This lecture was given in June, 2012 as part of the California native plant gardening series ‘Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden’.

1. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND – 2012 (our 8th year)
© Project SOUND

2. Into the Vegetable Garden:
Using CA Native Plants in the
Edibles Garden
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
June 2 & 5, 2012
© Project SOUND

3. Many of us grow edibles in our home
gardens (or are thinking of starting)
http://www.denverpost.com/grow/ci_20587823/big-flavors-from-small-fruits
© Project SOUND

4. Benefits of growing your own fruits &
vegetables
 Fun
 Educational
 Good exercise
 Interesting looking plants
 Saves money
 Tasty, fresh ingredients
http://bloomtown.typepad.com/bloomtown/bloomtown_my_garden/
 Opportunity to grow heirloom
varieties – and to grow foods
that are not genetically modified
 Chance to grow & use ‘exotic’
ingredients – including CA native
plants
http://vegetablegardenathome.com/ © Project SOUND

5. Are CA native plants and edibles
gardens really compatible?
© Project SOUND

6. Ways in which ‘conventional’ edibles
may differ from native plants
 Water requirements:
many conventional edible
plants require more water
than many CA native plants
 Nutrient requirements:
many conventional edibles
require more nutrients
than most CA native plants
like/need
© Project SOUND

7. Of course you can plan for different water needs –
that’s what Water Zone Gardening is all about
© Project SOUND

8. You can also get around the other
differences – with a little planning
© Project SOUND

9. Summer’s a good time to re-evaluate
What works well? What needs changing?
http://blog.gardenerd.com/2007/10/13/raised-beds--part-1-materials.aspx
© Project SOUND

10. We look on-line for some inspiration
http://efnep.ucdavis.edu/?blogpost=4501&blogasset=17351
http://pcnatthegreenshow.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/california-spring-trials-day-3-along-the-central-coast/
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf16684008.tip.html
© Project SOUND
http://timberglade.typepad.com/outside/vegetables/

11. Your resolutions:  Minor changes to most of the
raised beds – a few repairs
summer 2012
 Convert the back beds to
narrow beds for specialty crops
– more space between them &
back fence
 Better use of the back fence
area: ?? New vines
 Add a few more beds – allow
you to ‘rest’ some beds each
year for plant health
http://blog.gardenerd.com/2007/10/13/raised-beds--part-1-materials.aspx
 Use the large pots more
Incorporate native plants into  Create some open areas
the edible garden; use more surrounding garden for
heirloom varieties pollinator plants/ plants to
attract beneficial insects
© Project SOUND

12. You’ve got the whole summer to get ready
for fall planting – time to get cracking!
http://www.mastergardeners.org/projects/gilroy.html
© Project SOUND

13. Guide to S. CA Vegetable Crops
Warm-season Vegetables Cool-season Vegetables
 Plant:
 Plant:  From seed: Aug-Oct in shaded
 From seed: Mar-May; depends pots; Sep-Oct in ground
on how cold the spring is  From starts: Oct-Dec
 From starts: Apr-June (even
July for late crops)  Ripen:
 Early crops: Oct-Nov
 Ripen:
 Late crops: Dec-Feb
 Early crops: June-July (Aug)
Late crops: Aug-Sept  Examples:
 Examples:  Early crops: broccoli, brussels
sprouts, cauliflower, kale,
 Early crops: beans, cucumbers,
kohlrabi, mustard, lettuce and
summer squash, tomatoes, other greens
 Late crops: corn, melons,  Late crops: peas, cabbage,
winter squash celery,
© Project SOUND

14. How about some native cool-season crops?
http://www.amillionlives.net/vegetable-gardening-tips-easy-ideas-for-great-produces.html
© Project SOUND

15. Planning our cool-season garden
Traditional vegetables CA native greens
 Lettuce  Allium haematochiton
 Spinach  Calandrinia ciliata
 Camissonia species
 Peas  Claytonia perfoliata
 Broccoli  Mimulus cardinalis
 Oenothera elata
 Phacelia species
 Plantago species
 Trifolium species
© Project SOUND

16. Miner’s Lettuce – Claytonia perfoliata
ssp. perfoliata & mexicana
© 2001 Steven Thorsted
http://nativeplantsocietyca.tribe.net/photos/cfd27d18-6ba7-4365-b1d9-c1c7c67b9cbe

17. Growing Miner’s Lettuce
from seed
Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
 Extremely easy
 Sow in prepared soil in fall
(best) through spring
 Germinates with:
 Damp soil/fall rains
 Short days
 Re-seeds
 May want to remove plants if
too prolific – will depend on
site
http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/phv66n3.editorial.html

