UCRBG Newsletter - UCR Botanic Gardens

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE BOTANIC GARDENS
UCRBG Newsletter
VOLUME 30, NUMBER 3 • FALL 2010
28th ANNUAL FRIENDS OF U.C. RIVERSIDE BOTANIC GARDENS
Fall Plant Sale News
FRIENDS PREVIEW SALE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010, 9 AM TO 12 NOON
PUBLIC SALE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 12 NOON TO 4 PM
AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 9 AM TO 3 PM
I
T’S BEEN A
comparatively cool
summer barring a few hot
periods, and fall has finally
arrived – with rain! If you think
about it, in Mediterranean climates
like much of California, fall is really
the equivalent of “spring” in
temperate climates. Fall is the time
when Mediterranean climate plants
awaken from their summer torpor in
anticipation of the winter rainy
season. Like spring planting in
temperate climates, fall in Mediterranean climates is also the best time
to plant many California native plants
and others from Mediterranean
climes such as parts of Australia,
South Africa, Chile and the
Mediterranean area itself.
All but the most tender tropical
plants benefit from being planted in
our mild fall and winter. It’s a chance
for the plant’s roots to develop so
they will be better prepared for the
stresses of a hot, dry summer. This is
doubly important for some natives
that are sensitive to summer irrigation.
These, if planted in fall, can be
watered less through their first few
summers because they are better
established.
Several trees and shrubs in the
Azalea Family benefit from fall
planting and will be available at the
sale. These are the manzanitas and
strawberry trees. All are evergreen
trees or shrubs that have leathery
leaves and attractive, reddish, peeling
bark. The largest is a hybrid derivative
strawberry tree, Arbutus ‘Marina’. This
handsome tree grows slowly to 30 or
Justicia rizzinii, firecracker flower, in bud.
more feet. It has four-to five-inch,
deep green leaves that are bronze
when emerging and clusters of tiny,
urn-shaped flowers that are typical of
the group. The pink flowers are
produced in spring and fall and are
followed by showy fruits. The fruits
start out yellow and turn red, often
with both colors on the tree at the
same time. The origin of A. ‘Marina‘
remains somewhat of a mystery
though it is thought to be derived
from Mediterannean, European, and
possibly, Canary Island natives.
Two manzanitas that can be trained
into small trees (and will be found
with the trees at the sale)are Arctosta-
phylos densiflorus ‘Sentinel’, Vine Hill
manzanita, and Arctostaphylos manzanita
‘Dr. Hurd’. Like Arbutus, they both
produce clusters of tiny urn-shaped
flowers. ‘Sentinel’ flowers are light
pink and ‘Dr. Hurd’ flowers are
white. ‘Sentinel’ is the smaller of the
two at eight to 10 feet compared to
‘Dr. Hurd’ at 15 feet tall. Training
these two manzanitas as trees shows
off the classic red bark. These two
are among the most reliable of
manzanitas for our Inland gardens.
Shrubs in the Azalea Family that
will be available at the sale are a
dwarf form of strawberry tree and
two other manzanita cultivars. The
2
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
birds, Jean Weiss lists manzanitas as
being appealing to birds. Many other
plants Jean mentions will also be
available at the sale, often in multiple
varieties. Here are some, listed mostly
by genus. A number are discussed in
more detail in this article. Check the
plant list for more information on
others. (See how to get your list on
page 5.) Among the trees Jean
describes are bottlebrush (Callistemon),
coral tree (Erythrina), elderberry
(Sambucus), manzanita (Arctostaphylos)
and toyon (Heteromeles). Shrubs include
Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta‘, strawberry tree.
autumn sage (Salvia x jamensis and S.
greggii), bottlebrush (Callistemon), budstandard form of Arbutus unedo is a
dleia
(Buddleia — six types), ceanothus
small tree but here we offer Arbutus
(Ceanothus),
lantana (Lantana),
unedo ‘Compacta’ which grows to be a
man
zan
ita
(Arctostaphylos),
ocotillo
10-foot shrub. A. Unedo ‘Compacta’ has
(Fouquieria
—
three
species),
rosemary
many of the same fine characters as
(Rosmarinus
—
three
cultivars),
many
the species: dark green, toothed leaves
varieties
of
sage
(Salvia
—
11
shrubby
on reddish stems, white flowers in fall
salvias will be offered, including the
and winter followed by attractive red
fruits. These are edible but not partic- autumn sages above). California
fuchsia (Epilobium), California poppy
ularly tasty. Of the two manzanitas,
(Eschscholzia -seeds), coral bells (Heuchera
one is an old favorite, the other is
— three varieties), and sages (Salvia —
comparatively new to us but has
10
herbaceous types) will be available
proven to survive our hot summers.
in
the
herbaceous plants. Among the
Little Sur manzanita, Arctostaphylos
cacti
and
succulents Jean refers to are
edmundsii ‘Carmel Sur’, has been with
agave
(Agave),
many species of aloe
us for many years. It is a groundcover
(Aloe)
and
prickly
pear (Opuntia).
shrub to only 10 inches high and five
Buddleias
are
attractive
to birds, but
feet across. It is a fairly fast grower if it
they
are
legend
for
being
“butterfly
is irrigated moderately, forming dense
mats of small, round, gray-green leaves magnets”. There will be a whole flock
of butterfly bushes, two of them new
and clusters of pink flowers typical of
to
the sale. All are easy-to-grow and
the group. Little Sur manzanita needs
have
tiny flowers carried in showy
a location with part or light shade in
clusters
of various forms in summer
our hot Inland climate. A more recent
Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Bicolor’
and
fall.
Gardens resident is
has become a favoArctostaphylos pajarite
for its conical
roensis ‘Warren
clusters
of fragrant
Roberts’. This shrub
flowers
in
a blend
grows to six feet tall
of
laven
der
and
and spreads up to
butterscotch
10 feet wide. It has
yellow. It has felty,
distinctive bluelance-shaped
green leaves that are
leaves and grows
bronzy when young
to five or more
and remain edged in
feet high. Similar
red as they mature.
in general appearIt bears large
ance
are B. x pikei
clusters of pink
‘Hever‘
and B. ‘Buzz
flowers in late
Violet’,
both with
winter. Strawberry
felty,
lance-shaped
trees and manzanitas
leaves, as well.
need good drainage.
Buddleia x pikei
In her article on
Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Bicolor’,
‘Hever‘ has loose,
attracting backyard
butterfly bush.
pendulous clusters of fragrant, mauvelavender flowers, each with a yellow
throat. It grows to about seven feet tall.
Buddleia ‘Buzz Violet’ is one of several
new introductions that are among the
smallest of the butterfly bushes,
supposedly growing to only two or
three feet tall. This selection has
fragrant, violet flowers in dense,
conical spikes. Perhaps the most
distinctive is woolly butterfly bush,
Buddleia marrubifolia. This is a Chihuahuan Desert native growing to about
five feet tall. It is a compact plant with
small, white, fuzzy leaves and its rich
yellow-orange flowers are born in
little, ball-like clusters. All but the
woolly butterfly bush benefit from
being cut back after each bloom cycle.
