JOURNAL OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

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JOURNAL OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

$7.50 (Free to Members)

VOL. 36, NO. 2–3 • SPRING/SUMMER 2008

FREMONTIA

SPECIAL ISSUE: PUBLIC GARDENS OF CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS

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CONTENTS

THE COVER: An image from each of our nine featured public gardens of California native plants conveys the beauty anddiversity of these gardens at all times of the year.

SPECIAL ISSUE: PUBLIC GARDENS OF CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS

This special double-issue of Fremontia is dedicated to a precious resource for everyone interested in Californiaand its native flora: our public gardens. The following nine examples are conveniently presented from south tonorth. Collectively, these gardens represent nearly five hundred years of hard-won horticultural experience withour native plants. All offer knowledge, inspiration, and beauty to everyone who visits them. As articles becomeavailable, additional public gardens of California native plants will be featured in future issues of Fremontia .

GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE NATIVE GARDEN:A LEARNING EXPERIENCE by Dan Songster ..................... 2

HORTICULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF RANCHO SANTAANA BOTANIC GARDEN by Barbara Eisenstein .............. 8

THE THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION GARDENSby John Wickham ................................................................... 14

HORTICULTURE AT THE SANTA BARBARA BOTANICGARDEN by Carol Bornstein .............................................. 20

CALIFORNIA NATIVES IN THE UNIVERSITY OFCALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ ARBORETUMby Brett Hall...........................................................................26

GERDA ISENBERG NATIVE PLANT GARDEN AT YERBABUENA NURSERY by Kathy Crane and Matt Teel .............32

SAN FRANCISCO BOTANICAL GARDEN NATIVEPLANT GARDEN by Don Mahoney, Terry Seefeld, andBarbara Pitschel.....................................................................38

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOTANICALGARDEN AT BERKELEY by Nathan Smith .........................44

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS AT THE UC DAVISARBORETUM by Ellen Zagory ............................................ 50

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GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE NATIVE GARDEN:A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

by Dan Songster

he oak leaves crunch beneathyour feet, bushtits dash andthrash among the branchesof the Nevin barberry, a stu-

dent stoops to identify a monkey-flower, hummingbirds sip quicklyfrom the fragrant sage and glowingfoothill penstemon flowers, and thescarlet blooms of island snapdragonhang like jewels from the lowerbranches of the bishop pine it hasentwined.

The California Native Garden atGolden West College is a small affairtucked between our math/sciencebuilding and a nearby parking lot onthe west side of the campus. Lessthan an acre and a half, it is sur-rounded on three sides with an eight-foot tall berm creating some inter-

esting slopes for planting, while pro-viding a sense of isolation from thebusy campus. Almost anytime of yearyou can sit within its boundariesand enjoy the antics of birds forag-ing, fighting, and frolicking amongthe plants in a manner unlike therest of campus. Students, faculty, andstaff visit daily during breaks. Theyenjoy the Garden’s warmth, breathein the sages, stroll the pathways, orchat among themselves much likethe birds. I have witnessed a lot ofthoughtful expressions in the Gar-den but have seldom seen a visitorwear a frown, at least for long.

Of course the Garden’s originalpurpose was not for such whole-some and pleasurable interludesfrom a day’s studies. The intention

in 1975 was to have a native gardenserving as an outdoor classroom andlab for the science department’s bi-ology, botany, and environmentalstudies classes. Back in the 1970s,this idea was cutting edge. Peoplewere not acquainted with Californianatives and I was no exception. Sobegan a long study effort with equalparts of the old A California Flora byPhilip Munz, and visits to many na-tive gardens, nurseries, plant experts,and other native resources through-out the state. As the Garden pro-gressed in the mid 1980s, RodWallbank became involved with theGarden and we began sharing du-ties as Co-Directors. Being assignedthe task of designing and eventuallyinstalling the Golden West College

A view over the sages growing in the coastal sage scrub community. Mature trees of western sycamore (Platanus racemosa) and Fremontcottonwood (Populus fremontii) frame the northern end of the Garden. All photographs by D. Songster.

T


Native Garden has introduced us tomany interesting and inspirationalplants and people over the last 30years. I wonder if today’s new cropof native plant enthusiasts can imag-ine the difficulty we had finding re-liable information about natives orhow rare it was to see a native in alandscape back then. But I digress.

GARDEN OVERVIEW

The Garden currently allows col-lege students, faculty, staff, and any-one with an interest in native plants,to observe and learn about over twohundred species of native trees,shrubs, and perennials of variousages, and at least another fifty spe-cies of vines, bulbs, and annuals.Since the Garden’s mission is an-chored in studying these nativeplants, it was an easy choice to de-sign the Garden in a series of coher-ent plant communities much likeRancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden’srear acreage. These plant groupingsare found naturally throughout Cali-fornia and are an effective way tostudy our state’s botany. Of course,the Garden cannot approach the di-versity found in California’s wildplant communities, but we are sat-isfied if we can present a represen-tative variety of plants from a com-munity, deliberately arranged inwhat could be considered a naturalmanner.

The communities we have in-stalled include Foothill Woodland,Redwood Forest, Oak Woodland,Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, andMixed Evergreen Forest. We alsohave a section for some of the in-triguing plants from the ChannelIslands. A grassland is planned be-neath a somewhat vacant portion ofthe Oak Woodland, and a small or-namental meadow, with an empha-sis on our lovely native bulbs, isintended for the area near the glass-house. Though we have no movingwater, a nod to riparian systems wasattempted by including riparian spe-cies along the edges of various com-

munities (willow, alder, poplar, etc).We also have several pockets forspring wildflowers to catch thevisitor’s eye. Certainly they attract alot of attention and perhaps people

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A hummingbird favor-ite, fuchsia-flowering gooseberry (Ribesspeciosum), grows with Munz sage (Salviamunzii). Both provide late winter color. •A white sage (Salvia apiana) in full bloomglows in the morning light. Elegant clarkia(Clarkia unguiculata) and lemonadeberry(Rhus integrifolia) are in the background. •Chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei)provides a stunning flowering accent be-tween Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii)and bushrue (Cneoridium dumosum). Lastyear’s dead flower stalk is now a perch.


attracted by their vibrant colors willreturn to enjoy different aspects ofthe Garden in other months.Throughout the Garden, we haveincluded plants with flowers, ber-ries, and fruits that are attractive toseveral kinds of fascinating creatures.The variety of birds and butterfliesare of great interest to our studentsand other Garden visitors.

Pathways wind through the Gar-den, helping tie the various commu-nities together while allowing visi-tors a close-up view of the plants.Stone benches have been placedalong the paths and in the eveningsimple bollard lighting makes thegarden feel friendly and inviting. Inthe northwest corner there is a smallglasshouse, lath house, and pottingshed where the botany and biologyclasses grow plants for their needs.We also use these facilities to propa-gate natives for planting in the Gar-

den, gifts to friends, and occasionalplant sales. Built into the berm inthe north end of the garden is ourlovely stone amphitheater, and onthe south end, perched among thecoastal sage, is a plateau with seat-ing for study groups and the eveningastronomy class.

COMMUNITIES

Despite the Garden’s small size,we have tried to include enough in-dicator species and species of inter-est from each plant community togive our visitors the flavor of thatparticular community. Let’s take aquick walk through some of theGarden.

The Channel Island section, at

the northern entrance to the Gar-den, is dominated by three trees, abishop pine (Pinus muricata),cloaked with dark green needles, thatis finally happy after a very slowfirst 12 years. Nearby is the hybridisland mountain mahogany (Cerco-carpus betuloides var. blancheae X C.traskiae) with tall, sculpted trunkssoaring twenty feet, topped with alight canopy of dark olive-greenleaves. The arboreal triangle is com-pleted by a multi-trunked, fern-leaved Catalina ironwood (Lyono-thamnus floribundus spp. asplenifo-lius) with its shredded, cinnamon-colored bark and its large umbels ofcreamy flowers perched high on thebranches. Catalina cherry (Prunusilicifolia ssp. lyonii), island bushpoppy (Dendromecon harfordii),Catalina Island snowflake (Eriophyl-lum nevinii), and Santa Cruz Islandgooseberry (Ribes thacherianum) arealso thriving here.

The Coastal Sage Scrub sectionis striking with coast sunflower(Encelia californica), bladderpod(Isomeris arborea), several Califor-nia buckwheats (Eriogonum spp.),and the drama of chaparral yucca(Hesperoyucca whipplei). Other de-pendable plants include coyotebrush(Baccharis pilularis var. consanguin-ea), lemonade berry (Rhus integri-folia), and the pungent Californiasagebrush (Artemisia californica). Ofcourse, with many sages (Salviaspp.), the area is deliciously fragrant.

Our Foothill Woodland sectionholds two of the oldest plants in thegarden, planted in 1975, a coast liveoak (Quercus agrifolia) and a west-ern redbud (Cercis occidentalis).Nearby, a valley oak (Quercus loba-ta) emerges from a rambling mass ofbasketbush (Rhus trilobata), spillingdown a small hillside. In spring,among the nodding needlegrass(Nassella cernua), we enjoy bulbslike the single-leaf onion (Alliumunifolium), Ithuriel’s spear (Triteleialaxa), and various mariposa lilies(Calochortus spp.).

Chaparral is very difficult to rep-

ABOVE : Early summer bloom of Matilijapoppy (Romneya coulteri) with elegantclarkia (Clarkia unguiculata) peekingthrough from slightly uphill. • RIGHT: TheBaja, or small-leaved, rose (Rosa minuti-folia ) is endangered in California butsurvives the Garden’s clay soil.


licate in any garden, but with ourheavy soils it is more than a designchallenge. Obviously, it would beeasier if we had better-draining soilsfor some of our favorites, such asmanzanitas, woolly blue curls, andflannelbush. We still try to growthem with varying degrees of suc-cess: flannelbush (Fremontodendronspp.) lasts longest for us, averagingabout six years; manzanita (Arcto-staphylos spp.) four to six years; andsadly, we often treat woolly bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum) as a bi-ennial. We add to these somewhattransient residents more long-last-ing species such as laurel sumac(Malosma laurina), sugarbush (Rhusovata), mountain mahogany (Cerco-carpus betuloides), Tecate cypress(Cupressus forbesii), toyon (Heter-omeles arbutifolia), scrub oak (Quer-cus berberidifolia), California coffee-berry (Rhamnus californica), andnumerous California lilacs (Ceano-thus spp.).

The Mixed Evergreen Forest sec-tion carries the sharp scent of theCalifornia bay (Umbellularia califor-nica), the stunning spring floral dis-play of the pink flowering currant(Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum),and includes the astounding greenof the incense cedar (Calocedrus de-currens). Next to one of our mad-rones (Arbutus menziesii), a white-flowered form of California lilac(Ceanothus thyrsiflorus ‘Snow Flurry’)stands over twenty feet tall and al-most as wide, casting dappled shadebeneath for the appreciative coralbells (Heuchera spp.), meadow rue(Thalictrum fendleri var. polycar-pum), Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana),and California polypody fern (Poly-podium californicum).

Our Oak Woodland consists ofcoast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), ajuvenile interior live oak (Quercuswislizeni) just starting to assert itssize and shape, and the gracefullyeccentric Englemann oaks (Quercusengelmannii) staggered on each sideof the walkway. Several of these oaksare tall enough to plant under now,

and deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens),hummingbird sage (Salvia spath-acea), and blue-eyed grass (Sisyrin-chium bellum) are starting to spreadbeneath these trees.

GARDEN CARE ANDCONCERNS

As in any garden, maintenanceis a year-round activity. Our yearbegins with fall planting, pruningmainly during the winter months,and weeding all winter and spring.Summer months involve mulching,specific watering, and hardscapeprojects.

The most time-consuming andleast enjoyed chore for our under-staffed Garden is weeding. We try toavoid herbicide use, and that meanshand weeding where mulch has wornthin or in communities in which wedon’t use mulch. It’s pretty easy get-ting together a large number offriends for our annual planting day,but it takes a bit of arm-twisting justto get a small group for weeding.

Pruning is also an important partof this garden’s maintenance. As inmany gardens created by plant lov-ers, space becomes an issue. Some-times plants grow larger than ex-pected or are simply spaced tooclosely together by an optimistic gar-

A western red cedar (Thuja plicata) provides excellent color contrast standing in front ofa group of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens).


dener who should have known bet-ter. When plantings become toocrowded, pruning becomes more

than a means to enhance the struc-ture and beauty of the plants in-volved. It is also a way to keep someof the shrubs and trees from directlyinterfering with each other’s growth,allow more air movement to combatpotential disease, create plantingspace beneath large shrubs or smalltrees, and allow light to penetrate tounderstory plants beneath largertrees. Being crowded also means it isessential we remove the fast growingseedlings of large shrubs and treessuch as elderberry, lemonade berry,oak, and coyote brush or the gardenwill be choked! There is little roomfor just letting the Garden be, al-though that is how it looks to mostvisitors who say they like our “natu-ral garden.”

As noted earlier, our Garden has

clay soil that is a challenge for grow-ing many of the natives whose de-scriptions in any publication invari-ably read “need good drainage.” Wedo have many gentle slopes that helpwith drainage and we do make cleverattempts to improve drainage, butthese heavy soils have led to thedemise of some of our favorite plants.Possibly the only good thing aboutgrowing our native plants in claysoils is that we have learned a fewthings about gardening in such con-ditions over the last 30 years. Sincepeople who live in Orange Countygenerally garden in some form ofclay (try as they might to alter it),we understand their plight, tempta-tions, and most of all, we have hard-won advice to give. Sometimes wesimply offer a shoulder to cry on.

ABOVE: Spring blooms of lilac verbena (Verbena lilacina) and coral bells (Heuchera sp.) inthe morning sun. • LEFT: Catalina Island snowflake (Eriophyllum nevinii) provides a lovelyaccent near the amphitheater.


Using as little water as we canand retaining rainwater on-site hasbeen important to us from the be-ginning. With the exception of theredwood and mixed evergreen for-est areas, the plants don’t normallyneed or appreciate much more thanwinter rainfall. (We will be intro-ducing a low-volume irrigation sys-tem for the redwood and mixed ev-ergreen forests.) Very dry wintersmean we have to turn on the waterfor a healthy, presentable garden.We try to do this during cool, cloudywinter days to avoid the chance ofroot rot or other fungal activityharming the plants. Since we haveno sophisticated irrigation systems,we simply set out impact heads towater the garden, moving the sprin-klers to prevent runoff and allowingwater to soak in. It works.

ENJOY

The Golden West College Na-tive Garden may be small, but it ispacked with plants. Although it con-tains several of California’s rare andendangered species, many drought-loving natives, and dozens of plantsattractive to both bird and butter-flies (and more), the Garden is nota pure botanic garden, nor is it awater district showpiece or a but-terfly garden. It is a garden whosemission is the same as ever, to pro-vide a learning experience for itsvisitors. Whether you are a studentstudying for the upcoming quiz, alocal resident thinking about re-placing the front lawn with a wa-ter-saving landscape, a conserva-tionist, or bird lover preparing forsome backyard restoration with lo-cal natives, the Garden has some-thing for you. It is a learning expe-rience.

Golden West College Native Garden,15744 Golden West Street, HuntingtonBeach, CA 92647; (714)892-7711; www.goldenwestcollege.edu/maps/cngmap.html • Dan Songster, [email protected]

TOP: Point Sal purple sage (Salvia leucophylla ‘Point Sal’) adds a pastel touch to a sectionnear the coastal sage scrub community. Shaw’s agave (Agave shawii) and California sunflower(Encelia californica) are in background. • BOTTOM: A winter view in the mixed evergreenforest section with the graceful Claremont flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum var.glutinosum ‘Claremont’) in full bloom.


HORTICULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS OFRANCHO SANTA ANA BOTANIC GARDEN

by Barbara Eisenstein

ardeners—whether land-scape architects, profes-sional horticulturists, orhomeowners—span a

wide range of knowledge and abili-ties. Some have a rich understand-ing of plants and can grow nearlyanything. Others know how to growtraditional landscape plants, but havelittle acquaintance with Californianatives. Still others have no knowl-edge of plants at all, though theymay have a large yard requiring land-scaping and maintenance. RanchoSanta Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG)meets this broad of spectrum of hor-

ticultural needs through its variousprograms and departments. This ar-ticle begins with a description of pro-grams geared for the gardening new-comer, and progresses to programsfor the horticultural expert and gen-eral contributions to the field of hor-ticulture.