18. Placement in our garden
 Annual plant: dies to
nothing in summer
 Any soil: amended or not
© by Gena Zolotar
 Light: any (full sun to
full shade)
 Water: can take some
extra water
 Want to be able to pick
it for winter salads

19. Fringed Redmaids – Calandrinia ciliata var menziesii
© Project SOUND

20. Fringed Redmaids – Calandrinia ciliata var menziesii
 Wide distribution:
 Western United States ,
Central America, and northern
South America.
 In CA: California Floristic
Province, some areas E. of
Sierras
 Usually in grassy areas,
woodland openings or disturbed
areas
 Name:
 Calandrinia: named for Jean
Louis Calandrini (1703-1758), a
professor of mathematics and
philosophy, and a botanical
Question to ponder: does the author in Switzerland
distribution of this plant suggest a  ciliata: indicates the slight
human role? fringing of the petals like an
eyelash
© Project SOUND

21. Red Maids are spreading annuals
 Size:
 < 2 ft tall; tips of stems
upcurviing
 2-3 ft wide – side stems are
spreading; plants will grow
together
 Growth form: sprawling/spreading
herbaceous annual from a basal
rosette.
 Foliage:
 Attractive light green
 Slightly succulent leaves; spatula
shaped
 Roots: taproot; grow in place
© 2006 Chris Wagner
© Project SOUND

22. Flowers are an  Spring-blooming – as early as
added bonus Feb. to May
 Long bloom period with adequate
water – flowers open sequentially
along the stems
 Flowers are:
 Tiny - < ½ inch across
 An unusual shade of hot
pink/magenta – hard to
photograph
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences
 Open only during sunniest part of
the day – flowers ‘disappear’ into
their calyces at other times
 Seeds are:
 Tiny & shiny – but numerous;
wind spread
 Very tasty – were prized food
for Native Californians (parched
& ground to make pinole)
© Project SOUND
Jo-Ann Ordano © California Academy of Sciences

23. Red Maids is well suited to the vegetable
garden…
 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained soil;
does super in sandy or rocky soils,
but typical vegetable gardens
soils would be great
 pH: just about any local
 Light: full sun; great in regular
vegetable garden
 Water:
 Winter: needs good winter/
spring rains
 Summer: regular water (Zone 2-3
or 3) will extend blooms slightly;
no water for seed set
 Fertilizer: fine with light fertilizer
Plants re-seed very well – but it’s easy
to weed out unwanted plants
© Project SOUND

24. Redmaids make  Use only young leaves – best
piquant greens before flowering; Arugala-like
 Leaves contain oxalic acid, so it
should only be used in moderation.
 Oxalic acid can lock up certain of
the nutrients in food - can lead to
nutritional deficiencies if eaten in
excess.
 It is, however, perfectly safe in
small amounts and its acid taste
adds a nice flavor to salads.
 Cooking the plant will reduce the
quantity of oxalic acid.
 People with a tendency to
rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney
stones and hyperacidity should
take especial caution if including
this plant in their diet since it can
aggravate their condition
© Project SOUND

25. Many uses for Red Maids in the garden
 Very nice in pots – very green
and attractive; helps control
them to an extent
 In the vegetable garden –
 Edible greens and seeds
 Flowers really perk up a
vegetable garden
 In the fronts of mixed beds
 Among native bunchgrasses;
needs bare ground to reseed
 In the ‘Children’s Garden’ – easy
 For bird habitat – many birds &
insects relish the seeds
© Project SOUND

26. Planning our cool-season garden
Traditional CA native greens
vegetables
 Allium haematochiton
 Lettuce  Calandrinia ciliata
 Camissonia species
 Spinach
 Claytonia perfoliata
 Peas  Mimulus cardinalis
 Broccoli  Oenothera elata
 Phacelia species
 Plantago species
 Trifolium species
 See Mother Nature’s Backyard
blog for more-http://mother-
natures-backyard.blogspot.com/
© Project SOUND

27. Your resolutions:  Minor changes to some raised
beds – a few repairs
summer 2012
 Convert the back beds to
narrow beds for specialty
crops – more space between
them & back fence
 Better use of the back fence
area: ?? New vines
 Add a few more beds – allow
you to ‘rest’ some beds each
year for plant/soil health
http://blog.gardenerd.com/2007/10/13/raised-beds--part-1-materials.aspx
 Create open areas surrounding
garden for pollinator
Incorporate native plants into
plants/plants to attract
the edible garden
beneficial insects
© Project SOUND

