Ironwood Summer 2020

VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1

SUMMER 2020

Resilience and Recovery PLANT CULTIVAR INTRODUCTION PROGRAM

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A SPRING WITHOUT VISITORS

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2019 IMPACT REPORT

IRONWOOD Volume 28, Number 1 | Summer 2020 ISSN 1068-4026 Editor: Becky Curtis Editorial Team: Eileen Becich, Rita Boss, Heidi Whitman Designer: Kathleen Kennedy Contributors: Rita Boss, Denise Knapp, Ph.D., Caitlin Lam, Scot Pipkin, Stephanie Ranes, Bruce Reed, Joe Rothleutner, Heather Schneider, Ph.D., Emily Thomas, Steve Windhager, Ph.D. Ironwood is published biannually by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, a private nonprofit institution founded in 1926. The Garden conserves California native plants and habitats for the health and well-being of people and the planet.

The Garden is a member of the American Public Gardens Association, the American Alliance of Museums, the California Association of Museums, and the American Horticultural Society. ©2020 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. All rights reserved.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 1212 Mission Canyon Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105 sbbg.org GARDEN HOURS Sun-Sat 10am - 5pm Members Only 9am - 10am

CONTENTS

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Letter from the Executive Director

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Designed for Resilience– The Garden’s Plant Cultivar Introduction Program

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Science in a Physically Distant World

12

A Dozen Ways to Derive Strength from Nature

15

A Spring Without Visitors

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Budding Botanists

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2019 Impact Report

22

Donor Roll Call

26

Giving Back

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Rare and Endangered

PHONE (805) 682-4726 REGISTRATION Ext. 102 GARDEN NURSERY Ext. 112 DEVELOPMENT Ext. 133 EDUCATION Ext. 160 MEMBERSHIP Ext. 110 VOLUNTEER OFFICE Ext. 119 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tom Craveiro, Chair Valerie Hoffman, Vice Chair Kathy Scroggs, Treasurer John Parke, Secretary Samantha Davis Mark Funk John Gabbert

Gil Garcia Elaine Gibson Sarah Berkus Gower William Murdoch Gerry Rubin Warren Schultheis Jesse Smith

LEADERSHIP TEAM Steve Windhager, Ph.D., Executive Director Heidi Whitman, CFRE, Director of Development & Communications Joe Rothleutner, Director of Horticulture & Facilities Denise Knapp, Ph.D., Director of Conservation & Research Scot Pipkin, Director of Education & Engagement Kathy Castaneda, Manager of Volunteer Programs

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Need more Garden news?

Sign up for our biweekly Garden Gazette e-newsletter at sbbg.org and follow us on social media for the latest updates from the Garden. @sbgarden @sbbotanicgarden

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

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ON THE COVER Canyon snow iris (Iris douglasiana ‘Canyon Snow’); bred for its resiliency, a dependable native cultivar iris of the Pacific coast.

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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE For all of us, this has been a spring like no other. Not since the Jesusita Fire of 2009 has the Garden closed its gates for more than a month, but this year COVID-19 had other plans for us. We closed on March 19th and it was not until two months later that we were deemed an essential Santa Barbara business (which y’all knew all along!). We reopened to members on May 22nd and to the general public on July 10 – still with very limited capacit y.

Our new Health & Wellness partner, Cottage Health, helped us as we charted out new policies and measures to keep our visitors and staff safe. It is a good start toward allowing people to be able to safely reconnect with the Garden and its beautiful California flora, but we hope to increase the number of people in the Garden as it is safe to do so.

Despite not being as closely watched, nature did not skip a beat in the Garden or in the field this spring. We’ve been working behind the scenes all the while tending to our mission to conserve California’s native plants and habitats. With more than 75 acres of gardens to maintain, our grounds team worked safely throughout the temporary closure to keep the Garden in top condition. This is no easy task even in the best of conditions, but our team did not stop there. We took advantage of the empt y Garden to improve our grounds where major projects would otherwise disturb the visitor experience. We continued our work in the field and from our homes and we incorporated new safet y measures for work that could only be done in our Pritzlaff Conservation Center. Eager to continue to share the Garden and our important work, our staff filmed videos of exciting Garden moments, while conducting fieldwork in Carrizo Plain, and even a few takes from our own backyards. We created online environmental education resources for naturalists of all ages and even started a nature journaling club that meets virtually.

You may notice that this edition of the Ironwood doesn’t include a calendar of upcoming classes and events. Due to the uncertaint y of our abilit y to offer in-person classes and field trips right now, we have not scheduled any for the summer or fall. We hope to offer small, in-person classes as soon as it is safe to do so. The best way to stay up to date is by checking our “Classes and Events” webpage and our bi-weekly Garden Gazette e-newsletter.

This break from the norm challenged us to grow and advance in ways that will long outlast this crisis. It has deepened our appreciation for the beaut y and resiliency of nature, and our communit y as a whole. After all, it is the support of our communit y that makes this all possible. Like the previous small and large disasters we have faced, we are likely to emerge stronger than before, thanks to your membership, volunteer efforts, and the financial gifts from so many generous donors. It is because of that incredible support that the Garden will be able to meet this challenge and be ready to continue inspiring a love of California’s native plants for another 94 years!

With gratitude,

Steve Windhager, Ph.D. Executive Director

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Designed for

RESILIENCE The Garden’s Plant Cultivar Introduction Program

By Joe Rothleutner, Director of Horticulture & Facilities

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De la mina verbena (Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’). Collected from Cedros Island off the west coast of Baja California by former director of horticulture, Carol Bornstein, this verbena is extra floriferous and has a dark purple blossom.

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alifornia native plant communities are resilient. Our landscape has adapted to survive seasons of drought, ride the shifting sand of dunes, and to rebound after fire.

The abilit y to deal with these challenges comes from vast genetic diversit y and selection for robust genes that help populations of plants cope. To a plant breeder and a gardener, genetic diversit y creates possibilit y!

Plant breeders develop new cultivars by looking closely at individual plants, evaluating their merits and manageabilit y of flaws. A ten-foot, airy, coyote brush appears elegant when encountered on a hike in the scrub, but that same bush might seem gangly if planted in a small front yard or a more formal setting. However, if you hike a while longer and watch the plants closely, you will start to notice some of those coyote brushes are squatter and others still may be more densely branched. It is this t ype of variabilit y that can be used to find or select a new cultivar. Each seedling carries its own genetic code and, with that, the potential to be distinctly different and horticulturally more desirable than the parent. Pick the most desirable plant and if the novel traits are maintained after the plant is reproduced through cuttings, give your new plant a name and a cultivar is born. You

and your neighbors can have tidy hedges derived from beautiful natives.