FOR THE NOVICEGrounds

The grounds of the Garden pro-vide novice gardeners and thosewith little awareness of the diverseplant palette that California natives

offer with a pleasant way to learnabout native plants and California’snatural heritage. Each day, visitorsstroll along the paths of RSABG.Some come for planned events andothers for informal, outdoor recre-ation. Interpretive signage through-out the Garden provides informa-tion on California’s floristic prov-inces, cultivars, plant communities,and more. Plants in the Garden’sliving collection have accession tags,and many are identified with signsthat include the common and bo-tanical names and plant families.Experiencing a garden landscaped

White sage (Salvia apiana), in the foreground, contrasts with dark green trees and snow covered San Gabriel Mountains in the PlantCommunities area of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG). All photographs by B. Eisenstein.

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with native plants is a first step to-ward incorporating these plants inone’s own garden.

Though RSABG has an informal,naturalistic style, hardscape ele-ments, especially in the mesa area,provide visitors with examples ofnative landscapes that can be usedas models for residential, commer-cial, and public gardens. Windingpaths, pergolas, seating, and foun-tains in the Cultivar Garden providea backdrop for the native cultivars,many of which make excellent gar-den specimens. The potted plantsdisplayed in the Container Gardenoffer landscape ideas appropriate forsmall yards and patios, as well aslarger gardens.

Weekend visitors, often familieswith children, experience our Dis-covery Carts. These interactive dis-plays are created by the EducationDepartment and are staffed by vol-unteers. Though not specifically hor-ticultural in scope, these changingdisplays provide background infor-mation on native plants and naturalhistory, again a first step in educat-ing the public on native plant horti-culture.

Garden ShopThe casual visitor can purchase

native plants at our Garden Shop.From late fall through spring, achanging selection of native plantsis available. This, too, provides anexcellent opportunity to educate thepublic. The plants are loosely ar-ranged by different plant associa-tions. Woodland plants are groupedtogether in the shady section of theoutdoor patio, while the desert plantsoccupy the sunny, hot area. Signageidentifying the plant association isplaced by each group of plants. Inlate spring, plants are removed fromthe shop, except for a small numberof container plants, mostly cacti andother plants from desert and ripar-ian regions. At this time signage in-forms the visitor that it is best towait until late fall to purchase andtransplant most native plants.

Hotline and Outreach

In addition to the casual visitor,homeowners with little knowledgeof gardening often approach RSABGwhen confronted with ever-increas-ing water bills. Cities and water dis-tributors are making serious effortsto educate the public on the impor-tance of water conservation. An-nouncements in various media in-form the public that use of appro-priate plants can reduce outdoor wa-ter and maintenance costs. In 2004,with funding for a three-year periodfrom Metropolitan Water District ofSouthern California (MWD), RSABGinitiated a horticultural outreachprogram. Recognizing that morethan sixty percent of residential wa-ter is consumed outdoors, MWD isinterested in promoting low-water-use landscapes. The program goal isto facilitate the increased use of Cali-fornia native plants by home gar-deners and landscape professionals.

Through this program, a Horti-culture Outreach Coordinator washired to: (1) answer questions on aGarden hotline and through email;(2) develop horticulture informa-tion sheets; (3) give talks at the Gar-den and offsite; (4) develop materi-als for an informative website; (5)write engaging and educational ar-ticles for newspapers, magazines,and newsletters; and (6) further as-sist people in the successful use ofnative plants in gardens.

Since the start of the program,calls and email contacts have grownsignificantly. To provide accurate in-formation, the Outreach Coordina-tor consults with RSABG horticul-turists, researchers, and staff fromthe seed program, herbarium, andnursery. This gives the public ac-cess to the Garden’s broad horticul-tural expertise.

The internet provides an impor-tant way to disseminate information.Our dynamic website is frequentlyupdated with new horticultural in-formation. Each week a new nativeplant gardening tip appears on the

TOP: Claremont redbud (Cercis occidenta-lis ‘Claremont’), Blue Cascade wild lilac(Ceanothus ‘Blue Cascade’), and Californiapoppies (Eschscholzia californica) bloombehind the California Courtyard in spring.• MIDDLE: California Glory flannelbush (Fre-montodendron ‘California Glory’), true toits name, is in glorious bloom in May. •BOTTOM: Buckthorn cholla (Cylindropuntiaacanthocarpa var. coloradensis), propagatedfrom a plant collected in 1936 from theClark Mountains in the eastern MojaveDesert, blooms in the Plant Communitiesin June of 2006.

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homepage. Changing plant imagesreinforce the message that Califor-nia native plants can beautify gar-dens. The “Gardening with NativePlants” section includes plant lists,gardening tips, and articles. The“Gardening Tips” section containsshort, introductory information onmany topics, including how to starta native garden, irrigation options,sources for native plants, and placesto see native gardens.

For beginners, native plant gar-dening is often overwhelming.Hobbyists and professionals throwaround long, intimidating Latinnames. The sheer number of newand unfamiliar plants, even whenlabeled with more understandablecommon names, is daunting. Withthis in mind, the Garden developed“The California Classics Plant Pal-ette.” This document provides fivelists for different planting situations:Oak Woodland, Riparian Woodland,Chaparral and Scrubland, MojaveDesert, and Colorado Desert. Eachlist includes a small number ofgarden-worthy native trees, shrubs,and perennials. This document is

distributed through the Garden Shopand can be downloaded from thewebsite.

Community Education ClassesCommunity Education Classes

are offered throughout the year.Classes are directed at various lev-els, though many are designed forthe novice. Some provide hands-onexperience with horticultural tech-niques, including propagation andcontainer gardening. Other classesprovide seasonal tips for the nativegarden. Attendees are encouraged toshare their gardening experiencesduring these classes. Garden toursled by staff and volunteer docentsalso help familiarize the public withnative plants in horticultural settings.

THE BROAD MAJORITYOutreach

Many people have some back-ground in horticulture and are awareof the appropriateness of nativeplants for gardens. Often they areinterested in using native plants, butlack important information. Some

need to know where they can buy orsee native plants. Others want plantsuggestions for specific gardenneeds. Others request horticulturalinformation on plants that are per-forming poorly in their gardens.Again, through the HorticultureOutreach program, these individu-als have access to the collective hor-ticultural expertise of the Garden.

Others who fit in this intermedi-ate group have expertise in tradi-tional, non-native horticulture. Notonly do they lack information onappropriate native plants, they of-ten do not understand the need fordifferent horticultural practices.RSABG offers classes and symposiato Master Gardeners and landscapeprofessionals that highlight themaintenance differences betweennative and non-native gardens.

Much of the information on ourwebsite is geared toward this inter-mediate group. These individualsknow enough about plants to askfairly specific questions. Plant listswith suggestions for high elevation,seaside, slope, and habitat gardensare especially helpful to these gar-

A visitor enjoys Point Reyes meadowfoam (Limnanthes douglasii ssp. sulphurea) and Pacific Coast Hybrid irises (Iris Pacific Coast Hybrids)in the riparian meadow on the Mesa.

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deners. They often request additionalinformation that is handled throughthe Garden Hotline or email, andmay require research or consulta-tion with RSABG experts.

Annual Plant SalesIn addition to the ongoing Gar-

den Shop plant sales, RSABG holdstwo large sales each year. The fallsale is scheduled for the first week-end in November, an ideal time forplanting a native garden, especiallyin our hot, inland climate. The springsale is much smaller in size andfeatures perennials that are betteradapted to spring planting. Theseplant sales meet several horticulturalneeds. First of all, despite increas-ing interest in California natives,their availability is still woefully in-adequate. Our fall sale offers about14,000 potted plants of nearly 800different taxa. Two weeks before the

this list. The list helps gardenerslearn about the enormous diversityof California native plants, and as-sists in plant selection.

Staff members from all depart-ments participate in the plant sale.The Education Department offershorticulture classes at various levelsduring the fall. At the sale, custom-ers find researchers, students, her-barium staff members, librarians,and the entire nursery and horticul-ture crew eager to assist them inselecting the perfect plants for theirgardens. It is truly an institution-wide event aimed at disseminatingboth native plants and horticulturalinformation.

The spring plant sale is muchsmaller in scope (about 6,000 plantsand 500 different kinds), but drawsmany gardeners who cannot resistplanting during our glorious spring.Again, its very scope is informative.

sale, a preliminary plant list appearson our website. Gardeners from allover California and beyond consult

California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera)in the palm oasis display in the DesertGarden.

Young Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) and pink fairydusters (Calliandra eriophylla) accompany (left to right, front to back) a hybrid pricklypear (Opuntia engelmannii X Opuntia phaeacantha), giant beargrass (Nolina parryi), spiny rush ( Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii), California fanpalm (Washingtonia filifera), desert agave (Agave deserti), and Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) in the Desert Garden.


The absence of native trees andshrubs reinforces the common-sensepractice of fall and winter plantingin Southern California, and any dis-appointment felt by gardeners is as-suaged by the large variety of grasses,coral bells, Pacific Coast Hybridirises, penstemons, and numerousother showy and useful perennials.

Volunteer ProgramRSABG’s volunteer program

makes a significant contribution tothe Garden and its efforts in nativeplant horticulture. Nearly 200 vol-unteers donate over 20,000 hours ofwork each year. Before joining thecadre of volunteers, participants at-tend classes on native plants for fourweeks, totalling 12 hours of train-ing. Those who become Garden do-cents continue to take additionalclasses. In effect, the volunteers be-come Garden ambassadors who dis-seminate native plant horticulturalinformation to the public. In addi-tion to leading tours and working inevery department of the institution,volunteers also participate in “workdays,” working side-by-side withGarden staff throughout the grounds.Students from local colleges oftenjoin the group. This collective activ-ity allows staff and community mem-bers to share hands-on, horticulturalexperiences.

Integrated Pest ManagementThe Garden recently hired an

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)professional to improve its horticul-tural practices. As the Garden con-tinues working toward effective andenvironmentally sound practices, theinformation is shared with the pub-

lic through many of the activitiesmentioned above, especially the Gar-den Hotline. As we experiment withnew IPM approaches, the informa-tion is presented to the public onour website and with Garden sign-age. The use of soil solarization forweed control in Fay’s WildflowerMeadow is a good example. Con-fronted with a serious weed prob-lem in our large annual wildflowerdisplay, the Garden collaboratedwith Dr. James Stapleton, Univer-sity of California IPM Plant Patholo-gist, on soil solarization of the area.Signage at the Garden and informa-tion on our website educate the pub-lic on this practice.

NATIVE PLANT EXPERTSSymposia

RSABG hosts and participates inprofessional-level symposia to fos-ter the continued development ofnative plant horticulture. The sixthsymposium of the Out of the Wildand Into the Garden series was heldat RSABG in April 2008. These pro-vide an opportunity for horticulturalexperts to share information amongthemselves and with the public. Thelast day of the three-day 2008 sym-

TOP: California fuchsia cultivars (RSABG’sintroduction, Epilobium ‘Route 66’, is infull bloom on the left) provide vibrant colorin October in the Cultivar Garden. •BOTTOM: White sage (Salvia apiana), deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens), Pigeon Pointcoyote brush (Baccharis pilularis ‘PigeonPoint’), Russian River grape (Vitis ‘RussianRiver’), and XChiranthofremontia lenzii‘Griff’s Wonder’ south of the Lantz OutdoorClassroom on the Mesa.

Outstanding specimens of Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) flower in March in the PlantCommunities.


posium featured talks on the sea-sonal performance of California na-tive plants in gardens. The generalpublic was encouraged to attend theSaturday session. Proceedings of thefirst three symposia are publishedas part of the Garden’s OccasionalPublications.

CultivarsRSABG has released over 106

cultivars. It continues to select andevaluate promising plants for horti-cultural purposes. A list of thesecultivars can be found in BartO’Brien’s article “The HorticulturalContributions of Rancho Santa AnaBotanic Garden” (Rancho Santa AnaBotanic Garden Occasional Publi-cations 3, 1999. Claremont, CA, pp.65-78).

Herbarium and ResearchLibrary

The Garden’s herbarium of overone million dried specimens is ap-proximately the eighth largest inthe United States. It is recognizedthroughout the world for its strength

in plants of California, which con-stitute nearly 40 percent of the totalcollection. The holdings from South-ern California are unsurpassed byany other herbarium. The historicdistribution of native plants that canbe gleaned from herbarium speci-mens provides valuable guidance onhorticultural practices. For example,plant lists for revegetation projectsalong riparian corridors have beendeveloped from both written andherbaria research of the historicflora.

RSABG’s Research Library con-tains approximately 48,000 volumesand 750 current journals and peri-odicals. The collection has a strongfocus on systematic, floristic, andevolutionary botany, horticulture,California natural history, and eth-nobotany of California and south-western North America. Its collec-tion contains important historic andcurrent materials. It houses theGarden’s institutional archives,which contain staff publications,original manuscripts, field notes,original artwork, photographs, cor-

respondence, and historical docu-ments from both the original Or-ange County and current Claremontsites. The library is an outstandingresource for researchers and the gen-eral public.

CONCLUSION

Since the Garden’s establishmentin 1927, it has been dedicated toresearch and the dissemination ofinformation on California’s nativeflora. Increasing environmental con-cerns have further focused attentionon native plant horticulture. RSABGactively promotes the advancementof California native plant horticul-ture through its many departmentsand programs. It meets a broad rangeof needs, and is always reviewingthese programs to develop new waysto better fulfill this mission.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500N. College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711;(909)625-8767; www.rsabg.org • Bar-bara Eisenstein, [email protected]

A nearly 40-year-old bigberry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) in the Plant Communities.


THE THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION GARDENSby John Wickham

here’s something about thegardens at the TheodorePayne Foundation in the LosAngeles community of Sun

Valley. Something that attracts bothexperienced and neophyte nativeplant gardeners. The place isn’t easyto find. Most freeways skirt the area,and the Foundation’s property is

hemmed in on all sides by homesand horses. If you were looking tolocate a nursery, display gardens, andeducational facility in the best spotfor reaching the metropolitan massesof Los Angeles, this wouldn’t be yourfirst choice.

Yet once you drive up that olddirt road and step out into the val-

ley sun, it all starts to make sense.You’re keenly aware of the scents ofsage and sagebrush; the sounds ofhummingbirds and quail; the palegrays, muted greens, and warmgolds of native foliage; the floralwaves of red, yellow, and blue. Youinstantly leave the new Californiaof highways and subdivisions and

T

A view of Theodore Payne Foundation from Wild Flower Hill. Photograph by K. Gilliland.


enter the old state of sycamores andoaks. The Foundation, an educa-tional non-profit organization, wasestablished in 1960 to continue thework of Theodore Payne (1872-1963), the noted horticulturist andnurseryman who introduced morethan 400 species of California na-tive plants to gardeners around theworld. Payne’s inspiring talks, hiswork with the Southern CaliforniaAcademy of Sciences, his foundingof the California Association ofNurserymen, and his breadth anddepth of botanical and horticulturalknowledge garnered worldwide re-spect. He regularly explored the un-developed California landscape insearch of new native plants for hisnursery. Over the years, Payne’scatalogs offered an expanding rangeof seeds, either grown at his nurs-ery on Los Feliz Boulevard in At-water Village (near downtown LosAngeles) or gathered by Payne andhis friends in the wild. Upon Payne’sretirement from the nursery busi-ness, a group of horticulturists andbotanists formed the Foundationto continue his work. In keepingwith Payne’s objectives, one of theFoundation’s missions was to en-sure that California native plantswould be made available to homegardeners.

After years of looking for a sitefor the Foundation’s home, EddieMerrill, owner of La Tuna Nurseryand one of many California nurs-erymen who knew and respectedTheodore Payne, donated his 20-acre property in Sun Valley. Merrill’sgift provided the Foundation withspace for growing and offering na-tive plants and a relatively unspoiledsetting where these plants could beviewed and appreciated by the resi-

TOP: California bells (Phacelia minor), cliffdesert dandelion (Malacothrix saxatilis),and laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) arenaturally occurring species on Wild FlowerHill. Photograph by J. Wickham. • BOTTOM:Southern California’s bush lupine (Lupinuslongifolius) blooms in the entrance garden.Photograph by K. Gilliland.


