JULY 2010

C The Shooting Star Publication of the

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY- SIERRA FOOTHILLS CHAPTER

INCLUDING AMADOR, CALAVERAS, TUOLUMNE AND MARIPOSA COUNTIES

Flowers Blooming in July

Salmon Skyrocket (Ipomopsis tenuituba)
Photos: Bob Brown
This month’s location is St. Mary’s Pass trail which is
just west of Sonora Pass with access from SR 108.
Your beginning elevation is over 8000 feet and you will
climb to more than 10000 feet. At the top the views
are just spectacular in any direction that you look and
if you want you can continue your trek to Sonora Peak.
Our first flower is a cousin of the more common
Skyrocket and is the Salmon Skyrocket (Ipomopsis
tenuituba), that is a salmon pink compared to the
much more common bright red. Our second flower,
Whitney’s Milkvetch (Astragalus whitneyi), has a most
unusual red speckled seed pod that makes this easily
identifiable. The last high elevation flower is Rock
Fringe (Epilobium obcordatum), and as its name
implies is most commonly found around the borders or
large rock formations at subalpine elevations. I hope
this sampling of high elevation blooms tempts you to
go out to explore one of our nearby areas to view
these plants in their natural habitats.

Rock Fringe (Epilobium obcordatum)

Whitney’s Milkvetch (Astragalus whitneyi) Contents:

Poppies
You can check out Bob’s website (TuolumneWildflowers.com)
and the Locations/Blooms tab with maps, location
-page 2
descriptions and lists of what plants you may find at what President’s Message
times of the year.  -page 2
Field trips -page 3
Chapter Officers & Chair Persons
Editor’s Note -page 4
The deadline for newsletter contributions or corrections is the
10th of each month prior to publishing.
Contact Conny Simonis at conny@simonis.org or (209) 588-0484
 President’s Message
Greetings to all!
I hope everyone is enjoying our
warmer weather and that you have
taken an opportunity to get out and
observe some of our wildflowers in
bloom. This is definitely a better than
“average” year so far for the
locations that I’ve visited.
We had a disappointing turnout for
our Plant ID Workshop but I’m hopeful
that we will have a better attendance
for our July session. You are reminded
to either bring a specimen or digital
photos in jpeg format with shots of
the bloom and leaves and knowledge
of where and when the pictures were
taken. The attendance at the July
session will determine if we will have
an August session.
Our Westside trail fieldtrip was a
great experience with Jim Mori
sharing his expertise on butterflies
with the group. Everyone but
especially the children just loved it
when Jim would net a specimen and
then show it to everyone and release
it. We had an opportunity to see over
70 blooming species and the weather
was absolutely great.
Planning continues for our
September Gardening with Natives
Symposium that will be held Saturday,
September 11, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM
in the Sierra building at the Sonora
fairgrounds. Anyone desiring to help
with this activity or wanting further
information are encouraged to
contact either myself 928-9281 or
Carolee James, 928-4886.
As the summer progresses, I
encourage all of you to try to
participate in one of our fieldtrips to
experience firsthand the floral bounty
of our mountains and foothills. I’m
looking forward to meeting you at one
of these events.
--Bob Brown, President
Superb
Mariposa lily
(Calochortus
superbus)
from the
Bagby
Serpentine,
Hunter Valley
Mountain
Access Road
field trip.
Photo: J.Haas.
Page 2 The Shooting Star- CNPS Foothills Chapter
POPPIES GOLDEN POPPIES & LOTS OF OTHER FLOWERS!
For a time I thought that possibly I was overly impressed by our State
Flower, the California Poppy, (Eschscholzia californica). Then I checked
some of the videos that people have taken and submitted to "U-Tube" and
found 17 short videos which they had taken of poppies this spring. Most of
these were taken in the high dessert and include "The California Poppy
Field" and "Views of the California Poppy Preserve". This preserve is near
Lancaster east of Bakersfield. Maybe we had all been taught the state song
about poppies when we were in elementary school? Possibly a case of
imprinting?
My love of poppies goes back to my youth when I lived with my grand-
parents in Fresno. They had very sandy soil and were ahead of their time in
that they had no lawn but instead grew many poppy plants. At that time we
either rode the Santa Fé or drove on Highway 99 when going between
Stockton and Fresno. In spring those routes were glorified by many poppy
plants. That was long before the widespread use of herbicides cleared the
rights of way. At least one person at that time had a project of spreading
poppy seeds along the roads and railroads. It is a treat to see that CalTrans
has brought back this tradition by seeding poppies (and some other
"wildflowers") to beautify their construction projects. Early spring on
Highway 99 south of Turlock in 2009 and south of Livingston in 2010 have
been outstanding. Who said a trip on Highway 99 was boring? The first years
following the seeding are quite spectacular.
In the Mother Lode the new San Andreas bypass and Highway 4 at the
intersection of Big Trees Road in Murphys have also been brightened by
highway plantings this year. Early in May local plantings of poppies can be
seen from the lower foothills up to above 3,000 feet where the
developers of a small subdivision have planted them along the highway
adjoining their project.
You may enjoy checking out the "Yosemite Nature Notes, Episode 1--
Wildflowers". There is great photography and interesting information about
the wildflowers of Yosemite National Park and those who study them.
This has been a spectacular spring with outstanding shows of wildflowers
in most areas of the Mother Lode. Narrowleaf Mule Ears (Wyethia angusti-
folia) has been much more obvious than in other years from 1,000 to 3,000
feet. Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus) is to be seen in open areas along roads and
in forest openings at similar elevations. Shady road banks have been
decorated by abundant Chinese Houses (Collinsia heterophylla) and Fairy
Lanterns (Calochortus albus). There has been more Globe Gilia (Gilia
capitata) than I have seen in years in the Murphys Grade Road and White
Meadow Foam (Limnanthes alba) has been more abundant than in other
years in damp open areas of the woodland and forest. Several species of
Clarkia are showing up and earning their "Farewell to Spring" name.
Now, toward the end of Spring at lower elevations some of the common
weedy species are also spectacular. One of these is Poison Hemlock
(Conium maculatum) which forms dense white flowered stands along the
large streams. Others are the Cat's Ears, Rough and Smooth (Hypochaeris
radiclata and H. glabra) which cover whole fields with their yellow flowers.
They are most abundant after the taller plants have been removed by
mowing or grazing. They may be weeds but they make the fields
beautiful at the end of the season when most native plants have faded.
--Steve Stocking, Education Chair
Membership: If you change your mailing or e-mail address, be sure to send
a notice to: Jennie Haas, 19287 James Circle, Groveland, 95321
jhaas@sonnet.com. (209-962-4759); and California Native Plant Society,
2702 K. St., Ste 1, Sacramento, CA 95816.
This will keep your Newsletter on time and save postage.
Non-member subscription: $6.50/year.
Dedicated to the Preservation of California native flora
July 2010
 SPRING SALE WRAP UP
Saturday April 17th was a glorious spring Day in
Jamestown’s Rocca Park. The spring Sale began with
plenty of sunshine and the sounds of hundreds of
motorcycles as the second annual Bobby Rapp Memorial
motorcycle run got under way. Once again there was a
very enthusiastic crowd that bought just over 600 plants.
It was particularly rewarding to see the wide age range
of interested gardeners. One brother and sister, took
home three wagons full of plants! Jennie Haas signed up
10 new members. Beckwith and Winnie welcomed all
who came with drinks and snacks. For fear of leaving
someone out, please just accept my grateful “thanks!”
to all who helped pull this Sale off.
There is a whole cycle of steady effort that keeps
native plants and the awareness of them moving out
into our community, beginning with Stephanie Garcia
and her dedicated crew of volunteers who keep the
plants we have at the Growing Area thriving. From there,
a series of events brings these plants to the Sales and
sends them out into our community with an awareness of
their care and benefits. Please consider helping with the
fall Sale on Saturday, October 16th.
--Stefani Reich
FIELD TRIPS
For all field trips: bring lunch, water, sunscreen and
appropriate clothing and footwear. Hiking level varies
with each trip. Your trip will be enhanced by bringing
field guides and magnifying lenses, although these are
optional Carpooling is encouraged. Call ahead if the
weather looks iffy. Our field trips are open to everyone.
Bring a friend or two. It is Chapter policy, enacted March features in this area including onions and penstemons.
2010, that pets are not allowed on our field trips. We
would appreciate everyone’s adherence to this policy.
A large road- interested. For more information, camping info, etc.,
side bloom
of Clarkia
rostrata
captured our
attention on
the Hunter
Valley
Mountain
Access Road
field trip.
Photo: J.
Haas
FIELD TRIPS -continued
Bob Brown reports that the June 5th Westside Trail and
Butterflies field trip was attended by 15 people. He
added a new lupine species to his list for the trail: the
valley or chick lupine (Lupinus subvexus var. subvexus,
formerly known as Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus).
“In general, the quantities of everything were significantly
greater than the average for the last five years.” Thank
you Bob and Jim for such a great field trip!
June 26 – Grant Grove at Kings Canyon National Park
Leader: Steve Stocking. Hiking level: easy. Steve will
show us the highlights of the wildflowers of the Grant
Grove of giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum).
Meet at "Wilsonia" parking area at 10:00 a.m. This is near
the Visitor Center and Sunset Campground. Fee camping
and lodge available. We will visit outstanding wildflower
areas in the sequoia and red fir forest. Optional trip on
Sunday, June 27. Steve has led wildflower seminars in
Kings Canyon for over 20 years. A plant list is available for
attendees. Attendance is limited to 20 participants.
Contact Steve to RSVP and for more directions or
information (209) 754-9029 or snlsox@earthlink.net. For
information about the Park, including camping and
lodging, visit: http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm.
New Date: June 26 – Monitor Pass. Leader: Pat Stone.
Hiking level: easy to moderate. This trip was rescheduled
from June 12 due to plants being later than expected.
Monitor Pass on Highway 89 is a high elevation, east side
(of the Sierras) habitat with meadows, aspen stands and
sagebrush. Pat will show us some of the special botanical
Meet at 9:00a.m. at the Sonora McDonalds gravel parking
lot next to the former Gottschalk’s, on Mono Way, in the
Junction Shopping Center, in East Sonora. This is a good
spot for an overnight camping opportunity if you’re
contact Pat at (209) 984-0304 or patmstone@gmail.com
July 10 – Hammill Canyon. Leader: Pat Stone. Hiking
level: easy to moderate. Herring Creek Road starts just
below 6,000 feet on Highway 108 and rises to 8,400 feet
in about 10 miles. As one travels up in elevation, the
prolific wildflowers transition accordingly. Meet at
9:00a.m. at the Sonora McDonalds gravel parking lot next
to the former Gottschalk’s, on Mono Way, in the Junction
Shopping Center, in East Sonora. For more information,
contact Pat at (209) 984-0304, or patmstone@gmail.com