Our varied California topography and climate facilitate this kind of genetic diversit y. Over generations, species isolated on islands or different mountain ranges have evolved with unique adaptations. By bringing those plants together in a common garden, we have an opportunit y to evaluate and utilize those differences. A plant from the Channel Islands might have exaggerated, large flowers, but lack the abilit y to cope with a poorly drained patch of residential garden soil. A close relative from the mainland may be less visually impressive but champion broad cultural adaptabilit y and longevit y in the landscape. A plant breeder may cross these two species intentionally, snipping with forceps to remove anthers, emasculating the seed parent, and pollinate it using a paintbrush carrying pollen from the paternal parent. Months later, the fruit is ripe and seeds are cleaned and ready to be sown with the hope that your role as matchmaker will result in a garden-worthy introduction.

The general process of plant breeding is not overly complicated; people have had a relationship with plants and have been SUMMER 2 0 20 Ironwood

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Canyon Belle coralbells (Heuchera ‘Canyon Belle’) This hybrid coralbells was bred by former horticulturist Dara Emery. This second-generation seedling resulted from a cross between California native Heuchera elegans and nearby relative Heuchera sanguinea which gives this cultivar’s flowers their bright red color.

selectively breeding since the very birth of agriculture. The commitment comes in the form of time. It can take years to grow plants from a batch of seeds, choose the best plants with unique character, propagate copies, and then evaluate the next generation of plants. The evaluation can even take years on its own, but it is so important. Do the intended qualities hold true? To help us answer that question for Garden introduced cultivars, the Garden works with a network of other gardens and nurseries for honest

feedback before the plant receives its name. Through this process, our Garden horticulturalists have introduced many resilient cultivars to the nursery industry over the years.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has a long history of introducing new plants to the horticultural trade and is uniquely positioned to continue this legacy. Our diverse collection of California native plants is a living lab that holds genetic potential,

The word cultivar is derived from the words cultivated and variety.

Cultivars are plants that have fixed traits. Most often, those traits are fixed through the process of propagating the plant clonally, through cuttings. Cloned plants have the same genetic coding, creating uniformit y in appearance and in how they interact with their environment. Apples make an excellent case study in cultivars. When you go to the grocery store to buy apples, there are mountains of different varieties: Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala. Each of those apples comes from a different cultivar of apple tree. Those trees are cloned and planted by farmers because it is known that those varieties have desirable traits, such as adaptabilit y to the climate of their farm, disease resistance, and consistency in fruit that customers want.

The same thing applies to ornamental plants, including natives that we grow in our gardens. You can tell a cultivar by looking at the plant name. A name in single quotes following a common plant name indicates something special about this plant. For example, take Salvia ‘Dara’s Choice’. This hybrid sage was selected by the Garden’s former horticulturist Dara Emery for its tidy, compact habit. It is great for use in gardens as a ground cover or in a smaller yard.

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our in-house nurseries give us an abilit y to grow seeds and cuttings by the thousands, and our enduring commitment fosters connection between people and plants by gardening. To date, the Garden has introduced 34 California native cultivars to the nursery industry and home gardeners. Of these cultivars, some of the most successful are De La Mina verbena, Canyon Grey sagebrush, and a series of coralbells cultivars.

Garden Roots: Dara Emery Dara Emery is a legendary name at the Garden, though few Garden members and visitors today had the chance to meet him in person. Quirky, dignified, a man on his own mission, Dara’s name still generates respect and fondness in many professional horticulturists who knew him.

Canyon Gray sagebrush (Artemisia californica ‘Canyon Gray’) Unlike other members of this species, Canyon Gray forms a dense, spreading groundcover with horizontal growth. This prostrate form was found on San Miguel Island by Ralph Philbrick, a former director of the Garden.

Dara began work at the Garden in 1955 and retired in 1990, continuing with projects in a limited way until his death in 1992. In his time as Horticulturist and Plant Breeder, Dara was responsible for creating some of our best-known and well-loved cultivars, such as Iris ‘Canyon Snow’, Leymus (Elymus) ‘Canyon Prince’, and Salvia ‘Dara’s Choice’. He hybridized many Heuchera cultivars, including the still popular ‘Canyon Pink’ and ‘Canyon Delight’, as well as the ‘Canyon Quartet Series’ which was patented after his death. Carol Bornstein, past Director of Horticulture, remembers, “He was always very spiffy in his work apron, worn over a long-sleeved shirt with a pocket full of pens and pencils. I inherited one of his big straw hats and love it to this day as a reminder of his generous spirit.” Dara’s book, Seed Propagation of Native California Plants is still widely consulted by plant breeders today.

Iris cultivars SUMMER 2 0 20 Ironwood

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SCIENCE I N A P H Y S I C A L LY D I S T A N T W O R L D

Amsinckia furcata seed

By Denise Knapp, Director of Conservation & Research

S

ince the first days of California’s Stay-At-Home Order, the Garden’s Conservation & Research staff have brought conservation home, when possible – hauling microscopes, books, and specimens to their desks, kitchen tables, and living room floors.

Some have brought herbarium specimens to mount onto archival paper, enter collection data, and identif y. Ot hers have car ted home rare plant seeds to separate f rom t heir chaff and to count, separate, and dehydrate for storage in our conser vation seed bank, which acts as an insurance policy against extinction in nat ure and a resource for research and recover y. For ot hers still, t heir homes were filled wit h insects and ot her ar t hropods, bot h pinned dr y and stored in vials of et hanol, to identif y, database, image, and post online for exper ts around t he world to access. This helps us to learn more about t heir diversit y, interactions wit h plants, and preferred habitats.

There are some t hings you can’t take home – t he large array of equipment in our genetics lab, f rom t he tissue grinder to t he f ume hood to t he PCR* machine. The 150,000 specimens dating back to 1861 and held in our herbarium are safest where t hey are, meticulously organized by taxonomic group and protected f rom infestations of pests like beetles t hat seek to reduce t hese priceless specimens to dust. We have looked for ways to keep our staff safe while continuing t he critical work t hat solves botanical mysteries and saves species f rom t he brink of extinction.