TOP: Joyce Coulter ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Joyce Coulter’) and California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) bloom in the nursery sales yarddemonstration garden. • BOTTOM: Nevin’s barberry (Berberis nevinii), a species popularized by Theodore Payne in the early 1900s, andCalifornia sunflower (Encelia californica) are planted on a sun-drenched, south-facing slope. Photographs by K. Gilliland.


dents of Los Angeles—in honor of agreat man. The Foundation has al-ways been supported by the effortsof creative volunteers dedicated toour mission to promote the use andappreciation of California’s nativeflora. As a result, garden plantingshave ranged from inventive, indi-vidualistic amateur projects to beau-tifully designed plans by such no-tables as landscape architect BobPerry. The overall aesthetic effect,though, has ebbed and flowed withthe ardor and availability of suchvolunteers. Today, the Foundation’sgardens reflect the strong “bones”of previous efforts and the potentialfor refinement and rejuvenation.Over the last five years, dedicatedstaff and volunteers have made hugestrides in bringing a fresh approachto the Foundation’s gardens. Thereare three main sections to theFoundation’s gardens: demonstra-tion plantings in our retail nursery,where visitors can see what youngplants in pots will look like whenfull grown; gardens around ourbookstore and education center thattypify home garden plantings; andWild Flower Hill, a largely wild areaof coastal sage scrub dedicated towildlife and wild flowers.

As anyone who has been to aplant sale knows, it can be difficultto imagine how a little stick in itstiny pot can become a 15-foot-tallbig berry manzanita (Arctostaphylosglauca) or a ten-foot-wide carpet ofBee’s Bliss sage (Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’).For context, the grounds of our year-round nursery feature mature ex-amples of many different trees,shrubs, and perennials. Riparian,desert, and other “theme” gardensshow customers how to group plantsby common cultural needs.

A set of rain gardens was re-

TOP: The Foundation’s new rain garden isdesigned to capture and slow storm waterrunoff from the nursery service road andsales yard. Photograph by J. Wickham. •BOTTOM: Saint Catherine’s lace (Eriogonumgiganteum) begins to bloom in the entrancegarden. Photograph by K. Gilliland.


cently installed, with a desert themeplanting, to highlight the importanceof managing stormwater runoff bycapturing rainwater. One rain gar-den, located in the hottest, sunniestspot on our grounds, features pen-stemons, sunflowers, wild flowers,and grasses found in our localdeserts. Another, in a shadier spot,provides an opportunity to show-case a meadow as an alternative toa lawn.

The gardens around the ranch-style house that serves as our book-store, seed store, and art gallery aredesigned to help gardeners under-stand how native plants can be usedaround a home, in intimate scaleand with typical landscape elements.Visitors are greeted by a “lawn” ofred fescue (Festuca rubra), waves ofbright green to brighten a woodlandgarden. Handsome hedgerows, pe-rennial beds, small shrubs, ground-covers, and flowering annuals arefound throughout. Behind the build-

ing, a grove of mature western sy-camores is a perfect spot for a picniclunch, complete with butterflies andbirdsongs.

Tucked up behind the nursery isa small 1940s era cabin that hasbeen recently renovated for use asan education center. The shelter pro-vided by surrounding hills allowsspecies found on the Channel Is-lands and in coastal plant commu-nities to thrive. Ironwoods, coralbells, Catalina currant, and islandoak give this small garden a com-fortable feel that new gardeners canappreciate.

Wild Flower Hill, overlookingthe nursery, was once a prime at-traction at the Foundation. The lateKevin Connelly worked tirelessly foryears to create displays of springwild flowers, always the stars of theshow at our annual Poppy Day cel-ebrations. Great masses of poppy,phacelia, chia, and others graced thesun-drenched slopes, drawing visi-

tors up the trail to bathe in amazingswaths of color. But over time, with-out constant attention to clearance,the force of habitat succession reas-serted itself on Wild Flower Hill andelements of the Verdugo Hills coastalsage scrub community reestablishedtheir dominance. This is as it shouldbe: an opportunity for all to see howcomponents of a natural plant com-munity produce visual harmoniesthat can be translated to the homegarden.

Wildlife and plant-animal rela-tionships are important elements ofthe Foundation’s gardens. Many gar-deners want landscapes with butter-flies and birds, in order to admireand study their behavior. Our di-verse plantings include species thatattract pollinators and beneficial in-sects; support larval and adult but-terflies and moths; and provide foodand habitat for birds and mammals.Lizards do push-ups and play hide-and-seek between stones in the dry

An unnamed Ceanothus hybrid in the nursery sales yard demonstration garden. Photograph by K. Gilliland.


stacked walls around the parkinglot. Our gardens reveal how Califor-nia natives come to life in fascinat-ing, unexpected ways. Over 60 spe-cies of birds have been identifiedin the Foundation’s gardens. Onany day, visitors can usually spotCooper’s hawks circling above thecanyon or thrashers skimmingthrough the dense chaparral. Amorning trek up Wild Flower Hillwill flush out a covey of quail. TheAnna’s hummingbird that nests eachyear in the sycamore outside ourbookstore window is as likely to feedon the Manzanita blossoms nearyour head, as to sit in the nearbyscrub chittering at you to movealong. Alas, the albino western to-whee has moved on.

Weekday visitors may find theirreverie interrupted by the chatter ofschool children. Following lessonsin leaf adaptation or plant-animalinteractions or Native American lifeways, teams of exuberant nine-year-olds can be found speed-walking(they know not to run) through thegardens, looking for plants withfuzzy or waxy leaves. Educationalprograms have been developed tocombine scientific and cultural in-struction with hands-on experiencewith plants in the gardens. Interac-tion with native plants, outdoors, isan essential part of the learning ex-perience, and a critical purpose ofthe Foundation’s gardens.

At Theodore Payne Foundation,there are no majestic vistas, impos-ing backdrops, or large water fea-tures. Instead, our gardens are partlycultivated, rather rustic, and com-fortably wild, expressing the ever-evolving vision and hopes of our vol-unteers and friends and exhibitingthat certain something that enticesvisitors to return again and again tothis distinctly California place.

Theodore Payne Foundation for WildFlowers and Native Plants, 10459 TuxfordStreet, Sun Valley, CA 91352; (818)768-1802; www.theodorepayne.org • JohnWickham, [email protected]

TOP: The shaded picnic grounds are beneath a grove of western sycamore (Platanus racemosa).BOTTOM: Entrance to the Theodore Payne Foundation nursery sales yard and demonstrationgarden. Photographs by J. Wickham.


HORTICULTURE ATTHE SANTA BARBARA BOTANIC GARDEN

by Carol Bornstein

ounded in 1926 as an educa-tional and research institution,the Santa Barbara Botanic Gar-den is the oldest botanic gar-

den devoted to California’s nativeflora. Located in Mission Canyon inthe foothills of the Santa Ynez Moun-tains, the garden was conceived byFrederic Clements, eminent plantecologist, to exhibit, conserve, dem-onstrate, and experiment with na-tive plants as well as exotic species.According to his vision, “[T]he chieffunction of a botanical garden is ex-hibition, by which the kinds, names,uses, behavior, and relationships of

plants are made available to all thoseinterested, at the same time that itdevelops the interest of others.”

Based on Clements’ scheme, theGarden was organized into natural-istic plant communities (coast red-wood forest, oak-madrone woodland,chaparral, prairie, sagebrush, desert,and giant sequoia); experimental gar-dens; and taxonomic collections.Under the dedicated leadership ofco-directors Elmer and ErvannaBissell, the young garden began totake shape. Within the first year, bedsand paths were carved into the initial13.7-acre parcel. Thousands of feet

of water lines were laid; sandstoneboulders were moved or split intomanageable sizes for steps or to de-fine beds; and seeds and plants wereobtained from such notable collec-tors as Theodore Payne, Carl Purdy,and Lester Rowntree. Hundreds oftaxa were planted in the new lathhouse or directly in the ground. Anisland section devoted to plants ofthe California Channel Islands wasalso added to the plan. In keepingwith its educational goals, plants werelabeled with the common and scien-tific name, family name, and naturalhabitat.

F

The iconic meadow at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, framed by the Blaksley Boulder, coast live oaks, the Ground Cover Display, andthe Santa Ynez Mountains. All photographs by C. Bornstein.


This was an era of considerableinterest in, but scarce horticulturalinformation about, California’s na-tive flora. Despite severe fundinglimitations and heavy losses due topests, diseases, and inexperience, theBissells and their small staff persistedin their efforts, and successes even-tually eclipsed failures. By 1931, mostof the original garden sections werewell established, ground was brokenfor new taxonomic collections (e.g.,the genus Eriogonum), and word ofthe beautiful young Garden began todraw visitors from far and wide.

During its first decade, all of theGarden’s displays were designed byErvanna Bissell, whose flowery ar-ticles and correspondence expressedher ideas about the botanic garden,native plants, and the compositionsshe created. In 1931, she wrote“[T]he garden’s aim is not to recre-ate a wild garden. Its object is to useplants native to wild places, andadapt them to cultivated surround-ings. . . . Because a plant once grewin poor, rocky soil is no reason whyit should always struggle with pov-erty. The chief endeavor is to find aplant’s ‘range of tolerance’ and care-fully increase it.” This sentiment ar-ticulated a horticultural mission forSBBG that is still relevant.

The Bissells were so busy grow-ing the Garden that they made noattempt to maintain plant records ofany kind. It was not until MaunsellVan Rensselaer was hired in 1934that such documentation was initi-ated, setting in place curatorial prac-tices that continue to this day. Serv-ing as director from 1936 to 1950,Van Rensselaer also launched nu-merous educational and researchprograms and promoted these ac-tivities in the community. His inter-est in trees—both native and ex-otic—and in the genus Ceanothusculminated in two publications:Trees of Santa Barbara in 1940,and Ceanothus, co-authored withHoward McMinn, in 1942. He wasinstrumental in the effort to adoptcoast redwood as the state tree. It

was largely due to his urging that in1936 the Garden’s board of trusteesrestricted all future plantings to Cali-fornia natives.

Another legacy of Van Rensse-laer’s tenure was involving Lock-wood de Forest and Beatrix Farrandin the redesign of key parts of thegrounds, in particular the meadow,courtyard, and entrance. Althoughthese highly respected landscape ar-chitects often held conflicting viewsabout the appropriateness of formaldesign elements within the botanicgarden (de Forest was strongly op-posed to any formality in the Gar-den and preferred a naturalistic aes-thetic), their collaboration had anenduring impact on the character ofthese core areas. Farrand’s designfor the courtyard, with the now-70-year-old clipped hedge of lemonadeberry (Rhus integrifolia) flanking theview of the Blaksley Boulder fromthe library steps, is one of the veryfew public examples of Californianative plants used in such a classi-cally formal way.

Building upon Van Rensselaer’sefforts, Director Katherine Muller(1950–1973) expanded the researchand educational programs and tookup the pen herself, writing leafletsand articles about the flora and theornamental virtues of native plants.In addition to co-authoring a newedition of Trees of Santa Barbara,she taught the popular “Trees aboutTown” class, and led field trips tosee wildflowers. One of her mostsignificant contributions to Califor-nia horticulture was hiring Horti-culturist Dara Emery in 1955. Dara’sfirst project was to grow plants forthe new Home Garden, a small, low-maintenance garden designed byRalph Cornell to showcase nativesthat were easy to obtain and grow.Sunset magazine featured the HomeGarden in 1958, boosting home-owners’ interest. This display repre-sented a departure from Clements’plant community and taxonomicscheme, yet demonstrated Muller’sunderstanding of the need for the

Garden to remain relevant to vari-ous audiences. In the same vein, theGarden responded to visitors’ re-quests for lawn substitutes andground-hugging plants by creatinga ground cover display below themeadow, a site it still occupies. Bothexperimental and time-tested spe-cies of Baccharis, Ceanothus, Erio-gonum, Arctostaphylos, and othergenera were planted.

In his first year at the Garden,Emery began teaching plant propa-gation, one of our most popular andenduring classes. A series on garden-ing with native plants soon followed,and became another favorite.Through these and other classes, lec-tures, and publications, Emery sharedhis enthusiasm and knowledge withcountless people, many of whomwent on to pursue careers in horti-

Desert beargrass (Nolina bigelovii) inflower, with giant beargrass (Nolina parryi)to the right, and California fan palm(Washingtonia filifera) in the background,in the Garden’s Desert Section.


culture as a result of his mentoring.While propagating thousands of

plants for the living collections, Em-ery conducted extensive germinationtrials on a long list of native seed, asprecious little written informationwas available to guide his earliestendeavors. His research culminatedin the publication of the leaflet, SeedPropagation of Native California Plantsin 1964. Twenty years later, he em-barked on an exhaustive review ofhis records to write the more com-prehensive 1988 edition. This invalu-able reference is still widely used andconsidered the “gold standard” forprofessional and lay propagators.

As interest in gardening withnative plants grew, availability didnot keep pace. A practical man,Emery came up with the idea to sellsurplus nursery plants to botanicgarden members, thereby initiatingour ever-popular annual fall plantsales. Once funds were raised tobuild a new and larger nursery, heproposed that the newly formedGarden Growers volunteer grouptake over the old facility to propa-

gate and sell native plants to thepublic on a regular basis. Now opendaily, the Garden Growers Nurseryhas become an important source ofCalifornia natives and unusualdrought-tolerant exotics. The nearbyGarden Shop has a widespread repu-tation for its fine selection of gar-dening and botanical books.

Resuming the breeding work thatVan Rensselaer had begun, Emerytook up the charge articulated in theGarden’s 1939 annual report: “The

garden . . . proposes to use everymeans at hand to improve the qual-ity of [native] plants by selection,budding, grafting, breeding, etc. . . .[T]he far-reaching significance ofthis policy will probably not be notedfor some years to come but it isbound eventually to have a markedbeneficial effect on the value andgreater use of California plants asornamentals.” He saw plant breed-ing as a pathway to wider accep-tance of California natives in gar-dens. The goal of his breeding pro-gram was to create plants withgreater adaptability to typical gar-den conditions, and with supportfrom directors Muller and RalphPhilbrick, he started the garden’splant introduction program. Withseveral fine Heuchera cultivars to hiscredit (e.g. H. ‘Canyon Duet’ and H.‘Canyon Delight’) and his award-winning selection, Iris ‘CanyonSnow’, Emery was responsible for22 of the Garden’s 39 introductions.Other notable Garden introductionsare Dara’s Choice sage (Salvia ‘Dara’sChoice’), De La Mina lilac verbena(Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’), andSilver Carpet California-aster (Les-singia filaginifolia ‘Silver Carpet’).Gardeners can thank Dr. Philbrick’sinterest in the flora of the ChannelIslands for a stream of cultivars fromthese horticulturally rich locales,including Canyon Sparkles islandmanzanita (Arctostaphylos insularis‘Canyon Sparkles’) and Canyon Sil-ver island snowflake (Eriophyllumnevinii ‘Canyon Silver’), as well ashis own selections, Canyon GrayCalifornia sagebrush (Artemisiacalifornica ‘Canyon Gray’) and Can-yon Prince wild ryegrass (Leymuscondensatus ‘Canyon Prince’).

Another horticultural outcomeof Philbrick’s leadership (1973-1987) was his support for changingthe scope and look of the Garden’smeadow. Long admired for its fa-mous springtime display of annualwildflowers, this focal point wasweed-choked and rather disappoint-ing the rest of the year. Staff interest

A late summer scene of California buckeye (Aesculus californica) and bunchgrasses.

The lacy-white foliage of Catalina Islandsnowflake (Eriophyllum nevinii).


in grasslands spurred a shift towardcreation of a native prairie anchoredby perennial bunchgrasses and forbswoven among the wildflowers. Thisextended the aesthetic interest be-yond spring, increased the botanicaldiversity of the composition, andprovided a rich habitat for wildlife.Other goals were to reduce waterneeds and improve the heavy tex-ture of the soil. Native grasses arelatecomers to the gardener’s paletteof ornamental plants and the Gar-den continues to champion theirutility and beauty while simulta-neously using the meadow to en-lighten visitors about the need toprotect California’s endangeredgrasslands.

Under Director David Young’sleadership (1988-1991), a new se-ries of landscape symposia for land-scape professionals and home gar-deners was initiated and offered for

ten years. Throughlectures and toursof local gardens,these events fo-cused on the artand science of gar-den design in Cali-fornia, emphasiz-ing landscape tra-ditions, floras ofMediterranean cli-mate regions, andecologically re-sponsible prac-tices.

