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© Project SOUND

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden

Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND – 2012 (our 8th year)

© Project SOUND

Perfect Perennials California Native Perennials for a

Colorful Garden

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake

CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve

April 7 & 11, 2012

So darned many perennials – where to begin?

© Project SOUND

We’ll be considering CA native herbaceous

perennials in the next few classes © Project SOUND

Our challenge today: the maturing garden

Time to assess what’s missing

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What is a perennial? A perennial plant or simply

perennial (Latin per, "through", annus, "year") is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials.

Technically, perennials include:

Woody plants

Sub-shrubs

Herbaceous perennials

Bulbs

Ferns

Perennial grasses

© Project SOUND http://howdone.info/hd-shade-perennial-flowers-for-colorado

Herbaceous

perennials

Live more than 1 year

Have soft/succulent above-ground foliage

Usually are medium to small size - < 3-4 ft

Have a dormant period – often die back to the ground during that period

© Project SOUND

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/6083877815/

Wild Ginger - Asarum caudatum

What is the difference between

herbaceous perennials & sub-shrubs?

Perennial sub-shrubs:

Part-woody; woody part extends at least partway up the stem

Usually don’t die back all the way – re-sprout from wood

Often the ‘juicy parts’ are eaten back in the wilds – but not in our gardens; that’s why we have to cut them back ourselves in the fall

Some S. CA native plants are difficult to categorize – continuum between herbaceous & woody

© Project SOUND

Herbaceous perennials usually have a

dormant period

Drought-induced Local S. CA herbaceous

perennials like Diplacus

Plant goes dormant and dies back in summer

Cold-induced Usually plants from

colder climates than ours – N. CA; S. CA mountains

Plant goes dormant in late fall/winter

© Project SOUND

What happens when we grow

these plants in our local gardens

– and don’t have drought- or

cold-induced dormancy?

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Native herbaceous perennials in S. CA

gardens may be a bit different, but…

© Project SOUND

Herbaceous perennials: might enhance

our maturing garden

© Project SOUND

So, you go to your favorite source of inspiration …

http://www.thisoldyard.net/tag/books-about-trees/

…and feel like you fell

down the rabbit hole

© Project SOUND

These clearly are not

‘New California

Gardens’…

© Project SOUND

http://www.redcedargardens.com/class/gardening-with-suzi-30/

http://www.hilltowntreeandgarden.com/portfolio-cottage-garden-goshen-stone-

pathways.html

…but they are sort of

pretty and interesting

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How do we apply the inspiration from

‘non-California’ perennial gardens to our

own gardens?

© Project SOUND

Where do herbaceous perennials fit into

the ‘New California Garden’ design?

The ‘perennial bed’ has been out of fashion for a while – but that’s changing (as the new books suggest)

The classical perennial bed is much more suited to colder climates than ours

It’s difficult to build an entire bed/garden around just CA native perennials – they just aren’t ‘backbone plants’

© Project SOUND

http://www.mjmgardendesign.com/consult2.html

http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/salutation_garden

http://www.landscaperesource.com/articles/5-tips-designing-california-

native-gardens.htm

Native herbaceous perennials can be

used in several ways in our gardens

Use them as filler plants In a new garden – until the

larger woody plants grow

In mature gardens – to fill gaps or ‘difficult’ places

Use them as ‘fitted plants’ that provide specific additions to the mature garden – the plants are carefully chosen for their attributes

© Project SOUND

And that’s where the new books on perennial

gardens can be a source of inspiration

© Project SOUND

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What can herbaceous perennials bring to

the garden?