By separating staff in bot h time and space, sanitizing surfaces bet ween users, and rest ricting t he use of common spaces, we have achieved t hat balance – and have been able to keep our staff employed.

What about work done in t he field all across t his great state? Our team spends much of each spring working in far-f lung reaches of Californian wilderness. This season, not all of t hat work was possible. Much of our rare plant conser vation and vegetation recover y monitoring work on t he Channel Islands was canceled or delayed, as it is hard to socially distance on a crowded boat or plane. Some of our rare plant seed collection work in nor t hern California

Dr. Kristen Hasenstab-Lehman in a sea of Ehrendorferia ochroleuca

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*A PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine is a thermocycler, that allows us to amplify segments of a strand of DNA, or make tons of copies. We need to do this in order to send it out to facilities for them to analyze and provide the sequences for us.

View of Mono Lake from Potato Peak at 10,000 ft where we conducted surveys on BLM land for Boechera bodiensis.

was cancelled by landowners and aut horities who closed access to ensure t he safet y of t heir small towns’ residents.

Ot her parks and reser ves have been closed. For t unately, most t rails remained open, and given t he general safet y of relatively isolated outdoor activities, much of our work was able to continue – it just looked a bit different f rom normal. Our staff arrive in separate vehicles, maintain a six-foot distance f rom one anot her, and use separate

equipment, among ot her measures. The time in nat ure has been a welcome respite f rom t his t umult uous period for our staff, as it has for so many.

Despite t he rest rictions on our work, Garden staff are still tackling many exciting conser vation projects t his summer!

Here are a few:

Our rare plant conservation team is making conservation seed collections for up to 32 rare plant species, from the central coast to both sides of the Sierra Nevada, funded by the landmark California Biodiversit y Initiative and California License Plate Fund via the Center for Plant Conservation. These collections can be used for both research and recovery, while serving as an insurance policy against extinction, and can live in our conservation seed banks for many decades.

Some species of Chlorogalum only open flower at night. Rare Plant Biologist Heather Schneider keys out our target plant Red Hills soaproot (Chlorogalum grandiflorum), which required a late night visit post dinner to see.

Above: Rare Plant Tech, Sean Carson keying out spinysepaled eryngo (Eryngium spinosepalum), at Stone Corral Ecological Reserve in central California. E. spinosepalum is a rare member of the carrot family that we are targeting for a seed collection. Eryngium species grow in vernal pools within valley grasslands. This work is funded by the CA Biodiversit y Initiative, a statewide program aimed at conserving biodiversit y.

Right: Bodie Hills rockcress (Boechera bodiensis) growing in an ephemeral creek near the town of Bodie.

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Our rare plants team is also working in collaboration with the California Invasive Plant Council and funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to better understand the threat of invasive plant species to three federally listed plants, while taking actions to conserve them. This year’s efforts focus on the Pismo Clarkia (Clarkia speciosa ssp. immaculata), which is found only on the coast of San Luis Obispo Count y and is endangered in California.

This summer, SBBG and Cal-IPC staff set up monitoring plots, mapped Pismo clarkia plants, and collected herbarium specimens. Along with evaluating impacts, SBBG and Cal-IPC will make conservation seed collections and eventually develop strategies to control invasive species and measure rare plant responses with a focus on developing conservation and management recommendations.

Our biodiversit y team is working to recover three rare subspecies of canyon liveforever (Dudleya cymosa), that were severely impacted by the Woolsey Fire.

This year they are performing a baseline status assessment, identifying common lichen and moss associates, rescue plants affected by the fire, and collect tissue samples for genetics work that will help us to refine the taxonomy. Future work will include conservation seed collections, propagation in our nursery, and planting the resulting plants back in the wild.

Pismo Clarkia (Clarkia speciosa ssp. immaculata)

Pismo Clarkia (Clarkia speciosa ssp. immaculata)

Marcescent dudleya (Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens), a Federally listed plant, which has variable leaves and flowers.

Dudleya cymosa “Slant Rock”. We are investigating this population, which is in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, as a possible new subspecies to science.

Dudleya cymosa ssp. agourensis, a Federally listed plant, which has variable leaves and flowers.

Dr. Matt Guilliams, Systematist and Herbarium Curator, collects Dudleya tissue.

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The Garden’s lichenologist is conducting an experiment to reestablish the lichen flora on rocks that were burned in the Springs Fire to benefit the rare Verit y’s liveforever (Dudleya verityi). This federally threatened liveforever is restricted to volcanic slopes and outcrops in Ventura Count y, but all known occurrences were burned in the Springs Fire of 2013. The intricately branched lichens capture the minute Dudleya seeds, and may serve as nurseries that facilitate establishment and growth.

Our habitat restoration team, in collaboration with Wildlands Conservation Science, has been working to map, prioritize, then control invasive plant species on the Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve in Lompoc. Nineteen new invaders are being eradicated, and three others controlled in priorit y areas. One such priorit y is populations of the Vandenberg monkeyflower (Diplacus vandenbergensis), a sunny yellow annual plant that occupies bare sandy areas in the Burton Mesa chaparral.

Applied Ecologist, Josie Lesage, at the top of the Tequepis Trail where it meets with West Camino Cielo in the Whittier Fire scar.

Conservation-minded communit y members – “communit y scientists” are helping our habitat restoration team to survey public trails within the Thomas Fire scar and collect data that will facilitate ecosystem recovery. Armed with smartphone apps, staff and volunteers are mapping a suite of invasive and rare plants, and eroded areas, on over 300 miles of trails to identify priorit y areas for restoration.

This work is in collaboration with the Conservation Biology Institute and funded

by California Proposition One for watershed recovery.

Hairy ceanothus (Ceanothus oliganthus)

Cliff aster (Malacothrix saxatilis)

Ojai fritillary (Fritillaria ojaiensis)

Monkeyflower (Diplacus longiflorus)

Chalk dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta)

Fremont’s star lily (Toxicoscordion fremontii)

Conservation Technician Stephanie Calloway and a giant chalk dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta).

Through these uncertain times, it seems we have found just the right balance to enable our Conservation & Research staff to continue the essential work of conserving California native plants, while fostering a safe work environment through the midst of the coronavirus.