28. Clovers are often used as cover crops
 Quick growing
 Suppress weed growth
 Prevent soil erosion
 Increase soil organic matter
(humus) – good for vegetable crops
 Can be eaten (by humans or
livestock)
 Improve soil Nitrogen:
 Interact with nodule-forming
nitrogen fixing bacteria
 Nitrogen is converted to a form that
can be used by plants – including
your veggies
© Project SOUND

29. Bull clover/ Sour Clover – Trifolium fucatum
© 2004 Carol W. Witham
© Project SOUND

30. Bull clover – Trifolium fucatum
 West coast of N. America from
OR to Baja
 In CA either:
 Foothills of Sierras and other
ranges
 Coastally-influenced areas <
3000 ft. elevation
 Locally abundant. Moist, open
grassland, ditches, marshes,
roadsides, sometimes saline or
serpentine soils
 fucatum: painted, dyed
© 2005 George W. Hartwell
© Project SOUND

31. Bull Clover is a fairly typical native annual clover
 Size:
 < 1 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide; slightly spreading
 Growth form:
 Mounded; low-lying
 Typical for clovers
 Foliage:
 Leaves typical ‘clover-leaf’ – often
white-patterned
 Stems robust, hollow
 Roots:
 Have symbiotic relationship with
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences  Leave roots in soil to improve soil
fertility (just harvest the tops)
© Project SOUND

32. Flowers are among the prettier clover flowers
 Blooms:
 Usually Apr-June in S. CA ; after
weather warms up
 Long bloom period with
supplemental water
 Flowers:
 Typical for clover; small pea-type
flowers in a ball-like head
 Cream-colored tinged with
pink/mauve
 Edible
 Seeds:
 Small
 Edible fresh
© Project SOUND

33. Clovers – not hard to grow once you know
the trick
 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained
 pH: any, including alkali
 Even takes salty soils
 Light: full sun to part-shade; good
under deciduous trees
 Water:
 Winter: needs moist soils
 Summer: needs regular water
until flowering ceases – then cut
back
 Fertilizer: not needed, but
probably won’t hurt
 Other: to start seeds give them a
© 2007 Aaron Schusteff
hot-water treatment
© Project SOUND

34. Most parts of clovers are edible in spring
 Fresh greens
 Raw or cooked
 Limit intake of uncooked clover –
causes gas
 Use cooked clover like spinach
 Flowers
 Make nice addition to a salad
 Leave some for the pollinators –
great pollinator plants
 Seeds
 Native Californians ate them fresh
 Many animals & birds also like
clover seeds
Native Californians look forward to fresh
clover in the spring!
© 2007 Neal Kramer © Project SOUND

35. Use any CA native clover as food,
improve your soil & attract pollinators
© 2004 Carol W. Witham
© Project SOUND

36. Your resolutions:  Minor changes to some raised
beds – a few repairs
summer 2012
 Convert the back beds to
narrow beds for specialty
crops – more space between
them & back fence
 Better use of the back fence
area: ?? New vines
 Add a few more beds – allow
you to ‘rest’ some beds each
year for plant health
http://blog.gardenerd.com/2007/10/13/raised-beds--part-1-materials.aspx
 Create open areas surrounding
garden for pollinator
Incorporate native plants into
plants/plants to attract
the edible garden; use more
beneficial insects
heirloom varieties
© Project SOUND

37. Attracting pollinators to the veggie garden
 Bees
 Flies and fly-like
insects (next month’s
topic)
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/nov08/d1275-1.htm
 Butterflies
 Moths
 Beetles
 Many others
http://www.ehow.com/how_8036705_do-flowers-blossomed-summer-squash.html © Project SOUND

38. One reason to grow native annuals &
perennials in/near the edibles garden
http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/august-native-garden-flowers-pictures.htm
© Project SOUND

39. Where might we plants some perennials?
http://blog.gardenerd.com/2007/10/13/raised-beds--part-1-materials.aspx
© Project SOUND

40. CA Sea Thrift – Armeria maritima ssp. californica
© 2007 Neal Kramer
© Project SOUND

41. The Plumbaginaceae
 Sometimes referred to as the
leadwort family or the plumbago
family. Flowers in parts of 5.
 Most species in this family are
perennial herbaceous plants, but a
few grow as vines or shrubs.
 The plants have perfect flowers
(have male & female parts) and are
pollinated by insects.
 Found in many different climatic
regions, from arctic to tropical
http://www.hear.org/starr/images/image/?q=031108-0160&o=plants
conditions, but are particularly
associated with salt-rich steppes,
Cape Plumbago – planted along
freeways marshes, and sea coasts.
© Project SOUND