Flower color

Specific foliage attributes – colors, shapes, textures

Sun and (especially) shade tolerance

Habitat value: particularly food (nectar, pollen, seeds, even foliage)

Attractants for beneficial insects

Food & medicinal plants

Other: dyes, fiber, scents

© Project SOUND

Lessons from the new perennial garden

books (for the New CA Garden)

1. Learn to ‘read the pictures’ – what is it I like about the feel of this garden?

2. Try to ‘capture the spirit’ -not duplicate the plants

3. Take the time to choose the right native plant for the job

4. Choose ‘value added’ native plants that still capture the spirit of the image you love

© Project SOUND

Our mission: find the perfect perennials

for this shady garden

© Project SOUND © Project SOUND http://allanbecker-gardenguru.squarespace.com/journal/2012/1/12/plant-a-perennial-garden-

that-flowers-for-eight-months-a-boo.html

http://www.gardenlady.com/favorites_2004.html

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/search/lst.srch.asp?prodid=1055&sr

ch_term=tellima

Delicate bloom spikes – succulent leaves

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Heucheras are only one possibility

© Project SOUND

Saxifragaceae - The Saxifrage Family

~ 1250 species in 80 genera

Found worldwide, many from northern temperate regions.

Mainly perennial herbs and shrubs, some evergreen, with only a few annuals or small trees.

Includes many common garden plants; Hydrangea

Astilbe

Bergenia Heuchera

Escallonia

© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND

* Fringe Cups – Tellima grandiflora

© 2007 Matt Below

Central to N. CA north to AK, MT, including coastal areas

Cool, moist woods & rocky places below 5000 ft.

Redwood Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Yellow Pine Forest

© Project SOUND

* Fringe Cups – Tellima grandiflora

© 2003 Craig Smith

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?TEGR2

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© Project SOUND

Fringe-cups: a woodland plant

Size: 1-2 ft tall – flowers to 3 ft

spreading 2-4 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial

Mounded – like Heuchera

Foliage: basal clump of toothed,

shallowly-lobed, rounded, hairy, long-stalked, dark green leaves

Leaves, twigs, and seeds inside fleshy berries are all poisonous if eaten, and potentially fatal to small child, animal

© 2004, Ben Legler:

© Project SOUND

Flowers are enchanting

Blooms: spring - usually April-May in S. Ca

Flowers: Like Heuchera – but fancier;

fringed petals

Start pale, age dark pink

Long bloom season – flowers open in succession

Sweet fragrance

Hummingbirds adore them

Seeds: tiny – like fine pepper

Vegetative reproduction: spreads by thick underground rhizomes

© 2007 Matt Below

© 2007 Neal Kramer

© Project SOUND

Plant Requirements Soils:

Texture: most

pH: any local, though likes slightly acidic, well-drained

Light: Light shade to quite shady

Typical woodland plant

Water: Winter: supplement in dry

spells

Summer: regular water (Zone 2-3 to 3); older plants may tolerate Zone 2

Fertilizer: likes organic soils; amendments/compost fine

Other: use organic mulch

© 2008 Steve Matson

Groundcover for shady moist spots – under pine or redwood trees

North-facing exposures

Mixed beds

Rain garden or pond edges

© Project SOUND

Fringe-cups: perennial delight

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tellima_grandiflora

http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/competitions/online-

show/2009/view+of+a+grouping+of+Alpine+plants+in+a+garden/606/

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/general/lst.gen.asp?prodid=1055

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‘Forest Frost’

Has variegated leaves – otherwise no different from straight species

© Project SOUND

http://www.rainyside.com/plant_gallery/perennials/

Tellima_grandifloraForestFrost.html

http://www.perennials.com/plants/tellima-grandiflora-forest-frost.html

Our mission: find the perfect perennials

for this shady garden

© Project SOUND © 2007 Matt Below

Something a little taller, bolder – with

white flowers to brighten the area

© Project SOUND

http://naturalmidwestgarden.com/archives/1090

Are their any choices that would also attract

butterflies?

http://www.hilltowntreeandgarden.com/portfolio-ashfield.html

© Project SOUND

Common Cowparsnip – Heracleum maximum

George G. Hawxhurst © California Academy of Sciences

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Throughout continental U.S. except the Gulf Coast; locally in the San Bernardino Mtns

In a variety of habitats including woodlands, forest openings, grasslands, and riparian areas (wet meadows, stream terraces, alluvial benches, floodplains, and stream and lake margins.