There will be many other plants at
the sale that are attractive to butterflies. Two particularly distinctive
groups are the milkweeds and the wild
Buddleia marrubifolia, woolly butterfly bush.
buckwheats. The milkweeds are well
known as a larval food source for
Monarch butterflies. Three species will
be offered at the fall sale. Asclepias
curassavica, bloodflower, is native from
Mexico to South America and the
selection, Asclepias curassavica ‘Wildfire’,
sports red-tinged foliage. It has threeto four-foot, few-branched stems lined
with narrow leaves and topped by
clusters of unusual, crown-shaped
flowers typical of milkweeds in vivid
red and orange. This species needs
fairly regular irrigation. There will also
be two California native milkweeds
available. The hard-to-find narrow-leaf
milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis, is an
herbaceous perennial growing from
two to four feet tall. It has slender
stems lined with very narrow leaves, as
the common name suggests, and
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
clusters of crown-like, lavender-tinted,
of our other native salvias, this is an
There will be several other Califorwhite flowers. Narrow-leaf milkweed
herbaceous perennial that spreads by
nia native herbaceous perennials,
needs only occasional watering.
underground stems to form patches of
some rarely offered anywhere, and
Perhaps most unusual is rush milkseveral offered at our sale for the first large, arrow-shaped leaves. These
weed, Asclepias subulata, a Southwest
time. Volunteer Mike Fugate supplied bold, fuzzy leaves are deliciously fruitU.S. desert native, with wand-like, gray to us the seed of Oregon gumweed,
scented. The rosy-purple flowers must
green, nearly leafless stems. Its flowers Grindelia stricta, which he grows in his
be the largest of any native sage and
are creamy white and attract not just
are produced in fat, shish-kabob
own garden here in Riverside along
butterflies but beautiful, orange and
spikes to two feet tall. As one of its
with many other uncommon plants.
black tarantula hawks as well. Rush
common names
Oregon gumweed is
milkweed is quite drought tolerant and native to coastal areas
implies, it is
requires good drainage.
loved by
of California and
There will also be three types of
hummingbirds.
Oregon and forms a
wild buckwheat available at the fall
Several unspreading mound of
sale. All are California natives with
common native
rounded, somewhat
moderate water needs and all three are succulent leaves with
trees will be
attractive to butterflies, birds and small toothed edges. The
available at the
mammals. Though some buckwheats
sale. One is a
distinctive buds are
are shrubby, the three we will be
dark-flowered
burr-like and appear
offering for this sale will be found
form of western
lacquered; these open
with the herbaceous plants. Arrow-leaf to two-inch, bright
redbud, Cercis
occidentalis (dark
buckwheat, Eriogonum compositum, forms yellow daisies.
Lake County
a mound of bold, gray-green, arrowBotanist and Gardens
strain). This is a
shaped leaves that are white-felty
helper Mitch Provance
Salvia spathacea, pitcher sage.
large shrub or
underneath. Its tiny, pale yellow
provided seed for
small, usually multi-trunked tree about
flowers are produced in summer on
Potentilla glandulosa, sticky cinquefoil.
branched, fluffy, ball-like clusters
This is a low perennial with rosettes of 20 feet tall. It has all year interest with
its picturesque branching, deep
above the foliage mass. Another
hairy, divided leaves. In spring twobuckwheat with yellow flowers is
foot branching spikes of small, creamy magenta flowers in spring, handsome
rounded leaves, interesting seed pods
sulfur flower, Eriogonum umbellatum var. yellow, single-rose-like flowers
polyanthem ‘Shasta Sulfur’. Rather than
emerge.These last longer if the plant is and yellow fall color. One of Califorthe pale yellow of arrow-leaf
nia’s most unusual trees is silktassel,
in partial shade. There will be three
Garrya elliptica ‘Evie’. Like the redbud,
buckwheat, these are a bright, sulfur
varieties of coral bells available at the
silktassel is a large shrub or small tree,
yellow. Sulfur flower grows to one or
sale, one a native and the other two
10 to 20 feet tall. The handsome
two feet tall, has gray-green, spoonderived from native species. All form
shaped leaves and its flowers are born clumps of rounded leaves and tall, airy leaves are leathery, wavy-edged and
dark green above, white woolly below.
in showy, globular
spikes of tiny
In winter, is has clusters of showy,
clusters. Rosy red
flowers that are
pale green, catkins that, in ‘Evie’, hang
flowers are a feature
loved by humto 10 inches long and are quite
of red buckwheat,
mingbirds. The
Eriogonum grande v.
striking. A favorite with both birds
native Heuchera
rubescens. A Channel
maxima, commonly and butterflies, Sambucus mexicana, blue
Islands native, it is
called island alum elderberry, is an adaptable, deciduous
tree that can grow to 35 feet tall. It
sometimes called
root, has pinkish
has light green, compound leaves and
San Miguel Island
white flowers. In
large, flat-topped clusters of tiny,
buckwheat for that
spite of its
creamy-white flowers that attract
reason. Red buckChannel Islands
wheat forms a
nativity, H. maxima butterflies. These are followed by
large clusters of frosted blue berries
foot-tall mound of
does fine in
that attract birds and can be used to
leaves that are green
Inland gardens as
above and light on
long as it has some make jam.
Eriogonum umbellatum v. polyanthum
It is always helpful to highlight some
the back. The tiny
protection from the
‘Shasta Sulfur’, sulfur flower.
flowers are in manysun. Heuchera ‘Gene- of the plants that are new to the sale,
especially those that we ourselves are
branched, rounded clusters held well
vieve’ has pink flowers. Heuchera
less familiar with. Even with extensive
above the foliage. All these
‘Canyon Duet’ has bicolored flowers
research we still can only guess
buckwheats are fairly drought tolerant in white and rose.
whether a new plant will do well in
but need some supplemental irrigation
Salvia spathacea, commonly called
in our hot Inland gardens. They also
pitcher sage or hummingbird sage, is a Inland gardens. We ask you to try
them so we can learn how they
need a site with excellent drainage.
hard to find native salvia. Unlike any
3
4
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
perform. Butterfly mist, Ageratum
shiny that they sometimes sparkle in
corymbosum, is one such plant. This
the sun. The leaves have a scent
native of Arizona, Texas and Mexico
variously described as citrus, vanilla,
is a winter dormant, herbaceous
pineapple, or Earl Gray. They are
perennial that, in warm weather,
used to make an herbal tea. The
grows into a loose mound about one
small clusters of tiny, cream-colored
foot tall and three feet wide. It has
flowers attract butterflies. The
fuzzy, green leaves and dome-shaped
diminutive leaves and flowers make
clusters of fluffy, light blue-purple
it popular with bonsai enthusiasts.
flowers; the flowers are much like the
Another plant that is a long-time
common bedding ageratum and are
Inland resident but is new to the sale
apparently well-liked by butterflies. A
is smoke tree, Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal
short-lived perennial or biennial that is Purple’. This is a large, deciduous
shrub to 12 or 15 feet tall that can be
new to us is red feathers, Echium
amoenum. This relative of pride-oftrained into a tree. The handsome,
Madeira is native to Northern Iran
rounded leaves are a rich red-purple,
Cordia boissieri, anacahuita.
