Useful gardens 2015

© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2015 (our 11th year)

© Project SOUND
The Useful Garden:
A garden for food, dyes and other crafts
(with an emphasis on CA native plants)
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
April 4 & 9, 2015

Last Spring Plant Sale – CSUDH – April 10, 11
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Up-coming Event

2015: Living Within Our Means – Sustainable
Living with California Native Plants
 Thriving lives & livelihoods
 Sustainable food security
 Secure sustainable water
 Universal clean energy
 Healthy & productive
ecosystems
 Governance for sustainable
societies
© Project SOUND
http://nancysteele.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/image0011.jpg

Sustainable landscape design: complex
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#/media/File:Sustainable_development.svg

Defining a ‘sustainable landscape’:
Permaculture was an early philosophy
© Project SOUND
 Permaculture is a philosophy
of working with, rather than
against nature; of protracted
and thoughtful observation
rather than protracted and
thoughtless labor; and of
looking at plants and animals
in all their functions, rather
than treating any area as a
single product system.
—Bill Mollison
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#/media/File:Permaculture_Zones.svg

History of Permaculture
 Mid-1970s, Bill Mollison and David
Holmgren started developing ideas
about stable agricultural systems in
Tasmania
 1978 - Permaculture One : Mollison &
Holmgren
 1980’s - Permaculture: A Designers
Manual : Mollison
 1991 - "The Global Gardener“ ABC
television series
 1997 - Introduction to Permaculture:
Mollison (free download on-line)
© Project SOUND

Learn more about permaculture
 Permaculture Institute -
http://www.permaculture.org/
 Permaculture Institute of North
America - http://pina.in/
 Worldwide Permaculture Network
- http://permacultureglobal.org/
 Free downloads:
http://permacultureprinciples.co
m/resources/free-downloads/
© Project SOUNDhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#/media/File:Permaculture_Zones.svg

Three core tenets of permaculture
 Care for the earth: Provision for all life
systems to continue and multiply. This is the
first principle, because without a healthy
earth, humans cannot flourish.
 Care for the people: Provision for people to
access those resources necessary for their
existence.
 Return of surplus: Reinvesting surpluses back
into the system to provide for the first two
ethics. This includes returning waste back into
the system to recycle into usefulness
© Project SOUND
Permaculture got the basic ideas right – but the science is
far more complex than most practitioners believe
http://nancysteele.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/ima
ge0011.jpg

Sustainability: ecology applied to gardens
and landscapes
© Project SOUND
Sustainable Sites Initiative - 2005
 American Society of Landscape
Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center and the United
States Botanic Garden
 Develop recommendations, guidelines
& standards for sustainable sites
 Points-based certification for
landscapes, similar to the LEED
program for buildings
http://www.greenbuildinglawupdate.com/uploads/imag
e/Guidelines-and-Performance-
Benchmarks_thumb[1].jpg

Goals of the Sustainable Sites Initiative
(SITES)
 To define … ‘design, construction, operations and
maintenance practices that meet the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs’
 By attempting to ...’protect, restore and enhance
the ability of landscapes to provide ecosystem
services that benefit humans and other organisms’
© Project SOUND

Determining sustainability requires
consideration of many factors
INPUTS
 Fossil fuels
 Embodied energy and water
 Compost
 Mulch
 Ecology & biodiversity
 Fertilizer
 Hard landscape materials
 Equipment
 Products
OUTPUTS
 Energy & water
 Food
 Green waste
 Ecology & biodiversity
 Chemicals
 Old hard landscape materials
 Old equipment
 Old products
© Project SOUND
In other words, sustainable landscapes must be judged
based on the standards of functioning ecosystems

This is all very nice, but does it apply to my garden?
© Project SOUND
http://www.sustainablesites.org/certified-sites/victoria

Pillars of sustainable gardening for S. CA
© Project SOUND
Water-wise
Life-friendly
Productive

Productivity: re-defining ‘yield’ based on
the whole system
 Products we can use (food;
materials, etc)
 Sunlight (energy) capture
 Soil regeneration
 Natural cycling of water,
mineral nutrients
 Habitat
 More
© Project SOUND
http://studioverdelandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Image-for-website-
e1403629142562-514x425.jpg
We need to figure in the ‘costs’ as well

Sustainable Sites Initiative: learn more
 http://landscapeforlife.org/new/
downloads/publications/The%20
Case%20for%20Sustainable%20
Landscapes_2009.pdf
 http://www.sustainablesites.org/
© Project SOUND

Let’s assume you have a vegetable garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.great-backyard-landscaping-ideas.com/raised-bed-vegetable-gardening.html

