On our hike to Horse Thief Creek, I found this plant nearly ready to bloom:
But I have no idea what it is! The area is about 3000 ft. in the Santa Rosa Wilderness. I’ve checked all the wildflower books I have for these deserts and am not having any luck. It doesn’t help that I can’t see the flowers, of course.
So take your best shots! I’ll check out all the guesses and come up with a list of best possibilities. Let’s see if you can help me learn a new plant.
I’m away this week for an out-of-state seminar and a little annual leave. Some of my favorite places to visit this time of year are the high deserts of California. Today we hiked to Horse Thief Creek, a relatively easy trail in the Santa Rosa Wilderness. It’s the perfect time of year to see the high desert in bloom, especially with last winter’s substantial rainfall.
In graduate school I became interested in environmental stress physiology, and I still am entranced by the plant kingdom’s ability to overcome nearly every environmental extreme on earth. Desert ecosystems are particularly harsh, as rainfall is limited to a short period of time, often in the winter or spring. While many perennials are able to tolerate the subsequent dry season, annual species cannot. In essence, they escape drought stress altogether by existing only in seed form for most of the year. Seeds contain relatively little water anyway, and are so protected against environmental extremes that they can remain viable for decades or even centuries.
But back to our desert. After the rainy season, seeds of annual plants go into overdrive, germinating, growing, setting seed, and dying back all the span of a few weeks. Thus, the lucky hiker can find an abundance of tiny, brilliant desert annuals when seasons and vacation schedules coincide.
Tomorrow it’s the Salton Sea. Not sure what we’ll see in terms of plant life, but we’re hoping to catch some of the migratory waterfowl on their journey north.
I didn’t exactly cheat on this one…but it was a mean trick nevertheless.
This is a contorted cultivar of Larix (can’t remember the exact name and I’m out of town this week), hence the twisty needles. And indeed the tree is senescing. The newer growth (the second flush of the season) just wasn’t as prepared for fall as the older growth, which is yellowing naturally. So everything is just peachy with this tree.
Just goes to show you how important it is to know all the details when doing distance diagnosis!
Today I’ve attached a photo of a conifer displaying two symptoms: chlorosis of the older needles and a twisted appearance:
What do you think are the causes of these symptoms? Answers on Monday!
I love living in Seattle…but I’m getting increasingly impatient with the City’s “Building Healthy Soils” propaganda. For years I’ve questioned their recommendation to perpetually amend landscape soil with organic material to no avail. Let’s see what you all think of their “fact sheet” (which you can read here in its entirety).
“The best way to improve the soil is to add plenty of compost or other organic matter throughout the entire planting area before planting. Thoroughly mixing these materials deep into the soil helps provide water, air and nutrients to plant roots.”
Hmm. No mention of how to determine IF your soil needs improving; without a soil test, you have no idea what your baseline organic matter level is.
But perhaps this recommendation is only for vegetable gardens and annual beds? Nope. In the next paragraph, we’re told to “Mix in organic material before planting lawns, perennials, trees and shrubs.” We’re given helpful how-to instructions: “Use a shovel or digging fork to mix amendments into the top 6 to 12 inches of soil. It is important to amend the entire planting bed — not just small holes for each plant. When planting individual trees and shrubs in lawns or existing beds, amend an area at least 3 feet wide, or 3 to 5 times as wide as root balls over 12 inches in diameter. Rototill large areas where digging is impractical.”
Now we’ve got a serious problem. This practice is recommended for existing beds. Not only will extensive digging or rototilling destroy any soil structure you might have, it will also take out the roots of any desirable plants in the vicinity).
But let’s continue to ignore reality and go on to the annual recommendations for adding compost to soils.
“Clay soils: 16 cu. feet (.6 cu. yard) = 2 inch layer of compost for new gardens. Use 1 inch per year in established gardens.”
“Sandy soils: 24 cu. feet (.9 cu. yard) = 3 inch layer of compost for new gardens. Use 1 – 2 inches per year in established gardens.”
Is the compost used as a mulch in these existing gardens? No – the guidelines are prefaced with this instruction: “Gardens: mix compost to 10- to 12-inch depth.” (Can’t say this does much for promoting root growth either.)
This document shows a breathtaking lack of understanding of how landscapes function, especially over the long term. It takes an agricultural practice (annual organic amendment of crop fields) and misapplies it to permanent landscapes. It is devoid of the research which continues to show that improper soil amendment can cause serious problems such as soil subsidence, perched water tables, and nutrient overloads. This last point is especially important to anyone living near aquatic ecosystems, since excess nutrients always end up in the water.
Before you plant this year, find out what your soil needs before amending it. And remember that mulching is the natural (and sustainable) way to add organic matter to the soil.
As Austrian reader Johannes explained, the difference in dandelion flower height is due to herbivory – in this case from a lawnmower. Dandelions are quite adaptable to variable environments (the phenotypic plasticity Johannes also mentioned) and flower heights will increase or decrease depending on these variables. This ensures that the flowers will be accessible to pollinators, yet not decapitated by lawnmowers. It’s just one of the fascinating traits that make weeds successful!
It’s spring and the dandelions are happy to see you! I’ve taken photos of two groups of dandelions just footsteps away from one another. The populations are both in full sun, with similar types of soil and water availability. You’ll note that one group has very short flower stalks, while the second has longer stalks:
So what’s responsible for the difference in flower stalk length? And for extra credit, what’s the scientific term for the phenomenon?
If this isn’t something you’ve noticed before, you will from now on! Answers Monday!
I grew up on a small farm (30 or so acres) near Tacoma, Washington. We raised our own Herefords, I gathered eggs from my frizzle chickens, and we all enjoyed apples, plums and cherries from our fruit trees. Neither of my parents were farmers by profession, though my grandfather owned a dairy farm in Oregon. Eventually, my husband and I hope to move back to the family farm, if for no other reason than preserve it from the surrounding encroachment of houses.
I’ve been thinking about things I might do for fun or profit on the farm. Home grown beef for sure. A veggie garden – finally – on some of the only native soil left in the area. We’ve got lots of options and the space to try them out.
Now back to the question in the title: organic or local? Our family property has been managed gently since we moved there in the late 1960’s. Nothing’s been added to the pasture soil other than what the animals deposited themselves. We’ve had the apple trees sprayed yearly (a requirement because of apple maggot), but this is a targeted application with little affect outside the trees. The cattle were never treated with hormones or other additives – they were about as free range as you can get.
I’ve heard from others that organic certification standards have become increasingly difficult to meet and some growers think they have become increasingly meaningless. On the other hand, locally-grown products are becoming more available.
Is it time for a new standard – locally grown, with some requirements (e.g. soil tests) to demonstrate safety?
And we have a winner! As Karen guessed, these are lichens on decomposing granite:
This photo is from the Fortynine Palms oasis area in Joshua Tree National Monument. These lichens (symbiotic amalgams of fungi and algae) could be decades or centuries old – they are very slow spreading.
Most creative answer goes to TT, who thought it looked like sweet potato casserole! The quartz does look like marshmallows.
Another close-up photo for you to analyze and identify:
A more inclusive photo on Monday will solve the mystery. (Sorry for the brevity – I’m on the road and internet access is variable. I’m taking what I can get!)
Enjoy your spring weekend!