During theheight of a pro-longed drought,Young earmarkedfunds for a newhome demonstra-tion garden. Thistimely, compre-hensive display

showcased water-thrifty native plants ina residential setting(surrounding a 1920s-era California cot-tage). Designed bylandscape architectRon Lutsko in col-laboration with gar-den staff, the displayincludes numerousinterpretive signs thatdescribe the prin-ciples involved in cre-ating and maintaininga water-conservinglandscape. It remainsa popular destinationfor gardeners seekingideas on how to usenative plants for year-round beauty, and fea-tures hedges, groundcovers and turf sub-

ABOVE: The bright, rosy-violet flowers of the recent SBBG introduction, Amethyst Bluff purple sage (Salvia leucophylla ‘Amethyst Bluff’).• BELOW: Chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) and California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) grow along the Porter Trail.


stitutes, container gardens, and vari-ous hardscape elements.

In the 1990s, a renewed effort tolabel plants for the public was bol-stered by grant funds. Staff also wrotea number of horticultural brochuresand bulletins that offered visitorshandy, inexpensive references on themyriad uses and ornamental quali-

ties of California native plants. Ex-amples included tips on designing awater-wise perennial border, whatto plant in the understory of estab-lished oak trees, bunchgrasses forthe garden, etc. Precedent for thesepublications dates back to the 1940s,when the Garden’s leaflet series wasstarted. Written by Van Rensselaer,

Muller, Emery, and guest authors,these occasional articles covered arange of botanical and horticulturaltopics.

Several certificate and trainingprograms were developed or formal-ized in this period. Our knowledge-able docents share all manner of bo-tanical, horticultural, and naturalhistory information with visitors.The Garden Growers propagate na-tive plants to sell, and impart help-ful gardening information to cus-tomers. The botanic garden co-spon-sors a Master Gardener program withUniversity of California CooperativeExtension, training avid gardenersabout appropriate gardening prac-tices for our region. They, in turn,volunteer their time answering gar-dening questions and providinghands-on assistance with horticul-tural projects in the community.Recently, SBBG became a co-spon-sor of the Certified Green Garden-ers, a program supported by severallocal agencies that trains and certi-fies professional gardeners in re-source-efficient landscape mainte-nance practices.

When Edward Schneider becameDirector in 1992, funds for Emery’splant breeder position were nolonger available. Schneider strength-ened the Garden’s plant introduc-

A composition of silver and green foliage in the Ground Cover Display punctuated byvibrant California poppies.

BELOW LEFT: Multicolored flower stalks of purple three-awn (Aristida purpurea). • BELOW RIGHT: Drifts of Canyon Gray California sagebrush(Artemisia californica ‘Canyon Gray’) and Island Pink yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Island Pink’) lead the eye to bunchgrasses, rushes, andsedges in the meadow.


tion program by recommending thatprospective cultivars undergo a for-malized external evaluation. CarolBornstein established a network ofbotanic gardens, arboreta, andwholesale nurseries to serve as testsites for Garden selections. Staffmembers garner valuable culturalinformation from these trials to sharewith landscape professionals, thenursery industry, and customersonce a clone is officially introduced.

The generous gift of an authen-tic Japanese teahouse presented anopportunity for the Garden to reachnew audiences. The ancient tradi-tion of the tea ceremony is deeplyinterconnected with the surround-ing tea garden, and together theysignify a cultural reverence for na-ture, an aesthetic that the Gardenhas embodied since its inception. Sit-ing the structure amidst mature oak,manzanita, madrone, Port Orfordcedar, and massive boulders, the“bones” for this naturalistic tea gar-den of California native plants werewell established. From a horticul-tural perspective, this display dem-onstrates a novel approach to an an-cient garden style emulated world-wide.

With encouragement from Dr.Schneider, this writer collaboratedwith David Fross and Bart O’Briento co-author California Native Plantsfor the Garden, a national award-winning book published byCachuma Press in 2005. The fol-lowing year, Timber Press publisheda new and completely revised edi-tion of Ceanothus, co-authored byFross and Garden botanist DieterWilken.

Behind the scenes, yet integralto these activities and accomplish-ments, is the Garden’s library. Fromits humble beginnings to its cur-rent, bursting-at-the-seams facility,the Blaksley Library houses an out-standing collection of books, jour-nals, and images that are used bystaff, volunteers, visiting scientists,landscape professionals, and homegardeners. It is a little-known trea-

sure that contains a remarkable storeof horticultural knowledge.

The next horticultural frontierat the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardenwill undoubtedly build upon the 82-year legacy of research, education,conservation, and display set forthby Frederic Clements. With newpartners, we are creating public dem-onstration sites and school gardens,and restoring degraded habitats inthe community, reaching gardenersyoung and old. Planned upgrades tothe Garden’s antiquated irrigationsystems will conserve water, and willincrease the Garden’s ability to growand display a wider array of Califor-nia native plants. This will yield valu-able information about the waterneeds of native species that will then

be shared with gardeners. These andother endeavors will continue to fos-ter an appreciation and understand-ing of California native plants thatwill help conserve them for futuregenerations.

A special note of thanks to Eliza-beth Collins for her thoughtful im-provements to this account and toMary Carroll for her scholarly his-tory of the Garden, “A Garden forAll Time: The Santa Barbara BotanicGarden,” in 2005, Noticias 50–51(4–1):1–58.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara,CA 93105. (805) 682-4726. www.santabarbarabotanicgarden.com • CarolBornstein, [email protected]

The vertical flower stalk and spiky rosettes of chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei)contrast with the rounded canopy and horizontal flower clusters of California buckeye(Aesculus californica).


CALIFORNIA NATIVES IN THE UNIVERSITY OFCALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ ARBORETUM

by Brett Hall

alifornia natives have beenat the heart of Universityof California, Santa Cruz(UCSC) Arboretum col-

lections since our beginnings in theearly 1970s, but to some degree theyhave grown under the shadow of

our other Pacific Rim collections(Australia, New Zealand, etc). Cur-rent Arboretum thinking is bringingour native plant program to the fore-front. Trips into the wild for nativeselections have been ongoing overthe years, and many horticultural

introductions from UCSC have flour-ished in the nursery trade. Our cur-rent focus is a little different, with anemphasis on field work, ecology, anddeveloping gardens based on plantcommunities and associations. Thisis our “life after cultivars” phase innative plant gardening. Acreage fordeveloping native gardens is greaterthan any other geographic regionrepresented in the Arboretum. It islarger than the acreage designated toAustralia, New Zealand, and Africacombined! Many of the Arboretum’soldest trees are natives. Overall, ap-proximately 57 acres of land are com-mitted to native plants.

Two main Arboretum areas setaside for natives are the EntranceNative Garden, which was conceivedas a relatively small “natives-come-first” section near the present Arbo-retum entrance, and the 55-acre Cali-fornia Province Gardens, which weare in the process of developing.

The Entrance Native Gardenserves both as a repository and ex-hibit place for attractive native spe-cies. It is a relatively small gardenloaded with local species, speciesoutside our region, and cultivarsavailable in the nursery trade. It is aplace where people can learn aboutnatives and their pollinators, ethno-botany, taxonomy, garden design,and many other topics. Outcrops orrock gardens are featured, as wellas splashes of wet meadows, coastalbluffs, grasslands, woodlands, andshrublands.

SPECIALTY COLLECTIONS

Native Bulb Collection. This col-lection includes mariposa lilies(Calochortus spp.), triteleias (Tri-teleia spp.), fritillarias (Fritillariaspp.), fawn lilies (Erythronium spp.),

CBrett Hall collecting seeds of Santa Lucia fir (Abies bracteata) on the east side of Cone Peakin the Santa Lucia Mountains in September 2007. Photograph by C. Hudson.


and wild onions (Allium spp.),among others. Bulbs have specialcollection care status in the Arbore-tum due to their particular cultiva-tion requirements. Our success ebbsand flows with our ability to keepup with weeding and keeping preda-tors at bay. We love them and growthem as much as we can. Most arehoused in containers, but frequentlyfind their way into the Garden.

Conifer Collection. Our coni-fer collection is extensive, as ourholdings include most of the knowngenera in the world. Most of thesouthern hemisphere Podocarpaceaegenera and many species of Arau-caria and Agathis (Araucariaceae) areamong these. Our native conifer col-lection is impressive, but not ex-haustive, and has room to expand.

Central Coast Region Collec-tion. We are building a significant

Santa Cruz and Central Coast col-lection with much in seed storageawaiting planting, and more still tobe collected and grown. Over thelast year, with the help of local bota-nists (especially Jim West and RandyMorgan) we have acquired a heftyseed bank from northern coastalwatersheds of Santa Cruz County.In the next year we plan to workdiligently to get this collection well-established in the nursery and thenin the Garden.

Dudleya Research Collection.This collection contains 30 of the35 rare and endangered species inthe genus. As such, the Arboretum’sDudleya collection is a significantgene bank. Of the species that growin California, the Arboretum has25 of the 26 CNPS Inventory’s list1B species, making it an importantcollection of California native

plants. Six of the list 1B taxa andsome of the Baja California speciesare rarer than some of the Federallylisted species. Eight of the Califor-nia taxa of Dudleya are officiallylisted as U.S. endangered or threat-ened species.

The Dudleya collection consistsof several thousand plants with col-lection data. The collection is in-creased, whenever possible, by trad-ing with other gardens and by propa-gation in cultivation. Results of arti-ficial hybridization experiments haveprovided insight to the evolution ofspecies within the genus. Severalhundred hybrid plants are beingevaluated to choose those with thegreatest horticultural potential.

By conserving rare plants in theGarden and sharing cuttings withother botanic gardens, we help toinsure the long-term survival of the

Northern riparian woodland eco-region in the Arboretum during a storm in February 2008, with the author’s son, Austin, in thebackground. Photograph by B. Hall.


species. Some of these species existon only one island or one bluff onless than an acre of land. Develop-ment pressures are considerable incoastal Southern California whereseveral of these species grow.Through plant sales of plants propa-gated in cultivation, we have helpedto distribute the plants and reducecollection pressure on wild popula-tions.

CALIFORNIA PROVINCEGARDENS

The wildest and most topo-graphically diverse portion of theArboretum, often referred to as the“back forty,” is being developed asCalifornia Province Gardens. It willshowcase flora from two broad re-gions, Central Western and North-ern California. The Province Gar-dens area encompasses 55 acres inthe jointly managed northwesternpart of the Arboretum and CampusNatural Reserve. The site is on anancient marine terrace and alluvialmaterial with gentle to moderatelysteep hillsides facing south, east,

and west. Elevation ranges from 600feet at the top of the coastal prairieknoll near Oakes College to 395feet at the bottom of the Arboretumreservoir in the Northern Califor-nia Province. Much of the area isformer pastureland dating back tothe late 1800s, when the HenryCowell Ranch occupied the site.Somewhat degraded coastal prairieoccurs over the area with patchesof native bulbs and wildflowers,including extensive sweeps of skylupine (Lupinus nanus), Californiapoppy (Eschscholzia californica),and healthy colonies of pretty face(Triteleia ixioides), yellow mariposalily (Calochortus luteus), and har-

ABOVE: A low mounding form of California sagebrush (Artemisia californica) grows in theEntrance Native Garden coastal bluff display. • LEFT: El Tigre pitcher sage (Lepechiniafragrans ‘El Tigre’) was originally collected on El Tigre Mountain on Santa Cruz Island.Photographs by B. Hall.


vest brodiaea (Brodiaea elegans),among others.

Three small canyons run throughthe site, carrying seasonal runoff intoa series of limestone sinks and thehistoric abandoned reservoir locatedinside the Arboretum’s boundaries.Riparian portions of these drainagesare home to breeding populations ofthe threatened California red-leggedfrog (Rana aurora) and a very vocalpopulation of Pacific tree frogs,which prompted Ken Norris, fatherof the UC Reserve System, to affec-tionately remember the area as “frogheaven.” Numerous other animalspecies occur in the area, includingcoyote, bobcat, mountain lion, deer,raccoon, rabbit, squirrel, and severalspecies of snakes, lizards, newts, andsalamanders. The avifauna is rich,including many kinds of raptors,with the occasional golden eagle,many species of hawks, humming-birds, quail, thrashers, swallows, etc.Naturally occurring trees in the can-yons and throughout the area arecoast redwoods, Douglas-firs, pon-derosa pines, and mixed evergreens,including madrones, California bays,and coast live oaks. California buck-eyes, willows, and hazelnuts are com-mon as well.

THE LAND

A fairly rich assemblage of geo-logic bedrock and soil diversity oc-curs here. Rock types include gran-ite, schist, quartzite, limestone, andseveral types of sandstones, as wellas marine and stream terrace mate-rial. Overlying soils are mostly loamto sandy loam with some clay soils.Soil pH ranges from slightly acid toslightly alkaline.

THE CLIMATE

Average rainfall is about 35inches. Summer highs are normallyin the 70s and 80s with an occa-sional few days in the mid-90s, and,rarely, with temperatures nudgingjust over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (the

temperature reached 105 degreesFahrenheit on June 20, 2008). Sum-mer fog and the marine influenceprovide for a relatively “easy going”summer. Winter temperatures rarelydrop below freezing, although it doeshappen. Our coldest recorded tem-perature, 18 degrees Fahrenheit, oc-curred on the coldest night of thegreat freeze of December 1990, andlasted about four hours. The tem-perature was even colder in the low-est portion of the old reservoir,where we estimated it may have been13 degrees Fahrenheit, based onknown temperature gradients re-corded previously.

Over half of the acreage is beingdedicated to the Central WesternCalifornia Province, represented bythe region extending from the SantaCruz Mountains and San FranciscoBay region through the Central Coastranges to San Simeon in San LuisObispo County, or possibly as farsouth as Point Conception in SantaBarbara County. The Central West-ern California Province also featuresa California Channel Islands Gar-den. Regions which will receive ex-tensive attention for collection, dis-

play, and field research are the SantaCruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Moun-tains, coastal bluff and maritimechaparral, and the San Carlos Range,among others. Other ecologic andgeographic themes will be featured,

TOP: Butano Ridge flannelbush (Fremonto-dendron californicum ‘Butano Ridge’) is oneof three known individuals of the speciesthat is native to San Mateo County. •BOTTOM: Santa Cruz cypress (Cupressusabramsiana) growing in the central coastclosed-cone conifer eco-region of theCalifornia Province Gardens. Photographsby B. Hall.


including rare plant communities,endemics, endangered and threat-ened species, dominant species inlocal communities, exceptionalpopulations, forms, and occurrences,riparian habitats, serpentine commu-nities, and populations of disjuncts.

The rest of the 55-acre area willbe devoted to the Northern Califor-nia Province, which includes na-tives from the San Francisco BayRegion, North Coast Ranges, Kla-math Ranges, southern Cascades,and the Sierra Nevada. The concept

is one of wild gardens featuring plantcommunities, habitats, and ecologi-cal themes that combine speciesfrom different geographic areaswithin Northern California. Ex-amples include woodland, riparian,mixed evergreen, conifer forests,montane, subalpine, alpine, prairie,meadows, chaparral, and variousshrublands. Smaller regional com-munities and associations withinNorthern California will develop asopportunities to build collectionsfrom particular “hot spots” emerge.

ABOVE: California fuchsias (Epilobium spp.) have been an ongoing interest of Arboretumstaff for many years. Photograph by B. Hall. • LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM: Dudleya hybrid createdby Stephen McCabe. Photograph by S. McCabe. • Bowltube iris (Iris macrosiphon) growingin the Arboretum Entrance Native Garden. This specimen is originally from the northcoast range of Sonoma County. Photograph by B. Hall. • Cobra lily (Darlingtonia californica)grown from seed collected from a cross between a plant from the Klamath Range and aplant from the Sierra Nevada. Photograph by B. Hall. • Anna’s hummingbird visits a non-native Grevillea in the Arboretum. Photograph by anonymous Arboretum volunteer.

A bobcat visits the Arboretum’s maritime chaparral eco-region in the Central WesternCalifornia Province Garden. Photograph by R. Flores.


PONDEROSA PINE

As noted, the native ProvinceGardens are located in the wildestportion of the Arboretum. One as-pect of the wildness that enticed usto locate the Gardens here was thenatural occurrence of ponderosapine (Pinus ponderosa). In 1975 therewere only two ponderosa pines onthe site, but now there are twenty tothirty or more naturally occurringindividuals, plus a handful of plantedindividuals collected from MarshallFields on the upper portion of thecampus. The Santa Cruz stands ofponderosa pine are disjunct fromthe main montane distribution ofponderosa pine in California andare perhaps the most maritime pon-derosa pines anywhere. Dr. BobHaller has been working on the tax-onomy of ponderosa pines and the

local stands in the Santa Cruz Moun-tains for decades. These trees arewell-incorporated into the Garden.Pinus ponderosa is the mascot of thenative Garden and we will conserveits genetic localism. Great attentionwill be paid to provenance and ge-netic integrity issues on a taxon bytaxon basis throughout the buildingof our collections and displays.