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A Dozen Ways

to Derive Strength From Nature

Add native plants to your home garden 1 Learn which plants attract pollinators and other wildlife and watch them make your native garden their home.

2 Look for Garden cultivars and other native plants to diversify your garden and make it more resilient to threats from pests and disease.

Visit the Gardening with Natives section of sbbg.org to learn about our cultivars.

3 You do not need a big yard to enjoy native plants. Find our Plant Lists for Your Home Garden on sbbg.org for a list of California natives

that do well in pots and container gardens.

4 In California, fall is planting season - take advantage of this time when temperatures cool, energy moves from above to below ground,

and plants can take time to settle in before spring and summer blooms. Remember, the Garden partners with local nurseries to provide our members with discounts on plants. Visit sbbg.org/join for a list of participating nurseries and garden specialt y stores.

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Tend to and grow connections in your community 5

With the help of dedicated club leaders, the Garden’s Education Department has developed a new communit y around Nature Journaling, a practice of sharpening the skills of observation and memory by paying special attention to aspects of the natural world and recording them in your nature journal. This practice doesn’t rely on your artistic abilit y or experience; it’s all about immersing yourself in the wonder and beaut y of nature. See our Classes & Events listings online to register for virtual Nature Journaling Club meetings, and stay tuned for in-person club meetings at the Garden.

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Join or start a book club to explore the natural world from different perspectives. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Book Club’s recent reads include Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Join our book club group on Facebook to help choose the next title and read along with other members.

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Spend time outside volunteering to keep our parks and trails beautiful. The Santa Barbara Count y Trails Council, the Santa Barbara Count y Parks Division, and VolunteerMatch are great places to look for outdoor volunteer opportunities.

If you can’t get outdoors as much as you’d like, there is a growing abundance of online resources to connect with nature virtually 8

Explore the wonders of the Garden including virtual tours, livestreams, and more at sbbg.org/athome. Additionally, a number of local cultural institutions have partnered to create 805 Inspires (available at sbac.ca.gov/805inspires) to expand access to these organizations from home.

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Pick up new outdoor hobbies and practices 9 Develop your birding skills using A Birder’s Guide to Santa

Barbara County from sbcobirding.com to get started. Then volunteer to participate in this year’s Christmas Bird Count, coordinated by the Santa Barbara Audubon Societ y.

Empower yourself and others in the study of nature by 10

participating in Communit y Science. We recommend submitting observations of nature to iNaturalist, an app that connects a communit y of over a million scientists and naturalists. Not only will this communit y help you to identify what plant or creature you’ve spotted outdoors, but your contribution of unique data points will in turn support the work of biodiversit y scientists. You may favor native plants, but observations of all kinds of flora and fauna are useful.

Hike some local trails from Visit Santa Barbara’s beautifully 11 curated guide Best Hikes in Santa Barbara at santabarbaraca.com.

Exercising outdoors has added health and wellness benefits beyond exercising in a gym.

12 Fortify your connection to yourself and to nature by spending

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quiet and attentive time in the natural world. At the Garden, we enjoy the powerful practice of Forest Bathing. This therapeutic outdoor experience is adapted from Shinrin-yoku, which originated in Japan. Amos Clifford, who grew up in Mission Canyon and founded the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, wrote Your Guide to Forest Bathing to help you start your own practice.

without visitors!

By Stephanie Ranes, Grounds Manager

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pring in the Garden is always a busy time of year - for plants, animals, and gardeners alike! While this year looked a bit different in an empt y Garden without members and visitors, nature continued her expected routine. The winter rains, somewhat late this year, brought on waves of new growth and blooms to the thousands of plants the Horticulture Team carefully tended through a dry summer and fall last year. For all those that missed this year’s Garden spectacle, here is a chance to catch up.

The Ceanothus started the spring display in clouds of sweetly fragrant tiny white or blue flower clusters all across the Garden.

The Douglas irises and their cultivars then began to put on a colorful show in purples, blues, velvet burgundy, bright white, and soft yellows. In the Island View Garden (on the east side of Mission Canyon Road), our endemic Channel Island perennials created drifts of yellows as the Isocoma, Leptosyne, Senecio and Dendromecon bloomed all at once.

Carefully cultivated patches of native annuals all over the East Side Garden displayed the golds of Layia and Lasthenia, the purple blues of Phacelia, Lupine, and Gilia, soft pink of the Clarkia and a field of white Phacelia that provided feeding grounds for a variet y of pollinators. The Meadow, too, added to the spring show as the Horticulture Team left the California poppies to grow wherever they had decided to reseed themselves. They even grew among pathway pavers, covering the Meadow and entrance Groundcover section in that molten orange color that is seemingly unique to California poppies.

Plants were not the only showstoppers this year. While us humans remained at home, creatures of all kinds came to make use of the space and quiet at the Garden in new ways. A bobcat came repeatedly to help with rodent control in and around the Island

View Garden during the day- it is welcome back any time! A female mallard duck successfully hatched ten ducklings just a few feet off the path next to the Meadow Pond and a small raptor decided to use our Meadow Livestream Camera as the perfect place to perch while looking for lunch. A king snake laid claim to a parking space in the main lot for a few days where the asphalt was warmed by the sun midday.

Our favorite wild resident, perhaps, was a great blue heron the grounds team nicknamed Frank who moved into the Garden for a week or two, confidently striding down the paved pathways and patrolling the Meadow where we watched it hunt lizards, frogs, moles and gophers. We gave Garden Instagram and Facebook followers the chance to rename our great blue heron and the clear winner was Charlize Heron. Free from the sound of human voices, the natural sounds of the Garden became louder - you could hear bird songs over the Meadow Livestream in the mornings, the variable flow of Mission Creek after the rains, and the breeze blowing through the Oaks and the Redwoods.

While thoroughly enjoying all this natural entertainment, our Horticulture Team also cared for our diverse and important plant nurseries, completed a needed facelift on our admissions kiosk, improved the Desert Section by adding a new layer of rock and gravel to enhance to beaut y and health of our desert collection in addition to the many daily maintenance tasks that spring brings.

My personal experience in the Garden this spring was of learning and gratitude. I was reminded of the resilience of the natural world as it moves through the challenges each season can bring. Due to the efforts of all of us, past and present, the Garden will continue to be a place for people, plants, bugs, birds and bobcats to find a home and a place of respite every spring.