© Project SOUND

Common Cowparsnip – Heracleum maximum

Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?HEMA80

The Apiaceae – Carrot Family

Formerly called Umbelliferae

Commonly known as carrot or parsley family

Mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems.

Large (16th largest flowering plant family) - more than 3,700 species/ 434 genera

Includes many well known plants: Angelica

Anise, caraway, coriander/cilantro, cumin, dill, fennel

Carrot, celery, parsley, parsnip

Hemlock, lovage, Queen Anne's Lace

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Apiaceae_Pimpinella_anisum.jpg

Many make excellent habitat

plants for home gardens

© Project SOUND

Common Parsnip is ‘back of the bed’ big

Size: 3-8+ ft tall

2-4 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial; winter

deciduous

All parts large, robust

Stems succulent, hollow

Foliage: Medium green

Leaves very large, coarsely toothed & lobed – sort of like Acanthus leaves

Roots: stout taproot and/or fibrous

© 2005 Robert Sivinski

http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/twins-exploring-108-pictures.htm

© Project SOUND

Flowers light up

shady areas

Blooms: spring/summer usually May-July

Flowers: Small and white

Sweetly scented – many butterflies are attracted

In dense to more open umbels – like a starburst – typical of the family

Seeds: Flat, ribbed seeds typical

for the family

Vegetative reproduction: ??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Heracleum_lanatum_07269.JPG

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© Project SOUND

Common Parsnip

Likes water

Soils: Texture: well-drained best – but

adaptable

pH: any local except very alkali

Light: Part-shade best

Takes over with full sun & lots of water

Water: Winter: supplement in dry years

Summer: likes moist soil

Fertilizer: adaptable; does well in amended soils

Other: Always wear gloves when cutting, breaking stems – the juices of all parts contain a phototoxin that can act on contact with skin and exposure to ultraviolet light

Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Deadheading

Perennials

© Project SOUND

What is deadheading? Removing spent flowers/seed heads after

the plant stops flowering

Clipthe stalk back to the first set of healthy leaves below the flower stalk; leave the clippings as mulch/food

Why deadhead? To make the plant look more attractive

To prolong the bloom season/encourage a second bloom season

For many native perennials, and a few shrubs, a decent deadheading may be all the pruning they need! Plants that have a woody base but produce lots of lush growth each season, such as Monkeyflowers and Penstemon seem to respond especially well to this technique.

Must I deadhead? no

http://www.gapphotos.com/imagedetails.asp?imageno=47016

© Project SOUND

Big habitat plant

Large filler plant in shady areas

Woodland gardens

Shady slopes

Butterfly gardens

Pond/poolside, other moist areas

Medicinal uses

© 2004, Ben Legler

http://camissonia.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-has-spring-despite-schizo.html

Our mission: find the perfect perennials

for this shady garden

© Project SOUND © 2007 Matt Below

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© Project SOUND

* CA Lomatium – Lomatium californicum

J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences

Central & Northern CA from ]; Ventura and Kern Cos to S. OR

Wooded or brushy slopes to 5500', chaparral and foothill woodlands

© Project SOUND

* CA Lomatium – Lomatium californicum

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,426,428

© Project SOUND

CA Lomatium: shrubby perennial

Size: 2-5 ft tall

4-5 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial

Shrubby-looking; clumped

Dies back to short stem/root in drought

Foliage: Usually blue-green

Looks like celery – and smells like it too!

Larval food – Anise Swallowtail

Roots: taproot stout, thickened

© 1998 Dean Wm. Taylor © Project SOUND

Flowers are pretty

Blooms: spring-summer; usually May-July

Flowers: Typical for the carrot family

Many, small yellow flowers

In a rather open umbel

Flowers attract a wide range of insect pollinators, including butterflies

Seeds: Flat, winged seed – typical of

Carrot family

If growing from seed, rinse several times in water – takes several days

© 2007 Matt Below

© 2009 Vernon Smith

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© Project SOUND

Plant Requirements Soils: Texture: any well-drained

pH: any local

Light: Part-shade; morning sun or

dappled shade best

Water: Winter: adequate

Summer: let plants dry out after flowering

Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

Other: cut back almost to ground in fall (or whenever you can’t take the dead branches any more!)