We are excited about the devel-opment of the Province Gardens andwe are actively raising funds, build-ing collections, and encouraging col-laborators to accelerate its future.More detailed on-the-ground plan-ning is off and running. For example,an extensive trail network is in theworks, and locations for interpreta-tion and wayfinding displays, vistas,benches, and rock gardens (amongmany other attributes) are being de-cided. If we can garner the resources,

this coming decade should revealgreat progress on the ground.

Arboretum, University of California, SantaCruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA95064; (831)427-2998; http://arboretum.ucsc.edu; Brett Hall, [email protected]

ABOVE: With funding from the Elvenia J. Slosson Endowment Fund, Arboretum staff and students build a rockery in the Entrance NativeGarden. • BELOW, RIGHT: Plantings along the entrance road to the Arboretum include Pajaro manzanita (Arctostaphylos pajaroensis), purplesage (Salvia leucophylla), and flannelbush (Fremontodendron californicum). Photographs by B. Hall.


GERDA ISENBERG NATIVE PLANT GARDENAT YERBA BUENA NURSERY

by Kathy Crane and Matt Teel

ituated at 1,200 feet eleva-tion in the Santa Cruz Moun-tains, between the PacificOcean and the San Francisco

Bay, the Gerda Isenberg Native PlantGarden enjoys a mild climate withextremely wet winters, brief, hotsummers, and very little fog. A natu-ral spring feeds the Garden pondand is also piped underground tofeed Woodruff Creek below. A pri-vate, well-maintained, unpaved roadcurves through forests for two beau-tiful miles before arriving at the two-and-a half acre garden.

HISTORY AND INSPIRATION

In 1974, Gerda Isenberg beganto develop her vision of a CaliforniaNative Plant Demonstration Gardenon her ranch property where shehad already established Yerba BuenaNursery. She was over 70 years oldat the time. Her idea was to create agarden where people might see howthe plants would look as they grewto maturity. She wanted to create aplace where people would becomemore at ease with using natives asgarden plants.

Her target audience was home-owners, who in many cases had noother place to see examples of a na-tive plant garden. Gerda believedthat visitors, given the opportunityto walk through the garden and seefully grown specimens, labeled withbotanic and common names, wouldthen be inspired to use these plantsin their own gardens.

Plants viewed in the Demonstra-tion Garden would then be availablefor purchase in the neighboringnursery. The nursery would use theGarden for propagation materials

S

Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) in the Hildegard Grove. All photographs copyright by YerbaBuena Nursery; Sonja Wilcomer and Jennifer Leech, photographers, unless otherwise noted.


and for experimentation to de-termine growing conditionsbest suited for each type ofplant. The Garden would alsoprovide habitat for some rareplants such as western leath-erwood (Dirca occidentalis),Trillium, and unusual forms ofmanzanitas (Arctostaphylosspp.).

Gerda selected an area thathad been used as a pasture forthe dairy cattle on her ranch—a hot, dusty, rocky hillside cov-ered with grasses and sur-rounded by a naturally wood-ed area. She walked around thepasture, defining the pathwaysand specific areas where thevarious plants should go. Basedon her innate sense of the hot-ter and colder areas, shegrouped plants primarily by ge-nus. A layout of a meadow areawas made, with micro-environmentsfor plants ranging from drought tol-erant to bog dwellers. Winding path-ways, changes in elevation, sun andshade, wet and dry areas and con-templative bench locations were allconsidered in the design of theGarden.

Over the course of a sum-mer, much of the Garden wasplanted by Nancy Hardesty andGregory Tye. Nancy recallsbeing so exhausted at diggingholes in rock-hard soil, thaton one occasion she fell asleepat a stop light while drivinghome.

CHALLENGES

The Garden was originallyunfenced from deer, althoughsome deer-favored plants suchas bush poppies (Dendromeconspp.) were individually caged.And careful lists were kept ofwhat the deer did and did noteat. Shep, the nursery dog, keptthe deer at bay. After Shep’spassing, the Garden had to befenced.

Constant weeding was necessaryto prevent the young plants frombeing overtaken by exotic grasses.Brent Wilcox recalls that since thecenter of the Garden was originallyunplanted, prior to each weekend

(when visitors would come),he would mow the tall grass.

Although there are a fewhose stands scattered through-out the Garden, there is noregular or automated irrigationsystem. New plants were, andstill are, primarily installedduring the wet season to givethem the opportunity to be-come established prior to thedry summer. A simple hoseand wand are used to providesupplemental water, if neces-sary. Hence, the Garden isprimarily a dry garden.

Another challenge was pro-viding permanent legible plantidentification markers. Plantswere originally identified withhand-crafted, hand-letteredporcelain tiles. These tiles weremade and fired on the prop-erty. The identification tiles

were beautiful, but were susceptibleto cracking after freezing tempera-tures, rain and heat. The woodenposts didn’t fare much better—theywere eaten by termites before toolong.

Camas lily (Camassia quamash) grows at the bottom edgeof the wildflower meadow.

One of many exquisite local forms of giant trillium (Trillium chloropetalum) found in the Santa CruzMountains blooms in the Garden.


THE YOUNG GARDEN

There was not much public in-terest in the Garden for the first fewyears, as the plants were small andalmost invisible compared to theweeds and grasses. With passingyears the plants grew to noticeablesizes, giving visitors a first view ofGerda’s planned “DemonstrationGarden” for native plants.

Like any garden, the GerdaIsenberg Native Plant Garden is a

reflection of the people who havepassed through it and who have in-fluenced its look with their tastesand interests. The prized manzanitacollection is due largely to the ef-forts of a former nursery manager(who has gone on to edit a notablenative plant journal—Bart O’Brien).A nearby neighbor, Betsy Clebsch,has kept on the lookout for cultivarsof the native sages. One of Gerda’searly employees, Hildegard Jackson,left behind a priceless legacy, a grove

of redwood trees she planted almost40 years ago, now carpeted beneathwith redwood sorrel (Oxalis ore-gana).

PLANNING FOR THEFUTURE

In Gerda’s later years, she recog-nized that a plan was needed for theGarden and Nursery if it were tocontinue after her death. During thelate 1970s and early 1980s, Gerdaworked hard to interest the Califor-nia Horticultural Society and West-ern Horticultural Society to assumeoperations. Both declined. Gerdalater attempted to establish an inde-pendent non-profit foundation in1989, drawing up a mission state-ment and selecting a board of direc-tors, but the project was abandoned.

With her decline in health, itappeared likely that the land wouldbe sold with the likelihood thatthe Nursery and Garden would beclosed. Fortunately, Gerda made theacquaintance of Kathy and DavidCrane, who were looking for a prop-erty on which to build a home. Theimportance of continuing the Nurs-ery and Demonstration Garden cre-ated by Gerda was apparent to theCranes, who decided to accept thechallenge to carry on Gerda’s dream.Hence, Gerda’s desire that the prop-erty remain a native plant sanctuarywas realized. Kathy Crane has beenthe owner/operator of Gerda’s legacysince 1995.

THE GERDA ISENBERGNATIVE PLANT GARDEN ISDEDICATED

In June of 1997, Gerda’s Dem-onstration Garden was dedicated asthe “Gerda Isenberg Native PlantGarden” to honor her birthday. Un-fortunately, Gerda was too ill to at-tend. Gerda passed away not longafter. Her vision of a garden demon-strating the uses of native plants had

Western bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), Barrie Coate currant (Ribes sanguineum var.glutinosum ‘Barrie Coate’), and various ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.) in bloom.


Spring bloom in the Garden, with California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Dara’s Choice sage (Salvia ‘Dara’s Choice’), sugar bush (Rhusovata), and Vandenberg ceanothus (Ceanothus impressus ‘Vandenberg’).

can be photographed without hav-ing to hike into the wilderness orclimb through poison oak. Easy-to-read identification markers offer bo-tanical and common names forplants—a feature also not usuallyoffered on a parkland hike. Occa-sionally, laminated photographs ofplants will accompany the signs tohelp the visitor distinguish betweenadjacent specimens.

Human visitors are not the onlyones to take notice of Gerda’s gar-den. The wild creatures that inhabitand visit the native plants in thisgarden include banana slugs, Cali-fornia newts, San Francisco gartersnakes, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons,rabbits, hummingbirds, butterflies,and hundreds of other species ofbirds and insects. For some people,

come to fruition, and because of hervision and tireless effort, thousandsof gardeners learned that landscap-ing their homes did not have to be-gin and end with lawns and flower-ing exotic plants. Gerda’s Gardenshowed the beauty of native plantsin a garden setting and the value ofthese plants in providing food andshelter for wildlife.

THE GARDEN TODAY

The numbers of people who havebeen “converted” to using nativeplants because of their inspirationalvisit to this Garden is astounding.Many landscape designers send theirclients to visit this Garden to showthem how a garden full of nativeplants looks, feels and smells. Plants

their visit to the Garden marks thefirst time they have seen many ofthese creatures. This experiencedrives home the value of native plantgardens as wildlife habitat in a waythat no book or lecture ever could.

VISIT

The Garden is on private prop-erty, yet is open to the public year-round. No entry fees are charged forself-guided tours, although purchasesmade by visitors are vital for the con-tinued maintenance of the Garden.

A unique facet of visiting theGerda Isenberg Garden is the op-portunity to combine a garden visitwith a high-tea lunch. Kathy Craneserves tea-lunches in the Great Roomof the 1905 Farmhouse, inspired by


her travels to British botanical gar-dens. Gerda was an early and de-voted customer, claiming that if shewere ten years younger, she mighthave opened a tea room herself. Teais always offered to visitors on foggymornings and on select datesthroughout the year guests can makea reservation for a traditional teabefore returning to the garden paths.

While the Garden features var-ied terrain and changes in elevation,paths are maintained to accommo-date visitors of all abilities. WhenGerda was confined to a wheelchair,a project was undertaken to widenthe main pathways to allow forwheelchairs or electric carts totraverse the Garden. Benches arestrategically placed should guestsneed to rest along the way. TheHildegard Grove of coast redwoods

offers a moist, shady respite duringthe hot summers.

The operation of this garden isunique in that it is one of the onlypublic native plant gardens whoseexistence and maintenance is fundedentirely by nursery plant sales, ratherthan as part of a foundation or edu-cational establishment. The gardenis tended by one full-time gardener,whose primary duties are planting,weeding, pruning, meadow mainte-nance, path maintenance, and basicrepairs. Nursery staff, and occasionalvolunteers, assist with seasonalprojects.

ORGANICALLY GROWN

The Garden has been installedand maintained with the utmost re-spect to the truly native inhabit-

ants, the flora and fauna that havelong resided in the surrounding for-est. No chemicals are used in theGarden—no pesticides, herbicides,or fertilizers as these could inad-vertently harm the many creaturesliving in the soil and water here.This philosophy extends to the ad-jacent Nursery. New Garden plant-ings are planned around heritageshrubs and trees. Mature oaks andbuckeyes ring the perimeter of thegarden, providing ample opportu-nity for shady paths and beds. Twomature western leatherwoods (Dircaoccidentalis) line the path to thepond, one reaching nearly nine feettall. On the opposite side of thegarden, a local blue blossom (Cea-nothus thyrsiflorus), nearing 30 feettall, threatens to reach the powerlines a few feet above it, but seems

Farewell-to-spring (Clarkia amoena) blooms on a fog-shrouded summer morning in the Garden.


to know it’s reached a good place toslow down.

As in any garden, plants declineand pass on, allowing opportunitiesfor fresh ideas and plantings. Ourwildflower meadow was once in theshade of a mighty Douglas-fir. It wassad to lose it in a storm in 1995, butits absence created a bright sunnymeadow of nearly half an acre, whichdelights visitors to the garden inspring and summer with its succes-sion of annual wildflower blooms.The branches from the fallen Dou-glas-fir were used to create uniquefencing, which rings this meadow.A lavender-flowered bigpod ceano-thus (Ceanothus megacarpus) was afragrant spring delight for years. Aheat wave a few years ago provedtoo much for it, but the graceful,lichen-covered skeleton was a beau-tiful component of the garden untilthis past winter, when a strong gustfinally took it down. We now havea new addition, desert willow(Chilopsis linearis), growing in itsplace.

The original plantings still formthe core architecture of the Garden.Declining plants have been replaced,and some trees originally planted

Gerda coming out of the Yerba Buena Nursery office in 1990. Photograph courtesy of Amiand Richard Jaqua.

Gerda on the Jaqua bench by the meadow.Photograph courtesy of Ami and RichardJaqua.

too closely together are scheduledfor thinning or removal. Since thisis a “Demonstration Garden,” thereis an ongoing question whether toshow a variety of plants or followaesthetic design principles in plantplacements. We strive to have a Gar-den specimen of every plant for salein the Nursery with the goal of dis-playing these in the most attractiveway possible.

Challenges to Garden upkeepinclude managing wildlife (gophers,birds, rabbits, coyotes, bobcats, andoccasional deer); visitors (keepingpeople on the paths, reminding themnot to pick the flowers, touch thewildlife, or collect anything—“leaveonly footprints, take only memo-ries”); weather related factors (suchas excessive summer heat, rain-caused drainage issues, and freezes);fencing issues; and plant diseasesand pests (such as sudden oak deathand pest overabundance such as pe-riodic population explosions of oakmoths).

SUMMARY

The Garden attracts the nativeplant enthusiast as well as the nov-ice. For many, a visit to the GerdaIsenberg Native Plant Garden is theirfirst exposure to the concept of sucha garden. The drive down the longgravel road from Skyline Boulevard,winding through forests of nativevegetation, can be an inspiration initself. Upon entering the confines ofthe property that Gerda Isenbergdedicated to honoring and promot-ing the value of native plants, one isfilled with the wonder of California’sflora and the idea that this aspect ofCalifornia that does not have a voiceof its own is worth protecting andtreasuring.

Gerda Isenberg Native Plant Garden,Yerba Buena Nursery, 19500 SkylineBlvd., Woodside, CA 94062; (650)851-1668; www.yerbabuenanursery.com •Kathy Crane and Matt Teel may bereached at the nursery.


SAN FRANCISCO BOTANICAL GARDENNATIVE PLANT GARDEN

by Don Mahoney, Terry Seefeld, and Barbara Pitschel

he native plantings at the SanFrancisco Botanical Gardenhave roots that reach back tothe early days of Golden Gate

Park. In the 1897 annual report forGolden Gate Park, the area wherethe current native Garden now sitswas a large part of an area desig-nated as a site for an arboretum.Trees planted at that time includedtwo Torrey pines (Pinus torreyana),one of which still stands and towersover the western edge of the nativemeadow. The second giant Torreypine fell on a still, foggy night justtwo years ago. According to Victor

Reiter Jr. (1975. California Horticul-ture Journal 36(2):64), the RedwoodGrove was also planted between thattime and the 1906 earthquake. Thelast few redwoods were planted inthe area “a few days after that sub-stantial temblor.”

The whole site has had an inter-esting history. Originally, the nativeGarden was part of a sunken sanddune area. At its low point, wherethe current meadow sits, there was asmall lake, which was fed by a sub-terranean stream originating in thenearby southern hills. John McLaren,the “father” of Golden Gate Park,

developed this wet spot into a largepumping station, complete with im-mense, dome-shaped, brick cisternsand settling basins. He did this be-cause he considered the rates forwater from the local water depart-ment to be exorbitant. Part of thearea was plowed every year and sownin hay to feed park animals. Possiblythis was the initial source of some ofthe weeds that remain hard to con-trol to this day. During the 1894Midwinter Fair, a railroad spur wasbuilt at the east edge of the currentnative Garden, and for a number ofyears thereafter, street sweepings

Tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra) in full bloom in the meadow in late summer. Allphotographs by D. Mahoney.

T


(primarily horse manure) weredumped in this area “courtesy of therailroad,” to be used by the park forfertilizer. Most of this informationcomes from the Reiter article.

HISTORY

Many special plants, includingmore native trees, continued to beplanted for the next 30 years, but itwasn’t until 1937 that the StrybingArboretum was officially begun,when Eric Walther, who started as apark gardener in 1916, “was givenby John McLaren the herculean taskof developing a botanical garden withgangs of WPA workers and little else”(Elizabeth McClintock. 1970. Cali-fornia Horticultural Journal 31(2):60).Helene Strybing had left a bequest tothe City of San Francisco in 1926 fora botanical garden, but this couldnot be used until her siblings had allpassed on. In 1939, this money($200,000 at that time) became avail-able, and Eric Walther began a seri-ous expansion of the Arboretum.

