Prudent Pruning - Notes

1/6/2013

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Prudent Pruning
Plants of the S. CA
Chaparral

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

Madrona Marsh Preserve
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants November 6 & 9, 2010
Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

The chaparral tells an interesting story, if you how to read it What is the chaparral plant community?

 Chaparral is California’s
most extensive plant
community.
 It is also the state’s
most characteristic
wilderness
 It dominates foothills
and mountain slopes
from the Rouge River
Valley in southern
Oregon to the San
Pedro Martir in Baja
California.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2789/


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Chaparral Area in California by County (acres)*

San Diego 1,003,441
Los Angeles 553,789
Riverside 499,160
Santa Barbara 440,645
San Luis Obispo 417,718
Monterey 369,345 http://www.geo.arizona.edu/Antevs/biomes/ChaparalStaMonicaA.jpg

Ventura 326,447
http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/habitats/atstejnegerihabitatla508.jpg

San Bernardino 276,010 Santa Monica Mtns - mostly higher elevations Lower elevations - San Gabriels
San Benito 246,623
Santa Clara 188,427
Orange 111,550
Marin 37,566
San Mateo 36,152
Santa Cruz 32,328

*From Fried, J.S., C.L. Bosinger, and D.
Beardsley. 2004. Chaparal in Southern and
Central Coastal California in the Mid-1990's:
Area, Ownership, Condition, and Change.
http://www.californiachaparral.com/awheresthechaparral.html http://www.californiachaparral.com/awheresthechaparral.html

USFS Resource Bulletin PNW-RB-240
© Project SOUND Malibu State Park Cleveland National Forest © Project SOUND

How does chaparral differ from coastal
sage scrub?

Chaparral Coastal Sage
Scrub

1. Often (not always) slightly
higher elevation (500-4500 1. Often lower elevation &
ft) & further from coast nearer/on the coast

2. Hotter summers; winter lows 2. Cooler summers: fog – more
temperate in general
3. More rainfall: 20-40” per yr – 3. Less rainfall: 15-20”
some may even fall in mid-late
summer (summer monsoons)
4. Soil usually loam/clay
Chaparral looks somewhat like Coastal Sage Scrub…. 4. Soil often rocky

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How do chaparral/coastal sage scrub differ? Why Sclerophyllous
Coastal Sage Scrub leaves?
Chaparral
 Small, Sclerophyllous leaves
are advantageous in a semi-
arid climate because they
reduce evaporation thorough
Xyloccocus bicolor a variety of traits including:
 waxy coatings

 thicker cell layers

5. More small shrubs (< 6 ft);  recessed stomata, the pores in
5. More tall shrubs (> 6 ft); soft-leaved (‘soft chaparral’) leaves permitting evaporation
sclerophyllous (hard-leaved) 6. Shrubs tend to be separated and the exchange of oxygen
6. Shrubs tend to grow together with space between – can
into a dense thicket walk though it and carbon dioxide
© Project SOUND Rhamnus ilicifolia © Project SOUND

How do chaparral/coastal sage scrub differ?
Chaparral Coastal Sage Scrub

http://interwork.sdsu.edu/fire/resources/san-diego-habitats.htm

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/communities/coastal-sage-scrub

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2789/

7. More complex understory:
7. Fewer understory plants – too perennials, grasses
dark under the large shrubs
8. Many summer-dormant
8. Fewer summer-dormant plants plants http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/tag/exotics/
© Project SOUND http://groups.ucanr.org/SAFE/Fire_in_Southern_California_Ecosystems/ © Project SOUND

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Walking through chaparral requires a path The topography has an effect on vegetation
 The aspect of a hillside
makes a great difference in
the composition of the
chaparral.
 North facing slopes are a
lot moister
 Toyon, Manzanita, Scrub oak,
Pitcher sage, Kekiella , and
Poison oak.
 The south facing slopes are
arid:
Remember: aspect also is important  Dominated by Chamise, Black
in CSS – both are plant communities sage, Woolly blue curls and
Bush poppy, (Dendromecon
sensitive to topography (both have rigida).
http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/
‘sun’ and ‘part-shade’ plants)