© 2010 Jean Pawek © Project SOUND

Garden uses for

Lomatiums

Accent plant – dry shade

In a mixed planting with grasses, annuals

In dry parts of the vegetable/medicinal garden

© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Lomatium-californicum/ http://jay.timetotrack.com/ccal/lomatca2.htm

Lomatiums:

useful plants

Spring leaves, stems and roots eaten raw or cooked as greens

Leaves used as seasoning : Pick it before it blooms for a more

even, mellow flavor, or during or after the bloom for a stronger flavor.

Shade dry it in a warm spot with good ventilation, turning the leaves over every day or two. The flavor resembles celery.

Medicinal Root chewed for sore throat; dried

root smoked or decoction of roots taken for colds – makes at least 4 compounds with antibacterial action

Used as poultice for rheumatism

Ceremonial uses

© Project SOUND

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/ofp/lom_cal.htm

Native CA hunters chewed plant

to conceal their scent when

hunting

We’ll introduce some other great habitat

perennials in the next few months

© Project SOUND

Angelica hendersonii Lomatium utriculatum

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In another part of our shady backyard…

© Project SOUND http://knechts.net/weblog/post/270/

© Project SOUND

* California Hemp – Hoita macrostachya

© 2009 Lynn Watson

Western CA (except Great Central Valley)

Locally Long Beach, LA River, Santa Monicas, San Gabriels

Wetland-riparian between 0 and 5000 feet; in many plant communities (Yellow Pine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland, Coastal Prairie)

ho-IT-tay – Maidu name for this genus

AKA: Psoralea

© Project SOUND

* California Hemp – Hoita macrostachya

© 1994 Lee Dittmann

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?HOMA4

© Project SOUND

Characteristics of CA Hemp

Size: 4-6 ft tall

4-6 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial

Erect to sprawling

Looks like a large shrub, but dies back in fall

Foliage: Medium to blue-green

Leaves compound (3-part), sparse on stems

Roots: nitrogen-fixing (nodules)

© 2012 Aaron Arthur

http://sbwildflowers.wordpress.com/wildflowers/fabaceae/hoita/hoita-macrostachya/

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© Project SOUND

Flowers are fantastic

Blooms: spring/summer usually May-July in S. CA

Flowers: On a club-like stalk that

elongates

Flowers pea-like

Color is lovely: shades of purple/pink/magenta

Beautiful contrasts – flowers & foliage

Seeds: Bean-like

In hairy, pea-like pods

© 2003 Michael Charters

© Project SOUND

Plant Requirements Soils:

Texture: just about any

pH: any local

Light: Best in light- to part-shade

Water: Winter: fine with flooding;

supplement if needed

Summer: regular water (Water Zone 2-3); taper off after blooming

Fertilizer: not picky; likes poor soils but OK with some fertilizer, amendments

Other: cut off old, dead branches in late fall

http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/mobile/species/Hoita_macrostachya.htm

© Project SOUND

Garden uses for

As a soil stabilizer along a sunny stream, in a marsh or at the ponds edge.

As an accent plant for shady parts of garden

Plant near or around trees such as alder, sycamore, box elder, and dogwood for a woodland garden retreat

Practical uses: roots Fibers

Yellow dye

Eaten (raw or cooked)

Pulverized for salve/poultice for sores, skin ulcers

© 2009 Lynn Watson © 2003 Michael Charters

Fall/Winter tasks: native herbaceous

perennials In general, these plants are

low maintenance: properly placed they come back year after year

Many need cutting back/removing dead material in fall/winter

Be sure you know which perennials need to be handled with care:

Toxicities

Rashes/allergies

© Project SOUND

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Why do the perennials

produce such interesting

chemicals?