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Budding Botanists T

he Garden is a great place for kids (and kids at heart) to play, and time spent outdoors has proven benefits to children’s health. Make your muscles big and strong, engage your brain, laugh from your belly, run wild, and play!

Build a connection to nature that lasts a lifetime. In this new feature, we’re sharing fun activities for children to do at home, in the Garden, or in any outdoor space.

Rainbow Chips Exploration Activity The world is f ull of beautif ul colors and shapes! Create a set of Rainbow Chips and discover items in nat ure t hat match your chips.

Materials:

Directions: 1. Use scissors to cut out a variet y of shapes from your colored paper.

2. Use the hole punch to stamp a hole into each chip

• Colored construction paper or use markers to color in printing paper

3. Connect the chips by looping them through your ring or some string

• Scissors

4. Search for these colors and/or shapes in nature, using your chips as a reference.

Can you find them all?

• Hole punch • String or ring

Make your very own Loose Parts play place

wit h whatever materials you have handy. Then set out to make t he coolest t hings you can—a hiding place, a new invention, a magical ar tifact! We collected logs, wood rounds, and pine cones, but you might have different items at hand – palm f ronds, fallen leaves and f ruits, and stones.

Use your senses to observe and explore nature. Can you find t hese t hings in

your yard or neighborhood? Can you find t hem in your local park or at t he Santa Barbara Botanic Garden?

A Big Leaf – Is it bigger

An Insect – Does it crawl,

than your hand?

or fly, or both?

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A Singing Bird – Can you copy the sound it makes?

Flowers – Do they have a scent or smell?

Digital Membership Cards

T

he Garden is now offering digital membership cards to all members! Digital cards can be saved to your smartphone and accessed at any time - reducing paper waste, mailing costs, and the time it takes to receive your member-only benefits. All we need to deliver your digital card is an active email address. If you have an email address on file with the Garden, you will receive a digital card automatically.

Please let us know of any preferences or updates to your contact information, such as: • Changes to your email address, or to add your spouse or partner’s email address • If you do not use a smartphone and require a physical membership card • If you would like a digital membership card but no other emails • If you prefer all Garden communications by email, including your member magazine and renewal notices We hope this new option for accessing your membership is convenient and easy to use.

As always, you can reach us at membership@sbbg.org or (805) 682-4726, ext. 110 with any questions.

Your digital membership cards can be used for admission to 330+ gardens around the country through the American Horticultural Societ y’s Reciprocal Admission Program.

And show this card at participating local nurseries to receive a 10% discount on plants!

Fall Planting Season is coming!

Starting in September, look for exciting Garden happenings to help you celebrate the season.

Be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter at sbbg.org to hear more.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Health and Wellness Partner Make a donation at careasy.org today!

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2019 IMPACT REPORT

In 2019, your support made it possible to conserve California native plants, inspire students of all ages, cultivate and curate our living collection, and welcome thousands of people to the Garden.

We couldn’t be more grateful.

78,368

MENTORED

THE GARDEN

STUDENT INTERNS

PEOPLE VISITED

3,098

MEMBERSHIP HOUSEHOLDS

from UCSB, CSU-Channel Islands, Westmont and Antioch Colleges, and SB City College.

HELD

SORTED & DATABASED

CLASSES

INSECTS, ARTHROPODS, & OTHER INVERTEBRATES

113 for over

1,501

PARTICIPANTS

3,709

PLANTS

PLANTED OVER

12,000 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS CULTIVATED for habitat recovery projects, garden grounds and retail sales in the nursery.

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Ironwood S UM M ER 2020

19

20,000

as part of a project on San Clemente Island to increase our understanding of invertebrate biodiversity and plant-invertebrate interactions on the island.

THE GARDEN WELCOMED

JOE ROTHLEUTNER as the new Director of Horticulture & Facilities.

10

ACTIVE RESEARCH

ASSOCIATES

8,767 VASCULAR PLANT

SPECIMENS

were added to the Clifton Smith Herbarium database; these records are available to scientists around the world (at www.cch2.org), getting 10 million hits per year!

OVER

25,000

IMAGES OF THE ABOVE

SPECIMENS

allow for remote data collection & minimized wear on the specimens.

155,000

VASCULAR PLANTS

35,500 LICHEN

& 700 BRYOPHYTE

SPECIMENS

in the Herbarium.

44

1

CONSERVATION PROJECTS WITH

BOOK

17

ADDITIONAL

INSTITUTIONS

including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and National Science Foundation.

12

FULL-TIME STAFF

IN CONSERVATION

including a new Lichenologist (a permanent position endowed by scientist-philanthropist Dr. Shirley Tucker), new Plant Ecologist (with funding from CDFW Prop 1), and new Invertebrate Biodiversity Post-Doc (funded by the U.S. Navy).

FOUNDED

THE 1st VASCULAR PLANT

TISSUE BANK

in California facilitating genetic research.

2

BOOK CHAPTERS

9

PEER-REVIEWED

ARTICLES 6

TECHNICAL

REPORTS

published by Garden staff and research associates.

INITIATED

DNA BARCODING AND

META-BARCODING

PROJECTS FOR THREE OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS, Involving vascular plants, lichens, arthropods, mosses, and fungi. This new technology allows us to both inventory biodiversity and determine the diet of endangered species.

SUMMER 2 0 2 0 Ironwood

19

2019 IMPACT REPORT

80

RARE PLANT COLLECTIONS

INVASIVE PLANT TAXA IN

604

POPULATIONS &

COMPLETED

RARE PLANT TAXA IN

YEAR 2

OF A $650,000

COLLABORATIVE PROJECT working towards recovery of 14 Channel Islands rare plants over 3 years. The Garden is leading eight other partners in this effort, which was funded by US Fish and Wildlife via the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife.

CERTIFIED

27

NEW CALIFORNIA NATURALISTS WELCOMED OVER

1,400

on field trips to the Garden.

Ironwood S UM M ER 2020

44

were accessioned representing 25 taxa into the conservation seed bank.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS 20

MAPPED

19

237

POPULATIONS

to inform habitat restoration in the Zaca and Jesusita fire scars. We covered 735 total miles over 307 people days with the help of 60 different volunteers in 2,390 hours of service.