42. CA Sea Thrift – Armeria maritima ssp. californica
 Possibly S. Coast; definitely Santa
Rosa Isl., San Luis Obispo Co (Cambria;
Santa Lucia Mtns near San Simeon)
 North to British Columbia
 Near the beach: prairies, cliffs, bluffs
& dunes < 1000 ft elevation
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5645,5646,0,5647
© Project SOUND
© 2011 Chris Winchell Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

43. Sea Thrift – dainty but tough
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall (foliage < 1 ft)
 ~ 1 – 1 ½ ft wide
 Growth form:
 mounded perennial
 evergreen
 Foliage:
 Narrow, stiff leaves –
somewhat grass-like
 Foliage in basal rosette
 Roots: tough & woody; part is
above-ground
© 2011 Chris Winchell
© Project SOUND
© 2007 Neal Kramer

44. Flowers: lovely color
 Blooms:
 Spring/summer – usually
May-Aug in our area
 Long-blooming with regular
water and dead-heading
 Flowers:
 Small; in dense ball-like
clusters (somewhat like the
fancy onions)
 Color: magenta or pink
 Very pretty in bloom – make
good cut flowers
 Attract native bees,
butterflies & other insects
© 2007 Neal Kramer
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND

45. Available as plants: easy also from seed
or divisions
 From seed:
 Use fresh seed
 No pre-treatment
 Quite easy, good
germination in fall/spring
 From divisions:
 Divide with a shovel or
uproot and cut
 Re-plant the divisions
http://www.hazmac.biz/051128/051128AmeriaMaritimaCalifornica.html
 Reliable
© Project SOUND

46. Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: any from sandy loam
to clay – good for clays
 pH: any local
 Light: full sun right along coast;
part-sun (morning sun) elsewhere
 Water:
 Winter: adequate – supplement
if needed
 Summer: moderate to regular
water – Zones 2-3 to 3
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils –
but probably wouldn’t kill it
 Other: if using an organic mulch,
make it thin; no mulch or inorganic
mulches fine
© Project SOUND
© 2008 John Dittes

47. Loved by gardeners as:
 Sea-side ground cover
 Rock garden plant
 Attractive pot/planter species
 Lining walkways
http://www.imagejuicy.com/images/plants/a/armeria/10/
http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/web-
extras/70/3/sea-ranch-gardens-most-
successful-plants/
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/tips/
lawn_alternatives.php
© Project SOUND
© 2004, Ben Legler http://www.calfloranursery.com/plants/armeria-
maritima-ssp-californica

48. Bring it into the vegetable garden
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Armeria_maritima,_Tower_Hill_Botanic_Garden.JPG
You’ll also have a
source of cut flowers
http://www.thienemans.com/ph
http://www.elkhornnursery.com/default.aspx?pid=2989aedb- otos/index.php/Succulents-
2f5a-41ec-9c05-61c5ebfda0e9&PlantId=1115 Rock-Garden/IMG_0132
© Project SOUND

49. Many annual wildflowers are great for
attracting pollinators – and fit easily into
an edibles garden
 Clarkias
 Gilias
 Anything in Sunflower family
 Lotus species
 Phacelias
 Annual Salivas
 Many more (see pollinator lists:
Project SOUND/ Mother Nature’s
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Phacelia+tanacetifolia
Backyard Blog
Tansy-leaf Phacelia
© Project SOUND

50. Attracting other beneficial insects
 Predatory insects –
eat the bad guys
 Insects that attract
insect-eating birds
 Insects that provide
other beneficial
services in the garden
http://trishsgarden.blogspot.com/2008/03/very-late-march-1-garden-newsletter.html
Some native plants have a well-deserved reputation for
attracting the ‘good guys’ © Project SOUND

