Fruits and Berries
Topics
annual eventBees and Other PollinatorsBirdsButterfliesChildren activitiesClasseseco friendly garden tourEventfoxfoxesFruits and Berriesgarden restorationgarden tourGardening with WildlifeGrowing Plants from SeedHabitat GardeningHarmony with NatureHome LandscapingMonarchs and MilkweedNative Plant Communitiesnative plantsPlant Nurseryplant salePropagating PlantsSeed CollectingSummer CampTending Your GardenUseful Nonnative PlantsWater conservationWatershed Approach to LandscapingWildflowerswildlife
Dreaming of California Truffles
I’m quick when it comes to spotting potentially edible foods in the wild; partly from lots of reading about California flora, and how the native peoples provided for themselves; and partly from an all-consuming curiosity that’s been with me since childhood. I like to...
Poison Oak and Its Relatives
A native plant that we all know (or certainly should!) is Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobium) because it is so widespread in the Bay Area. Many people get a very uncomfortable rash if they touch any part of the plant, so knowing how to identify it and avoid...
An Ode to Elderberries
Elderberries and Other Native Fruits of Summer California native plants provided a rich and varied diet for the native peoples; this is a flora of plentitude, and I really like to partake of it. I recently picked and cleaned the fruits of Lemonade Berry (Rhus...
Snowberries and A Bumblebee Mimic
I’m experiencing a love-hate relationship with the rains as they continue, with so few dry days in between for the outdoor activities that are such a big part of my life. I’ve measured more than 30 inches here on our Novato hillside since January first! ...
Seed Eaters
A number of animals store acorns for later consumption; notably the Acorn Woodpeckers with their ‘granary trees’. They place each acorn just so, packed tightly into a hole, and then tend to their store regularly, moving the acorns to smaller holes when they start to...
Fruit Eaters
I was lucky enough to be outside at just the right time about a week ago when I noticed a lot of activity around a Toyon – the most spectacular Toyon I’ve ever seen, and it lives on the top side of the meadow next to my house and garden. This Toyon (Heteromeles...
Nevin’s Barberry
This year my Nevin’s Barberry (Berberis nevinii) truly made that leap and ‘came into its own’! Lovely, fragrant yellow flowers smothered the plant in early spring, right about the same time as many Ceanothus start to bloom; and then abundant, small red berries...
Birds and Berries
All through the rainy season many birds rely on fruits as a major part of their diet. These birds often travel in flocks, like the Cedar Waxwings and American Robins. Sometimes the flocks are mixed; several different species will travel together, and all are “on the...