How do chaparral/coastal sage scrub differ? Evidence that fire has played a key role in
Chaparral Coastal Sage Scrub Chaparral
 Even-age ‘stands’ of
vegetation – suggests
recruitment/sprouting only
after fire
 Long-lived seeds that require
fire/smoke to germinate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52509763@N00/310103199/

http://palosverdessource.com/tag/rancho-palos-verdes/
 Rapid regeneration from
http://www.desertmuseum.org/desert/habitats/chap/chapgallery.php?print=y specialized re-sprouting
9. Can remain as stable CSS organs – ‘burls’/lignotubers
9. Successional community – climax community for a long
tends to progress to Oak  Presence of fire-follower
time
Woodland or Pine Forest species – endemic to post-fire
10. Fire plays a key role in years/regions
10. Fire plays a key role in clearing out underbrush;
‘setting the successional clock’ lesser role in the setting
‘successional clock’ SOUND
http://www.desertmuseum.org/desert/habitats/chap/chapgallery.php?print=y
© Project © Project SOUND

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Chaparral is a transitional community – at
least historically Does chaparral ever reach climax any
more in S. CA?
 The Chaparral is usually a successional
plant community that gradually moves
to oak and pine forest, if the soil
depth supports it
 Over time, just the presence of the
Chaparral can change the actual
characteristics of a site:
http://picasaweb.google.com/guidesharon/Spring#5274932832288037602
 change the pH one unit
 effectively ‘double’ the precipitation
 produce a litter layer (mulch layer of
leaves) in which the pines and oaks can
germinate.
 These changes only occur if the
chaparral doesn't burn for decades or
maybe centuries - no one really knows
the time line.
http://room42.wikispaces.com/Savanna+Climate

Recovery after fire Characteristics of chaparral plants
 Mainly woody shrubs
 Takes 3-4 years
 Chaparral communities in
 Depends on species – California occur from sea level to
first 2 years recovery high mountains. Each elevation has
by either re-sprouting its own mix of species
http://www.laspilitas.com/easy/easy_wildflower_picture.htm or seed  Plants like manzanita
(Arctostaphylos spp.) Ceanothus
 Soil moisture is (Ceanothus spp.) and chamise
important – higher (Adenostema fasciculatum) are
elevation and N-facing common themes in southern
slopes in lower California chaparral.
elevations do best
 All chaparral plants in California
 Ultimately, smaller are adapted to wet winters and
species are crowded dry summers, and they like well-
out drained soils.
http://interwork.sdsu.edu/fire/resources/Chaparral.htm

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/communities/chaparral

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Chaparral plants are also good food Common large Chaparral shrubs: S. CA
 Several species of scrub oaks - Quercus
 Young plants and succulent foliage are berberidifolia most common and widespread.
always a temptation – and easier to  Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum)
access
 Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
 Ceanothus leaves are browsed by deer
year-round  Various Ceanothus species
 Rabbits, deer and other herbivores  Various manzanita (Arctostaphylos) species
can browse heavily in fall/ winter  Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina)
Deer eating Ceanothus
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/F7xecrsLEk2wFiIEETx41A
 Sugar bush (Rhus ovata)
 Holly-leafed cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
 Spiny redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia)
 Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus
betuloides).
 Redshanks (Adenostema sparsifolia)
Chaparral comes from the
Spanish and means "having
 Silk-tassel bush (Garrya spp.)
Brush Rabbit
scrub oaks".
http://www.bentler.us/eastern-washington/plants/shrubs/rabbit-brush.aspx

Chaparral shrubs are lovely Chaparral plants say ‘buy me, buy me!’
 Evergreen foliage
 Most have abundant
springtime or summer
blooms.
http://dunncreekfarm.blogspot.com/2010/04/organic-farming-from-hell.html  Berries add color in the late
summer and fall when the
rest of the region is drab.
 Any given patch of chaparral
will contain several of the
common large shrub species
but one or two will be
predominant.
 And then there are the
showy smaller plants that
grow in sunny patches….
http://jimmundy.name/garden_album/slides/Ceanothus_looking_toward_front_door.html