51. Attract
these By planting
beneficial these species
insects
Bigeyed bug Native grasses
Copyright © 2007 Ron Hemberger
Polygonum sp. (Silver Lace Vine)
Hoverflies Achillea sp. (Yarrow)
Asclepias fascicularis (Narrowleaf Milkweed)
Baccharis sp. (Coyote brush, Mulefat)
Ceanothus sp. (California Lilac)
Eriogonum sp. (Buckwheat)
Prunis ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry)
Ceanothus sp. (California Lilac)
Lacewings
Prunus ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry)
Lady beetles Achillea sp. (Yarrow)
Asclepias fascicularis (Narrowleaf Milkweed)
Atriplex sp. (Quailbush, Saltbush)
Ceanothus sp. (California Lilac)
Native grasses
Rhamnus californica (Coffeeberry)
Salix sp. (Willow)
http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=402
http://www.kunafin.com/lacewings.htm © Project SOUND

52. Attract
these By planting
beneficial these species
insects
Minute Achillea sp. (Yarrow)
pirate bug Baccharis sp. (Coyote brush, Mulefat)
Eriogonum sp. (Buckwheat)
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/minute_pirate_bug.html
Minute Pirate Bug
Achillea sp. (Yarrow)
Parasitic & Aesclepias fascicularis (Narrowleaf
Predatory Milkweed)
Wasps Eriogonum sp. (Buckwheat)
Tachnid Achillea sp. (Yarrow)
flies Eriogonum sp. (Buckwheat)
Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon)
Rhamnus californica (Coffeeberry)
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/tachinid_flies.html
Tachnid Fly http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=402
© Project SOUND

53. * Southern Umbrellawort – Tauschia arguta
© 2006 Michelle Cloud-Hughes
© Project SOUND

54. * Southern Umbrellawort – Tauschia arguta
 Outer coastal ranges, S. CA and Baja
 Locally in Santa Monica Mtns,
Hollywood Hills, San Gabriels
 Dry fans and slopes below 6000',
coastal sage, scrub, chaparral,
woodlands, inland to desert edge
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?TAAR2
© 2003 Brent Miller http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/species/Tauschia_arguta.htm
© Project SOUND

55. Southern Umbrellawort: Carrot family
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial
 Low but erect form
 Evergreen
 Foliage:
 Very green
 Large-lobed & coarsely
toothed – like flat parsley or
celery
 Larval food for Anise
Swallowtail
© 2006 Michelle Cloud-Hughes
 Roots: stout
© Project SOUND

56. Flowers attract
beneficial insects
 Blooms: mid- to late spring (April
to June)
 Flowers:
 Small and yellow
 In compound umbels typical of
© 2006 Michelle Cloud-Hughes
Carrot family; smells ‘carroty’
 Many pollinator (and other)
insects
 Seeds:
 Flat, ribbed seeds typical of
the family
 To start from seed, use fresh
seed and rinse in several rinses
of water to remove inhibiting
hormones.
© Project SOUND

57. Easy to grow
 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained
 pH: any local – including
vegetable garden
 Light:
 Full sun to light shade
© 2010 Gary A. Monroe
 Water:
 Winter: plenty of water; soils
moist
 Summer: dry out to Zone 1-2
or 2 in summer
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Little to no mulch – inorganic
mulch fine
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/tauschia-arguta

58. Umbrellawort in the garden
 Usually included in butterfly gardens
 Unusual pot plant; in rock gardens
 Good choice for margins of the
vegetable garden
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/lepidopt/papilio/anise.htm
© Project SOUND
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/southerntauschia.html Michelle Cloud-Hughes
© 2006

59. Others perennials for garden edges
 Achillea millefolia
 Asclepias species (Milkweeds)
 Clematus species (Virgin’s Bowers)
 Eriogonum species (Buckwheats)
 Lomatium utriculatum
 Solidago species (Goldenrods)
 Native grasses
© Project SOUND

60. Heirloom edibles and native plants: a
good combination
 Open-pollinated
 Long relationship between
heirloom varieties, ‘wild
plants’ and insects
 Unusual and tasty flavors
– combine well with native
seasonings
 Are less likely to be
genetically modified food
plants
http://www.byexample.com/homestead/gardens/heirloom_seeds.html
© Project SOUND

61. What are genetically modified plants
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-gm-foods
© Project SOUND

62. Genetically modified foods are here
 Experts say 60% to 70% of processed foods on U.S. grocery
shelves have genetically modified ingredients.
 The most common genetically modified foods are soybeans,
maize, cotton, and rapeseed oil. That means many foods made
in the U.S. containing field corn or high-fructose corn syrup;
foods made with soybeans and foods made with cottonseed
and canola oils could likely have genetically modified
ingredients.
 These ingredients appear frequently in animal feed as well.