and forms four-inch tall rosettes of
and maintain their color well into
is a climbing cactus with long, threenarrow, lance-shaped, fuzzy leaves. If
summer. The tiny flowers are fluffy,
sided, green stems with aerial roots
the plants are deadheaded in spring,
green clusters followed in summer by
that attach to surfaces. It has enorand again in fall, foot-tall foxtail spikes unusual and most beautiful purple,
mous, many-petaled white flowers that
of rusty red flowers emerge. These
plume-like structures that resemble
open in the evening. At nearly 15
spikes are attractive to butterflies.
puffs of smoke.
inches long, they are probably the
Among the shrubs that are new to
One plant that we’ve only been able
largest of all the cactus flowers., and
us and to the sale is whipcord shrub,
to offer a very few times is anacahuita
perhaps, the largest of any flower we
Ozothamnus coralloides. This New
or Texas olive, Cordia boissieri. It is a
can grow. The delicious fruit is bumpy,
Zealand native is closely related to the wonderful plant and the Gardens’
large group of
specimen, behind yellow-skinned and white fleshed.
Yellow pitahaya is quite tender and is
“everlastings“,
the gatehouse, is
for a protected spot in the mildest
Helichrysum, and
often admired.
Inland areas only. Let us know how it
is sometimes
Anacahuita is a
does for you. Less tender and with
placed in that
large shrub or
slightly smaller flowers, at “only”
genus. A most
small tree that
about 12 inches long, is dragon fruit,
unusual shrub, it
loves heat. It has
Hylocereus undatus. It is also called
is difficult to
rounded, sanddescribe. It is a
papery, gray-green queen-of-the-night for its fragrant,
nocturnal flowers. In habit it is similar
mounding plant
leaves and, from
to yellow pitahaya with its threeto only one or
spring to fall,
angled, climbing stems. The fruit,
two feet high. It
produces clusters
however, is magenta-red outside with
has tiny, dark
of two and oneseed-speckled, white flesh. Because
green, diamondhalf inch,
they prefer partial shade Inland, both
shaped leaves
trumpet-shaped,
are especially good climbing into trees.
white flowers
that grow
Another fruiting vine to be offered is
with
yellow
pressed flat
Echium amoenum, red feathers,
Fantasy Seedless grape, Vitis ‘Fantasy
throats.
The
white
against white
photo courtesy of San Marcos Growers,
Seedless’. Friend and Volunteer,
flowers are a cool
woolly stems,
Santa Barbara, CA.
Cherie Rouse, supplied us with the
touch to the landscape at the hottest
making for a cylindrical, rope-like
cuttings and recommends it highly. It
time of year. It is strange and
affect. The small, yellow flower heads
unfortunate that such a fine plant is not is one of three black seedless grape
are interesting but not particularly
varieties grown commore commonly
showy. It is the plant that is most
mercially in California.
available. Anacahuita is
intriguing. A shrub new to the sale
Cherie has grown it
native to Texas and
that has been growing in the Gardens
for years in her
Mexico.
for many years is moujean tea, Nashia
Redlands garden. Coninaguensis. A Caribbean native, it seems
A number of unusual
sidered a “mid-season”
odd that it should do so well here. It
vines will be available at
grape, it produces
is a stiff, much-branched plant that
the sale, including two
large, blue-black
apparently can grow to seven feet tall, that we’ve never offered
grapes in big clusters
though the Gardens’ plant has been
before. Yellow pitahaya
in August. It is an
kept at about four feet. It has tiny,
(pronounced pee-TIEHylocereus megalanthus,
energetic, woody vine
deep green, textured leaves that are so yah), Hylocereus megalantha,
yellow pitahaya.
5
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
with typical maple-shaped leaves,
branching spikes in dense, stocky
which color yellow and red in winter.
clusters and are red in bud, open to
After the leaves fall, the stems are
orange and age to yellow. Similar in
picturesque with their knobby joints
form is Aloe x principis, a naturally
and peeling bark.
occurring hybrid of
Another grape, a
A. arborescens and A.
California native, will
ferox. Its branching
also be offered: Vitis
spikes of yellowcalifornica ‘Roger’s
tipped, red flowers
Red’, California wild
are in graceful, longgrape. Like the last
pointed clusters.
Vitus, it is picturesque
Naturally, hummingboth in and out of
birds love both. The
leaf. Its leaves are
so-called old man
slightly lobed and
cacti are always
gray green above,
popular for their
Kennedia nigricans, black coral vine. long white hair. For
velvety and lightercolored below. They color handsomely this sale Ann has grown plenty of the
red and orange in fall. The seedy,
old-man-of-the-Andes, Oreocereus
purple fruits are prized by birds who
hendriksenianus, in landscape-sized
often guard them aggressively. ‘Roger’s plants. This is a shrubby cactus,
Red’ can be grown with support as a
producing many branches from the
climber, or unsupported as a
base. The columnar stems are four
handsome groundcover. One vine
inches thick and ribbed, the ribs lined
we’ve never offered before is Kennedia
with long, gold to reddish spines that
nigricans, black coral vine. This is an
stick out beyond the thick covering of
Australian native with wiry, twining
long, white hair. In spring it produces
stems. Its leaves are three-parted with
red, trumpet-shaped flowers that
each leaflet being large, dark green and attract hummingbirds. Another cactus
leathery. The unusual flowers are more offering is balloon cactus, Parodia
or less sweetpea-shaped in deep
magnifica (aka. Notocactus magnificus).
maroon-black and yellow. Black coral
Balloon cactus grows slowly to two or
vine will grow on a trellis or as a
three feet tall, eventually branching
groundcover.
from the base. It has fat, upright, blue
Here are just a few highlights from
green stems with widely-spaced ribs,
Ann Platzer’s huge cacti and succulent the ribs lined with soft, gold-colored
selection. Aloe ‘David Verity’ is a “must spines. Yellow, funnel-shaped, manyhave” for aloe lovers, according to
petaled flowers are produced from
Ann. ‘David Verity’ is a four-to sixthe top of the stems in summer. Be
foot, succulent shrub formed of many
sure to peruse the cacti and succulent
branches, each branch topped by a
list to learn about the many other
rosette of tapered, gray green, toothed varieties that will be available.
leaves. The tubular flowers are in
Among the shade plants to be
How To Get A Plant List
Friends can choose one of several ways to acquire the Fall 2010 Plant List. For
those who do not use computers, call the office at 951.784.6962 and request that one
be mailed to you. Be sure to state your name and address clearly in your message.
Have a computer? There are several options: 1) Go to the list on the Gardens’
website. You can browse the list or download a pdf file. Go to www.gardens.ucr.edu,
and follow the links to the calendar, fall plant sale, and plant list; 2) E-mail us at
ucrbg@ucr.edu and we can forward the pdf to you or you can request a print copy,
which we will mail to you. (Be sure to leave your name and mailing address.)
Or, there will be a limited number of copies available at the plant sale.