Cool-season crops
© Project SOUND
 Lettuce (various types)
 Other salad greens
 Broccoli; Cauliflower; Cabbage
 Green onions; leeks
 Peas
 Miner’s lettuce
 Native annual greens
 Calandrinia ciliata
 Camissonia species
 Mimulus guttatus
 Oenothera elata
 Phacelia species
 Plantago erecta
 Trifolium species
http://www.portwings.com/251341-raised-bed-vegetable-garden
http://bonnieplants.com/library/which-veggies-for-which-season/

Miner’s Lettuce – Claytonia perfoliata
ssp. perfoliata & mexicana
© 2001 Steven Thorsted
http://nativeplantsocietyca.tribe.net/photos/cfd27d18-6ba7-4365-b1d9-c1c7c67b9cbe

Characteristics of Miner’s Lettuce
 Herbaceous annual; makes a
good annual groundcover
 Size: 6-12 in. high; to 12 in.
wide
 Growth period: fall to spring
 Blooms:
 Small, white
 Feb-May
 Foliage:
 Attractive & unusual
 Edible: usually raw in salads or
as greens
 Also used as poultice on wounds
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/minersl2.htm

Growing Miner’s Lettuce
from seed
 Extremely easy
 Sow in prepared soil in fall
(best) through spring
 Germinates with:
 Damp soil/fall rains
 Short days
 Re-seeds
 May want to remove plants if
too prolific – will depend on
site
Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Native annual greens are easy to include in a
conventional vegetable garden
 Annual plant: dies to nothing
in summer
 Just about any soil
 Light: varies (full sun to full
shade)
 Water: can take some
irrigation
 Small size – suitable for
container gardening
http://www.meetup.com/san-antonio-wilderness-living-and-
survival/events/58227752/

Cool-season crops
© Project SOUND
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/images/713-5.jpg
 Lettuce (various types)
 Other salad greens
 Broccoli; Cauliflower; Cabbage
 Green onions; leeks
 Peas
 Miner’s lettuce
 Native annual greens
 Calandrinia ciliata
 Camissonia species
 Mimulus guttatus
 Oenothera elata
 Phacelia species
 Plantago erecta
 Trifolium species
http://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/greengardener

© Project SOUND
Seep (Common Yellow) Monkeyflower
Mimulus guttatus
http://www.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/~db50/FOTO_-_Archiv/Mimulus%20guttatus%20BotKA%20S1.jpg

© Project SOUND
Consider using Seep
Monkeyflower
 Edges of ponds (or in them)
 Regularly watered flower beds
 Under the bird bath; near
fountains
 Naturally damp areas of the
garden; use with sedges (Carex)
and rushes (Juncus)
 In the wildflower garden/ prairie
 In the vegetable garden – leaves
& flowers are edible & water needs
are completely compatible
http://www.s-
weeds.net/familjer/tubiflorae/scrophulariaceae/pix/mimulus02.jpg
http://www.townandmountain.com/blog/posts/2014/09/10/s
ecrets-to-a-thriving-fall-vegetable-garden-in-wnc/

Colorful edible flowers
 Add color to the vegetable or
herb garden; make it more
enjoyable
 Attract pollinators
 Make salads, appetizers,
beverages and other dishes oh so
festive!
© Project SOUND
http://foodwithpresence.com/2011/08/16/garden-salad-with-edible-flowers/
http://honestlyyum.com/5937/bellini-popsicles-with-edible-flowers/
http://www.lushome.com/decorating-flowers-edible-rose-petals/34111

Southern Suncups - Camissonia bistorta
Copyright © 2003 Charles E. Jones

Suncups: much to recommend them
 Short-lived perennial – often
grown as annual
 Size: 1-2 ft. high; to 3 ft. wide
 Sprawling/cascading habit
 Attractive foliage; young
foliage is edible
 Usually disease/pest free
 Requirements typical of our
local annuals:
 Full sun (best)
 Winter/spring water; summer
dry
 Good drainage
© 2004 BonTerra Consulting

Suncups are easy to
grow from seed
 Flowers:
 Mar-June; long bloom period
 Cheery yellow; ½-1 inch
 Attract pollinators, including
Skippers
 Seeds:
 Ripen spring-summer
 Many small seeds
 Dry capsule splits open
 Will reseed; or seed on dry
ground in fall/winter
http://www.callutheran.edu/wf/chap/family/bjc-1063.htm

‘Sunflakes’ cultivar
 Widely available
 Low growing - < 1 ft
 Profuse bloomer
 Use in garden:
 In annual beds, prairies
 As an edging plant
 In rock garden
 In containers or baskets
 In vegetable garden –
attracts pollinators and
is edible
http://anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=176&account=none

Mild cooked greens can be prepared in
many ways
 Sauteed
 Boiled – in soups & stems
 Baked
 Steamed
 In microwave
 See Mother Nature’s
Backyard Blog – search on
‘California Gourmet’
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Fringed Redmaids – Calandrinia ciliata var menziesii