Plants in the genus Hoita produce furanocoumarins;

These substances can cause a serious photosensitive rash in some people

Precautions Wear gloves, long sleeves

Be careful not to get plant juices on skin – wash off immediately if you do with soap & water

Always wash skin and clothes after pruning

© Project SOUND

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hoita_macrostachya_(PSor

alea_macrostachya)_Edwards's_Bot._Reg._21.1769.1836.jpg

Now a little something low to fill in…

© Project SOUND

Native Honeysuckles make good

groundcovers (as well as vines) for shade

© Project SOUND

* Orange Honeysuckle - Lonicera ciliosa

© Project SOUND

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We could use Woodmints (Stachys spp.)

© Project SOUND

Now a little something low to fill in…

© Project SOUND http://www.northcoastgardening.com/2012/01/perennial-plant-2012-jack-frost-brunnera/

© Project SOUND

* Creeping Leather-root – Hoita orbicularis

© 1995 Lee Dittmann

California Floristic Province (except Great Central Valley) S. to Baja

Locally: very occasionally in San Gabriels – more common in San Bernardino Mtns

Many plant communities including Yellow Pine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland up to 4-5000‘ ft elevation

In moist places: meadows, stream sides, moist hillsides, pond edges, seeps

© Project SOUND

* Creeping Leather-root – Hoita orbicularis

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=28327

http://jay.timetotrack.com/socal/lethrc.htm

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The flowers &

leaves give it away

Proud member of the Pea Family - Fabaceae

© Project SOUND

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hoita_orbicularis_(Psoralea_orb

icularis)_Edwards%27s_Bot._Reg._23._1971._1837..jpg © Project SOUND

Creeping Leather-root: it creeps (of course)

Size: < 1 ft tall

1-3 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial

Winter-dormant

Prostrate habit

Foliage: Leaves a trefoil – like a giant

clover (2-4” across)

Edible (young); used to fevers

Roots: N-fixing (nodules); produce yellow dye

© 2012 Jean Pawek http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/psoralea-orbicularis

© Project SOUND

Flowers:clover on steroids

Blooms: spring - usually May-June in western L.A. county

Flowers: On long spikes – up to 2-3

ft long; flowers open up sequentially

Each of the many flowers is up to 1” long, pea-like, and generally a shade of light to medium purple in color.

Very showy for a ground-cover – like the Woodmints

Seeds: in a small, hairy pea-like pod

© 2011 Barry Breckling © Project SOUND

Easy plant in the

right place

Soils: Texture: most

pH: any local except > 8.0

Light: Part-sun to shade

Good under trees or N-facing exposures

Water: Winter: fine with extra winter

water

Summer: regular water keeps it looking best: Zone 2 to 3

Fertilizer: not picky; OK with a little fertilizer, compost, organic mulch

Other: cut back old (dead/dying) foliage in fall

© 2011 Barry Breckling

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© Project SOUND

Creeping Leather-root works

well in shade gardens

As a groundcover – alone or mixed

In rain gardens, infiltration swales

In pots and planters (incl. ‘mini-bogs’)

On slopes

Shady areas in a butterfly garden

Edges of vegetable or medicinal garden

© 2011 Barry Breckling

© 2012 Jean Pawek http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hoitaorbicularis.jpg

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/psoralea-orbicularis

And that’s not all…

© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND

Round leaved boykinia – Boykinia rotundifolia

© 2011 Neal Kramer

endemic to southern California, where it grows in shady forested areas near streams in the mountains

Locally: Santa Monica Mtns (Malibu Cyn); more common in San Gabriels

Boykinia: Dr. Samuel Boykin (1786-1848), an

eminent field botanist - did the majority of his collecting in Georgia.

