First solitary wasp has arrived in SoCal. Well over a month earlier than last year. Keep loving the earth back with plantings for refuge.
Dielis on Achillea
I didn’t know what “charate” was, so I did an internet search and found this article. Plants are wild in the ways they are prepared to survive (and thrive) in their environments.
https://collected.jcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=honorspapers
This is what the plant looks like to folks wondering.
https://calscape.org/Emmenanthe-penduliflora-(Whispering-Bells)
<p>Emmenanthe is a monotypic genus which contains only one species, Emmenanthe penduliflora, known by the common name whispering bells. This is a grassland wildflower found in the western United States. It is an annual plant with fleshy foliage which exudes a sticky juice with a light medicinal odor. The plant comes up from a weedy-looking basal rosette of sharply lobed leaves. It produces long flower clusters hung with small yellow or pink bell-shaped flowers which dry and become light and papery. The dry hanging flowers make a rustling sound when a breeze comes through, giving the whispering bells its common name. The dry flower also contains a fruit about a centimeter wide. This flower is most common in dry, recently burned areas; germination of the seeds may be triggered by the presence of burned plant material. It is a common plant of the chaparral ecosystem, which is prone to wildfire.testing</p>
I found a recipe for Whispering Bells (Emmenanthe penduliflura).
Heat oven to 500° F and bake for 10 minutes.* Sow with charate.
* For toaster ovens, bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
#CaliforniaNativePlants #NativeSeeds #EmmenanthePenduliflura
Pacific Glasswort (Salicornia pacifica) thrives where few plants can—using saltwater as its main source of water. It tucks excess salt into tiny vacuoles at the tips of its stems. When those fill up, the segments turn red and fall off, taking the salt with them.
#Pickleweed #SaltMarsh #CaliforniaNativePlants #EstuaryLife #CoastalEcosystems #Nature #Wildlife
Birchleaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) gets its name from the Greek kerkos (“tail”) and carpos (“fruit”)—a nod to the fruit’s long, feather-like style that dries into a distinctive, twirled shape.
#ChaparralPlants #californianativeplants #nature #wildlife #california
Dodder (Cuscuta species) seeds germinate near the soil surface and quickly start seeking a host. Using chemosensory cues, they grow toward nearby green plants—but if they don't latch on within 5 to 10 days, the seedlings die.
#ParasiticPlants #californianativeplants #nature #california #wildlife
Western Water Hemlock (Cicuta douglasii) is considered the most violently toxic plant in North America. Its carrot-scented roots contain cicutoxin, a powerful neurotoxin that can cause seizures and death with very small amounts.
#neurotoxins #californianativeplants #wildlife #nature #california
Little Bobby Tables
KellyAnn Romanych (she/her)
Cecelia
Gina