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And that’s how pruning figures into the story Buckbrush – Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus


Buckbrush – Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus You’ve likely seen it
in the wild…
 Western U.S. from
OR to N. Baja  Just another large shrub most
of the year
 In CA, common in  Covered with snow-like blossoms
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/botany/herbarium/projects/ceanothus/CeCu/index.html foothills except in in spring – some say reminiscent
deserts & Central of a cherry or apple tree
Valley http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/ceacun/all.html

 Common on dry,
rocky slopes, fans &
ridges, to 6000', in
foothill chaparral,
pinyon-juniper and
yellow pine woodland

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericinsf/2409689371/

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6586,6589,6594,6595
© Project SOUND
N. CA Chaparral © Project SOUND
http://www.tulipsinthewoods.com/wild-plants/buckbrush-ceanothus-cuneatus/

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Flowers: showy white
Buckbrush has many characteristics of ceanothus
Ceanothus
 Size:
 4-8 ft tall  Blooms:
 4-8 ft wide  Mar.-May or even later at
higher elevations
 Growth form:  Depends on the climate
 Fast-growing woody shrub patterns/ rain & temperature
 Form usually erect, multi-stemmed –
rarely prostrate  Flowers:
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/shrubs.html#Cea_cun  May assume shrub or more tree-like  Usually pure white, but may be
form - may be variable because it a pale blue
hybridizes with similar species.
 Flowers quite large for
 Bark gray Ceanothus – note the
interesting shape - regular with
 Foliage: 5 alternating petals and sepals
 Small, simple leaves with waxy coat and 5 stamens growing opposite
 Color: green to gray-green of petals
 Roots: deep, much-branched taproot  Insect pollinated

http://www.tulipsinthewoods.com/wild-plants/buckbrush-ceanothus-cuneatus/

Fruits & seeds are Plant Requirements  Soils:
typical for Ceanothus  Texture: well-drained
preferred
 pH: any local
 Fruits are sticky,
rounded 3-lobed  Light:
 Full sun to light shade –
capsules with “horns” common for chaparral shrubs
near the top
 Water:
 Seeds are dispersed  Winter: needs good deep
when the capsule winter rains
explodes and propels  Summer: none to occasional
(Zone 1-2 probably best)
them some distance.
 Fertilizer: use an organic mulch
 Seeds remain dormant
 Other: resents being moved;
until a fire promotes plant out when small
germination
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/ceanothus-cuneatus

http://www.hazmac.biz/060410/060410CeanothusCuneatus.html

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Buckbrush Ceanothus makes a good large shrub Human uses of Buckbrush (and other
 Wonderful for erosion control Ceanothus species
and naturalizing on slopes
 Good shrub for large-scale
plantings  Tea from leaves and flowers

 Good for dry, rocky hot sites –  Dyes: green from the flowers;
not for near the coast red from the root.
 Wonderful habitat plant:  Stands were burned & coppiced
 Bees love nectar to produce young, straight
http://natureshutterbug.com/wordpress/2010/02/17/a-different-kind-of-snowy-white-with-many-insects/

 Larval host plant for White- shoots for basketry material
streaked saturnia moth
(Saturnia albofasciata)  All parts of plant can be used
 Seeds eaten by bushtits, to make a mild, fragrant body
mockingbirds, quail and finches
soap or shampoo
 Cover for many wildlife species
including California quail, black-
tailed jackrabbit, brush rabbit,
and mourning dove http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_c/ceacun.html


Pruning lessons from Ceanothus Chaparral shrubs
 Usually doesn’t need much – has a are very efficient
nice natural shape – if treated
correctly in the first few years
 For plant health, remove
 If a branch is no longer
dead/crossing branches – will likely
receiving adequate
sunlight, the plant can
have a few of these each year even
self-prune that branch
in a mature plant. - that is, allow it to die.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1120298861053871638LibNcZ
 The understory of the
chaparral is a tangle of
dead branches.
 If you don’t want that
look, prune out the
dead branches

http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Ceanothus_cuneatus_cuneatus.htm