© Project SOUND
Red Maids are spreading annuals
 Size:
 < 2 ft tall; tips of stems
upcurviing
 2-3 ft wide – side stems are
spreading; plants will grow
together
 Growth form: sprawling/spreading
herbaceous annual from a basal
rosette.
 Foliage:
 Attractive light green
 Slightly succulent leaves; spatula
shaped
 Roots: taproot; grow in place
© 2006 Chris Wagner

© Project SOUND
Flowers are an
added bonus
 Spring-blooming – as early as Feb.
to May
 Long bloom period with adequate
water – flowers open sequentially
along the stems
 Flowers are:
 Tiny - < ½ inch across
 An unusual shade of hot
pink/magenta – hard to
photograph
 Open only during sunniest part of
the day – flowers ‘disappear’ into
their calyces at other times
 Seeds are:
 Tiny & shiny – but numerous; wind
spread
 Very tasty – were prized food
for Native Californians (parched
& ground to make pinole)
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences
Jo-Ann Ordano © California Academy of Sciences

© Project SOUND
Red Maids is well suited to the vegetable
garden…
 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained soil;
does super in sandy or rocky soils,
but typical vegetable gardens soils
would be great
 pH: just about any local
 Light: full sun; great in regular
vegetable garden
 Water:
 Winter: needs good winter/ spring
rains
 Summer: regular water (Zone 2-3
or 3) will extend blooms slightly; no
water for seed set
 Fertilizer: fine with light fertilizer
Plants re-seed very well – but it’s easy
to weed out unwanted plants

© Project SOUND
Redmaids make
piquant greens
 Use only young leaves – best
before flowering; Arugala-like
 Leaves contain oxalic acid, so it
should only be used in moderation.
 Oxalic acid can lock up certain of
the nutrients in food - can lead to
nutritional deficiencies if eaten in
excess.
 It is, however, perfectly safe in
small amounts and its acid taste
adds a nice flavor to salads.
 Cooking the plant will reduce the
quantity of oxalic acid.
 People with a tendency to
rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney
stones and hyperacidity should
take caution if including this plant
in their diet - can aggravate their
condition

© Project SOUND
Many uses for Red Maids in the garden
 Very nice in pots – very green
and attractive; helps control
them to an extent
 In the vegetable garden –
flowers really perk up a
vegetable garden
 In the fronts of mixed beds
 Along walkways
 Among native bunchgrasses;
needs bare ground to reseed
 In the ‘Children’s Garden’ – easy
 For bird habitat – many birds &
insects relish the seeds

Practical benefits of native annual greens
 Easy to tuck in around
other plants in
vegetable garden or
elsewhere
 May have attractive
flowers, foliage –
decorative value
 Add interesting,
‘exotic’ flavors to your
cuisine
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Hooker's Evening Primrose – Oenothera elata

© Project SOUND
Characteristics of Hooker’s
Evening Primrose
 One of the largest and showiest
of the Evening Primroses
 Size:
 3-5+ ft tall
 3-4 ft wide
 Growth form: biennial or short-
lived herbaceous perennial
 Upright central stem with many
side shoots
 Robust-looking
 Foliage:
 Medium green tinged with red-
purple
 Glands; moderately sticky
 Roots: fairly shallow (10” or so)

© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained;
root rot in very heavy clays
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: needs adequate; no
flooding
 Summer: widely tolerant:
Zone 1-2 to 2-3
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: fine in alkali soils

© Project SOUND
Hooker’s primrose:
lots of value
 As a summer perennial in the mixed
bed – nice w/ purple accents.
 Valuable addition to habitat
garden:
 Nectar: moths, butterflies,
hummingbirds, other pollinators
(large bees)
 Finches and other seed eaters love
the seeds
 In a dry garden
 In the vegetable garden:
 Root - boiled and eaten like parsnip.
 Young shoots - raw or cooked
 Young pods – cooked vegetable

Veggie washing
station
 Placed where it’s easy to use –
right in the vegetable garden
 Made from a recycled
stainless steel sink
 Water drains into raised beds
– provides deep water while
recycling gray water
© Project SOUND

Clovers as (edible) cover crops
© Project SOUND
Tomcat clover – see April, 2015 Mother Nature’s Backyard
blog posting for more

© Project SOUND
http://www.232designs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/herb-garden01.jpg
Useful perennials can also be used to
make a useful garden more lovely

© Project SOUND
California Marshlavender –
Limonium californicum
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/marshrosemary.html

© Project SOUND
Marsh Lavender as a bed edging?
 Appropriate size and scale
 Flowers would be a nice
addition in fall
 Soils: sandy
 Sun: full sun to light shade
 Water:
 Likes water; Zone 2-3,
possibly 3
 Tolerates even brackish
water
 High salt toleranceYoung leaves are edible as
cooked greens in spring