63. Which view is correct?
 The U.S. government's position: Genetically
engineered crops are safe, resist disease better, and
can provide much-needed food in starving nations.
 The EU position: Keep it out. We prefer organic,
which is much healthier. The risk of genetically
modified foods to health and the environment
outweigh the benefits. Only the multinational biotech
companies will benefit, dominating the world food
supply and squeezing out traditional farmers.
We’ll discuss this topic in greater depth in our July
class

64. Keeping old varieties alive is another reason to
plant heirloom seeds: biodiversity is important in
agriculture as well as in nature
http://www.heirloomseeds.com/
© Project SOUND

65. You consider adding some native herb/spice or
beverage plants to your vegetable garden
© Project SOUND

66. After seeing this picture you decide to add
some native fruits to your edibles garden
http://bumblelush.blogspot.com/2012/05/strawberry-season-is-here.html
Strawberries would be an
easy place to start
© Project SOUND
http://www.dailyunadventuresincooking.com/2010/07/strawberry-and-arugula-salad-recipe.html/

67. * Woodland Strawberry – Fragaria vesca ssp. californica
© 2002 George Jackson
© Project SOUND

68. * Woodland Strawberry – Fragaria vesca ssp. californica
 Coastal mountains and Sierra
Nevada from OR/WA to Baja
 Locally in the San Bernardino
& San Jacinto Mtns., San
Diego Co.
 In dry to moist meadows,
young woodlands, sparse
forest , woodland edges and
clearings.
 Often plants can be found
where they do not get
sufficient light to form fruit.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6723,6725
© Project SOUND

69. Flowers are sweet
 Blooms:
 Spring into summer
 Usually Mar. to June in our
area – may also have some
summer bloom
 Flowers:
 Smaller than F. chiloensis
© 2006 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
 Typical 5-petal white flowers
of the genus
 Really nice for a ground-cover
plant; light, sweet fragrance
 Attract butterflies
 Seeds: usually will reseed
 Vegetative reproduction: easy
to dig up plantlets to produce new
plants © Project SOUND

70. But the fruits are
sweeter yet!
 Larger fruit than Fragaria
chiloensis (Beach Strawberry)
 Among the most tasty of all the
wild strawberries –sweet scent
 Excellent choice for:
 Eating fresh
 Including in baked goods
 Making preserves & syrups
 Drying
 Berries have antioxidant
properties
 Berry juice is a natural bleach
© 2006 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
 Leaves make a tea for GI upsets
© Project SOUND

71.  Soils:
Plant Requirements  Texture: any, including clays
 pH: any local including acidic
 Light:
 Full sun (cooler gardens) or
dappled shade are best
 Will grow fine in part-shade to
quite shady, but fruiting reduced
 Water:
 Winter: likes good rains
 Summer: wide tolerance –
occasional (Zone 2) to regular
water (Zone 3)
 Fertilizer: fine with light fertilizer –
really likes a leaf mulch
 Other: good frost tolerance
© 2006 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
© Project SOUND

72. Many ways to use strawberries in the
vegetable garden – all pretty
http://www.putteringinthegarden.com/category/fruit/strawberries/
© Project SOUND
http://www.tipjunkie.com/how-to-grow-strawberries/

73. Maybe you want to be a bit more
adventuresome
http://groweat.blogspot.com/2011/04/derwood-demo-garden-update.html#axzz1wZrtwMAD
© Project SOUND

74. CA Blackberry – Rubus ursinus ssp. ursinius
© 2005 Doreen L. Smith
© Project SOUND

75. CA Blackberry – Rubus ursinus ssp. ursinius
 Western N. America from British
Columbia to Baja; 0 - 4500 feet
elevation
 Locally on Catalina, Santa Monicas, San
Gabriels – possibly more in past
 Moist places: canyons, river banks, etc.
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6899,6910
© Project SOUND
© 2011 Michael O'Brien http://www.plumjam.com/wildflowers/5-20-2011.cfm

76. Rubus ursinus in Santa Monica Mtns
© Project SOUND

77. The genus Rubus
 Large genus in Rose family
(Rosaceae)
 Latin name meaning “bramble” –
most have prickly stems
 Includes cultivated raspberries
and blackberries
 More than a dozen species
native to western N. America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blackberries_on_bush.jpg
 The Rubus fruit, sometimes
called a bramble fruit, is an
Some of our favorite summer aggregate of drupelets (small,
fruits come from this genus! fleshy fruits surrounding a hard
‘stone’ or seed)
© Project SOUND