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Pruning lessons from Ceanothus
 If you want to shape plants, start
in the first year – after the first
few years, the deer can’t get to
the leaves to ‘prune’ them
 Light tip pruning in the first few
years promotes fuller foliage
 Best not to cut out any wood
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/ceacun/all.html thicker than a pencil – no self-
respecting deer would eat
anything larger (and tougher) than
that
 Use selective pruning to remove
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Ceanothus_cuneatus_cuneatus.htm

entire branches that are
unwanted  Do light pruning right after flowering (summer pruning):
flowers occur only on previous year’s wood - so if you remove
that in fall – no flowers
http://www.tulipsinthewoods.com/wild-plants/buckbrush-ceanothus-cuneatus/ © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Pruning lessons from Ceanothus Chaparral Mallow – Malacothamnus fasciculatus
 Can’t really limit size by
pruning – will only shorten life
 Choose an appropriate sized
plant for the space – you and
the plant will be happier

http://blass.com.au/definitions/malacothamnus
http://www.stylelist.com/?sem=1&ncid=bannadusstyl00000026
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/buckbrush.html


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Chaparral Mallow: feature
Chaparral Mallow – Malacothamnus fasciculatus
depend on the setting
 Many areas of CA that have foothills –
N. CA to N. Baja  Size:
 3-12 ft tall
 Common shrub throughout chaparral
and coastal sage scrub on dry slopes  4-12 ft wide; spreading
and fans to about 2500‘
 Growth form:
 Often seen on disturbed ground and  Woody shrub
along roadsides; fire-follower.  Stems are wand-like
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5042,5073,5079  Fast to moderate growth
 May form a dense shrub or be
more tree-like – depends on
water, ‘pruning’, ?genetics

 Foliage:
 Gray-green (more green with
water) rounded leaves
 Softly hairy; pretty
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Malacothamnus_fasciculatus.html
http://teacher-us.com/young/prsnl_ed/field_photos.htm
© Project SOUND http://blass.com.au/definitions/malacothamnus © Project SOUND

Flowers like a picture… Typical chaparral plant  Soils:
 Texture: just about any, but
 Blooms: likes well-drained best
 Off & on from April  pH: any but very alkali (> 8.0)
through fall
 Light:
 Heaviest bloom usually in
 Full sun to part-shade
spring

 Flowers:  Water:
 New plant: treat as Zone 2
 Moderate size; ~ 1” across
 Established: needs little to no
 Typical mallow shape
supplemental (Zone 1 or 1-2);
 Color: pink (very light to
 Will lose leaves in drought
medium)
 Over-watering will make it
 Super attractive – lots of spread faster – and may kill the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malacothamnus_fasciculatus_2.jpg
blooms along the wand-like plant
stems
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Vegetative reproduction:
suckers from roots © 2005 Janell Hillman

http://bugguide.net/node/view/295204/bgimage © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

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Chaparral Mallow:
pretty & informal ‘Casitas’ cultivar
 Lovely as an informal hedge
 Upright habit
 Super choice for a wildlife garden:
 Nectar for: Hummingbirds, West
 To 6-8’ tall and
Coast Lady, Western checkered wide
skipper, and Large White Skipper
 Attractive gray-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mechanoid_dolly/4590614319/

 Larval food plant: Gray Hairstreak green foliage
 Cover and nesting sites  Selected for
 Would work well in a chaparral or garden use
Edwardian-themed garden
 Available – TPF &
 Large foundation plant others
 Slopes & hillsides

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malacothamnus_fasciculatus_1.jpg http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Malacothamnus_fasciculatus_'Casitas'

Watering lessons from Chaparral Mallow Pruning lessons from Chaparral Mallow
(that impact pruning/management) (and other suckering shrubs)
 Growth rate often dependent on
water – faster with more water  Watering practices
impact pruning
 Often growth rate is inversely
correlated with plant longevity:  Some plants will always
‘live hard & die young’ look informal – these are
not plants that take to
 Most mallows (and other spreading formal pruning, so choose
shrubs) are opportunists: they accordingly.
spread as much as water allows
 Even if you limit summer water,
 Work with – not against –
most will still spread – for example the plant’s natural
in wet winters. This is part of the tendencies
plant’s survival mechanism – growing  This plant will not ‘stay in
new shoots in areas where
competition for light/water are
place’ forever – needs to
less spread out
© 2009 Neal Kramer