California Marshlavender: a decorative
(and edible) edging plant
© Project SOUND
http://bonnieplants.com/library/take-your-raised-bed-garden-up-a-notch/

The vegetable/herb garden can be the
perfect spot for some useful perennials
© Project SOUND
http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/the-garden%E2%80%99s-tallest-plants-battle-grande/

Perennial monkeyflowers are edible
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Scarlet Monkeyflower - Mimulus cardinalis

© Project SOUND
Growing Scarlet Monkeyflower is ease itself!
 Quite easy
 Light: partial shade is
best; tolerates full sun to
full shade
 Soils: any texture: pH
from acid to alkali – very
versatile
 Water: one of the “water-
loving” monkeyflowers

© Project SOUND
Scarlet monkeyflower
 On slopes, as a ground cover
 Bordering paths and roads
 In planters/large pots
 In informal garden beds;
herb or vegetable garden,
 In hummingbird gardens
 Wet spots in the garden
(low spots; under birdbath;
where it receives sprinkler
spray)
 Beside ponds and streams
 It can even grow in a pond, as
long as the crown is above
the waterline
http://mofur.blogspot.com/2015/02/outdoor-water-fountain.html

Monkeyflower as flavoring agent
 The leaves are slightly bitter with a
flavor that is a cross between sage
and mint.
 Added raw into salads
 Steeped for a minty tea with an
herbal sage quality
 Incorporated into marinades
 Garnishes
 The blossoms are quite mild and are
mostly used for aesthetic purposes.
 Coated with sugar for dessert dishes
 As a garnish: sweet or savory
© Project SOUND

Practical benefits of native greens
 Easy to tuck in around other plants
in vegetable garden or elsewhere
 Some even do well in shade
 Inexpensive: start with a single
packet of seed – are ‘open
pollinated’
 May have attractive flowers,
foliage – decorative value
 Often ‘winter/spring crops’; leave
garden free for warm season
traditional vegetables
 Add interesting, ‘exotic’ flavors to
your cuisine
© Project SOUND

Some larger warm-
season perennials may
warrant a permanent
place in the vegetable
garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/the-garden%E2%80%99s-tallest-plants-battle-
grande/
http://www.gardenseeker.com/herbs/growing_herbs/how_to_make_a_herb
_garden.htm
http://amy.pollien.com/?cat=33

© Project SOUND
* Henderson’s Angelica – Angelica hendersonii
© 2009, G. D. Carr

 Coastal areas from WA state to
Santa Barbara Co
 Coastal bluffs and dunes, < 500 ft
elevation
© Project SOUND
* Henderson’s Angelica – Angelica hendersonii
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,337,343

© Project SOUND
Henderson’s Angelica: stout perennial
 Size:
 2-4 ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Fall/winter deciduous
herbaceous perennial
 Stout, succulent stems
 Mounded form; basal leaves
 Foliage:
 Large, compound leaves
 Hairy beneath
 Wear gloves when handling –
may cause allergies
 Roots: sturdy taproot – very
aromatic© 2009, G. D. Carr

© Project SOUND
Flowers: loved by insects
 Blooms: in spring – usually
May-June in our area
 Flowers:
 Very showy compound
umbels
 Lots of cream-pink flowers
– thousands per umbel in
best circumstances
 Looks like a garden plant
 Seeds:
 Dry, flat winged seeds
typical of Carrot family
© 2010 Margo Bors
© 2010 Robert Steers

© Project SOUND
Angelicas do well in
gardens
 Soils:
 Texture: most, including heavy
clays
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to light shade; part-
shade in very hot inland gardens
 Water:
 Winter/spring: needs good soil
moisture to grow
 Summer: best with near-regular
water – every other week –
Water Zone 2-3
 Other: organic mulch OK; leaf mulch
best
© 2010 Margo Bors

Many practical uses of Angelicas
 Edible: all parts
 Young stems eaten raw (before it leafs
out) or cooked as is root – celery-like taste
 Root, leafstalks and stems are often
candied
 Young leaves in leaf, fruit salads
 Seeds, leaves used as flavoring agent
(licorice-like)
 Medicinal: several antibacterial
compounds
 Tea from leaves
 General tonic – don’t take too often
 For sore throats
 Tea or dry powdered roots
 For sore throat
 On skin infections & for athlete’s foot
 As insect repellant
© Project SOUND
© 2009, G. D. Carr
Also used as a ceremonial plant