He was one of the many collectors who sent significant numbers of plant samples to John Torrey and Asa Gray

© Project SOUND

Round leaved boykinia – Boykinia rotundifolia

© 2008 Thomas Stoughton

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7088,7093,7096

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© Project SOUND

Boykinia: woodsy & drapey Size: 1-2 ft tall

1-2 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial

Upright or vine-like – depends on the conditions

Evergreen with water

Spreads via underground stems (rhizomes)

Foliage: Medium green ; may be hairy

Leaves rounded, irregularly toothed – spread out along stems

Roots: fibrous

© 2003 Michael Charters

© 2008 Thomas Stoughton

© Project SOUND

Flowers are curious

Blooms: late spring/summer; usually May-July in our gardens

Flowers: Very tiny – plant where you

be able to see them

White

In dense ‘sprays’ along the long (to 5 ft), thin flowering stalks

Would make an interesting addition to floral arrangement

Seeds: Many, small seeds in rounded

capsule

© 2011 Robert A. Hamilton

© 2011 Neal Kramer http://www.crug-farm.co.uk/Content/Plants/Boykinia(Saxifragaceae).htm

© Project SOUND

S. CA Woodlands Soils: Texture: just about any; well-

drained best

pH: any local

Light: Part-shade to fairly shady

Flowers best in dappled sun or bright shade, under trees

Water: Winter: supplement is needed

Summer: likes regular water – Zone 2-3 or 3

Fertilizer: not too particular; fine with humus and light fertilizer

Other: use an organic mulch

© 2003 Michael Charters

© Project SOUND

Boykinia in the garden

As an accent plant in shady areas, around ponds/pools

Massed as an evergreen groundcover; woodsy look that fine under trees, near lawns

As an interesting pot plant on shady porches

© 2005 Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

http://plants.ritchiefeed.com/NetPS-

Engine.asp?CCID=31090003&page=pdp&PID=836

6

http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/species/B

oykinia_rotundifolia.htm

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One more bit of inspiration: compound leaves

© Project SOUND http://brahma-canopy.blog.hr/2011/10/1629568372/perennial-shade-gardens-perennial-shade.html

© Project SOUND

* Redwood Sorrel – Oxalis oregana

Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences

The Oxalidaceae: the Wood Sorrel family

Small family of eight genera

Herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees

The great majority of the 900 species in the genus Oxalis (wood sorrels).

Members of this family typically have: Divided leaves

Leaflets showing "sleep movements", spreading open in light and closing in darkness.

© Project SOUND

The genus Oxalis contains

some real bad boys

Two members of the Oxalis genus in particular have given it a bad name. O. pes-caprae, known by the common

name Bermuda buttercup (even though it comes from South Africa) is known to take over a garden. When pioneering California botanist Lester Roundtree was asked how to deal with O. pre-caprae, she replied, "You move.“

O. corniculata - creeping woodsorrel, also called Procumbent Yellow-sorrel or Sleeping Beauty, is a somewhat delicate-appearing, low-growing Oxalis that has become a weed world-wide

© Project SOUND

Oxalis pes-caprae

Oxalis corniculata

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Oxalis_corniculata

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Central/North coast up to WA state (coastal and Cascades)

Moist conifer forests (Redwood Forest, Douglas-Fir Forest) between 0 and 3300 feet

AKA Oregon Oxalis

© Project SOUND

* Redwood Sorrel – Oxalis oregana

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5527,5528,5537

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OXOR © Project SOUND

Redwood Sorrel: a sweet little creeper

Size: ~ 1 ft tall

2-4 ft wide, spreading

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial

Mounded, spreading

Foliage: Bright green (may have some white

or burgundy)

3 heart-shaped leaflets – trefoil (looks like large 3-leaf clover) – on long petiole (leaf stem)

Songbirds may eat young leaves

Roots: spreads moderately via stout underground stems (rhizomes)

© 2009 Neal Kramer

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Oxalis_oregana

Oxalis have a long history of human use

An edible wild plant in cuisines around the world

Leaves/stems: Raw or cooked, as greens

Lightly fermented – for a side dish

Dried to make a lemony-tasting tea

Fresh or dried as an herb – to put a little ‘zing’ in dishes

Tuber: Cultivated & eaten like a

potato in the Northern Andes

© Project SOUND

© Bud Kovalchik:

Redwood Sorrel is used as a medicinal

Fresh juice from plant applied to sore eyes.