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* Creeping Sage – Salvia sonomensis * Creeping Sage – Salvia sonomensis
 Foothills of the Sierras
and coastal mountains of
central & N. CA – also in
the mountains of San
Diego Co. into Baja
 Chaparral, oak woodland,
yellow-pine forest
 Northern areas: dry, rocky
slopes below 6500 ft.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Salvia+sonomensis  San Diego Co: in the
understory, with part-sun

Remember: dry, rocky slopes in N. CA are not like our dry, rocky slopes
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Creeping Sage is a groundcover: true to  Soils:
its heritage as a ‘Mint’ Plant Requirements  Texture: likes a well-drained
soil – sandy or rocky best but
 Size: clay is fine if not over-watered
 1-2 ft tall  pH: any local
 4-10+ ft wide  Light:
 Growth form:  Best in light shade (dappled
shade under taller trees or
 Low to mat-like semi-woody shrubs) or morning sun.
groundcover
 Spreads with time – J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database  Water:
branches just keep growing  Winter: likes good winter
outward water; supplement in spring in
dry years
 Foliage:
 Summer: Zone 1-2 best after
 Grayish-green, elliptical
the first year; can wash off
leaves, woolly underneath
leaves
and puckered above
 Attractive and aromatic  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php
?id_plant=saso © Project SOUND © 2004 Christopher L. Christie © Project SOUND
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/salvia/msg0502361430447.html

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Creeping Sage
creeps & drapes
Cultivar ‘Dara’s Choice’
 Wonderful groundcover on a
shadier slope  Compact growth form
 Groundcover under trees and  Probably a natural
shrubs hybrid with Salvia
 Cascading over a low wall
http://ohric.ucdavis.edu/photos/ornament8.htm
mellifera
 Requires well-drained
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=33

soil – judicious summer
water
 Tends to be short-lived
 Available at Theodore
Payne Foundation.

http://www.redding.com/photos/galleries/2008/apr/26/right-home/5302/
http://seedbyte.blogspot.com/2009_12_11_archive.html http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=33

Cultivar ‘John Cultivar ‘Mrs.
Farmar-Bowers’ Beard’

 White flowers  Fast-growing

 Takes clay soils well  Low – looks quite a
bit like the
 Needs some straight species
afternoon shade
 Old cultivar –
 Blend with blue- stable and well-
flowered Salvias suited for gardens
 Great groundcover
under Manzanitas
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
california/plants/salvia-sonomensis-mrs-beard

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/salvia-sonomensis-farmar-bower © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

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Pruning lessons from Creeping Sage (and Properly pruned Black Sage
other half-woody groundcovers, Salvias)
Leave 3-4 pairs of new leaves/shoots
 Start early – good shape
begins in the first year
 Cut back all varieties of
S. sonomensis yearly,
after flowering, to
control woody growth at
the base and keep the
plant vigorous.
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Salvia-sonomensis/

 Be sure to not cut into
the old, woody growth –
you will kill the plant

*Redberry Buckbrush – Rhamnus crocea Characteristics of Redberry Buckbrush
 Size:
 3-6+ ft tall; can be to 15 ft.
 4-6 ft wide; can be to 10 ft.

 Growth form:
 Medium to large woody shrub
 Many stiff branches (dense)
 Coastal forms tend to be
shorter, more sprawling
 Slow-growing, esp. at first

 Foliage:
 Evergreen
 Simple, shiny dark-green
leaves
 Some thorns at branch tips
http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/species/Rhamnus_crocea.htm
© 2007 Neal Kramer
http://biology.csusb.edu/PlantGuideFolder/RhamnusCrocea/RhamnusCroceaPage.htm © Project SOUND http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/redb3.htm © Project SOUND