July 24 – Sonora Pass. Leader: Scott Brush. Hiking

level: moderate (high elevation). Sonora Pass is widely
The May 22nd field trip to Hunter Valley Mountain Access recognized its fantastic show of wildflowers. Timed to
Road started out threatening rain but we lucked out. The catch the flowers at peak bloom, we’ll wander the area
rain – and snow- stayed up the hill. Eight enthusiastic taking in the best. Meet at 9:00a.m. at the Sonora
people showed up for the trip led affably by Ann McDonalds gravel parking lot next to the former
Mendershausen. We were treated to a wonderful array of Gottschalk’s, on Mono Way, in the Junction Shopping
flowers including pipestems/virgin’s bower (Clematis Center, in East Sonora. For more information, contact
lasiantha) Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla), globe Jennie Haas at (209) 962-4759, jhaas@sonnet.com.
lilies (Calochortus albus), and the rare beaked clarkia
(Clarkia rostrata). Thank you, Ann!

Page 3 The Shooting Star- CNPS Foothills Chapter July 2010

 Non-Profit Organization
U. S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 83
Sonora CA 95370

CNPS Sierra Foothills Chapter

19287 James Circle
Groveland, CA 95321

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Chapter Officers and Chairpersons JOIN NOW!

Please include me as a CNPS member.
PRESIDENT Bob Brown 928-9281 rbrown4674@aol.com Student/Retired/Limited income .. $25
Individual or Library ................. $45
VP AMADOR CO. OPEN Family or Group ....................... $75
VP CALAVERAS CO. dean@goldrush.com Supporting.............................. $75
Robert & Judy Dean 754-5887
Plant Lover ........................... $100
VP MARIPOSA CO. Ann Mendershausen 742-7734 ralphr@sierratel.com Patron.................................. $250
Benefactor ........................... .$500
VP TUOLUMNE CO. hofstra@biology.ucsc.edu
Tom Hofstra 586-7440 Bristlecone .......................... $1000
SECRETARY sjgarcia@mlode.com As always, donations above the
Stephanie Garcia 586-3593
membership level chosen will be greatly
TREASURER Suzanne Harmon 728-8472 soozanne_h@yahoo.com appreciated.
Name
CONSERVATION CO-CHAIR patmstone@gmail.com>
Pat Stone 984-0304 Address______________________________
CONSERVATION CO-CHAIR hofstra@biology.ucsc.edu City ___________
Tom Hofstra 586-7440
State ______ Zipcode___________
EDUCATION CHAIR Steve Stocking 754-9020 snlsox@earthlink.net Telephone ____________________
(Dues and gifts to CNPS are tax deductible)
FIELD TRIP COMMITTEE jhaas@sonnet.com
Jennie Haas 962-4759
□ I Wish to affiliate with the Sierra
GROWING AREA MGR. Stephanie Garcia 586-3593 sjgarcia@mlode.com Foothills Chapter.
Please make your check payable to “CNPS”
HOSPITALITY COORD. Winifred Stone 984-3638 and send it to: 2707 “K” street, Suite 1,
INVASIVE EXOTICS Veda Scherer 728-8921 scherwoodforest@sbcglobal.net Sacramento, CA 95816 Tel. (916) 447-2677
– Fax (916) 447-2727 Membership
SALES COORD. Pat Reh 536-0871 includes the quarterly Fremontia
magazine, CNPS Bulletin and the
MEMBERSHIP COORD. jhaas@sonnet.com
Jennie Haas 962-4759 monthly Shooting Star newsletter.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR conny@simonis.org
Conny Simonis 588-0484
PLANT SALES CHAIR cvjames@frontiernet.net
Carolee James 928-4886

www.cnps.org
SPRING PLANT SALES carpecircus@yahoo.com
COORD. Stefani Reichle 533-3181
PROGRAM CHAIR rbrown4674@aol.com
Bob Brown 928-9281
www.Twitter.com/SIE_CNPS
PUBLICITY COORD. conny@simonis.org
Conny Simonis 588-0484