The list also includes the number of plants we expect to have of each type. That
info can help you to plan your shopping. The list is continuously being updated as
new inventory arrives. You can check online any time and get the most current list.
Do let us know how we might improve these arrangements. Your ideas and
opinions are important to us.
offered are two choice shrubs in the
Acanthus Family. Mackaya bella, forest
bell bush, is a South African native with
year around good looks. It has
handsome, deep green shiny leaves on a
densely branched plant. The trumpetshaped flowers are produced in loose
clusters, mostly in spring. They are a
delicate lavender with dark purple
veins. Hotter colors appear on Justicia
rizzinii, firecracker flower (featured on
our cover). This small Brazilian shrub
has dainty leaves and its pendant,
tubular flowers are glowing red, orange
and yellow. These are produced in
Aloe ‘David Verity’.
winter, usually around Christmas.
Dry shade is always a challenge to
gardeners. There are several shade
plants available with moderate water
needs. The Australian fuchsias (Correa)
are excellent dry shade shrubs. The
four varieties available were featured in
the spring plant sale article and all will
be available again for the fall. Also from
Australia is an unusual shrub for light
or part shade, Thomasia solanacea ‘Velvet
Star’, Solanum-leafed Thomasia. This
one-of-a-kind. shrub grows four to six
feet tall and has felty, light green, lobed
leaves and nodding, pagoda-like white
flowers that open from distinctive,
ribbed buds. Catalina perfume, Ribes
viburnifolium, is a California native shrub
for dry shade. Its small, rose-pink
flowers are more interesting than
6
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
showy and its leaves
demo. Sunday at
are handsome, shiny
11 a.m., Jean Weiss
dark green and delidiscusses backyard
ciously fruit scented.
habitats. Saturday
Once established, it
at 1 p.m., 2 p.m.
requires only occaand 3 p.m. and
sional water.
Sunday at 1 p.m.,
Surprisingly water
Ann Platzer and
efficient is big blue
Barbara Hayes
lily turf, Liriope
guide children
muscari. Perhaps the
through the
Veltheimia bracteata.
tuberous roots help it
process of making
through dry periods. It forms lush,
succulent planters. The kids will take
grassy clumps of deep green, narrowly home their creations. Plan on
strap-shaped leaves. The long-stemmed attending these free activities.
spikes of small, violet-colored flowers
As always, there is only enough
are an added bonus.
room to discuss a tiny portion of the
What could be more drought tolerincredible selection of plants available
ant than a plant that needs no summer at the sale. Check out the box on page
water? One such plant is veltheimia,
5 to review the ways you can get a
Veltheimia bracteata. Veltheimia grows
detailed plant list. That said, even the
from a shallowly buried or exposed
detailed list (which is about 19 pages
bulb, producing handsome, shiny light long) can’t include everything. There
green, wavy-edged leaves. Its pendant, are still many cacti and succulents for
tubular, pink flowers are tipped green
containers or landscape, hundreds of
and are produced in dense, longherbs, mini-roses, houseplants, and
stemmed clusters. The leaves die back
orchids, plus wildflower seeds that will
in early summer whether or not the
be available but are not listed. Plan to
plants are watered.
spend some time studying our wide
Besides the great selection of
selection of plants, watching a
plants, the Friends’ sale presents
demonstration, and visiting the
several fine programs and activities.
Gardens, too. Be sure to tell your
All free! Saturday at 10 a.m., Carl
friends and relatives about the sale.
Pongs and Carlos Valez from GreenAnd remember, you can save water,
belt Growers discuss ornamental
save money and help the Gardens all
grasses. Saturday at 1 p.m., Jean
at the same time by supporting this
SM
Marsh gives a hands on drip irrigation great event!
UC Riverside
Botanic Gardens
The UCR Botanic Gardens Newsletter is a
quarterly journal published by the Friends
of the UCR Botanic Gardens, U.C. Riverside
Foundation, 900 University Ave., Riverside,
CA 92521, and is one of the benefits of
membership. Articles on various aspects of
horticulture and its practice, history, or related subjects, especially as it applies to inland Southern California are welcomed.
The selection of copy to print is at the discretion of the editors. Send copy to Steve
Morgan, Botanic Gardens, University of
California, Riverside, CA 92521, call 951784-6962, e-mail smorgan@ucr.edu or
visit our website at www.gardens.ucr.edu
for information.
Friends Board of Directors:
Margo Chabot, President; Sue Wallace,
Vice President; Antoon Ploeg, Treasurer;
Brenda Bowers, Secretary; Janine
Almanzor, Phyllis Bruce, Brightie Dunn,
Jack Easton, Christian Fessler, Amy Hao,
Amber Jones, Katherine Kendrick, Don
Merhaut, Nanci Nelson, Janice Ponsor,
Lynne Seymour, Debra Sherman
Staff: Giles Waines, Director; Steve
Morgan, Curator; Theresa Arial,
Manager; Abdurrahman “Abe” Koksal,
Senior Nursery Technician; Katie Shea,
Volunteer Administrative Assistant;
Pamela Roose, Alfredo Sevilla, and Saul
Torres Alcarez, Temporary Workers.
Student Workers: Eddie Garcia, Luis
Trujillo Villaseno, Michael Voeltz
l
Editors:
Siri Khalsa • Steve Morgan
Graphic Design:
Tami Osmer Glatz
e
Sowing the Seeds…
You can ensure that future generations can enjoy the beauty
and vitality of the UCR Botanic Gardens through a bequest.
To make a gift by bequest, simply name
UC Riverside Foundation (tax ID: #23-7433570)
as a beneficiary of your:
Will/Living Trust • Retirement Account
Insurance Plan • Bank Account
The Office of Gift Planning can provide sample bequest language for Wills/living trusts.
For the other options named above, making a bequest can be as simple as filling out
a beneficiary form provided by your bank or account administrator.
Please let us know if you plan to remember the UCR Botanic Gardens
in your plans to ensure your wishes can be fulfilled.
Cecilia Soriano, Executive Director • (951) 827-6449 • giftplanning@ucr.edu
7
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
State of the Gardens
PLANTS TO SEE: Autumn is the season of mellow fruitfulness and several
interesting plants in the Botanic Gardens are in fruit. The paper mulberry
along the main drive is shedding hundreds of aggregate orange fruits. I do
not recommend you plant this tree in
your garden. It grows large, sprouts
roots, and seeds profusely each year.
Another member of the fig family,
along with the black and red mulberries planted close by, is the Osage orange, whose bright green, aggregate
fruits are lying along the stream bed.
Closer to the entrance plaza are the
pink fading to buff fruits of the goldenrain tree and Chinese raintree, the
fall flowers of which are bright yellow
at this time of the year.
Across the main drive in the California desert section are the pink-yellow
pods of mesquite that were gathered
by Native American desert
tribespeople. Also, brown jojoba nuts
are ripe and shed in fall. The yellow
orchid vine (Mascagnia macroptera)
collected in the Sonoran Desert many
years ago has yellow-green fruits turning to buff and scrambles over the
Dugger Ramada and adjacent fence.
