California Native Plant Identification
California is home to more than 4,800 varieties of native plants. Many resources are available to help with the identification of native plants, including agricultural extension offices. A few plants are more common than others and are more easily identified. Does this Spark an idea?
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Common Trees
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One native tree is the Californian redwood, which may grow over 100 feet high. Redwood trees may live 1,000 years or longer. Some varieties of fir trees, including white, silver and noble, are native to California. Willow trees, pine trees, several varieties of maple trees---including vine maple and mountain maple---cypress trees and hackberry trees are also native to California.
Common Plants
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Because of California's size, shape and widely varied ecological regions---from cool mountainous to desert---it is home to an extensive range of native plants. Common native plants include the California poppy, columbine, ferns, Mariposa lilies, blazing star, meadowfoam, morning glory and California Dutchman's pipe.
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Common Weeds
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California also has many native weeds. Among the most common are red brome, rabbit's foot grass, dandelion, thistle, wild fennel and tumbleweed. Weeds often interfere with gardening and other plant life, and are often removed due to this fact.
Identification
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There are many field guides that may help outdoor enthusiasts discover the names of native plants. "The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California" is one of the most extensive guides, with more than 8,000 varieties of local plants. A smaller guide for beginners is the "Introduction to California Plant Life," which contains some of the most common California plants. Online sites, such as Reny's wildflowers.com, offer information similar to that found in a field guide. These resources allow plant look up by name, shape, size, growing region and growth time frame. Some sources allow color or leaf shape look ups.
Benefits
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There are many benefits to identifying native Californian plants. With this knowledge it is possible to identify useful plants from weeds and to know which plants will grow best in your yard. Native plants will always grow best, and many California native plants make ideal landscaping choices for California gardens and lawns. Plant identification may also help gardeners determine which plants to try and which to remove from gardens and lawns.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit redwood sun image by Dennis Carrigan from Fotolia.com