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Redberry – a great habitat plant Garden uses for
Redberry Buckbrush
 Birds:  As an accent plant
 Perching & nesting
 As an evergreen shrub –
 Insects
blends in except when fruiting.
 Berries at time of fall
migration (Jays, Robins,  Great for low-water areas
Mockingbirds, Thrashers, including parkways, roadsides,
Cedar Waxwings) fencelines and banks and
 Hummingbirds & insects: slopes
nectar
 Great under oaks and other
 Butterflies: larval food for
Zone 1 to 2 native trees &
Pale Swallowtail
shrubs
 Note: plant preparations
also used as laxative; sold  Excellent habitat choice for
commercially under the hedges, hedgerows, screens,
name of Cascara Sagrada and barriers; can be pruned to
shape
http://www.hazmac.biz/030714/030714RhamnusCroceaPoster.html
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/online_album/0882.htm

Pruning lessons from Spiny Redberry (and Rhamnus can be coppiced to rejuvenate
other Rhamnus/Frangula spp.) Sometimes you’ve got to ‘be the fire’
 Form depends on light: dense &
shrub-like in full sun – more
open in shadier locations
 Can be hedge-sheared –
requires early shaping & regular
shearing (tip pruning)

http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2009/04/tree-work-2-chaparral-shape-up.html

http://caornamentalnativeplants.org/redberry.jpg

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Coppicing: severe regenerative pruning Matilija Poppy – Romneya coulteri

http://www.primitiveways.com/coppicing.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/coppicing?cat=technology

 Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management in
which tree stems are cut down to a low level. In subsequent
growth years, many new shoots will emerge and after a
number of years the cycle begins again and the coppiced
tree, or stool, is ready to be harvested again
http://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/garden/plantofmonth/0510.html


Matilija Poppy – Romneya coulteri ‘The Queen of California Flowers’
 Endemic to S. CA from Santa Barbara
Co. to Baja – locally on Catalina Isl. and  Loved by naturalists and
in Santa Monica & San Gabriel Mtns. gardeners alike
 Uncommon in dry washes & canyons  Called the “Queen of
below 4000 ft in chaparral California Flowers,” (Mary
Elizabeth Parsons, The Wild
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=220011716
Flowers of California, 1897)
 Does have an exotic &
tropical look to it – artists
love it!
 Decreasing in the wilds due
to habitat loss
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5547,5597,5598 © 2006 Ricky Grubb
© Project SOUND http://cartas.typepad.com/main/2010/05/matilija-poppy-romneya-coulteri-mythical-beauty.html © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Romneya coulteri is one big perennial! Flowers are unbelievable!
 Blooms:
 Size:
 Early summer into fall in the
 3-8 ft tall garden setting – in our area
 8+ ft wide, spreading usually begins in June

 Growth form:  Flowers:
 Clumping/spreading shrub-  Huge (6-8”) saucer-like poppy
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_r/romcou.html

like perennial or sub-shrub flowers – many per plant
 Stems mostly upright  Crinkled white petals & yellow
 Fast-growing and vigorous stamens – sometimes called
‘fried egg plant’
 Foliage:  Citrus-like scent
 Yellow-green to gray-green
 Seedpods: poppy-like
 Very succulent – tropical
look  Vegetative reproduction:via
rhizomes – up to 20 ft. from
mother plant
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_r/romcou.html

Plant Requirements  Soils: Give Matilija Poppy space
 Texture: rocky or sandy best
– can be difficult to establish
in clays  A star on hot dry
 pH: any local hillsides and banks;
excellent for erosion
 Light: full sun
control
 Water:
 New plants: water weekly in
http://www.gardenology.org/wiki/Romneya  As an accent plant in
hottest weather; taper to large landscapes
Zone 2 (schools; commercial
 Established plants: Zone 1;
settings)
perhaps 1-2 in very sandy soil

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils  In very wide beds; or as
a single accent plant
 Other: dislikes having its roots
disturbed  In very large containers
© 2003 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