HELD

140

PUBLIC TOURS FOR OVER

3,442

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDING

1,092

COLLEGE STUDENTS

2019 REVENUE AND EXPENSES 652,620

$

497,216

$

Revenue and Support

811,518

$

1,691,446

$

• Contributions and Memberships • Program and Other Revenue • Investments and Fees • Government Contracts • Visitor Program

955,541

$

373,812

$

Program Expenses

Core 1,302,597 Mission Support $

1,009,575

$

• Science and Conservation • Garden Operations • Horticulture, Collections and Facilities • Education • Core Mission Support $1,578,970 Includes administration, finance,

337,758

$

development and membership, communications, human resources, IT/technology, maintenance, and utilities.

THANK YOU to all of our AMAZING VOLUNTEERS! You amplify our efforts!

SUMMER 2 0 2 0 Ironwood

21

Donor Roll Call Thank you! The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is grateful to all who generously support our programs. The following list reflects the

2019 cumulative giving by donors and includes all gifts received between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, including annual fund gifts, memberships, campaign gifts, grant awards, gifts for special projects, and tribute and memorial gifts. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information and spelling, please notify our Development and Communications Department at (805) 682-4726, ext. 103 or by email at info@sbbg.org of any errors. $100,000 + John and Cristina Gabbert Anonymous $50,000- $99,999 Sara Miller McCune Peter Schuyler and Lisa Stratton Dr. Shirley Tucker Anonymous $25,000-$49.999 Elaine and Jerry Gibson Carolyn Kincaid Anonymous $10,000-$24,999 David and Brenda Anderson Thomas Craveiro and Hall Willkie Sarah Berkus Gower and Hayden Gower Valerie Hoffman Suzanne and Duncan Mellichamp Edward Roach and Elizabeth O’Rourke Victor and Susan Schaff Carol and Jerome Weingartner Anonymous $5,000-$9,999 Ruth and Ben Hammett Dorie and Sean Hutchinson Joan and William Murdoch Carolyn Pidduck and Marc Soltan Della and Gary Rolle Ann Steinmetz and Steve Senesac Louise Tighe Welch, Ryce, Haider Funeral Chapels Dana White Anonymous $2,500-$4,999 Jeremy Bassan Emily and Stephen Blass Michele and G. Donald Chandler Wendy Munger and Lenny Gumport Marian Jones Lillian Lovelace Charles Rennie and Teresa Nakashima Gary and Leslie Robinson Jeffrey Thompson and Katherine Bower Kathy and Lawrence Wallin Anonymous

22

Ironwood S UM M ER 2020

$1,000-$2,499 Peter and Rebecca Adams John Altman Lyn and David Anderson John and Ann Brinker Cynthia Butler and John Barton Joyce and Richard Carnovale Marne Coggan and Debra Friedenberg Marcia and John Mike Cohen Mary Jane and Andrew Cooper Cinda and R.H. Donnelley Erdman Wendy and Jim Drasdo Dorothy and John Gardner Bett y and Tom Gerig Andrew and Katherine Hauser Mary Grace Kaljian and Suzanne Cohen Jim Kennett Patricia and Jon Kent Tamara and Douglas Klug Louise and Stephen Komp Joan Kreiss and Roger Perlmutter George and Laurie Leis Betsy and Steven Loranger Ann Lorimer Siri and Bob Marshall Jean Martinis Kathleen and Jim McClure Jane Meine

Hank and Mari Mitchel Susan L. Mohun Anna and Gary Nett Martha and Cary Reich Christine and Stefan Riesenfeld Dorothy Riley Jim Riley Catherine Rose Muriel and Ian Ross Bobbie and Gerry Rubin Roberta Rudnick Kate Schepanovich Jean Schuyler Susan and Barry Spector Judy and Jack Stapelmann Rachel and Eric Stern Kim and Jonathan True Rudie van Brussel and Dennis McGowan Deanne and Tom Violich Takako and Hisashi Wakita Kathy and Robert Wenger John and Mary Wiemann Alec Wilczynski and Linda Mathews Rose Wills and A. Michael Marzolla Jules Zimmer and Carolyn Cogan Anonymous

$500-$999 Sue Adams Henry Adams Mary Ellen and Peter Alden Fran and Jim Antenore Tanya Atwater Eve Bernstein and Elizabeth Reiter Elizabeth and Bill Boss Debra Brandon and Steve Schaefer Margie and George Chelini Carolyn Cooper Leslie and Scott Deardorff Anne and Jeffrey Donahue Tracie and John Doordan William Klansek and Sheri Eckmann Donald Jack and Terri Eddy William Ehelebe Theodore Erler Laurie Eusey and Paul Deal Joyce and David Evans Kelley and Bruce Giffin Setsuko and Dennis Furuike Melvin Jones Elizabeth Keate and Mark Kandola Paula Kislak Julie and Marc Kummel Ellen Lawson Norma Lehman Gretchen Lieff Marcy Lindbery Sheila Lodge Kim and Mike Mason Elizabeth Matthews Peter Morris Sia and J. Emil Morhardt Arlene and Alfred Noreen Jane and Fred Perner Judith Petraitis Geoffrey Pfeifer William Howard and Cindy Pitzer Leslie and Dennis Power Jean Reiche The Estate of Lawrence Renihan Melissa Riparetti-Stepien and Christian Stepien Sandra A. and Paul Russell Lynn and Mark Schiffmacher Anne and Robert Schowe Nancy Seed Victoria Shaw and Ed Cohen Domi and Raymond Smith The Garden Club of Santa Barbara Rachel Tierney Susan Van Atta & Ken Radtkey Victoria Ward Douglas Wilson and Julie Uyehara Ann and Alastair Winn Anonymous

$250-$499 Rose Arnold and E.A. French Michael Avenali Nancy Baum Allen and Jim Hanson Karen Benson and Pat Coffman Mark Bessey and Yvette Keller Susan Bower Maggie and Gary Bradley Joyce and Alexander Carasa Margaret and Dave Carlberg Shirlie Carter Barbara Clark Betsy Collins and Patrick McNult y Patricia Cox Allena and Clinton Donati Alexsana Donne and Jeff Hartlove Patt y Erbe and Brendan Barnwell Marlou and Lendon Everson Gil and Marti Garcia Anabel Ford and Michael Glassow Barbara Ford and Holly Ford Emerson Jane and Robert Forsyth Birthe and Bart Francis Frederic and Nancy Golden Mary and Dan Gosselin Toni and Mike Heren Denise Hinkle and Don Taylor Michael Honer Andrea Hrusovsky and Diane Fedie Loretta Hubbard and Douglas Woodworth Karen and Josiah Jenkins Nancy Johnke Chihiro Kaiho and Rudy R. Machuca