The California Buckeye has large
fruits and conker seeds along the
north coast wheelchair pathway, which
is ablaze with red-orange flowers of
the California fuchsia, a hummingbird
flower (Epilobium or Zauschneria). A
white-flowered Western redbud is
blooming behind the memorial bench
for John R. Grim along the walkway.
A more usual purple-flowered form
will bloom later across the path. The
Rancho Rose Garden always supplies
color in fall, as does the Otay Mesa
rose, providing it receives sufficient
water. Unfortunately its fruits are
green with prickles. There is an Eastern pokeberry fruiting in the old rose
garden and in the Geodesic Dome. I
think the birds spread seeds from
neighboring Oscar Clarke’s garden.
There are many autumn sages blooming along the main drive by the Gardens office, and across the road on
salvia knoll.
Down hill from the autumn sages
are pomegranate trees in fruit. The
color contrast of the foliage of the
blue-green Italian cypress and
‘Swaine’s Golden’ cypress, planted between the rose garden and the greenhouse is very noticeable in fall
sunlight, as are the flowers of Texas
Ranger and its relatives planted at the
edge of the Iris Garden. There are
many interesting colorful plants in
bloom and fruit in the Herb Garden.
h
TREE WORK: Two dead white alders
(Alnus rhombifolia) were removed from
Alder Canyon in late August. These
plants are native along streams in the
local San Gabriel and San Bernardino
Mts. and formed part of the riparian
community originally planted in the
canyon. A Siberian elm tree (Ulmus
pumila) that was heavily infected with a
bacterial disease and regularly
dropped dead branches was also removed from the canyon by Vista
Landscape of Riverside. The same
company trimmed a split branch of a
mesquite tree near the turnaround.
This allows more sunlight to reach the
cactus knoll. Funds for this work were
provided by the Arbor Fund, a donor
advised fund of the Community Foundation Serving Riverside and San
Bernardino Counties.
h
WHEELCHAIR PATHWAYS: Physical
Plant organized removal of a large
Taxodium mucronatum root that had
raised asphalt near the bridge over the
pond and made that walkway dangerous for wheelchairs, schoolchildren
and general visitors. The pond is very
popular with young folks who come
to see the fish and turtles.
Abe Koksal, Jason Timme and student assistants repaired the railroad-tie
retaining wall along the original
wheelchair walkway that climbs the
east side of Alder Canyon. The wall
had collapsed in one place and was
leaning in a second area behind the
Gardens’ garage. Several of the timbers had rotted out on the section of
the walkway below the Rose Gardens.
There is still another part to repair behind the garage where a coral tree was
removed that was lifting the asphalt.
Once all the walls are repaired, the
uneven asphalt surface will be re-
placed. Since this pathway is used by
many school tours, Primavera funds
have been assigned to this project.
h
WILLA SCHWALM BEQUEST: The
UCR Foundation received a bequest
from the estate of Mrs. Willa Schwalm,
wife of Professor Hal. Schwalm, that
was to be added to an endowment in
the Botanic Gardens. Hal Schwalm
was a member of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and was
head of UC Cooperative Extension in
the southern half of the state in the
1970’s. In 1990, Willa donated a teak
bench and a Cyprus cedar (Cedrus brevifolia) tree in Hal’s memory, both of
which are located in the Mediterranean section of the Gardens southeast of the pond.
h
TORO GIVING PROGRAM: In
March, Deb Whitney, Margo Chabot,
Theresa, and I put together a grant request to the Toro Giving Program for
a piece of equipment made by the
Toro Company, who have a plant in
Riverside. In July we heard that we
were successful, but the amount and
which item of garden equipment has
yet to be determined.
h
ROBERT SIMONSEN: I am saddened
to report the death of Bob Simonsen,
who with his wife Nan, helped develop the Garden Tour/Classes. Bob
also volunteered at plant sales checking receipts at the exit gate, and working the membership table. At
Primavera, Bob helped with set-up
and take-down as well as with handing
out glasses and buffet plates. We all
enjoyed Bob’s company. He will be
greatly missed. Our condolences go
out to Nan.
h
DONATIONS: The people listed
below generously donated monies to
the indicated funds during the summer quarter. If I have failed to mention someone, please let me know at
giles.waines@ucr.edu.
Botanic Gardens General Fund. Mrs.
Gracie Avila, Mr. & Mrs. Ellis Barrier,
Mr. & Mrs. Leland Brown, Mr. Greg
Daffin, Dr. Mary Droser, Mrs. Sandy
Evelyn-Veere, Mr. & Mrs Don
8
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
Garland, Drs. Brian & Claire Federici,
Ms. Cheryl Gerry, Mrs. Marilyn
Harris, Dr. Daniel & Mrs. Lori
Helper, Mr. Ray & Ms. Penelope
Alexander-Kelly, Mr. Abdurrahman
Koksal, Mr. David & Mrs. Lenita
Kellstrand, Mr. Derek Leban Jr., Ms.
Brooke Mead for C.A. Mead, Mrs.
Elizabeth Monson, Mr. Michael
Pierce, Mr. & Mrs. Jack Robinson,
Mr. Rudy Schaffer, Ms. Judith Sterr,
Mr. & Mrs. S.J. Ullberg, Mr. & Mrs.
Charles Wassman.
Botanic Gardens Endowment Fund.
Ms. Monika Ittig, Mrs. Ellen Laney,
Botanic Gardens Memorial Fund.
Ms. Catherine Botsford in memory of
Jeanette Spitzer, Mr. Michael & Mrs.
Caroline Campbell, in memory of
Nyla Sanders, Mrs. Barbara & Dr.
Frederick Gable, in memory of
Martha Clinkscale, Dr. & Mrs Keith
Oddson, in memory of Louis
Pedrotti, Dr. & Mrs. Albert Page in
memory of Louis Pedrotti, Mt. San
Antonio College Biology Dept. in
memory of Nyla Sanders, United
Way of Rhode Island, in memory of
Nyla Sanders.
Wheelchair Pathway Fund. Mrs. Holly
Evans, Ms. Dorothy Taber.
Friends Botanic Gardens. Ms. Irene
Arkosy, Mr. & Mrs. James Banks, Ms.
Molly Bogh, Mrs. Lelia Cole, Mr. &
Strictly For The Birds
JANET CLEGG
W
HAT IF SOMEONE were to
offer you an attractive sum of
money to correctly answer this
question: “What is the most popular
hobby in the country?” I predict that
you would lose out on that little
bonanza. You would probably answer
“golfing” or “fishing:” or “gardening”.
But the answer is actually Bird Watching! Yes. Birding is America’s most
popular pastime. My goal in this
article is to explain what birding is,
and why it is so popular.
The practice of birding encompasses
everything from the casual observation of bird life in your yard to a form
of single-minded fanaticism rarely encountered in any other pursuit.
Birding is a recreational activity, as
opposed to bird hunting. It first became popular during the Victorian
era. Because binoculars and telescopes
were rare, birding mainly involved the
collecting of bird eggs, and sometimes
bird skins. (The collecting mentality
still does underlie much of the allure
of birding.) Some people opine that
these activities were not true birding,
and should be labeled “proto-birding”.