‘White Cloud’ Pruning lessons from Matilija Poppy (and other ground-
cultivar cover plants that are cut back to the ground in fall
 Prune back hard in fall:
 Theodore Payne first  In nature a fall frost will kill
discovered it in a stems to the ground
southern California  In your (western L.A. Co) garden
http://www.californianativeplants.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=34:featur
nursery in 1940 you must do the same – cut back
ed-plants&id=54:romneya-coulteri-white-cloud-matilija-poppy&Itemid=56
to small stubs (4”)
 Probably a hybrid
between Romneya  Hard to control/size issues
coulteri X R. trichocalyx  They will attempt to reach their
maximum size – that’s what
 Very large, showy they’re programmed to do
flowers  Better to plant for the space,
rather than try to control the
 Slightly smaller size size/spread

*Felt-leaf Yerba Santa – Eriodictyon crassifolium *Felt-leaf Yerba Santa – Eriodictyon crassifolium
 Coastal ranges of CA from
central CA to Baja
 Locally in Santa Monica Mtns,
foothills of the San Gabriels &
San Fernando Valley
 Dry gravelly and rocky places
below 6000' in chaparral and
pinyon-juniper woodland

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4518,4525,4530

http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Eriodictyon_crassifolium.gif

Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences


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1/6/2013

The name ‘Felt-leaf’
says it all…very hairy Flowers are irresistible
 Size:  Blooms:
 4-8+ ft tall  Late spring to early summer
 4-12 ft wide; spreading via rhizomes  Usually around May or June in
& seed the Madrona garden
 Growth form: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eriodictyon_crassifolium
 Flowers:
 Stiffly erect sub-shrub (part-woody)  Lavender to light magenta –
 Densely branched; evergreen; lovely contrast to foliage
aromatic  Funnel-shaped – but a fancy
 Quick-growing – has to establish funnel (very Victorian looking)
itself  In dense clusters at the end
of rather short flowering
 Foliage: stems – often not much above
 Thick, serrated leaves covered by the foliage
dense, felt-like hairs – very soft to
the touch
© 2009 Deborah Leonard
 Light gray-green color
© Project SOUND http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Eriodictyon_crassifolium.htm © Project SOUND

Easy to grow plant  Soils: Both S. CA Yerba Santas were used
 Texture: well-drained best, extensively as medicinal plants
but even clay is fine (esp. on a
slope)
 pH: any local  Fresh or dried leaves were boiled
to make a bitter tea which was
 Light: full sun; only found in taken for coughs, bronchitis, colds,
openings in the wild sore throat and asthma.

 Water:  The tea was also taken for
 Winter: needs adequate winter tuberculosis and rheumatism, and
rains as a blood purifier.
 Summer: very drought tolerant  Fresh leaves were pounded into a
after first year (Zone 1-2; poultice that was applied to sores
Zone 2 in a very dry year) and abrasions.
 Fertilizer: none; organic mulch  A strong solution of boiled leaves
OK was used as a hot compress to
relieve muscular aches and
rheumatism.
BonTerra Consulting
© Project SOUND http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/thickleafyerbasanta.html © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Yerba Santa spells Pruning lessons from
Chaparral Yerba Santa
 Great plant for erosion control on
slopes; with some water is good for  Remove entire flowering
fire-retardant zone branches after the plant
flowers – often will break off
 Excellent addition to the butterfly
garden – flowers attract Buckeye,
anyway and are not attractive
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/eriodictyon-crassifolium Swallowtails, and Checkerspot
butterflies

 Foliage provides nice contrast with
other evergreen shrubs

 Evokes a ‘feel of the chaparral’ in
the garden

 In a mixed dry hedge or hedgerow –
particularly for contrast

With Malosma laurina & baccharis http://www.plantscomprehensive.com/regional-native-plants-particular-interest-eriodictyon-crassifolium-var-crassifolium-silver-felty-le

Pruning lessons, cont. * Rubber Rabbitbush – Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa
(Chrysothamnus nauseosus)
 Prune back big time in summer/fall
when gets raggedy (as much as
every year – remember: you’re the
deer and the fire)

 Remove unwanted sprouts – but
they will keep popping up

© 2003 Michael Charters

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/229114/ © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