Sherry Keigher and Libe Washburn Bobbie and John Kinnear Diane Kirchner Elinor and James Langer Pamela and Don Layton David Leland and Ann Howald Susan Levitsky Lisa Lewis and Peter Lawson Barbara and Albert Lindemann Susan and Peter Lynch Loyda and Calli Marquez Patricia Mickelson Kamie and Thomas Mulroy Tricia Munro and Rick Burgess Vince and Cindy Norris Virginia Ortega Lanette Perry Andrew Rose Elizabeth Ross Alice and Sheldon Sanov Ken and Josephine Saxon Rebecca Schmeil Maureen and Leslie Shapiro Doug and Nena Singletary Patricia Swanson David and Karen Telleen-Lawton Alice Van de Water Patricia and Nicholas Weber Heidi and Andrew Whitman Philip Winterfield and Robin Schievink Laurel Woodley and Shirley Schwanzara Cheryl and Peter Ziegler Anonymous

SUMMER 2 0 2 0 Ironwood

23

Donor Roll Call continued Gifts in Kind Allena and Clinton Donati All Heart Rentals El Nativo Growers Manzanita Nursery Ladeen and Stephen Miller Native Sons Wholesale Nursery REI San Marcos Growers Santa Barbara Natives Site One Landscape Supply Suncrest Nursery Anonymous Sponsors Agromin Alan Noelle Engineering Allen & Kimbell LLP Betsy Lape Buddha Homes Bunnin Chevrolet Buynak, Fauver, Archibold & Spray LLP Edible Magazine Fidelit y National Title Group Flowers & Associates Granite Investment Partners Hollister & Brace HUB International Hutton Parker Foundation Jeffrey Berkus Architects Kelly Knight Real Estate May and Bill Allison Foundation Montecito Bank & Trust Northern Trust Phillip Gann Price, Postel & Parma LLP Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians

Frank Schipper Construction Sushi – Bar The Easter Team The Monarch True Nature Designs Wade Davis Design Whitman Architectural Design

Tributes in Honor In Honor of Enzo, Otis and Esther Carol and Jerome Weingartner

Foundations Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation Ann Jackson Family Foundation Argonaut Foundation Center for Plant Conservation Elizabeth Bixby Janeway Foundation Gaviota Coast Conservancy George H. and Olive J. Griffiths Charitable Foundation Hutton Parker Foundation John & Gwen Smart Foundation Kirby-Jones Foundation Manitou Fund Marisla Foundation May and Bill Allison Foundation Mithun Family Foundation Norberg Family Foundation Raintree Foundation Roy E. Crummer Foundation Santa Barbara Foundation Steele Family Foundation Steinmetz Foundation The Nature Conservancy Towbes Foundation Turpin Family Foundation Underwood Family Charitable Foundation Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Foundation Wood-Claeyssens Foundation

In Honor of Edward Henderson and Carolyn Kincaid Emilie Ganter Jacqueline Henderson

In Honor of Julie Frederickse Mandi Matz In Honor of a Friend Anna and Gary Nett

In Honor of Jim and Kathie McClure Jane and Dan Burstain In Honor of Kathie McClure Kathleen and Jim McClure In Honor of Barbara Robillard Diane Federle In Honor of Bobby & Gerry Rubin Marcia Smith In Honor of Sarah Termondt Aileen Brown In Honor of Betsy Theis’ Birthday Nancy Panzer In Honor of Bonnie Burgess Tree Gretchen Lieff In Honor of Rick Zelazny Paul and Mary Genis

Ways to Help!

Everyone can make a difference at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. A gift to the Garden’s Annual Fund provides essential support for all of the Garden’s programs in horticulture, education, and native plant research and conservation. To make a contribution or for more information, please visit our website at sbbg.org/donate or contact us at (805) 682-4726, ext. 133.

• Upgrade your membership to a supporting level and enjoy increased benefits and privileges in addition to free admission, invitations to events, reciprocal admission to many other gardens, discounts at local nurseries, and a subscription to our member magazine, the Ironwood.

Please contact Rita Boss, Membership & Planned Giving

24

Ironwood S UM M ER 2020

Manager, at (805) 682-4726, ext. 110 or membership@sbbg.org with any questions.

• Include the Garden in your estate plans and become a member of the Blaksley Bliss Society. Bequests and other

planned gifts support the Garden’s endowment and provide critical funding for the Garden’s future. Members of the Blaksley Bliss Societ y receive invitations to events and insider updates from the Garden. More information can be found at sbbglegacy.org or by contacting Heidi Whitman, Director of Development & Communications at (805) 682-4726, ext. 133 or hwhitman@sbbg.org

Tributes in Memory In Memory of Henry Adams Phyllis Carmichael Carolyn Pidduck and Marc Soltan In Memory of Susan Ashlock Nicole Barry In Memory of Rena Blanton and Ruth Kooistra Kristyl Downey In Memory of Daniel Frost, MD Margie and George Chelini In Memory of Margaret Giannone Lee Anne and Phil Kryder In Memory of Bob Haller David Leland and Ann Howald Robin and Bruce Tiffney

In Memory of Diana Margaret Kennett Amy and Catharine Arnold Douglas and Rachel Burbank Stephen and H. Calvert Lydia Deems and William Prothero Betty and Tom Gerig Paul Jacroux Marcy and Michael Jochim Richard and Lorna Kemmerer Jim Kennett Raymond Little Richard and Nancy Meader Ken McDonald and Rachel Haymon Susan L. Mohun Kelly and Eric Onnen Joe and Molly Orchardo Nancy Lynn Penrose Carolyn Pidduck and Marc Soltan Joy and Kent Porter Geoffrey Ross Priscilla Ross Domi and Raymond Smith Carol and Jerome Weingartner

In Memory of Chuck Malmstrom Toni and Jim Baril In Memory of Ruth Meadows Gail and Gary Milliken In Memory of My Mother and Father Jacqueline Rogers Engel In Memory of Rosalinda Irma Santana In Memory of Jean Schuyler Sue Adams Thomas Craveiro and Hall Willkie Elaine and Jerry Gibson Sarah Berkus Gower and Hayden Gower Valerie Hoffman and Ron Noe Karen and Josiah Jenkins Stephanie Linder Joan and William Murdoch Jim Rivera and David Luna Bobbie and Gerry Rubin Jesse and Ana Smith Susan and Barry Spector Kathy Scroggs Wallin and Lawrence Wallin In Memory of Lila Sexton Cynthia Nordstrom In Memory of Mark Stubler Cynthia and David Waterman In Memory of Rose Goldner Tyson Barbara Tyson In Memory of Isabel Wellisz Suzanne Siskel and Peter Gajewski

• Does your employer match your gift? Double or triple your support with a Corporate Matching Gift. Please contact your

company’s human resources department or call us. We can help you determine if matching funds are available.