Toward the end of the nineteenth
century, the predatory activities of
birders along with the destructive
trade in feathers (particularly in the
millinery industry) led to a public call
for bird protection. In 1905, the
National Audubon Society
was formed to protect birds
and promote non-destructive forms of bird observation. Early in the 20th
century the use of primitive optics like
opera glasses and the first handbooks
for field identification made it possible
to “collect” birds without shooting
them or stealing their eggs. Many
agree that “true” birding began in
1934 with the first pocket sized field
guide to birds by Roger Tory Peterson.
With the availability of quality, affordable binoculars and of field identification guides, it is tempting to gloss
over the actual process of bird identification and wax lyrical about the fabulous adventures ahead for birders.
However, even with good binoculars
and a good “bird book”, learning to
match the illustrations with what you
see flitting among the leaves or hopping around in the shadows is actually
pretty tricky. For one thing, as with
any other type of animal, not all birds
of a species look alike. Aside from the
obvious dimorphism between the
sexes in most birds, there are also geographical variations in plumage, seasonal differences, and life stage
variations. Further, no one guide can
be entirely comprehensive.
For beginning birders, the the most
obvious bird to spot is an adult male
Mrs. Phillip Dobrosky, Ms. Elsa
Douville, Mr. Derek Fay, Ms. Laura
Granado, Mr. & Mrs. Jack Hough, Mrs.
Marlene Howard, Ms. Valerie
Littlehawk, Mr. Robert Manning, Mr.
& Mrs. Kerry Meyer, Mr. William
Mitchell, Mr. & Mrs Chuck Noble. Mr.
& Mrs. Brian Press, Mr. William Russ,
Ms. Susan Stanley, Mrs. Margaret
Stockman, Ms. Sally Swenson, Mr.
Tomothy Traver, Ms. Betty Waite, Dr.
Clifford & Mrs. Barbara Woolfolk.
Friends of Botanic Gardens Endowment.
Ms. Yvonne Celse, Mr. Douglas & Mrs.
Toni Momberger.
Friends of Botanic Gardens Projects Fund.
Travelers Companies Foundation.
l
GW
in breeding plumage. They are
usually the most distinctive
and colorful, likely to be
perched conspicuously and
singing to advertise their territory. A good look at a breeding male may allow the
beginner to find the match in
the book. However, getting a
good look can be frustrating.
Making the jump from seeing a bird
with one’s eyes to spotting it with
binoculars takes practice. And, at the
risk of belaboring the difficulties,
breeding season coincides with the
“leafiest” time of year. Birds can be
very frustrating in their unwillingness
to get into a clear spot.
My advice for the beginner is to
keep at it. You will break through the
beginner problems, and it is so worth
it. Also remember that where there
are breeding males, there are females.
Soon there will be fledglings. This
means that if you know the species of
males you saw, you are already ahead
in identifying the females, and, with
time, the young.
There are two more categories of
clues for identifying birds. The first,
and easiest, is to use the range maps
included in most books. Two similar
looking birds will often be geographically separate. For example, if you are
birding in Riverside, any bird whose
range does not include the West can
almost always be eliminated. (We’ll
leave the issue of “accidentals” alone.)
Likewise, the habitat, elevation, and
typical activities described in bird
9
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
books can be matched with what you
are seeing.
The second category is songs and
calls. One can identify a bird without
seeing it at all. Many times a song will
clearly distinguish between birds that
are difficult to distinguish visually.
Here, you can make use of the internet
or the library. Both places keep
recordings of bird song. Although I
have been an enthusiastic birder for
decades, I am still poor at identifying
songs. It is a skill very worth learning.
With all the difficulties, why bother
to go through the effort of learning to
identify birds? Because this gives you
the tools you need to start “The List”.
Birding is all about The List. I think it
is human nature to record what you
have made an effort to identify even if
it is simply birds coming to a feeder
outside your kitchen window. You
write down the birds you see on a
given day and number them. That is
the beginning of your “yard list”. You
will be motivated to add to it over time.
Soon you notice that in spring and
fall, you see different species than
usual. How about that? Migrating
birds are passing through your yard!
Because you want to increase your
“yard list”, you add different types of
seeds and suet to your feeder, and notice that different birds take advantage of them. Before long, you decide
to track the number of birds you see
through the course of a year. Your
“year list” begins.
The obvious extension of this is The
Life List. Almost every birder accumulates a list of all the bird species they
have ever seen. And because you are
human, you will want to make all your
lists as long and impressive as possible.
You will take the opportunity to look
for birds in other places around town
outside your own yard. In Riverside,
we are lucky to have the UCR Botanic
Gardens, forty acres developed and
managed to provide great bird habitat
throughout the year. We also have
Sycamore Canyon Park, the Santa Ana
River bottom, and many others.
In most areas, including Riverside,
bird “hot lines” exist. These are info
centers where the details of unusual
bird sightings are made available. Now
every time you leave town, you pack
your binoculars and book while in-
cluding in your itinerary the likely hot mala and then into Honduras.
The third trip was the “Pothole and
spots for birding. You may even plan
Prairie Bird Fest” in Carrington, North
your vacation around target birding
Dakota. Yes! North Dakota! There one
areas. In short, you can forget the
word “bored”. When you are a birder, can sight birds which straggle over the
border onto the northern plains from
bored doesn’t exist. You can always go
their Canadian ranges. We lugged our
birding. The challenge of adding to
equipment onto exquisite empty
your list is always out there.
prairie where the local experts infalliThe compulsion to list can become
bly produced the breeding Nelson’s
extreme. A good example is The Big
sharp-tailed sparrow, Leconte’s sparYear, a phenomenon wherein expert
row, Sprague’s pipet, yellow rail and
birders attempt to see as many species
other northern rarities. Never mind
as possible in a calendar year. This
that afterward we had to muscle our
means following all hot line tips no
matter how inclement the weather nor bus out of a muddy gully! What were
we going to do? Get on our cell
how distant and expensive the travel.
phone? Good luck. We were rewarded
Only by getting unusual birds can you
have a significant Big Year. There have at our next stop with lunch at a tiny
been several good books written by Big restaurant in a tiny town with good
food most of us had never tasted, a
Year birders. My personal favorite is
legacy of the immigrant
Kenn Kaufman’s
heritage of the northern
Kingbird Highway:
plains. North Dakota is an
The Biggest Year in
exotic place!
the Life of an
One point of my tale is
Extreme Birder.
that your birding hobby
Finally, there are
can motivate some very
a few wealthy mainteresting travel. Further,
niacs that attempt
because of that travel, a
to see all the birds
burgeoning industry is
on earth!
developing worldwide to
For a birder,
Leconte’s sparrow
accommodate birders. In
retirement is nirfact, the latest issue of Birding magavana. Only budget constraints and
one’s few remaining obligations stand zine advertised 36 different compain the way of non-stop birding. As for nies offering to guide birders
everywhere from Botswana to Bulme, in the last twelve months I have
garia to Bimidji (MN). Forget countmanaged three completely different,
ing the numerous “bird fests” across
but completely fabulous, birding adthe US. This large industry provides
ventures. First was a summer trip to
the Chiricahua Mountains of southern employment to people in some of the
Arizona, a hot spot for birds not other- poorest parts of the world. More importantly, it gives governments a
wise north of the Mexican border. I
also stopped at Buenos Aires National strong motivation to protect the habitats that shelter these birds (and other
Wildlife Refuge, an unusual desert
animals). In some countries, the case
grassland habitat with almostcan be made that “ecotourism” is luimpossible-to-see grassland sparrows,
crative enough that habitat conservaand at San Bernardino National
tion becomes competitive with more
Wildlife Refuge, a unique desert
destructive forms of commerce, such
wetland, teeming with birds of every
as logging.
type, many not seen anywhere else in
In our own country, the National
the US.
