Native Plants in the Cordilleras Creek in Redwood City, California

Thanks to a growing awareness of conservation, watersheds the world over are now protected.

The native plants that exist today along the Cordilleras Creek, in Redwood City, California, were once central to the lives of the indigenous people that first inhabited this region. Today, over 300 native plants survive -- despite centuries of human intrusion and neglect. A few of these species are commonly known to modern-day man.

The Fragrant Laurel

Bay leaves are commonly used in soups.

The laurel tree is an aromatic evergreen that is known by many names -- Sweet Bay, Bay Tree, Laurel Bay and True Laurel are but a few. Often found in a mixed hardwood forest, it appears to develop differently dependent upon the region in which it grows. Typically, the bay tree grows to be quite tall -- sometimes over 50 feet high -- and holds a bushy crown. Its bark is smooth and leathery -- either gray or black, with leaves that are lance-like: long and narrow. During the spring, clusters of yellow flowers bloom, and in the fall the female plant produces a berry which bears a strong resemblance to an olive. The bay leaf is commonly utilized in the flavoring of many foods and contains numerous medicinal properties, including the ability to cure headaches and alleviate joint pain.

The Mighty Oak

Oak trees create lovely landscapes around the world.

Described as a perennial tree or shrub, the live oak tree is native all over California. It can live up to 1000 years and grow up to 90 feet tall. With over 80 different species, 20 are native to California. Enjoying a very active growth period during the months of spring, summer and fall, its leaves endure and are maintained year after year. Its greatest bloom is early in spring, with fruit and seed production following late in summer and early fall. The acorn was a staple in the diet of Native Americans. From the nut, they made a versatile meal flour, while the bark was used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments.

Daisy Like

The tiny hemizonia is an annual herb native to a variety of environments in California, including Cordilleras Creek. Its growth is progressive from mid to late spring and it flowers in mid-summer and early autumn. Like a daisy, this plant produces tiny yellow flowers upon its upper branches. When gradually drying up in autumn, the flower's head shatters and thus ensures its prolific seed production -- which was also an important food source for the Indian people. The seeds of this plant were toasted and ground into a flour, while the roots were also consumed. Medicinally, the steam from boiling this plant is considered a curative for the common headache.

The Trickster

The coyote is known to disobey normal rules -- like its namesake plant.

Coyote bush is related to the sunflower -- though they resemble one another in no way whatsoever. Considered an evergreen, it has many unusual and interesting features not recognizable in most bushes. The leaves of this plant are fire retardant. And as a defense mechanism, it becomes so fragrant and sticky with resin during hot days that nothing will eat it. It also has an extremely dense root system that spreads far out from its base allowing it to survive -- or rapidly regenerate from natural disasters. The coyote bush blooms between August and December -- with white, fluffy female or yellow male flowers, which cast their seeds like dandelions from October to January. Native Americans commonly used the leaves externally to prevent swelling and used the wood to construct arrow shafts.

References

• FOCC Booklet: A Cultural and Natural History of Cordilleras Creek Watershed: Anouk Mackenzie
• California Native Plant Society: Welcome to CNPS- Santa Clara Valley
• Bay Area Integrated Regional Water Mangement Plan: Cordilleras Creek Restoration Project
• Bay Laurel
• Oak Trees of California
• Discover Life: Hemizonia pungens