• Become a Business Partner and support native plant conservation. Corporate environmental responsibilit y is more

• Become a Volunteer by contacting us at volunteers@sbbg.org

We will match your interests, abilities, and availabilit y with the Garden’s current volunteer needs. By becoming a volunteer you will be making a substantial contribution to the preservation and knowledge of California native plants and habitats.

important than ever to attract the best employees and customers.

Become a Corporate Partner, make a donation, donate a product or service, sponsor an event, arrange an employee volunteer day or provide a grant. For more information, please contact Becky Curtis at (805) 682-4726, ext. 112 or rcurtis@sbbg.org

SUMMER 2 0 2 0 Ironwood

25

giving

back

with

Carolyn Kincaid Henderson

By Rita Boss Membership & Planned Giving Manager

C

arolyn Kincaid has been sharing her passion for nat ure as a Garden docent for 20 years, teaching children t he impor tance of loving and conser ving t he environment. She has found t hat when working wit h kids, asking questions is more impor tant t han knowing all t he answers, and mut ual inquir y and exploration of t he nat ural world can show children why it is wor t h saving. Carolyn’s belief in t he f ut ure of t he Garden and in t he young people who will grow up to continue our conser vation work has commit ted her to build upon t he Garden’s 94-year histor y. She has ser ved t he Garden as a Trustee, a long-time volunteer, a member, and par t of t he Garden’s legacy group, known as t he Blaksley Bliss Societ y.

Making yucca fiber cordage with Nature Camp, 2000. Photo by Don Matsumoto

Many of us feel a compelling need to make a difference t hat leaves a lasting impact on what we find most impor tant. By remembering t he Garden in your will, you can ensure t hat t here is a f ut ure for t he conser vation of t he plants and habitats t hat make our region so unique. We ask you to t hink about t he significance a charitable bequest could make to t he legacy you leave and to t he f ut ure

generations who will love and protect nat ure. Blaksley Bliss Societ y members are recognized at an annual event t hat includes a lect ure on current projects at t he Garden and t he chance to talk wit h ot hers who share t he values t hat have brought t hem toget her. Please visit sbbglegacy.org to learn more about planned giving, or contact us to notif y t he Garden of your existing plans.

Carolyn t rusts t hat t he Garden’s staff and Trustees have t he knowledge, experience, and ent husiasm to preser ve our histor y and bring it for ward t hrough research, education, and emphasis on California native plants. As a Blaksley Bliss Societ y member, she has pledged to leave a charitable gif t to t he Garden in her estate plans. This commitment is evidence of how much impor tance she places on t he f ut ure. She calls it “a declaration t hat I care about ot her people,” and it is for t his same reason t hat she now puts on a mask before leaving her home. Carolyn insists t hat you do not have to be wealt hy to join t his group, only t hat you wish to remember t he Garden and hold it in your hear t.

Carolyn and her husband Ed Henderson at Carrizo Plain

26

Ironwood S UM M ER 2020

Blaksley Bliss Society

D N A E R RA RED ENDANGE

T

he Garden’s research greenhouse is awash in pink as a research project reaches peak bloom. The Rare Plant Conser vation Program is growing t wo rare Clarkia species – Lewis’ clarkia and Jolon clarkia – to understand t he differences in t heir vegetative and f loral characters, as well as to understand t heir mating system.

For mont hs, Dr. Heat her Schneider, Sean Carson and members of t he Hor ticult ure staff have been working to grow t he plants, collect data, and conduct pollinations by hand. The results of t his st udy will help botanists to bet ter distinguish bet ween t hese t wo ver y rare plants in t he field, advance our scientific understanding of t he species, and inform t heir long-term conser vation.

Did you know?

Jolon clarkia (Clarkia jolonensis) is a rare annual wildflower that is only known from 5 locations in Monterey County. The Garden’s rare plant team has been studying this species for the last four years to advance our understanding and inform conservation.

The common name for the genus Clarkia is “farewell to spring” because they are t ypically late-bloomers. Near the end of the season, the hills start to take on a pink/magenta hue as Clarkias dominate the bloom. That’s how we know that spring is ending and summer is here.

Clarkias attract many pollinators, including various species of native solitary bees. On cool mornings, one can find a sleepy bee snuggled inside of a Clarkia flower waiting to warm up and start foraging.

Common Clarkias in the Santa Barbara area are elegant clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata), winecup clarkia (Clarkia purpurea), punch bowl clarkia (Clarkia bottae), and speckled clarkia (Clarkia cylindrica).

Clarkia Greenhouse - Insect exclosures were erected inside the greenhouse to prevent unintentional pollination.

Lewis’ clarkia (Clarkia lewisii) is a rare annual wildflower that occurs in Monterey and San Benito Counties.

SUMMER 2 0 2 0 Ironwood

27

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

1212 Mission Canyon Road Santa Barbara, CA 93105-2126 sbbg.org • (805) 682-4726

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID SANTA BARBARA, CA PERMIT NO. 451

If you haven’t already, please let us know if you prefer to receive this publication in printed form. Future editions will be sent digitally unless you have specified otherwise.

Counting Dudleya in Los Angeles County This spring, we conducted counts of rare Dudleya in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Subjects of the count include 3 federally listed taxa and two taxa that are potentially new to science! Our botanists are collecting information on these rare Dudleyas’ habitat and monitoring their populations after the Woolsey Fire swept through their range in 2018, as well as collecting tissue samples and inflorescences for genetic and morphometric studies. The photos are of Dudleya cymosa ssp. agourensis, the Agoura Hills dudleya, with their vibrant yellow flowers standing out against outcrops of volcanic rock.

Dudleya cymosa ssp. agourensis