Audubon Society has become one of
My second trip was to Belize. So
the most powerful organizations in
many tropical birds, we never went
the eco-conservation movement. The
near the beach. Instead we sweated
organization gets its power from eduand slapped mosquitos in budget
accommodations, in remote inland lo- cating and mobilizing grass roots
members and local clubs. Perhaps now
cales, some unreachable except by
river. The birding motivated us to ad- you can understand why birding is
JC
America’s most popular hobby.
venture into remote eastern Guate-
l
10
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
Attracting Backyard Birds
JEAN T. WEISS
I
HAVE NOISY neighbors, but
these jays, wrens and mockingbirds are music to my ears. By
providing water, cover, food and places
to raise young, I have counted 71 species
of birds in my yard. How can you provide these necessary resources in your
yard? Here are some tips that you can
put into action. Then just start counting!
WATER: In this climate, water is the
most critical resource. Water splashing,
bubbling or spraying is a beckoning call
to birds. In summer the native plant
communities surrounding Riverside remind us that we live at the edge of a
desert. Even with winter rain, birds
need water.
Fountains should have a shallow area
for birds to bathe. Deep bird baths with
a few flat rocks can create different
depths. Dishes of water on the ground
will appeal to California Quail, Mourning Doves, and California and Spotted
Towhees as they scratch for seeds and
bugs in the leaf litter. Flower pot saucers are a simple solution. Birds have
mastered the various irrigation systems.
Ground dwellers as well as Northern
Mockingbirds and Scrub Jays listen for
the trickle of drip emitters. Goldfinches
are adept at finding residual water in
sprinklers while a hand-held
hose will attract hummingbirds
for a quick shower. Be sure
some water features are near
trees and shrubs, providing
shelter for the birds. Ideally
cats should be kept indoors.
COVER: Have you ever noticed a noisy wren scrambling
around in low dense bushes?
Or a Scrub Jay gliding from
tree to tree? On summer nights you can
hear Barn Owls circling their nests high
in the palms. Birds have adapted to vegetation of different heights. By grouping
short, medium and tall plants you are
creating habitat niches that attract more
species. Dense clusters are always more
protective than individual plants or
those in a straight line. Seasonal changes
are also a consideration. The golden fall
leaves help camouflage yellow warblers
during migration while evergreens provide shelter for the winter residents
during the cold, rainy months.
PLACES TO RAISE
YOUNG: Some nests require a thousand or more
pieces of nesting material.
By piling dead twigs and
grasses such as deer grass
in a conspicuous area, you
are concentrating the supply for efficient nest building for Scrub
Jays, Northern Mockingbirds, House
and Bewick Wrens and House Finches.
Energy previously lost from scavenging
can now be directed toward raising a
successful clutch. Black Phoebes and
American Robins require mud for their
nests. This can be found in heavily watered lawns such as Alder Canyon
where generations of Black Phoebes
have built nests under the eaves of the
Conference Room. In a xeriscape, a sufficient amount of wet, clay soil can be
provided in a secluded spot by sinking a
garbage can lid into the ground.
Maintaining neat, manicured gardens
not only reduces nesting material, it also
eliminates sites for cavity nesters. American Kestrels, Western Bluebirds, Acorn
and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers, Screech
Owls and Flickers use holes in old, decaying trees. These are frequently
removed to “clean up” the yard. In this
case, birds would benefit
from bird houses with dimensions and placement for their
particular species. Simple
houses of redwood, white
cedar and cypress in natural
dull colors are the best. They
can be mounted on a post or
screwed to a tree. Face the
entrance away from the winds
with a slightly downward tilt
to prevent rain water from collecting.
By setting up the bird house in late
summer or early fall, it can weather
over winter and be more appealing to
nesting pairs the coming spring. No
matter where the birds build, their
safety and proximity to food determines
their breeding success.
FOOD: Although many people use bird
feeders, it is much easier to landscape
with plants that offer a steady diet of
nectar, seeds, fruits and berries. California natives such as ceanothus, encelia
and manzanita will attract insects and
provide nectar and seeds for
birds that have evolved with
that plant community for hundreds of years. However, many
Mediterranean-climate exotics
can be counted as avian favorites and offer splashes of
color, especially during the
summer. They, too, take minimal care.
Encourage insects by eliminating pesticides, allowing leaf litter to accumulate
and leaving dead branches when possible. It is rewarding to see birds discover
their favorite food!
LIKELY BIRDS IN YOUR YARD:
Hummingbirds. The two most common residents are the Anna’s and
Costa’s. They eat insects, spiders and
nectar, favoring red tubular flowers.
Good fall choices are pineapple sage,
autumn sage and California fuchsia. For
spring consider coral bells, columbine,
ocotillo, agave, and aloe. In summer
there is lantana, buddleia, trumpet vine,
etc. Fill feeders with sugar water (1
part white sugar, 4 parts water) without
red food coloring.
Lesser and American Goldfinch. In
the wild these perky yellow and black
finches live in weedy fields and meadows often with thistle which provides
seed to eat and down for their nests. In
the garden, large flocks descend on
sunflowers, dandelions, evening primrose (Oenothera hookeri), sages and rosemary. Last winter I counted 52 of them
jockeying for position at my niger (thistle) tube. Goldfinches complement
their diet with 50 percent insects when
raising young.
Black Phoebe. Nicknamed the
“Tuxedo Bird”, this black and white flycatcher is common around garden
pools or lawns with lush vegetation. It
darts out from a perch catching insects
on the fly, then returns to wait for the
next snack.
Woodpeckers. Nuttall’s and Acorn
Woodpeckers are permanent residents
that drill out wood-boring insects from
dead trees and branches with sharp,
pointed bills. Colonies of Acorn Woodpeckers are common in oaks, the source
of their acorn stash for the winter.
Common Bushtit. These birds nest
here year round, but it is the large
11
UCRBG Newsletter • Vol. 30 No. 3 • Fall 2010
flocks in winter that attract the most attention. These acrobatic little gray birds
make a “tit tit” sound to stay with the
group as they travel across your yard.
House Finch. The red crown, breast
and rump of the male is so attractive that
this western native was introduced Back
East as a cage bird in the 1940s. It has
adapted well to residential areas where
it eats seeds and soft fruit such as figs.