78. CA Blackberry: characteristic of genus
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall
 8-20 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Low, mounded canes; trailing or
climbing habit
 Evergreen or slightly winter
deciduous
© 2009 Zoya Akulova
 Armed with prickles
 Foliage:
 Medium green with leaflets –
typical of genus
 Roots: will spread via suckers –
modest compared to Himalayan
Blackberry
© 2009 Ben Stever © Project SOUND

79. Which Blackberry is it? Himalayan Blackberry
(Rubus discolor/ R. armeniacus)
 Native to Armenia in SW Asia
 Introduced to Europe in 1835,
and Australasia and North
http://kaweahoaks.com/html/calif_blackberry.html
America in 1885
Prickles of CA Blackberry are thin and
easily detach
 Widely planted due to its
flavorful fruit & availability
 Because it’s so hard to contain,
quickly got out of control, with
birds/animals eating the
berries and spreading the
seeds.
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/himalayan-blackberry.htm
 Now a plant pest world-wide
Flowers of CA Blackberry usually have
longer, narrower petals
© Project SOUND

80. Pretty white flowers
 Blooms: in spring – between April &
June, depending on the weather
 Flowers:
 Medium size: 1-2 inches across
 Plants may be dioecious
(separate male & female
© 2008 Gary McDonald
plants) or may produce perfect
flowers (contain both sexes)
 Attract many pollinators
 Vegetative reproduction:
 Branch tips root readily where
they touch ground
 Easy way to propagate – tip-
layering (or just remove rooted
tips in spring)
© 2007 Neal Kramer
© Project SOUND

81.  Soils:
Garden  Texture: any – not particular
Requirements  pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade; afternoon
shade in hot inland gardens
 Water:
 Winter: plenty
 Summer: pretty drought tolerant
once established; best fruiting in
Water Zone 2-3 (moderate water)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
mulching is good
 Other: Don’t plant brambles in a site
where potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes,
and peppers have grown in the past 3
years; site may contain verticillium wilt
which will harm brambles.
© 2012 Michael O'Brien
© Project SOUND

82. Blackberries: contain
 Sometimes used as a thorny hedge
 Best used in contained places;
planters, areas bounded by
impervious materials
 Can be grown in large containers
© 2010 Aaron Arthur
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wild-Northern-Blackberry-20-Seeds-Rubus-Ursinus/270983468691 © Project SOUND

83. Provide some support
 Chain-link fence
 Garden trellis or frame: attach with
clothespins, twist-ties or strips of old nylons
 More classic methods
 One-line trellis (two-wire trellis)
 Two-line trellis (Cross-arm trellis)
https://appserver1.kwantlen.ca/apps/plantid/plantid.nsf/lookup/73C488F
4F1EAF5628825772A0060BFD7?OpenDocument
One-line trellis for trailing blackberries.
Spread floricanes up on a two-wire system. © Project SOUND

84. Pruning Rubus species
 Primocanes: first year – non-fruiting
 Floricanes: second year canes with
side branches – produce flowers,
Figure 1. Primocanes of thorny, erect berries
blackberries that have not been pruned.
 During the growing season, tip back
each developing primocane to ~ 4-5
ft. ; lateral shoots develop
 When the fruiting season is over,
cut out spent floricanes at the root
crown. Do not prune floricanes
before fruiting season unless
damaged or diseased.
 Discard all pruned plant material.
Figure 2. Primocanes of thorny, erect
blackberries that have been pruned. © Project SOUND

85. Other maintenance for Rubus species
 Check for disease – prune out
using sterile techniques
 Rake up old leaves – dispose of
them
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/berries/diagnostic_tool/canes_and_or_latera
ls/general_decline_in_plant_vigor.html
 Mulch: organic is best, but
inorganic also fine
 May give yearly dose of low-
strength (1/2 strength of
less) fertilizer, especially for
pot-grown plants
Crown borer
© Project SOUND

86. Harvesting your bounty
 Berries very tasty - parent of
Loganberry, Youngberry, and
Boysenberry
 The best time to harvest the fruits is
http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/FamPages/Rosa5.html when they are easily pulled from the
stem, taste sweet and have reached full
color.
 It is preferable to harvest in the
morning when the plants are cool. Be sure
that any morning dew has already dried
before harvesting.
 Place harvested fruit into shallow trays
as the weight of the fruits piled high can
damage the underlying fruit.
http://imaginarybicycle.wordpress.com/category/desirables/
© Project SOUND