As part of the bequest, HeleneStrybing had instructed that the bo-tanical garden was “to contain espe-cially a collection of trees, shrubs,and plants indigenous to, or charac-teristic of, California.” In these earlydays, Eric Walther planted variousslopes in native California wild-flowers, but all of those slopes nowhold other collections. Around1960, when the master plan ofthe Arboretum was designed bylandscape architect Robert Tetlow,five acres (not including the red-wood grove) were set aside forplants “native to, and characteristicof, California,” as specified by theHelene Strybing bequest. These fiveacres are the current site of the na-tive Garden. Around this time, ayoung gardener, Arthur L. Menzies,who had started at Golden Gate Parkas a gardener in 1953 (after work-ing for a few years for Victor Reiter),became assistant director of the ar-boretum. He was an avid collectorof native plants, especially manza-

nitas (Arctostaphylos spp.). Withinfour years, the Garden was plantedwith some 300 kinds of nativeplants, including 71 species, variet-ies, and hybrids of manzanitas.

FIFTY YEARS LATER

Nearly 50 years later, in 2008,there are still 107 of those 300 earlyaccessions in the Garden. Only two

TOP: Humboldt fuchsia (Epilobium septentrionale) and California-aster (Lessingia filaginifolia)bloom in the rock garden in autumn. • BOTTOM: Every spring, the arroyo can be dependedon to reliably provide color from meadowfoam (Limnanthes douglasii), California poppy(Eschscholzia californica), and western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale).


of these are original manzanitas how-ever, which speaks to the life spansof many of our chaparral species.The two remaining manzanitas, in-terestingly enough, are our two lo-cal natives, Arctostaphylos tomentosassp. crustacea and ssp. rosei, bothoriginally collected in San Francisco.Other notable early plantings thatstill persist include the understoryand groundcovers in the Redwood

Grove. These have not only survived,but have filled every niche to makethis our most authentic and weed-free garden in the entire botanicalgarden. Pines and other coniferswere highly valued by Menzies, and14 conifer species from the earlyplantings still exist. Another 16 spe-cies of broadleaf trees are also stillpresent after 50 years.

One of the original coast red-woods from around 1906 producesabundant albino shoots from its burlevery spring. While documentationis scarce, it is believed that this treewas collected from the grove dis-covered on the San Francisco Pen-insula around 1900. (Albino red-wood history is discussed in: GeorgeJames Peirce. 1901. Studies on thecoast redwood. Proceedings of theCalifornia Academy of Sciences, ThirdSeries, Botany 2(3); and in: RoPeterson. 1987. Albino redwoods:forest phantoms. Fremontia 14(4):25-26.)

After the untimely death of ArtMenzies in 1973, the native Garden

was renamed the “Arthur L. MenziesMemorial Garden of California Na-tive Plants,” with unanimous ap-proval of the governing bodies of thepark. At that time, we were fortunateto have Jake Sigg as the Recreationand Parks Department gardener as-signed to the native section, and alsoto have John Kipping as educationdirector of the Strybing ArboretumSociety. Both men were, and still are,avid supporters and appreciators ofour native flora. During his tenurehere, Jake, with city landscape archi-tect Hugh Schmidt, initiated the firstof several major renovations of theGarden. By this time, the StrybingArboretum Society, a nonprofit sup-port group founded in 1955, was pro-viding financial and moral supportfor Garden improvements. Jake waseager to remove a central lawn area,which had been a major problem be-cause water from the lawn was con-tinually killing nearby natives. Thelawn was removed in 1975 and re-placed with a dry arroyo. Much re-grading was done, and large Frenchdrains were installed in the lowerend of the Garden. Large roundedsandstone boulders were placed tomimic a dry watercourse. A finalphase was the installation of a stonewall and observation platform at thewestern end of the Garden, built outof limestone blocks from the Hearstmonastery stone. During that firstspring and summer, numerous an-nuals were planted from seeds thathad been pre-started in flats in thenursery. And during that first springand summer, “masses of bloom” froma long list of California annualsgreeted visitors to the Garden. Thiswas one of many attempts to get an-nuals to reseed in the Garden.

FOR VISITORS

According to a California Horti-cultural Journal article (1975. 36(4):59) by John Kipping, during thistime, “a natural aspect prevailed,rather than a planned landscape.”Jake Sigg is quoted as saying, “Paths

TOP: Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana) hasnaturalized in many colors in the Garden.• MIDDLE: California-aster (Lessingia fila-ginifolia) is one of the best nectar sourcesfor pollinators. • BOTTOM: Coast buckwheat(Eriogonum latifolium), shown here withruby chalice clarkia (Clarkia rubicunda) isalso a good nectar source.


were placed so every plant can beseen close up and where people seemto want to walk.” By the 1980s, then-director Walden Valen was eagerfor a more designed native Garden,as visitors “roam freely through theGarden unable to distinguish be-tween paths and planted areas.”Landscape architect Ron Lutsko washired to do a complete renovationof the Garden, which was completedin 1988.

When Lutsko approached theMenzies Garden, “It was an incred-ible repository of plants. Basically, itwas a collection, not a garden.” Whatwas missing was an overall design.Lutsko created a plan that included adistinct entry to the Garden at thehead of the arroyo. He opened upthe center of the Garden, reinforcingthe edges to create a big central space.Three rock gardens were added withrock placement by Phil Johnson. “Weapproached it like designing a bighouse with a great room, provided

with subspaces defined by shrubs androcks.” With the exception of sev-eral large trees and also the Garden’speriphery, most of the plants wereremoved or repropagated. The Gar-den was designed to have represen-tatives of distinct ecotypes, includ-ing coastal scrub, evidenced in low-key edges of three- to four-foot-tallplants defining smaller subspaces;trees and forest at the absolute pe-riphery of the Garden; and finally,the meadow, “like a carpet in theliving room.” To unify the design,theme plants were chosen to beplanted in greater numbers. Thesewere madrone (Arbutus menziesii),Stanford manzanita (Arctostaphylosstanfordiana), Julia Phelps ceano-thus(Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’), pink flow-ering currant (Ribes sanguineum var.glutinosum), California fuchsia(Epilobium canum), Santa Cruz Is-land buckwheat (Eriogonum arbor-escens), coastal gumplant (Grindeliastricta), and Douglas iris (Iris doug-

lasiana) selections. Over the years,all of these species have persistedand proven successful. The “carpet,”or meadow, consisted mainly ofbunchgrasses, which began to reseedtremendously. Among these reseed-ing grasses, weedy grasses came upfrom the long-buried seed bank. Thegardener at that time, King Sip, spentendless hours weeding and trying tointroduce appropriate annuals. Sheand the current gardener, TerrySeefeld, found greater success by in-troducing more perennials andbulbs, and fewer annuals, into themeadow. Annuals were confined tosmaller pockets and at the edges ofthe rock gardens.

Each year, particular perennialspecies produce spectacular bloom,and the next year may produce fewor no flowers at all. It is the diversityof species that ensures that some-thing is always in bloom. This alsomeans that no two years are thesame. Some species bloom more con-

The rock garden is colorful year-round. As the ruby chalice clarkia (Clarkia rubicunda) is finishing its bloom, the yellow blossoms of gumplant (Grindelia sp.) are just starting.


sistently. California poppy (Esch-scholzia californica) has a very longflowering period. In early spring,checker bloom (Sidalcea malvae-flora) can almost form pink sheetsbetween the grasses. Franciscanwallflower (Erysimum franciscanum)and Point Reyes wallflower (E. men-ziesii ssp. concinnum) bloom at thistime also. Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrin-

the fall color scheme. One of theshowiest autumn plants is the brightred California fuchsia (Epilobiumseptentrionale), which blooms alongwith the lighter red Epilobium canum.

GRASSES

Tufted hairgrass (Deschampsiacespitosa) is probably one of our mostpopular California native grasses,standing about two-and-a-half tothree feet high and giving great mo-tion with the slightest breeze. Nee-dlegrasses (Nassella pulchra and N.lepida) are the most numerous inthe Garden, forming smaller, coarserbunches with wider leaves than thehairgrasses. Deer grass (Muhlenber-gia rigens) sends up tall flower stalksin late summer and holds themthrough late fall and into winter.This species is used by native Cali-fornians for basket making. Canyon

chium bellum) is also easyand reliable. A little laterin the season, seasidedaisy (Erigeron glaucus)and camas (Camassiaquamash) add their lav-ender and blue to thecolor palette. One-leafonion (Allium unifolium)and sun cups (Camisso-nia ovata) add their pinkand yellow to the mead-ow edges. In the sum-mer, eight species of

buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.) bloomin the rock gardens and meadow.Coastal gumplant (Grindelia stricta)lines the main pathway with yellowin summer and fall. Yellow is alsoadded by three goldenrods (Solidagocalifornica, S. spathulata, and S.confinis). California-aster (Lessingiafilaginifolia) and coast aster (Asterchilensis) add pink and lavender to

TOP: In early spring, the rock garden is a mix of annual and perennialwildflowers. • BOTTOM : Even when not in bloom, the rock garden is attractivewith the silver foliage of the California-aster (Lessingia filaginifolia) andvarious lupines.


Prince California wildrye (Leymuscondensatus ‘Canyon Prince’) is aprominent blue-gray grass with wideleaves. Two types of California fes-cue (Festuca californica) grow in thewetter parts of the meadow. Twovarieties of Idaho fescue (Festucaidahoensis) grow on the north andsouth sides of the arroyo. Short-leaved fescue (Festuca brachyphylla)is a shorter, blue-green, sometimesreddish grass that is a personal fa-vorite, as it remains compact andreseeds, but not excessively. Red fes-cue (Festuca rubra) is listed as abunchgrass, but has short rhizomesthat can creep outward. It has nar-row leaves that, together with thestems, often have a distinct reddishcast.

In 1991, Lutsko won the Na-tional Award of Merit from theAmerican Society of Landscape Ar-chitects for this Garden. In The Natu-ral Habitat Garden (Clarkson Pot-ter, 1994), author Ken Druse writes,“Beyond a collection, it is perhapsthe most beautifully planned andmaintained public garden in thecountry dedicated to habitat-styleplanting.”

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance is very time-con-suming. While the Garden is in-tended to look very natural and care-free, it is anything but that. Mainte-nance is required because of the resi-dent weed seed bank in the soil, aswell as an overabundance of snailsand slugs during the rainy season,when most annuals like baby blueeyes are totally devoured. There isalso an overwintering population ofwhite-crowned sparrows that seeemerging seedlings as their privatesalad bar. Gophers and moles makemost bulb plantings troublesome.Calochortus are difficult because allthe aforementioned creatures willeat them. The meadow can be cov-ered with frost many winter morn-ings and also be covered with fog forweeks on end in the summer. Even

California poppies may not openexcept for a few days a week in thesummertime.

CHANGES

One more renovation is plannedfor this fall, when some pathwayswill be regraded. The last remainingsouth-facing slope to the north ofthe meadow will be redesigned andreplanted as a new manzanita bedand several dozen new Arctostaphy-los taxa are being propagated forthis purpose in the nursery. The na-tive Garden will continue to grow.Currently, there are upwards of 500taxa in the Garden that are perma-nent. Many more annuals and bulbsare added on a temporary basis fromyear to year.

In spite of, or because of, allthis, the native Garden here at theSan Francisco Botanical Garden atStrybing Arboretum (our officialtitle) is always a memorable Gardento visit and provides an experienceof wild nature complete with beau-tiful flowers, bees, birds, and butter-flies. It is a wonderful education forthose who want to learn about ournatural and native environment.

San Francisco Botanical Garden atStrybing Arboretum, 1199 9th Avenue,San Francisco, CA 94122; (415)661-1316;www.sfbotanicalgarden.org • DonMahoney, [email protected]; Terry Seefeld, [email protected]; BarbaraPitschel, [email protected]

A typical summer afternoon in San Francisco.


THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIABOTANICAL GARDEN AT BERKELEY

by Nathan Smith

any a native plant gar-dener is inspired byCalifornia’s naturallandscapes, and many

strive in some way to bring thatbeauty into their home gardens. Thisvenerable tradition of highly styl-ized natural landscapes has a longhistory in Japan, where an idealizednature is evoked by a prescribeduse of garden elements and forms.Public gardens are planted to recalllandscapes from around the world.The California area at the Univer-sity of California Botanical Gardenat Berkeley is unique in the degree

and specificity with which it drawsinspiration from nature to replicatenatural plant habitats. From the five-acre redwood grove planted in the1930s to the vernal pools which arerenewed every year, the Gardenshows the many and varied Califor-nia plant communities.

All gardens, to some degree, sim-plify and stylize nature in their dis-plays. Much as natural landscapesare shaped by physical and environ-mental factors, the primary influ-ence on the development of gardensis the people who cultivate them.Gardens often thrive or fail based

on the efforts of a few individuals.Looming large in the history of theUC Botanical Garden are horticul-turists Roger Raiche and WayneRoderick. Their names are familiarto many a native enthusiast and areattached to popular garden cultivarssuch as Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’ or Eri-geron ‘W.R.’ Both have been popularspeakers at CNPS meetings and sym-posia. I have had the pleasure ofspending some time in the field withboth of these extraordinary horti-culturists. They opened my eyes tothe California flora in a way thatcontinues to transform and inspire

M

The succulent stemmed giant coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea) dominates this scene from the Garden’s Channel Islands section.All photographs by N. Smith.


my daily experience on this fragileplanet.

The selection and introductionof superior horticultural forms haspopularized the use of native plantsin the landscape, and by extension,improved awareness of our nativeflora. The role of public gardens ininspiring and educating designersand gardeners should not be under-stated. The masses of deer grass(Muhlenbergia rigens) planted in theUC Botanical Garden and others toevoke the natural savannah havebeen replicated in commercial andresidential landscapes around thestate. The Garden’s plantings andpromotion have helped popularizethe use of leafy reed grass (Calama-grostis foliosa), a truly wonderfulfeathery native bunchgrass from thenorth coast. Public gardens providean opportunity to share great plantcombinations and to experiment withplants for difficult situations. TheGarden’s two annual plant sales anddaily plant sales help make some ofthe diversity of garden-worthy na-tives available to the public. As moregardens begin to include Californianatives, our native flora can againbecome a daily part of the urban/suburban experience. Raising aware-ness is critical to the conservationmissions of the Garden and CNPS.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS

The Garden is actively involvedwith many conservation efforts inpartnership with the Center for PlantConservation, California State Parks,California Department of Fish &Game, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,National Park Service, and Bureauof Land Management. Most promi-nently in the recent press was theGarden’s work with the Mt. Diablobuckwheat (Eriogonum truncatum).This annual species was presumedextinct, having last been seen by Mt.Diablo flora author Mary Bowermanin 1936. UCB graduate studentMichael Park rediscovered the plantin 2005 within Mt. Diablo State Park.

The Garden has grown plants fromseed collected from this very smallpopulation for two seasons, produc-ing tens of thousands of new seed,some of which was used in a rein-troduction effort in late 2007. Mt.Diablo buckwheat will make a won-derful garden subject one day. Simi-lar conservation efforts led by cura-tor Holly Forbes are underway forPresidio manzanita (Arctostaphylosmontana ssp. ravenii), Presidio clar-kia (Clarkia franciscana), Baker’slarkspur (Delphinium bakeri), yel-low larkspur (Delphinium luteum),white sedge (Carex albida), Ken-wood marsh checkermallow (Sidal-cea oregana ssp. valida), Marin dwarfflax (Hesperolinon congestum), SanMateo thornmint (Acanthominthaduttonii), and Tiburon paintbrush(Castilleja affinis ssp. neglecta).

The Garden is a participant in“Seeds of Success,” part of the fed-eral Native Plant Materials Develop-

ment Program. Seeds of commontaxa are collected in large quantitiesfor future use in restoration/reha-bilitation efforts following distur-bance (for example, for re-seedingfollowing wildfire). Half of the seedsare stored at the USDA National Cen-ter for Genetic Resources Preserva-tion at Fort Collins, Colorado, andthe other half at the Millennium SeedBank in England.