Mourning Dove. Doves often join
House Finches and House Sparrows in the
driveway to feast on wild bird seed mixtures. Being ground feeders, they forage in
herbaceous borders, flower beds and
under shrubs for small berries and seeds.
California poppy seeds are a favorite.
Scrub Jay. This raucous being is a
conspicuous visitor. One year my resident family called out for raw peanuts
every time I appeared in the yard. The
jay prefers dense foliage where it eats
T
acorns, garden fruit and berries from
the elderberry, manzanita, and Oregon grape. During nesting season it
favors insects, small reptiles, rodents,
and even the eggs of song birds.
Hooded Oriole. These summer residents nest primarily in palm trees.
They eat insects and caterpillars and
probe flowers of agaves, aloes, coral
trees, bottlebrushes and Cape honeysuckle for nectar. They also like blackberries, elderberries and many kinds
of fruit such as prickly pear. Orioles
are so attracted to hummingbird feeders that oriole feeders with orange accents have been designed for them.
Northern Mockingbird. These entertaining birds have an extensive
repertoire of songs and imitate everything from other birds to train whistles. An ideal habitat would include a
grassy area to forage for insects such
as grasshoppers and beetles as well as
berry bushes of pyracantha, Oregon
grape, toyon or Nevin’s barberry. Soft
fruit is appealing, too.
Many of the plants mentioned above
(and more!) will be offered at the
UCRBG fall plant sale the weekend of
October 23-24. The informative signage, Master Gardeners and Gardens
staff will help you select those that
will best accommodate your avian visitors and enhance your landscape. This
could be the first step in applying for
your Wildlife Habitat Certificate. By
following the additional guidelines
provided by the National Wildlife Federation (http://www.nwf.org/habitats/
backyard), you will be amazed at the
variety of butterflies, lizards and
mammals that join the birds in calling
JTW
your backyard “home”.
l
Fall Events - Comings & Goings
HERE’S A LOT happening in the
Gardens this fall. We begin with
recent events and remind you of
those that are yet to come.
Bird Walk & Breakfast: Early Saturday, October 2, nearly 30 enthusiastic
birders gathered in front of the Conference Room. As we
gathered, someone
sighted a bird. (See
our response in the
photo.) Under the
leadership of Janet
Clegg and Norm
Ellstrand, we sighted a number of the
usual suspects mentioned in Jean’s article. The bird walk is a good time out in
nature. It is planned again twice next
spring.
Adult Education Garden
Tour/Classes: Later that same Saturday,
garden lovers joined Amy Hao for a tour
of the Vivian Estate. The lovely, ornate
grounds combine Italianate elements
with Victorian romanticism for a lasting
impression. Expansive courtyards lead
into secluded niches, paths wander
among statuary and various water features, a meditation garden offers an
intricate stone labyrinth.
In September, Amy hosted the Tour/
Class at her charming 1909 craftsman
home with its lush plantings. Van Brandon of Parkview Nursery (on Chicago)
talked about taking plants and gardens
into fall and winter.
The Annual Fall Dinner: That Sunday, nearly 70 Friends and their guests
enjoyed a perfect evening in the Gardens. A delicious dinner followed wine
and appetizers amidst the sounds of
laughter and conversation. Presenter
Kathleen Socolofsky,
director of the UC
Davis Arboretum,
explained her 10
year plan which interfaces the Arboretum with the city of
Davis and the university while using
community service as an underlayment. Two years out from the conclusion, she shared that they are on target
to meet their goals. And, yes, this year
the weather during the presentation
bordered on balmy!
Yet to come this fall....
•The 28th Annual FRIENDS FALL
5 and older are invited. The cost is $5 for
member families and $10 for non-members. RSVP by Wednesday, November 3rd
and register with Janice Ponsor, docent, at
951.295.1887. Space is limited.*
•KEEP OUR GARDENS CLEAN &
BEAUTIFUL DAY, Saturday, November
13, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. We will be raking,
weeding, cleaning up, and having a great
time doing it. Bring your own water bottle. Snacks and water refills are provided.
We recommend long pants. Closed-toe
shoes are required. Also, community service hours can be earned. To participate,
you must RSVP and return the UCR volunteer form by November 1. Call Margo
Chabot at 951.312.3367 or email
gogochabot@earthlink.net.*
•FAMILY TOURS are among the new
events this fall. Several families are already signed up for the first tour on October 9. The second Family Tour is
Saturday, November 20, from 9:45 to 11
a.m. Bring your family for a pleasant one
hour docent-led tour. Learn about the
Gardens and visit our proposed Butterfly
Garden. Wear comfortable shoes. Because of uneven terrain, strollers and
wheelchairs are not advised. Friends of
the UCRBG and all children are free.
Non-member adults are $10. RSVP:
951.784.6962 or email ucrbg@ucr.edu.*
PLANT SALE the weekend of October 23 & 24. See this issue for details.
•CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE IN THE
GARDENS on Saturday, November 6,
9:30 to 11:00. This new event gives kids
an opportunity to learn about the Gardens’ plants and animals. On their walk,
they will gather treasures. Later, they will *There is a nominal hourly charge for parking
SK
make a craft project to take home. Kids at the Gardens.
l
Botanic Gardens
University of California
900 University Avenue
Riverside, CA 92521-0124
2010 Fall Plant Sale
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23 & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 131
Riverside, CA
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Calendar
All the listed events and meetings take place in the UCR Botanic Gardens Conference Room unless otherwise noted. You may call to verify meeting dates and times at 951-784-6962 or e-mail ucrbg@ucr.edu.
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
18 Last week of plant sale preparation (Monday to Friday) 8:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Volunteers and
trucks needed.*)
02 Riverside Rose Society (first
Tuesday) 7 p.m.
JANUARY
04 Riverside Rose Society (first
Tuesday) 7 p.m.
06 Children’s Adventure in the
Gardens (Saturday) 9:30 a.m.
09 Inland Empire Bonsai Society
(second Sunday) 1 p.m.
21 Plant Sale set-up (Thursday) 8:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Volunteers and
trucks needed.*)
10 Inland Empire Bonsai Society
(second Sunday) 1 p.m.
16 Annual Rose Pruning Demonstration (Sunday) 1 p.m.
22 Plant Sale set-up (Friday) 8:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or to finish
(Volunteers needed.*)
13 Keep Our Gardens Clean and
Beautiful Day (Saturday) 8:30
a.m. Everybody invited.
23 Rain date – Annual Rose Pruning
Demonstration – only in case of
rain on Jan. 16 (Sunday) 1 p.m.
23 Friends Preview Plant Sale (Saturday) 9 a.m.
20 Family Tour of the Gardens #2
(Saturday) 9:45 a.m.
23 Friends of UCRBG Fall Plant Sale
begins (Saturday) noon.
DECEMBER
24 Friends of UCRBG Fall Plant Sale
continues (Sunday) 9 a.m.
07 Riverside Rose Society (first
Tuesday) 7 p.m.
14 Inland Empire Bonsai Society
(second Sunday) 1 p.m.
*For more information on volunteering call Steve or Katie at 951-784-6962 or e-mail smorgan@ucr.edu.