87. Love those berries!
 Quick syrups to top off ice cream
 Dropping in red wine vinegar for
use in summer salads
http://www.food52.com/recipes/6281_wild_blackberry_sorbet
 Steeping in vodka for liqueurs.
Wild blackberry sorbet
 Pies, tarts, muffins
 Jams & jellies
 Sorbet
 Fruit rolls (dried)
 The list goes on and on
http://tastingthelandscape.blogspot.com/2010/08/devils-shoelace-custard-pie.html © Project SOUND

88. If you want a thornless cane berry you’ll
have to sacrifice a little taste
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND

89. Thimbleberry – Rubus parviflorus
Dr. Robert T. and Margaret Orr © California Academy of Sciences
© Project SOUND

90. Thimbleberry – Rubus parviflorus
 Western N. America from AK to
Mexico – E. to the Dakotas and NM
 California Floristic Province (W. of
Sierras) except Central Valley
 Locally in the San Gabriels
 It commonly grows on open,
wooded hillsides, in subalpine
meadows, along streambanks and
canyons, on borders, and roadsides,
and on dry exposed sites only at
higher elevations.
 Sites are usually cool and moist
© 2009 Julie Kierstead Nelson
© Project SOUND

91. Thimbleberry: Rubus, but different
 Size:
 3-6+ ft tall
 spreading; 15+ ft wide
 Growth form:
 Low, scrambling or erect
(depends on light; moisture)
© 1991 Gary A. Monroe
 Branches are hairy but not
prickly
 Foliage:
 Typical for Rubus; palmate
leaves
 Leaves fragrant on warm
days
© 2011 Zoya Akulova
© Project SOUND

92. Flowers are Rubus type
 Blooms: in spring/summer;
usually May-June in our area, but
may be earlier or later
 Flowers:
 Medium size
 White (rarely pink)
 Very rose-like in appearance.
 Quite showy – and attract
insect pollinators
 Seeds: hard
 Vegetative reproduction:
spreads well via rhizomes –
consider placement/containment
© 2004 Robert Sivinski
© Project SOUND

93. Berries are
Raspberry-like
 Mild flavor & a little dry when
red-ripe; can be dried
 Makes good jellies, syrups, etc.
© 2004 Robert Sivinski
 Wildlife love them too !!!
How Thimbleberry got its common name
http://upfoods.com/index.php? © Project SOUND
main_page=product_info&cPath=35&products_id=67&zenid=44f82b96b2f0219f31ab9896b094afdc

94. Other human uses for Rubus species
 Young shoots
 They are harvested as they emerge through the ground in
the spring, peeled and then eaten in salads.
 Fibers from the stem used to make twine
 Leaves
 Dried for herbal teas (often in blends)
 A decoction of the leaves is useful as a gargle in treating
thrush and also makes a good general mouthwash.
 Root
 Cooked; neither to young nor too old - requires a lot of
boiling.
 Root-bark and the leaves are strongly astringent, diuretic,
tonic. They make an excellent remedy for dysentery,
diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, cystitis etc, the root is the more
astringent. Externally, they are used as a gargle to treat sore
throats, mouth ulcers and gum inflammations.
© Project SOUND

95. Thimbleberry
 Soils:
requirements  Texture: just about any
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Best fruit production in part
shade; dappled sun
 Can take quite shady
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
© 2001 Steven Thorsted
 Summer: regular water – Water
Zones 2-3 or 3
 Fertilizer: best with yearly light
dose; compost top-dressing fine
 Other: likes an organic mulch
© Project SOUND

96. Garden uses for
Thimbleberry
 Groundcover for moist, shady slopes
 As an attractive pot/planter species
 Along walls/fences (with support)
 Rubus are good all-round habitat
© 2009 Julie Kierstead Nelson plants: nectar, pollen, berries, shelter
© 2010 Jean Pawek
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Rubus-parviflorus/ Project SOUND
©

97. How might you incorporate Rubus into
your garden?
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Rubus-parviflorus/
© Project SOUND

98. In summary: several ways to use
native plants in edibles garden
 As edibles: greens,
seeds/fruits, beverage
plants; seasonings
 To improve soil fertility
 To attract pollinators
 To attract other
beneficial insects
© Project SOUND

99. In summary: native plants can
improve the edibles garden
 Provide cut flowers
 Just make your garden
prettier
 Make you want to spend
more time out in your
http://cathythomascooks.com/2012/05/01/culinary-gardener-kathryn-
agresto-shares-four-chefs-vegetable-gardens/ edibles garden
© Project SOUND

100. So let’s get to work!
© Project SOUND