Nearly all the specimens in theGarden are field collected. Detailedrecords are kept concerning theirplace of origin, which enhances theirscientific value considerably. TheGarden is exceptionally well-labeledwith each accession accompanied bya public display label including anaccession number, family name, sci-entific name, place of origin, andwhere appropriate, common name,making it possible for visitors toidentify virtually any plant in theGarden. Growing on the Garden’s

The dangling tassels of James Roof silktassel (Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’) are framed bythe pink flowers of Paradise manzanita (Arctostaphylos pajaroensis ‘Paradise’) and thedense green foliage of Vandenberg ceanothus (Ceanothus impressus ‘Vandenberg’) in theGarden’s deer-frequented cultivar bed.


34 acres are plants from around theworld. The 12,500 different speciesand subspecies that compose thecollection represent 2,669 genera in308 plant families, making it one ofthe largest and most diverse plantcollections in the United States.

COLLECTIONS

The Garden has the most diversecollection of California natives inthe state with 1,613 taxa growing inover 14 acres. The California collec-tion is high in diversity for families,genera, species, and subtaxa. Evenwithin a given taxon, emphasis fre-quently is placed on showing oddvariants, color forms, growth forms,or habitat extensions.

Roderick’s and Raiche’s prodi-gious collecting and horticultural ef-

forts are responsible for much of thecurrent collection. Of the 2,531 liv-ing accessions in the California area,278 are Roderick collections and1,220 are Raiche collections fromhis 22-year tenure at the Garden.The Garden’s history of selectionand informal introduction of supe-rior plants into the nursery tradehas resulted in an abundance of su-perior native cultivars (sidebar, p.49). The majority of these introduc-tions are Raiche collections, evidenceof his extraordinary plants-manship.In addition to recognizing plantswith horticultural potential, Raiche’sobservational skills led to the recog-nition of three new taxa that werenamed in his honor: Arctostaphylosstanfordiana ssp. raichei (Raiche man-zanita), Clarkia concinna ssp. raichei(Raiche’s red ribbons), and Calo-

TOP: Pajaro manzanita (Arctostaphylos pajaroensis), silver bush lupine (Lupinus albifrons), and California fescue (Festuca californica) maketextural and sculptural statements about foliage and form in a naturalistic setting. • BOTTOM: Rare and endangered Burke’s goldfields(Lasthenia burkei) with the similarly endangered Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans) in the Garden’s vernal pool display.


chortus raichei (Cedars’ fairy lan-tern). Roderick was similarly hon-ored by the naming of Ceanothusroderickii (Pine Hill buckbrush),Fritillaria roderickii (Roderick’s frit-illary), and Erythronium citrinum var.roderickii (Roderick’s fawn lily).

ROGER RAICHE

Much of the collecting was doneby these horticulturists on week-ends or other non-work time. Rogerwould complain that he could notafford to take time off from weedingthe California area at the Garden togo collect. For a time Roger lived ina guest apartment in the house ofMyrtle Wolf, a generous benefactorto the Garden and early member ofCNPS. She told me that nearly everyweekend Roger would come homefrom work, toss his camping gearinto the car, and head off on Fridaynight, spending the entire weekendbotanizing, and not returning againuntil late Sunday. During the timethat I worked with him, toward theend of his career at the Garden, thepattern was similar. Most weekendshe would head up to camp at TheCedars, a serpentine wonderland inSonoma County. This remarkablearea is home to seven endemic spe-cies. In the late 1990s Roger and hispartner purchased a significant por-tion of The Cedars, creating a pri-vate natural preserve.

SERPENTINE FLORA

Roger’s abiding interest in theserpentine flora inspired the con-struction of one of the few gardensin the world to feature the Californianative flora adapted to serpentinesoils. Ten percent of the native florais adapted to this unique and botani-cally-rich substrate, which is also thestate rock of California. Designed bylandscape architect and noted nativeplant enthusiast Ron Lutsko, the ser-pentine area was constructed usingtons of salvaged serpentine rock andsoil from Marin and Amador coun-

ties to make the first planting of itskind in California. The serpentinebed features such unusual plants asthe Presidio manzanita (Arctostaphy-los montana ssp. ravenii), which isknown from only a single surviving

individual in habitat, a serpentineendemic fairy lantern (Calochortusraichei), a lovely pink-flowered se-lection of the western azalea (Rhodo-dendron occidentale ‘Myrt’s Blush’),California pitcher plants (Darling-

TOP: Masses of deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens) remind the gardener of California’s naturalsavannah landscapes, and have been used extensively in public and private gardens. •BOTTOM: This combination of coast blue blossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), California fescue(Festuca californica), and Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana) from the Garden’s coastal bedscould easily be translated into a residential setting.


tonia californica), and a suite of rareand unusual annuals. While gener-ally austere in appearance, the ser-pentine bed has seasonal flourishes

of color that are inspiring. The softpink blossoms of Rhododendronoccidentale ‘Myrt’s Blush’ against theemerald green to teal blue marbledserpentine rocks is one such remark-able combination.

WAYNE RODERICK:VERNAL POOLS

Horticulturist Wayne Roderickled the Garden’s pioneering effortto recreate a vernal pool. A vernalpool is a depression underlain by animpermeable soil layer that fills upwith water in the winter and driesslowly through spring. Two factors,the degree of salinity at differentdepths of the pool, and the toler-ance of plants to periods of extended

inundation create distinct rings ofplants around the pool. Rare annu-als such as Sebastopol meadowfoam(Limnanthes vinculans) and Burke’s

ABOVE: Myrt’s Blush western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale ‘Myrt’s Blush’) in full bloom in the Garden’s unique serpentine bed. • BELOW

LEFT: The rare and endangered Pitkin Marsh leopard lily (Lilium pardalinum ssp. pitkinense) is one of many Garden rarities that arepreserved in the Garden’s collection. • BELOW RIGHT: Myrt’s Blush western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale ‘Myrt’s Blush’).


CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT CULTIVARINTRODUCTIONS FROM THE UC BERKELEY BOTANICALGARDEN COLLECTION

Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Baby Bun’

Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp . hearstiorum ‘Marshall Olbrich’

Arctostaphylos nummularia ‘Small Change’

Arctostaphylos pajaroensis ‘Myrtle Wolf’

Arctostaphylos pajaroensis ‘Warren Roberts’

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Mount Vision’

Brodiaea elegans ‘Midnight’

Calamagrostis nutkaensis ‘The King’

Ceanothus ‘Berkeley Skies’

Ceanothus ‘Joan Mirov’

Ceanothus griseus ‘Kurt Zadnik’

Epilobium canum ‘Solidarity Pink’

Epipactis gigantea ‘Serpentine Night’

Eriogonum fasciculatum ‘Zaca Peak’

Festuca californica ‘Serpentine Blue’

Festuca californica ‘Mayacmas Blue’

Festuca rubra ‘Patrick’s Point’

Garrya elliptica ‘Evie’

Lupinus succulentus ‘Rodeo Rose’

Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Lodoga Pink’

Rhamnus californica ‘Leatherleaf’

Rhamnus californica ‘Mound San Bruno’

Rhamnus californica ‘Curly’

Rhododendron occidentale ‘Myrt’s Blush’

Ribes malvaceum ‘Montara Rose’

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum ‘Inverness White’

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum ‘Joyce Rose’

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum ‘Pink Drops’

Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’

Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’

goldfields (Lasthenia burkei) pro-duce vibrant color bands of goldand cream. Thousands of children,students, and adults are exposed tothis unique phenomenon at the Gar-den, raising awareness and helpingto foster the conservation of thisthreatened habitat.

WAYNE RODERICK: PYGMYFOREST

Wayne Roderick likewise led theeffort to create a pygmy forest ofedaphically dwarfed conifers. Un-derlain by a clay hardpan and grow-ing on extremely poor, acidic, sandysoils in Mendocino and SonomaCounties, this unusual plant com-munity hosts a number of rareendemic plants. Pygmy cypresses(Cupressus goveniana ssp. pigmaea),Bolander pines (Pinus contorta ssp.bolanderi), huckleberries (Vacciniumovatum), and rhododendrons domi-nate the scene. Garden horticultur-ists maintain this idealized displaymuch like a bonsai gardener main-tains a specimen tree through horti-cultural practices, which include cre-ating a hardpan under the trees, rootand tip pruning of the trees, andacidifying the soil.

Other special plant communitydisplays in the California area in-clude an alpine fell-field, redwoodforest, grassland, coastal scrub, ri-parian, and knobcone pine wood-lands. Each area features a distinctaesthetic and suite of plants. Withineach natural community are plantsof exceptional horticultural value forhome garden situations.

The Garden offers a diverse rangeof public programs on horticulture,botany, and natural sciences to au-diences of all ages. Specialty bro-chures describing the California ser-pentine area, and a self-guided tourof California’s native plants andpeoples are available year-round.

The Garden is an inspiring placeof beauty and a reminder of the won-der and brilliance of the natural

world. The Garden relies on the gen-erosity of its members, individuals,and the University of California forthe resources it needs to supportprograms and events, the fantasticand diverse teaching and researchcollection, and the extraordinarycommunity of staff and volunteers

who keep it growing. Please supportthe Garden and come visit us!

University of California Botanical Gar-den, 200 Centennial Dr., Berkeley, CA94720-5045; (510) 643-2755; http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu • NathanSmith, [email protected]


CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTSAT THE UC DAVIS ARBORETUM

by Ellen Zagory

he University of CaliforniaDavis (UC Davis) Arboretumoccupies approximately 100acres along the southern edge

of the UC Davis campus, about 15miles west of Sacramento, on thehistoric banks of the north fork ofPutah Creek. The UC Davis Arbo-

retum is unusual both because ithas no fences and because it is physi-cally connected to the central cam-pus landscape. In addition to gar-den visitors interested in plants, theArboretum is used by students, fac-ulty, and recreational visitors as abicycle, walking, and jogging path,and as a natural area for relaxationand wildlife viewing. A wide varietyof classes utilizes the Arboretum andits collections, such as plant tax-onomy, wildlife biology, and ento-mology, as well as art, dance, andmusic classes. Large native oak treesand year-round water in the Arbo-retum waterway create habitat forwildlife, and the garden is home tomany birds, insects, and small mam-mals. The mature oaks and pines ofthe Arboretum, combined with thecampus’ iconic white water towers,create a scenic horizon for thosepassing along Interstate 80. TheCalifornia native plants of the UCDavis Arboretum represent the larg-est planted landscape of Californianatives in the Great Central Valleyof California. We estimate thatnearly half of the Arboretum’s 100acres is planted with California na-tive plants, some in intensively cul-tivated demonstration gardens andothers in large “landscape”-scaleplantings of towering trees, sweep-ing swaths of native grasses, andlarge shrubs.

Our California native plant col-lection is exceptional for a numberof reasons: (1) a large section isdevoted to an intensively main-tained, “gardenesque” series ofhome-scale vignettes that are labeledand interpreted with informationabout native plants recommendedfor gardens; (2) our gardens dem-onstrate species’ tolerance of Cen-tral Valley heat and drought; and

TInterior live oak (Quercus wislizeni) with dune sedge (Carex praegracilis) and island alumroot (Heuchera maxima). All photographs by E. Zagory.


(3) our irrigation water is high inboron (a toxic ion), bicarbonates,and calcium, leading to rising soilalkalinity in summer months. Hence,plants that survive here may be rec-ommended to gardeners with simi-lar water problems and perhaps tothose using reclaimed water systems.

MARY WATTIS BROWNGARDEN OF CALIFORNIANATIVE PLANTS

Our premier garden for visitorsinterested in learning about garden-ing with California native plants isthe Mary Wattis Brown Garden.Named for the close friend of afounder of our support group,Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum,it is supported by an endowmentfrom Mary Wattis Brown’s family.Arranged in a pleasing series ofthemed plantings, the garden con-tains species and cultivar collectionsof many native plant genera such asRibes, Ceanothus, Epilobium (E.canum), and Eriogonum, under theshade of native oaks, pines, and othertrees, including California bay, al-der, and box elder. Manzanitas (Arc-tostaphylos spp.) have proved prob-lematic for us, probably due to wa-ter quality issues, although we dohave some, particularly A. densiflorahybrid cultivars, which grow wellwith infrequent summer water. Ouroldest and largest manzanitas growin a separate area without summerirrigation.

In this garden, the primary as-phalt path accommodates faster-moving traffic, while a secondary,decomposed granite path winds itsway through the plantings for thevisitor seeking a deeper experience.Let’s take a tour of this area as youwould see it when you visit.

Starting at the west end of thegarden, the sentinel plant is a tower-ing valley oak (Quercus lobata), oneof many large, heritage oaks nativeto the banks of the old north fork ofPutah Creek. This plant is reputed

to be the marker for the boundary ofthe original Mexican land grant givenwhen this area was first occupied byEuropean settlers. At the entry youare greeted by a planting of MargaritaBOP penstemon (Penstemon hetero-phyllus ‘Margarita BOP’), blue gramagrass (Bouteloua gracilis), and ShastaSulphur buckwheat (Eriogonumumbellatum var. polyanthum ‘ShastaSulphur’). California wild rose (Rosa

californica) and wild cucumber(Marah fabaceus) run along the lessaccessible steep slopes, as they likelydid along the wild creek. In the samearea are trees of higher elevations,such as Jeffrey and ponderosa pines(Pinus jeffreyi, P. ponderosa), andincense cedar (Calocedrus decur-rens), combined with deer grass(Muhlenbergia rigens), Californiagoldenrod (Solidago californica), sul-

Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis), deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens), and foothill pine(Pinus sabiniana) along the Arboretum waterway.


best performing California fuchsiasis found in this area: Epilobiumcanum ‘Bowman’s #1’, an upright,fine-foliaged green form to abouttwo-and-a-half feet tall that makes afountain of flaming orange-red flow-ers in summer and fall. Also in thisarea is a fine selection of Califor-nia goldenrod (Solidago californi-ca) with compact form and dense,showy flowers, originally selectedby Roger Raiche from Cascade Creekin San Mateo County.

Continuing down the windingpath, you come upon one of thelargest specimens known in cultiva-tion of the Catalina cherry (Prunusilicifolia ssp. lyonii), a stately speci-men casting its deep shade on spice-bush (Calycanthus occidentalis),Canyon Snow Iris (Iris douglasiana‘Canyon Snow’), and island alumroot (Heuchera maxima), and bor-dered by lemonade berry (Rhusintegrifolia), Santa Catalina Islandmountain mahogany (Cercocarpustraskiae), and greenbark ceanothus(Ceanothus spinosus).

Leaving the shady woodlandarea, a massive interior live oak(Quercus wislizeni) is bordered bylayers of coral bells (Heuchera maxi-ma, H. ‘Rosada’), Pacific Coast Hy-brid iris, and grasses and grass-likeplants (Sporobolus airoides, Muhlen-bergia rigens, Juncus patens, and

Nassella pulchra). Thepurple Heritage valleyoaks (Quercus lobata),with purple needlegrass(Nassella pulchra).

Purple needlegrassalways generates com-ments from campus na-tive plant enthusiastswhen their spikeletssparkle golden in thesummer sun. Continu-ing on the trail leads to ashrubby planting withSaint Catherine’s lace(Eriogonum giganteum),an enormous specimenof Santa Ana coyotebrush (Baccharis pilu-

fur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbella-tum), California fuchsia (Epilobiumcanum), coral bells (Heuchera vari-eties), and chaparral currant (Ribesmalvaceum). In spring and summerthe area sparkles with lupines, boththe locally native, yellow floweringEd Gedling lupine (Lupinus micro-carpus var. densiflorus ‘Ed Gedling’)and the silver bush lupine (Lupinusalbifrons), a nearby foothill species.Both above and below the centralpath, the steep banks are also plantedwith hummingbird sage (Salviaspathacea) and toyon (Heteromelesarbutifolia), creating prime places tolook for hummingbirds and cedarwaxwings in winter.

Next, we see some of the speciesfound repeatedly throughout thegarden: Valley Violet ceanothus(Ceanothus maritimus ‘Valley Vio-let’), our dark-flowered form whichis good for the small garden, west-ern redbud (Cercis occidentalis), andgolden currant (Ribes aureum) withbright yellow blooms in Februaryand March. Traveling further east, apair of blue oaks (Quercus douglasii)has a “very low summer water” gar-den within their drip lines plantedwith yampah (Perideridia kelloggii),California fescue (Festuca californi-ca), deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens),coral bells (Heuchera maxima, H.‘Rosada’), and currants (Ribes vibur-nifolium, R. malvaceum). Astriking mature buckeyeborders the area, its sil-very bark a beautiful fea-ture in the gray winterlight, as are the long flowerspikes in spring. Upslopeis a large island bushpoppy (Dendromecon har-fordii) with gray-blue foli-age and buttery flowers.Nearby, large mature Cali-fornia bay trees flourishon the bank.

