Rancho
Santa Ana Botanic Garden in
Orange County – small role.
 Helped to relocate the Garden
to Claremont in 1951.
 1920-30’s - Maintained private
estate landscaping
commissions throughout
Southern California: Beverly
Hills, Bel Air, Pasadena, and
Santa Barbara
© Project SOUND
http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2009/08/yorba-linda-santa-ana-canyon-field-trip.html
Located on n. side of Santa Ana Cyn
in what is now Yorba Linda

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1939 – Native Plant Garden at Cal Tech
 Created native plant
garden with ~176 species
at California Institute
of Technology, Pasadena
(later site of Norman
Church Laboratory).
 Continued publishing
articles and speaking about
loss of wild flowers in many
venues – gardening and
scientific
© Project SOUND

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117
 Showcasing the delights of the Southern California landscape,
this original 8-acre garden was designed and dedicated in 1959
by a core group of California native plant lovers who wanted to
cause a revival of interest in California flora, educate school
children in native plants and create a demonstration landscape
for home owners.
© Project SOUND
http://www.descansogardens.org/calendar/california-natives-spring-walk/
1958 – Descanso Gardens

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118
The hand of Theodore Payne
can still be seen today
 Many people contributed to the
creation of this new garden:
 Theodore Payne led the way by
donating 1,000 plants and
playing a major role in its design.
 Percy Everett of Rancho Santa
Ana Botanic Gardens offered
many plants and expertise as
well.
 Today, some of those original
plantings are still here and many
others have been added through
the years.
© Project SOUND
http://interchangefellowship.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/dsc_0199.jpg
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/descanso-garden-25660

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If you haven’t visited
the Descanso
Gardens ‘CA Native
Garden’ you’ve got to
go see it!
© Project SOUND
http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/descanso_garden
http://www.everkelly.com/tag/gardens/
http://www.zaudhaus.com/portfolio/descanso-gardens/

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120
Be sure to appreciate Theodore Payne
© Project SOUNDhttp://willowscottage.blogspot.com/2011/07/theodore-payne-foundation-for.html

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121
1960 - Theodore Payne Foundation
 Founded and incorporated in 1960,
the Theodore Payne Foundation
promotes the understanding and
preservation of California native
flora.
 founded and incorporated upon Payne's
retirement to carry on his life's work.
 Our mission is:
 To promote and restore California
landscapes, and habitats
 To propagate and make available
California native plants and wildflowers
 To educate and acquire knowledge about
California flora and natural history
© Project SOUND
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mission.html

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122
 "Well I hope for the Foundation that we’ll be able to grow a large
variety of native trees and shrubs and wildflowers and bulbs and
ferns and everything and supply them to the people at reasonable
rates; to give some to schools and Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls
and so on. Also to enter into a campaign of education; educate the
people to the value of these beautiful things that God’s given us
in this beautiful California." © Project SOUND
http://neighbor2neighbor.com/services/theodore-
payne-foundation/

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123
1961 – end of active career as seedsman,
but still a teacher
 After 58 years in business, turned
over stock of seeds, plants and
equipment to The Foundation to
carry on his work and vacated Los
Feliz property.
 Continued to lecture, consult – and
write his memoirs
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
N1RD0hk5-dA
© Project SOUND

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124
Theodore Payne Wildlife Sanctuary - 1961
 Dedication of 320 acres in Antelope Valley near Llano as ‘The
Theodore Payne Wildlife Sanctuary’ by LA Co. Board of
Supervisors
 The sanctuary supports thick stands of Joshua trees and Creosote
Bush Scrub and provides hiking opportunities and lovely landscape.
© Project SOUND
http://parks.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dpr/Parks/Theodore_Payne_Wildlife_Sanctuary

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1963 – Theodore Payne dies
 Dedication of temporary site for
Foundation at Whittier Narrows, Jan. 19.
 “Man of the Year” Award by California
Garden Clubs, Inc.
 Died in Los Angeles on May 6.
 Papers and library donated to Foundation.
© Project SOUND

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129
Theodore Payne’s Legacy
 Introduced into cultivation over 430 species of
wild flowers and native plants during his lifetime.
© Project SOUND

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130
A selection of plants introduced into
cultivation in California
© Project SOUND
 Acer negundo
 Adenostoma fasciculatum
 Adenostoma sparsifolium
 Aesculus californica
 Agave desertii
 *Alnus rhombifolia
 Artemisia californica
 Atriplex canescens
 Atriplex lentiformis ssp. lentiformis
 Atriplex polycarpa
 Brickellia californica
 Calycanthus occidentalis
 Ceanothus crassifolius
 Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus
 Ceanothus cyaneus
 Ceanothus impressus
 Ceanothus leucodermis
 Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus

 Mimulus aurantiacus
 Mimulus cardinalis
 Nolina bigelovii
 Nolina parryi
 Oenothera californica
 Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri
 Olneya tesota
 Penstemon azureus
 Penstemon centranthifolius
 Penstemon heterophyllus var.
heterophyllus
 Penstemon palmeri var. palmeri
 Penstemon spectabilis var.
spectabilis
 Philadelphus lewisii
 Pickeringia montana var. montana
 Pinus attenuata
 Pinus monophylla

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131
Imagine your garden without…
 Delphinium cardinale
 Dendromecon rigida
 Dudleya pulverulenta ssp.
pulverulenta
 Encelia californica
 Encelia farinosa
 Epilobium canum ssp. canum
 Eriogonum arborescens
 Eriogonum cinereum
 Eriogonum crocatum
 Eriogonum fasciculatum var.
fasciculatum
 Eriogonum giganteum var. giganteum
 Eriogonum grande var. rubescens
 Eriogonum parvifolium
© Project SOUND
Mother Nature’s Backyard
Demonstration Garden
1/3 of plants introduced by TP

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134
Read about Theodore Payne
 Theodore Payne in His Own Words:
A Voice for California Native Plants.
Pasadena: Many Moons Press for the
Theodore Payne Foundation, 2004.
 “Theodore Payne,” in Victoria Padilla,
Southern California Gardens.
Berkeley: University of California
Press, 1961, 162-167.
 Or listen to same tapes of talks and
interviews on the TPF web page
© Project SOUND

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135
Most of all, share Theodore Payne’s love
of our state treasures with others
© Project SOUND
http://blogy.keyingredient.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/CaliforniaWildflowersLarge.jpg

Theodore payne 2013

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