© Project SOUND
Angelicas in gardens
 In edible/medicinal/herb garden
 In the perennial bed – with
Goldenrods - give it room
 In a habitat garden; attracts many
pollinators
 In N. Coastal (moist) rock gardens
© 2010 Zoya Akulova
http://www.gardenseeker.com/herbs/growing_herbs/how_to_make_a_herb
_garden.htm
http://amy.pollien.com/?cat=33

Ecosystem benefits of native edibles
 Attract a wider range of
pollinators
 May attract beneficial insects,
birds – good for pest management
in native/non-native edible plants
© Project SOUND

But edibles don’t need to be confined to
the vegetable garden
© Project SOUND

Southern Island Mallow – Malva (Lavatera)
assurgentiflora ssp. glabra

The flowers are
awesome!!
 Bright pink-magenta with
darker veins and paler eye
 Flowers grow from the leaf
axils
 Like all mallows, the
reproductive parts extend
beyond the petals –
suggests hummingbird
pollination
 Bees, butterflies and
hummingbirds all drink the
nectar
 With a little supplemental
water blooms all year long
 Often blooms in it’s first
year

Island Mallow is easy to grow
 Soil characteristics:
 Texture: any well-drained
 pH: any local – tolerates alkali
soils
 Nutrients: needs no soil
amendments or fertilizer
 Light: full sun to partial shade
(especially away from coast)
 Water:
 Regularly until established
 Supplemental water to keep it
green & flowering year-round
 Very drought tolerant - deciduous
 Pests:
 Leaf-eating insects (like earwigs)

Uses for Island Mallow in the garden
 As a specimen plant –
extremely attractive
 To attract birds, bees, and
butterflies
 Quick-growing screen
 On hillsides or bluffs
 As a windbreak – particularly
near the coast (coastal
conditions fine)
 As an open, informal hedge
 As a small tree in small areas
Needs little attention other
than pruning to shape

Lavatera leaves:
staple cooked greens
© Project SOUND
 Mild flavor
 Soft texture
 Young leaves available much
of the year

Preparing cooked
greens
 Choose young leaves
 Wash
 Remove tough stems
 Cut into small pieces; can form
into a ball to make cutting
easier
 Sautee/steam/microwave
 Use in any recipe that calls for
cooked spinach
© Project SOUND

Always thankful for ready access to
seasoning herbs
© Project SOUND

Flavored cream cheese: great for any
occasion
1 carton cream cheese
½ - ¾ tsp. finely ground dried
native herbs (combine with
traditional herbs, spices or
grated citrus peel if desired)
 Mix well
 Refrigerate at least 24
hours to let flavors combine
 Enjoy!
© Project SOUND

Ecosystem benefits of native edibles
 May require less water than
conventional edibles
 Often require less fertilizer &
other soil amendments
 More disease-free; easy to
compost
 Actually improve soil
properties:
 Useable nitrogen (Clovers)
 Soil aeration
 ?? Beneficial soil organisms
© Project SOUND

Composting = recycling
 Particularly important for
vegetable gardens
 Composting is an important
method to return nutrients to
the soil – and improving soil
texture for vegetables
 Locate where it’s easy to use –
in vegetable garden if possible
© Project SOUND

But there’s more to life than eating…
© Project SOUND

… and native plants are wonderful sources of
craft materials
© Project SOUND

Pressed flowers
 Best results with smaller
wildflowers
 Easy to do – inexpensive
Backyard Blog – search
‘garden crafts’
© Project SOUND

Pressed flowers can be used in so many
ways
 Greeting/note cards
 Bookmarks
 Window decorations
 iphone cases -
http://www.tastefultatters
.com/pressed-flower-
iphone-case-diy
 And much, much more
© Project SOUND

Dyeing with garden plant dyes is
becoming very popular
© Project SOUND
http://ecx.images-
amazon.com/images/I/51D9FBG0K
DL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
http://www.rosalindcreasy.com/easter-eggs-with-
natural-dyes/ http://www.mamavation.com/2013/10/switch-to-natural-
dyes-during-the-color-garden-twitter-party-october-
22nd.html

But do you have to create a ‘dyers garden’?
© Project SOUND
http://georgesonbg.org/visit/InteractiveMap/dye.html

No – you just need to include native dye
plants in your garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.plantscomprehensive.com/regional-natives-particular-interest-lyonothamnus-floribundus-asplenifolius-tree-
click-underlined-de
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyonothamnus#
/media/File:Lyonothamnus_floribundus_flo
ribundus.jpg

© Project SOUND
Fernleaf (Catalina) Ironwood - Lyonothamnus
floribundus ssp. aspleniifolius & floribundus