Next is the “meadowvista,” a constructed grass-land of blue grama (Bou-teloua gracilis), deer grass(Muhlenbergia rigens),

purple needlegrass (Nassella pul-chra), and alkali sacaton (Sporobolusairoides), combined with Californiafuchsia (Epilobium canum), wiregrass (Juncus patens), and the beau-tiful Queen Fabiola Ithuriel’s spear(Triteleia laxa ‘Queen Fabiola’), aswell as a rambunctious distributionof California poppies (Eschscholziacalifornica). A relatively new spe-cies for us, golden bush (Ericamerialinearifolia), has grown into a smallshrub with showy yellow daisy flow-ers over a long season. One of our

Winifred Gilman sage (Salvia clevelandii‘Winifred Gilman’).

Everett’s Choice California fuchsia (Epilobium canum ‘Everett’sChoice’).


laris ‘Santa Ana’), island oak (Quer-cus tomentella), and island moun-tain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloi-des var. blancheae). Amethyst Bluffsage (Salvia leucophylla ‘AmethystBluff’), a Santa Barbara Botanic Gar-den introduction, makes a pleasingsilver mound with pink-purple flow-ers from which the plant gets itsname. Various other shrubby nativesages can be found in this same sec-tion: Salvia ‘Whirly Blue’, S. ‘Bee’sBliss’, and along the asphalt path, S.leucophylla ‘Point Sal’, S. clevelandii‘Winifred Gilman’, and S. mellifera‘Point Mugu’.

As we approach the eastern endof the garden we enter a small groveof fern-leaved Catalina ironwoods(Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp.asplenifolius) planted around a de-composed granite seating area thatattracts students and visitors to restin the shade. To the south in springyou can easily see the strange pipe-shaped flowers of the Californiapipevine (Aristolochia californica),and later, the spiky “road warrior”orange and black larvae of the pipe-vine swallowtail butterfly. On theslope above, the white, felt-like foli-age of island hazardia (Hazardiadetonsa) lights up this area alongwith Canyon Snow iris (Iris doug-

lasiana ‘Canyon Snow’) and Lillian’sPink coral bells (Heuchera ‘Lillian’sPink’). Prominent to the east is alarge specimen of Skylark barberry(Berberis ‘Skylark’), with showy,golden blooms followed by bluefruit.

Finally, at the eastern end of thegarden, just before the coast red-wood trees (Sequoia sempervirens)signal the approaching T. Eliot WeierRedwood Grove, a seaside-themedplanting happily combines Pajaromanzanita (Arctostaphylos pajaro-ensis), Wayne Roderick seaside daisy(Erigeron ‘W.R.’), David’s Choicesandhill sagebrush (Artemisia pyc-nocephala ‘David’s Choice’), Califor-nia fuchsia (Epilobium canum), SaintCatherine’s lace (Eriogonum gigan-teum), and San Clemente Islandbushmallow (Malacothamnus clem-entinus). A single malva rosa (Lava-tera assurgentiflora) grows happily,and amazingly, undamaged by lastwinter’s cold.

T. ELLIOT WEIERREDWOOD GROVE

T. Elliott Weier, professor ofbotany, arrived in the 1940s to thecampus of what was then a smallagricultural college. Under his in-struction, coast redwood seedlingswere planted on the sandy terraceformed by the seasonal flooding ofPutah Creek. Now, 60 years later,these trees form a cathedral-likegrove that provides greatly appreci-ated cooling shade in summer. Witha Lutsko Associates design in hand,we recently renovated the grove, add-ing drainage and grading improve-ments, new primary and secondarypaths, and thousands of plants fromspecies native to the coastal redwoodecosystem. Completing our new ex-hibit, interpretive signage providesvisitors with an opportunity to learnmore about redwood trees, and plantlabels identify the plantings. Weadded ground covers, including red-

LEFT: Roger’s Red grape (Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’). • RIGHT: Ed Gedling lupine (Lupinus microcarpusvar. densiflorus ‘Ed Gedling’) with California poppies and elegant clarkia (Clarkiaunguiculata).


wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana), wood-land strawberry (Fragaria vesca), andyarrow (Achillea millefolium). Her-baceous perennials include westernmeadowrue (Thalictrum fendleri),dog violet (Viola adunca), westerncolumbine (Aquilegia formosa), cowparsnip (Heracleum lanatum), Pacificwater parsley (Oenanthe sarmentosa),and coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var.palmatus). Ferns include giant chainfern (Woodwardia fimbriata), west-ern sword fern (Polystichum muni-tum), and southern maidenhair fern(Adiantum capillus-veneris). Spiky-form plants include Pacific Coast Hy-brid iris, wire grass (Juncus patens),and the larger, more green-leavedsoft rush (Juncus effusus). Shrubs likecreeping barberry (Berberis aqui-folium var. repens) and longleaf bar-berry (Berberis nervosa), creek dog-wood (Cornus sericea), spicebush(Calycanthus occidentalis), Pacificwax myrtle (Myrica californica), andninebark (Physocarpus capitatus),and others add height and depth tothe plantings. Picnic benches andtables complete this area to make itone of the most popular study spotsin the UC Davis Arboretum.

CALIFORNIA FOOTHILLAND VALLEY OAKS

A dramatic feature of the UCDavis Arboretum is its collection oftowering heritage valley oaks (Quer-cus lobata). With immense trunksand massive branches, these goliathsare prominent in our Foothill Col-lection. Other oak tree species havebeen planted in the area, includingcanyon live oak (Quercus chryso-lepis), California black oak (Quer-cus kelloggii), and Engelmann oak(Quercus engelmannii). Evergreentrees, like incense cedar (Calocedrusdecurrens) and California bay (Um-bellularia californica), punctuate theplantings in winter. Larger shrubs,such as coffeeberry (Rhamnus cali-fornica), sugar bush (Rhus ovata),and bush anemone (Carpenteria

TOP: The Mary Wattis Brown Garden’s “original California lawn” planting. • BOTTOM: UCDavis Arboretum’s Terrace Garden features Joan Mirov ceanothus (Ceanothus ‘Joan Mirov’),deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens), Otto Quast Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘OttoQuast’), and De La Mina lilac verbena (Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’).


californica), are planted along withoak gooseberry (Ribes quercetorum),chaparral currant (Ribes malvaceum),and snowberry (Symphoricarposalbus var. laevigatus). Evergreen cur-rant (Ribes viburnifolium), prostratechamise (Adenostoma fasciculatumvar. prostratum), and Twin Peaks #2coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis‘Twin Peaks #2’) are planted repeat-edly as evergreen groundcovers.Large swaths of grasses cover slopesand banks, such as the locally nativepurple needlegrass (Nassella pulch-ra), foothill needlegrass (Nassellalepida), June grass (Koeleria macran-tha), and dune sedge (Carex prae-gracilis), all easily maintained witha once-a-year mowing. Fifteen-year-old specimens of Canyon Gray Cali-fornia sagebrush (Artemisia cali-fornica ‘Canyon Gray’) now havemounded to two feet tall and helpcontrol erosion on the banks. Lovelyin fall, Roger’s Red grape (Vitis‘Roger’s Red’) drapes a footbridgeand provides dangling, deep bur-gundy to orange-red accents.

THE DEMONSTRATIONGARDENS

As the UC Davis Arboretum hasgrown, we have added “home dem-onstration” gardens to teach visitorsabout the best plants for Central Val-ley gardening. Expanding our edu-cational mission to include gardenplants that support native creaturessuch as birds and pollinators has ledto more mixing of California nativeplants with drought-tolerant non-natives. Two gardens exhibit thiscombination: the Arboretum TerraceGarden and the Ruth Storer Garden.In the Terrace, natives are wovenwith Mediterranean and southwestU.S. plants. Cleveland sage (Salviaclevelandii) cultivars, deer grass(Muhlenbergia rigens), golden cur-rant (Ribes aureum), Canyon Snowiris (Iris douglasiana ‘Canyon Snow’),island mountain mahogany (Cerco-carpus betuloides var. blancheae),

Howard McMinn manzanita (Arcto-staphylos ‘Howard McMinn’), andWayne Roderick seaside daisy (Eri-geron ‘W.R.’) are compatibly plantedwith rosemary (Rosmarinus offici-nalis), Texas ranger (Leucophyllumfrutescens), autumn sage (Salviagreggii), Betty Rollins oregano (Orig-anum ‘Betty Rollins’), and others.

In the Storer Garden, Dara’sChoice sage (Salvia ‘Dara’s Choice’),Silver Carpet California-aster (Les-singia filaginifolia var. californica ‘Sil-ver Carpet’), and August Delight andCalistoga California fuchsias (Epi-lobium canum ‘August Delight’, E. c.‘Calistoga’) grow happily with nar-cissus, cistus, oregano, and manyother heat-tolerant garden plants.

STILL MORE

Other collections also hold na-tive species, like the Peter J. ShieldsOak Grove, where island oak (Quer-cus tomentella), coast live oak (Quer-cus agrifolia), blue oak (Quercusdouglasii), and others are planted.

The west end of the UC Davis Arbo-retum has towering Fremont cot-tonwoods (Populus fremontii), partof the original flora of the waterway.Native pines like ponderosa, Jeffrey,Coulter, and Torrey (Pinus ponde-rosa, P. jeffreyi, P. coulteri, P. torrey-ana), and bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseu-dotsuga macrocarpa) can also befound in a grove along the campusentrance. Since space is too limitedhere to discuss every plant, we in-vite you to come and visit us, or visitour website at http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu. Come and learn moreabout the beauty and importance ofCalifornia native plants for savingwater, supporting pollinators, andconserving biological diversity. Wehope that you will take away agreater respect and admiration forCalifornia’s native plants.

UC Davis Arboretum, University of Cali-fornia, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616;(530)752-4880; http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu • Ellen Zagory, [email protected]

Heritage valley oaks (Quercus lobata), with purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra).


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C O N F E R E N C E H I G H L I G H T S� Plenary sessions and keynote speakers

� Photo & botanical illustration contests

� A diverse array of scientific presentations and posters

� Poster displays of CNPS chapter conservationachievements

� Technical and artistic workshops (January 20-21, 2009)

� Associated meetings of other botanical and conservationorganizations

� A welcome reception, banquet, silent auction, socialevents, working groups, and many networkingopportunities

� Student and volunteer discounts, scholarships, exhibitor’sbooths, central Capitol City location and much more

FOR MORE DETAILS , SEE www.cnps.org/cnps/conservation/conference/2009/

Volunteer opportunities abound! To volunteer contactJosie Crawford at 916-447-2677 or [email protected]

California Native Plant Society

Interested in conserving California’snative plant diversity and natural habitats?

This conference is for you!This will be the largest native plant conservation convention the statehas experienced since the first CNPS conference in 1986. Attend this

conference and help CNPS protect California’s native plants andlandscapes by promoting the best conservation strategies and solutions

to the widest possible audience.

K E Y N O T E S P E A K E R SJerome Ringo, President of Apollo Alliance and Past Chairman of the

National Wildlife Federation Stephen Hopper, Director of the Royal BotanicGardens, Kew John Muir Laws, Naturalist, Artist, Author, and Educator

Early Registration: July 1– November 15, 2008

Sacramento Convention Center & Sheraton Grand HotelSacramento, California

January 17–19, 2009

2009 CONSERVATIONCONFERENCE

F R E M O N T I AV O L U M E 3 6 : 2 – 3 , S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0 8

❏ Enclosed is a check made payable to CNPS Membership gift:

❏ Charge my gift to ❏ Mastercard ❏ Visa Added donation of:

Card number TOTAL ENCLOSED:

Exp. date

Signature

Phone

Email

Join Today!

Please make your check payable to “CNPS” and send to: California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacra-mento, CA 95816-5113. Phone: (916) 447-2677; Fax: (916) 447-2727; Web site: www.cnps.org.; Email: [email protected]

❏ Enclosed is a matching gift form provided by my employer

❏ I would like information on planned giving

CNPS member gifts allow us to promote and protect California’s native plants andtheir habitats. Gifts are tax-deductible minus the $12 of the total gift which goestoward publication of Fremontia.

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

❏ $1,500 Mariposa Lily ❏ $600 Benefactor ❏ $300 Patron ❏ $100 Plant Lover

❏ $75 Family or Group ❏ $75 International or Library ❏ $45 Individual ❏ $25 Limited Income

(CONTRIBUTORS: continued from back cover)

Nathan Smith currently manages the plant sales and volunteer plant propagationprogram at the UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley. Previously, he was a horticulturist atSanta Barbara Botanic Garden for three years and horticulturist for the California

collection at the UC Garden for six years.

Dan Songster is Co-Director of the Golden West College Native Garden in Hunting-ton Beach. He was introduced to the unique world of California native plants in 1975

and has been designing, growing, and caring for California native landscapes eversince. He is an active member of CNPS at chapter board and state committee levels.

Matt Teel is the Nursery Manager of Yerba Buena Nursery. He is responsible for plantpropagation, nursery operations, and customer service. Matt’s appreciation and knowl-

edge of native plants is fueled by his field trips to botanize wild areas of California.

John Wickham is President of the Theodore Payne Foundation, a volunteer position.He works as a legislative analyst with the City of Los Angeles. He is responsible for

the exhibits at the Theodore Payne Art Gallery, and his garden has been featured onthe annual Theodore Payne Garden Tour.

Ellen Zagory is Director of Horticulture at UC Davis Arboretum where she has

worked full-time since 1985. Recently, she has been working on the “ArboretumAll Stars” program that focuses attention on some of the best plants in the Arboretum’scollection for gardens. She is an avid birder and has a particular interest in habitatgardening.

F R E M O N T I A V O L U M E 3 6 : 2 – 3 , S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0 8

California N

ative Plant S

ociety2707 K

Street, S

uite 1S

acramento, C

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Address S

ervice Requested

Nonprofit O

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CONTRIBUTORS

(continued on inside back cover)

Carol Bornstein is Director of Nursery Operations and Horticultural Outreach at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, where she has

worn many horticultural hats over the past 27 years. She runs the Garden’s plant introduction program and is personally respon-sible for a number of these cultivars.

Kathy Crane has been the owner and operator of Yerba Buena Nursery since 1995. She does not take the role of stewarding theGerda Isenberg Native Plant Garden lightly, having been coached by Gerda on the value of making a lifelong commitment to native

flora and fauna.

Barbara Eisenstein is the Horticulture Outreach Coordinator at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. She enjoys talking with peopleabout their native gardens, learning from their experiences and sharing ours at RSABG. She has been gardening with native plants

since arriving in California ten years ago.

Rick Flores is the Curator of the California Native Plant Collections at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and an amateur naturephotographer. He enjoys spending time outdoors observing and learning about the natural world.

Ken Gilliland is an artist working in many media, including digital art and animation. His photography has been featured in theTheodore Payne Art Gallery. He serves as webmaster for the Foundation along with his wife Rhonda Herbel. Ken’s work can beviewed at www.empken.com.

Brett Hall is Director of Collections and Native Plant Programsat the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, where he has worked since

1975. He is currently President of Santa Cruz Chapter CNPS, amember of the state board, and a session chair for the 2009Conservation Conference.

Cindy Hudson is the Nursery Manager of Far West Nursery inSanta Cruz. She works in the Native Plant Program at the UCSCArboretum both as a part-time employee and as a volunteer.

Don Mahoney, Ph.D. is Curator of Collections at the San Fran-cisco Botanical Garden. He has degrees from the University ofNebraska, Lincoln, in Botany, and UC Berkeley, in Wildland

Resource Science. He has worked at the Botanical Garden since1984 in various capacities, and has lectured extensively on hor-ticulture, habitat gardening, and related topics.

Stephen McCabe is Director of Education and Coordinator of

Research and curates the succulent plant collection at the Arbo-retum at UC Santa Cruz. He started working at the Arboretumin 1985 and has been on the Board of the CNPS Santa Cruz

Chapter since 1986.

Barbara Pitschel is Head Librarian at San Francisco BotanicalGarden’s Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture, and has

worked at the library since 1981. She is active on the board ofthe CNPS Yerba Buena Chapter as newsletter editor and pro-gram cochair, and was honored as a CNPS Fellow in 2006. Sheis also active in the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Li-

braries.

Terry Seefeld was born and raised on the grasslands of Nebraskawhere he developed his love for grasses. He earned a B.S. from

the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and a masters degree inrangeland management from New Mexico State University. Hehas been managing San Francisco Botanical Garden’s native gar-

den for more than a decade.

JOURNAL OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

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