Decoction of whole plant used as a wash for rheumatism.

Poultice of plant applied to swollen areas & sores on the skin and to draw out infections.

© Project SOUND http://www.boilstreatments.com/poultice-for-boils.html

http://www.cieldazur.fr/gb/argile/utilisation.php

© 2006, Clayton J. Antieau

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Oxalic acid & other compounds

Giving the leaves and flowers a sour taste which can make them refreshing to chew.

In very large amounts, oxalic acid may be considered slightly toxic, interfering with proper digestion and kidney function.

Oxalic acid is also present in commonly consumed foods such as spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, grapefruit, chives, and rhubarb, among many others.

General scientific consensus seems to be that the risk of sheer toxicity, actual poisoning from oxalic acid, in persons with normal kidney function is "wildly unlikely“.

© Project SOUND

© 2006, Clayton J. Antieau

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis

© Project SOUND

Flowers are wonderful

Blooms: primarily in spring - usually April-June in our area

Flowers: Usually translucent pink but

may be white; beautiful contrast w/ foliage

Often have rays that are of contrasting shade

Medium size - ~1 inch

5 petals – relatively simple design

Seeds: In dry capsule that pops

open, throwing the seeds

© 2008 Neal Kramer

© 2003, Tim Hagan

Fairly easy from seed or divisions

Soak the soil around the roots 24 hours before digging (if soil is dry).

Divide Oxalis oregana in fall (as the winter rainy season begins) or in late winter or early spring (when new shoots/leaves appear).

Lift the Oxalis roots from the soil. Gently pull the roots apart into clumps containing three to five new growth shoots

Replant the divisions in the garden. Soak the area to settle the soil.

© Project SOUND

© 2011 Zoya Akulova

Use fresh seed

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Oxalis-oregana/ © Project SOUND

Redwood Sorrel is a

woodland plant Soils:

Texture: most are fine

pH: any local except > 8.0

Light: Part-shade to shade

Naturally grows under trees

Water: Winter: supplement in dry,

windy periods

Summer: like a moist soil – Water Zone 2-3 or 3

Fertilizer: likes a richer soil than many natives; fine with added humus, compost, light fertilizer

© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

Use an organic mulch – leaf

litter or leaf mulch is ideal

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© Project SOUND

Woodsy groundcover

Great in shady spots under trees – pines, junipers, etc. - with Lilies, Fringecups & Iris

Does great in pots & planters

Around shady fountains, birdbaths, other moist areas

http://www.calfloranursery.com/plants/oxalis-oregana http://agardenerinprogress.blogspot.com/2009/05/path-in-spring.html

Oxalis oregana 'Select Pink’, ‘Tilden Pink’,

‘Smith River white’

Natural varieties chosen for their flower color

© Project SOUND http://www.dunngardens.org/plants/spring/Oxalis_oregana.html

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OXOR

© Project SOUND

Our challenge today: the maturing garden

Time to assess what’s missing

…and feel like you fell

down the rabbit hole

© Project SOUND

1/6/2013

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© Project SOUND

Our mission: find the perfect perennials

for this shady garden – made a good start

© Project SOUND © 2007 Matt Below

Lessons from the new perennial garden

books (for the New CA Garden)

1. Learn to ‘read the pictures’ – what is it I like about the feel of this garden?

2. Try to ‘capture the spirit’ not duplicate the plants

3. Take the time to choose the right native plant for the job

4. Choose ‘value added’ native plants that still capture the spirit of the image you love

© Project SOUND

So, visit the spring plant sales

© Project SOUND

Wild Mint – Mentha arvensis

Some great plants for your water garden –

now’s the time to plant

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And get out & get inspired: it’s spring!

© Project SOUND

http://www.californianativeflora.com/garden-blog/7th-annual-theodore-payne-native-plant-garden-tour-april-10th-and-11th/