Guide to Five Native Plants in California

This guide has a bit of information on five different plants native to California. It has information on there habitat and their plant families.

California Sycamore- Platanus racemosa

Some of this trees family include the Plantanaceae, Sycamore. The California, Sycamore is a tree with enlarged base, and it is broad, irregular, spreading branches. It's height is about forty to eighty feet. The diameter is about two to four feet, and can be much larger. The leaves are about six to nine inches and are long, and wide. A bit star-shaped, light green above, and paler and hairy underneath. Leafstalk is long, stout, covering side bud at enlarged base. The bark is whitish, smooth, thin on the branches. It peels in brownish flakes and molted on the trunk. Twigs are slender and light brown. Flowers on the tree are tiny in clusters in the spring with leaves. The fruit is 7/8 inches in diameter, two to seven balls or heads hang on a long stalk. maturing in autumn, separating in winter. Its habitat is in wet soil of stream banks. In valleys, foothills and mountains. It is a common in the valleys of California. It is a tree that thrives in shade and is also ornamental.

California Laurel- Umbellularia californica

It's alternate name is the California Bay, Oregon Myrtle. It's family is the Lauraceae, Laurel. It is an evergreen tree, usually forked into a lot of spreading branches. It forms rounded,aromatic, peppery foliage. A thicket forming shrub. It;s height reaches about forty to eighty feet and the diameter is one and half to two and a half feet. The leaves are two to five inches long and half to one and half wide. There thick and leathery, with the edges turned under a little. It's a darker on top and paler on bottom. It turns yellow or orange before shedding leaves. The bark is reddish-brown, thin, and with flat scales. Twigs are stout and hairy. Yellow-green when they are young, and changed to yellow-brown. There flowers are 1/4 inches long. they are clustered on the stalk at the leaf bases. In the late winter or early spring. It's fruits is 3/4 to 1 inch long and is a round berry, greenish to purple and has a large brown seed. It's habitat is in moist soils, mostly in mountain canyons valleys. They are ornamental trees. Also known as California Bay. W the tree parts are crushed, they are very smelly. It is used for varieties of furniture.

California Sagebrush- Artemisia californica

It's alternate name is Coastal Sagebrush and it's family is Asteraceae, Aster. It's rounded and it is a many-branched shrub. The leaves are one and half inches ling. They are grayish, hairy and are fragrant. The stems are smooth and grayish It's flowers are tiny and yellow. It blooms in August to December. The height gets to about four feet. The Sagebrush's habitat is coastal shrub and in dry foothills. There are two types of sagebrush, one is on the mainland and the other is on the Channel Islands.

Douglass-Fir- Pseudotsuga menziesii

This trees family is Pinaceae, Pine. It can be very large, with a narrow,pointed crown of somewhat droopy branches. There are two varieties, Coast and Rocky Mountain.It's height reaches between eighty to two hundred feet! and it's diameter is two to five feet and can be much larger! It's needles are evergreen and spread into two rows. Its bark is also reddish- brown. Very thick and cork like. It's twigs are orange, turning brown. The cones are two to three and a half inches long. The cones are shaped like an egg and are short. The Coast Douglas-fir forms forests on moist, well-drained soils. Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is good on rocky soils of mountain slopes. The Douglas-fir ranks first in the United States in total volume of timber and in production for veneer plywood. It also is one of the tallest trees and a popular Christmas tree. This tree provides food for a variety of animals such as, birds eating the seeds and deer , elk and grouse.

Vine Maple- Acer circinatum

This trees family is Aceraceae, Maple. It is a small tree, or a shrub. Has a short trunk or several branches. Vine like. Its height is about twenty five feet and diameter is about eight feet. Long and wide. With pointed lobes. Bright green above with paler hairs. It turns orange and red in the autumn. The bark is gray or brown and is smooth. The twigs are green to reddish-brown with a whitish bloom. The fruit has on seed and is reddish when young, maturing in autumn. It habitats in moist soils and along shaded stream banks. It is also ornamental and is very colored in most seasons. The seeds are eaten by songbirds, game birds, and large and small mammals.

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