* Rubber Rabbitbush – Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa Rabbitbush is a bush Sunflower
(Chrysothamnus nauseosus)
 Size:
 Occurs in deserts & shrublands in much  2-5 ft tall (usual); some
of the west populations up to 10 ft tall
 In CA, in foothills from 3,000-8,000 ft  2-4 ft wide
 Favors sunny, open sites including  Growth form:
disturbed areas in chaparral, desert
 Most commonly a mounded sub-
foothills shrub
 Has been cultivated since 1886
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo

 Many long branches from a woody
%20Pages/chrysothamnus%20nauseosus.htm

base

 Foliage:
 Narrow, aromatic leaves
 May be medium green or more
blue-green
 Overall has a feathery appearance

© 2005 Christopher L. Christie
 Roots: deep taproot with laterals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysothamnus_nauseosus
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Chrysothamnus+nauseosus © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Flowers are like Goldenbush Southwestern weavers & native plant
 Blooms: early fall - usually dyers depend on Rabbitbush
Aug-Sept. in western L.A. Co.

 Flowers:
 Small & golden yellow
 In dense clusters – either
flat or more pyramidal
 Extremely showy
 Attract tons of weird &
wonderful insects

 Seeds:
 Fluffy appendages like
Goldenbush/Mock Heather
 Wind disbursed
© 2003 Michael Charters
 Must germinate that fall –
do not persist in seed bank
http://lyn.bengaltech.com/old/public/lynimages/nativef.html

http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/chrysothamnus%20nauseosus.htm © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

22

1/6/2013

Easy to grow, reliable  Soils: Garden uses for Rabbitbush
 Texture: just about any
 pH: just about any, incl. alkali
 In a habitat garden – a real
 Light: full sun winner
 Water:  For fall color
 Winter: needs good winter/
spring rains; supplement in  As a tough plant for
dry years
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/chrysothamnus-nauseosus

commercial plantings,
 Summer: looks best with
occasional water – Zones 1-2 parking strips, etc.
or 2 are fine.
 As an informal hedge
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils.
But light fertilizer probably  Good choice for erosion
wouldn’t hurt it. control
 Other: prune back heavily after
flowering – late fall  As a smaller substitute for
the Goldenbushes
http://bugguide.net/node/view/40653/bgimage

A SW garden favorite Pruning lessons from Rabbitbush
for many years (and other bush sunflowers)

 In the wild,
Rabbitbush and other
bush sunflowers are
eaten down severely
by rabbits & deer
 So…you’ll need to act
http://blog.laurelbusch.com/2009/10/31/going-native-in-nevada-think-
about-it.aspx?ref=rss

like a rabbit/deer and
prune them back
severely in late
fall/winter (like
Encelia)
How do I keep it looking nice?

23

1/6/2013

We’ve learned how chaparral differs from CSS
So now we know what chaparral is

Chaparral Coastal Sage
 A semi-arid, shrub Scrub
dominated
association of
sclerophyllous 1. Cooler summers: fog
(“hard-leaved”), 1. Hotter summers 2. Less rainfall: 15-20”
woody plants 2. More rainfall: 20-40” per yr 3. Often lower and nearer/on the
3. Often higher elevation/further from coast
coast 4. More small shrubs (< 6 ft); soft-
 Shaped by summer 4. More tall shrubs (> 6 ft); leaved (‘soft chaparral’)
drought, mild, wet sclerophyllous (hard-leaved) 5. Shrubs tend to be separated with
5. Shrubs tend to grow together into a space between
winters, and dense thicket 6. More understory plants: perennials,
naturally recurring 6. Fewer understory plants – too dark grasses
fires every 30 to 7. Fewer summer-dormant plants 7. Many summer-dormant plants
150+ years. 8. Successional community – tends to 8. Can remain as stable CSS climax
progress to Oak Woodland or Pine community for a long time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chaparral1.jpg

Forest 9. Fire plays a key role in clearing out
9. Fire plays a key role in ‘setting the underbrush; lesser role in the
© Project SOUND
successional clock’ ‘successional clock’ © Project SOUND

We’ve learned that the forces that Now let’s enjoy the garden, plant sale &
shape chaparral plants provide some native plant foods!
valuable lessons about proper
management
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12978266@N00/3277102378


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