© Project SOUND
Fernleaf Ironwood makes an interesting (and
different) specimen plant
 Size: small/medium tree
 10-50 ft tall;
 15-35 ft wide
 Form: variable
 Many-branched
 Form depends on garden conditions:
 Taller with added water
 More bushy with summer drought
 Leaves: attractive; evergreen
 Catalina island ssp. (floribundus) has plain
leaves
 San Clemente ssp. (aspleniifolius) has leaves
like a fern (Asplenius)
 Bark: also attractive
 Red-gray color
 Shaggy; peeling
 Blooms: the final attraction
 Clusters of small white/yellow flowers
 May-June
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/fernleafironwood.html

© Project SOUND
Fernleaf Ironwood is easy to please
 Light: full sun to part-
shade
 Soils: pretty tolerant;
prefers well-drained
 Summer water: Pretty
drought tolerant;
 no water needed near
coast
 Deep watering once a
month in hot gardens

© Project SOUND
Fernleaf Ironwood is a wonderful addition
to the garden
 Extremely beautiful &
interesting – consider use as
 A specimen plant in front yard
 As a screen
 Clustered in a grove
 To create a ‘woodsy’ feel in a
dry/semi-dry garden
 Consider it’s size: plant 6 m
from fence/wall
 Feathery canopy; plant the
understory with Coyote Bush,
Toyon, Holly-leaf Cherry,
Lemonadeberry & other plants
that like part-shade

Its fallen leaves
make the most
wonderful red-brown
dyes
© Project SOUND

Buckwheats are another source of orange
© Project SOUND

Giant Buckwheat/ St. Catherine’s Lace
Eriogonum giganteum var. formosum
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Considerations for gardening
with E. giganteum
 Size: 3-8 ft high; 4-6+ ft. wide
 Light: full to partial sun
 Soils: well-drained; susceptible
to fungal diseases
 Water: no/low summer water is
best for plant health
 Proximity to stands of local
native Eriogonum species
 Tolerates: alkali soils, clay,
seaside conditions, hot/dry
conditions
 Easy to grow; just cut back after
blooming to control size

© Project SOUND
Garden potential
 Tall informal hedge
 On dry sunny slopes
 For erosion control
 As a specimen plant (both for
gray foliage and summer flowers)
 Dried flowers in arrangements/
orange-brown dyes
 Bird/butterfly habitat gardens
 As a backdrop for smaller shrubs
and perennials in a border, planter
or parkway
 In large pots; can be pruned up
to show its thick, rough trunk and
branching structure

© Project SOUND
A robust perennial
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall; flowering stalks 2-3 ft
 3-5+ ft wide, spreading
 Growth form:
 Cold/drought deciduous perennial
– dies back to ground in fall or
summer
 Basal rosette of large, succulent
leaves – like rhubarb
 Foliage:
 Robust
 Blue-green to pale green
 Leaves have straight edges – not
curly like Curley Dock
 Roots: rhizomes; tuber-like (like
dahlia)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Rumex_hymenosepalus

© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements
 Soils:
 Texture: often heavy soils in
nature; probably any
 pH: any local including alkali
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: tolerates flooding;
likes plenty of winter water
 Summer: likes moderately dry
– Water Zone 2 – give one
watering in late summer
 Fertilizer: likes some organics;
use a leaf mulch
 Other: does spread – just dig
out unwanted plants
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2283/rumex-hymenosepalus-canaigre-dock/

© Project SOUND
Canaigre in the garden
 Interesting container plant
 In seasonally wet areas
 Rain garden
 Bog garden
 Along seasonal ‘streams’
 In dye garden or vegetable garden
– has been extensively cultivated
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2283/rumex-hymenosepalus-canaigre-dock/
http://www.rshantz.com/Plants/Wild/General/20050402Wild08.htm http://www.swsbm.com/Images/New2005/New2005.html

A most useful plant
 The tuber is used for
tanning, dyeing and curative
purposes. For tanning hides,
the dry roots are crushed
and placed in a vat with
water and the leather is
soaked therein for a long
time. The resultant color is a
brownish red.
 The seeds can be roasted,
ground and made into flat
cakes.
 Roots can be chewed for
relief from colds, coughs,
sore throats, and sore gums.
© Project SOUND
Medicinal and other uses
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/22/1057254/-Native-Farming-for-Restoring-
Sacred-Land-Direct-Action
A powder made from the dried
roots can be used to heal skin
sores

Roots are a traditional (prized) dyestuff
© Project SOUND
 Roots are rich in tannin (a dye and a mordant)
 Dried roots - 35 - 60% tannin.
 Wild roots contain more than cultivated
roots; old roots contain more than young.
 Yellow, dark green to brown and dark grey dyes
can be obtained from the roots of this plant.
 To dye willow withes yellow for basket-making,
they are left in the liquid a short time; they are
soaked longer if a brownish color is desired .
 The Navaho obtain a medium-brown dye or
yellow-orange from cañaigre roots boiled in
water.
 The Hopi, because of the scarcity of wild dock
used for dyeing, have planted its tubers at the
base of Oraibi mesa

