The rose family, Rosaceae, is one of California’s most diverse group of plants. Found throughout the world with thousands of members, the rose family also fills California with over three hundred respresentatives. Although we are all used to to the multi-colored hybrid roses that fill our neighborhoods, most members of the rose family bear … Read more

Santa Clara County is home to about 11 species from the genus Ceanothus, commonly referred to as California lilac.  As with many ceanothus, our local species are found in dry, mountainous settings usually in ample sun.  Their glossy evergreen foliage is covered with white or blue flowers in spring.  While many ceanothus are available in … Read more

In the morning of June 5 we continued down Higgins Creek toward Lost Valley Creek.  After several creek crossings we arrived at the open meadows of Lost Valley and lost the trail entirely.   Since we knew the direction we needed to go we decided to bushwhack our way.  This involved pushing through dense chaparral … Read more

We spent the evening admiring the aerial acrobatics of a healthy bat population and then enjoying the starfield in this remote area.  In the morning we noted that our camp at the head of the Tan Oak Creek drainage was at the eastern edge of a recent fire.  The burned trees were still standing, usually … Read more

This last week I and my son struck out on a four day backpack trip to Ventana Wilderness in Monterey County.  Here are a few notes on the plants we encountered in this rich area. We started at Arroyo Seco, just west of Greenfield in the Salinas Valley.  The Arroyo Seco river is the largest … Read more

     I was fortunate to grow up in the Saratoga foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains while Santa Clara County was just completing its transition from the Valley of Heart’s Delights to Silicon Valley.  My family home was surrounded by old orchards, rolling oak woodlands and spring creeks.  In such a setting I grew quite … Read more

Nursery news updates will be coming to this space soon.