The genus Ericameria
 Sunflower family; Bright yellow flowers
in late summer/fall.
 North American shrubs from the arid
western United States and northern
Mexico. Very drought tolerant.
 Name refers to the heath-like leaves
 Common names goldenbush, rabbitbrush,
turpentine bush, and rabbitbush.
 Excellent landscape plants; easy.
 Larval food several species of Flowers
Moths
© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND
Rabbitbush is a bush Sunflower
 Size:
 2-5 ft tall (usual); some
populations up to 10 ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Most commonly a mounded sub-
shrub
 Many long branches from a woody
base
 Foliage:
 Narrow, aromatic leaves
 May be medium green or more
blue-green
 Overall has a feathery appearance
 Roots: deep taproot with laterals© 2005 Christopher L. Christie

© Project SOUND
 Blooms: early fall - usually
Aug-Sept. in western L.A. Co.
 Flowers:
 Small & golden yellow
 In dense clusters – either
flat or more pyramidal
 Extremely showy
 Attract tons of weird &
wonderful insects
 Seeds:
 Fluffy appendages like
Goldenbush/Mock Heather
 Wind disbursed
 Must germinate that fall –
do not persist in seed bank
© 2003 Michael Charters
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/chrysothamnus%20nauseosus.htm
Flowers are like Goldenbush

© Project SOUND
Easy to grow, reliable
 Soils:
 Texture: just about any
 pH: just about any, incl. alkali
 Light: full sun
 Water:
 Winter: needs good winter/ spring
rains; supplement in dry years
 Summer: looks best with occasional
water – Zones 1-2 or 2 are fine.
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils. But
light fertilizer probably wouldn’t hurt
it.

© Project SOUND
http://blog.laurelbusch.com/2009/10/31/going-native-in-nevada-think-
about-it.aspx?ref=rss
A SW garden favorite
for many years
How do I keep it looking nice?
http://www.redbuttegarden.org/utah_natives_for_your_garden

© Project SOUND
Pruning lessons from Rabbitbush
(and other bush sunflowers)
 In the wild, Rabbitbush and other
bush sunflowers are eaten down
severely by rabbits & deer
So…you’ll need to act like a
rabbit/deer and prune
them back severely in late
fall/winter (like Encelia)

© Project SOUND
Mock Heather – Ericameria ericoides
 Found: coastal CA to Baja
 Typical coastal species:
 fairly common on dunes and
sandy areas near the coast
 Coastal strand, coastal
shrublands, coastal sage scrub
 Formerly called
Happlopappus ericoides
 Disappearing habitat
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1081,1091

© Project SOUND
Characteristics of
Mock Heather
 Size:
 1-5 ft tall & wide
 Becomes wider with age
 Growth form:
 Evergreen shrub/sub-shrub
 Rounded shape
 Many upright branches
 Can be shaped
 Foliage:
 Leaves very narrow – needle
or ‘heather-like’
 Resinous
 Leaves in bundles
 Roots: fibrous
 Lifespan: may be 4-5 years in
garden; longer in wild
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/mockheather.html

© Project SOUND
Mock Heather in
the garden
 As an interesting pot plant:
allows you to emphasize it’s
delicate foliage, flowers
 As a shrub
 Trimmed to form a low hedge
 On dry hills, banks and mounds –
excellent for erosion control
 As a great fall habitat plant
 In seaside gardens – tolerates
ocean spray

© Project SOUND
Management  Best with:
 Full sun (light shade in
hot inland gardens)
 Very well-drained soils –
sandy is best
 No or very infrequent
summer water;
susceptible to root fungi
 Pruning:
 Pinch to encourage
fullness when young
 Prune to shape when
young; remove dead
branches
http://www.ecnca.org/Plants/Photo_Pages/Lepidospartum_squamatum.htm

 Drier parts of California - also Utah, Nevada,
and Arizona; w. Sonoran & Mojave deserts
 Locally, Santa Monica, San Gabriel Mtns;
 Among rocks, coarse sandy to gravelly areas,
low-elevation shrub communities to pinyon-
juniper woods
 AKA ‘Interior’ & ‘Mojave’ Goldenbush
© Project SOUND
Narrowleaf goldenbush – Ericameria linearifolia
Margaret Williams, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=2598
http://www.smmflowers.org/bloom/species/Ericameria_linearifolia.htm

© Project SOUND
Narrowleaf goldenbush: encelia-size shrub
 Size:
 2-5 ft tall
 3-5+ ft wide
 Growth form:
 Mounded sub-shrub
 Bark reddish brown to gray-
brown
 Foliage:
 Alternate, simple, drought
deciduous, very narrow, 1/2 to
2 inches long, gray-green
 Often resinous
 Roots: both deep & fibrous
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=15782
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Ericam_lin/_Eri_lin.htm

© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic
 Blooms: usually in spring;
March-May in western L.A. Co.
 Flowers:
 Yellow sunflower heads 1 inch
across; looks more like encelia
than other Ericamerias
 Both ray, disk flowers yellow
 Great for attracting insect
pollinators (like encelias)
 Seeds:
 Fluffy pappus (former genus
was Happlopappus)
 Wind distribution
 Quite pretty on plant
http://jaysullivan.org/erical3.htm
http://www.smmflowers.org/bloom/species/Ericameria_linearifolia.htm

© Project SOUND
 Texture: well-drained
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun
 Water:
 Winter:
 Summer: drought tolerant;
 Other: for best shape, prune
back in fall

© Project SOUND
In the garden
 Contrast flowers and/or foliage:
lupines, ceanothus, salvias
 Decoction of leaves and flowers
applied to soreness, rheumatism
bruises and cuts; Decoction of roots
used as a wash for tired feet
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/333--haplopappus-linearifolius
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/learn/nature/ericameria_linearifolia.htm

 Much of western North America, from
western Canada to central Mexico
 In CA - South Coast, Western
Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges,
Desert
 Dry, open, calcareous mesas, plains &
disturbed areas – many communities
© Project SOUND
Broom snakeweed – Gutierrezia sarothrae
©2013 Jean Pawek
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250066828
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=Gutierrezia+s
arothrae
http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/broomsnakeweed6.jpg

© Project SOUND
Broom snakeweed:
usually short
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Drought-deciduous sub-shrub
 Many stick-like branches; mounded
form
 Foliage:
 Toxic to domestic sheep, goats,
and cattle when consumed in large
quantities
 Food for rabbits
 ? allelopathic

© Project SOUND
Flowers: cheery
 Blooms: usually spring/late
spring
 Flowers:
 Commonly confused with
rabbitbrush, but can be
distinguished by presence of
ray flowers, (rabbitbrush
plants do not have ray
flowers)
 Heads in flat clusters
 Attracts many butterflies,
insect pollinators
 Birds love the seed
 Yellow dye made from
flowers
©2009 Barry Breckling

© Project SOUND
 Texture: best in clay loam &
shallow, rocky, or sandy soil
but very adaptable
 pH: any local except > 8.0
 Light: full sun to part-shade;
probably better looking with a
little shade
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: occasional
 Other:
 Spreads via seeds – can
become weedy

© Project SOUND
Snakeweed for dry areas
 In a rock or desert-themed garden
 As a low-growing fall color plant
 As an attractive pot plant
 In a medicinal or dye garden
 Any dry garden area
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photos/8gusa2.jpg
http://www.nazflora.org/Gutierrezia%20sarothrae%20infls%2025Sept05%201245p.jpg

Many medicinal uses for Snakeweed
 Used for centuries to cure various human ailments;
common in SW herb shops.
 Herbal steam as a treatment for respiratory ailments
 A decoction of the plant used by to treat colds,
coughs, indigestion and dizziness
 Ashes applied to body to treat headaches and
dizziness
 Chewed plant applied to wounds, snakebites, and areas
swollen by insect bites and stings.
 97 volatile compounds extracted from
leaves/stems.
 Limonene, beta-pinene, beta-eudesmol, sabinene,
cryptone, alpha-pinene, and ortho-cymene all have
medicinal uses and make up 53% of the volatiles
extracted.
© Project SOUND

Productivity: re-defining ‘yield’ based on an
‘ecosystem’s viewpoint’
 Beauty; aesthetics – human well-
being
 Products we can use (food; materials,
etc)
 Sunlight (energy) capture
 Soil regeneration
 Natural cycling of water, mineral
nutrients
 Habitat
 More
© Project SOUND
http://www.opsu.edu/Academics/SciMathNurs/NaturalSc
ience/PlantsInsectsOfGoodwell/plants/pasturefiles/pastu
re142.html

Ecosytem services that can be provided
by useful native plants
 Local climate regulation
 Air and water cleansing
 Water supply and regulation
 Erosion and sediment control
 Hazard mitigation
 Pollination
 Habitat functions
 Waste decomposition and treatment
 Global climate regulation
 Human health and well-being benefits
 Food and renewable non-food products
 Cultural benefits
© Project SOUND

Sustainability resources
 Sustainable Garden Concepts -
http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Sustainable_Gardening_Overview/
 Sustainable Landscaping in California -
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8504.pdf
 UC California Gardening Web -
http://cagardenweb.ucanr.edu/General/_em_How_do_I_practice_susta
inable_gardening__em_/
© Project SOUND

Useful gardens 2015

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Useful gardens 2015