November 2011

Plant List
An online plant list for More Mesa has now been compiled and loaded onto the web site. The entries on the list are derived from the 1982 and 2010 Biological Resources Studies, a list from the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, and a few other observations. Please click here for the list.

Native Plants Blooming on More Mesa
Whenever possible, the monthly news will feature some of the plants blooming on More Mesa at that time. Plants blooming in November are for the most part those that bloom year round, and are not limited to spring and summer flowerings.

More Mesa Native Plants – November
California Poppy – Coastal Variety California Bush Sunflower
poppy sunflower

California Poppies have showy flowers and fine gray-green leaves. The flowers unfurl from a pointed cap, after which the petals open in sunshine, and close in the evening or cooler weather. Sometimes bees rest in the closed petals overnight. In warmer areas especially with coastal fog, they grow as several-year perennials. This variety is resistant to powdery mildew, and has yellowish edging to the petals. On seeding, the long and pointed capsules twist as they dry, to pop and scatter the seeds.

Bush Sunflower is a perennial shrub growing mostly on coastal bluffs and open slopes in coastal sage scrub and chaparral below 2000 feet. This shrub grows to a height of about four feet. Flowering can start as early as the first rains in fall, and continue through the moist months of spring. Under the right conditions, some flowering can even extend throughout the whole year. In hot and dry conditions, the plant ceases flowering and may lose leaves. Seeds are set during summer, and attract many native birds.

Similar Posts

  • |

    April 2015

    On the bright side … Although the drought has increasingly occupied our awareness over the past three years, there are a few bright lights to mention on More Mesa this month. In a previous issue this year we talked about various wildflowers that have been seen … not in great abundance, but they are around,…

  • February 2015

    Last month we reported on the beautiful greenery and grasses of More Mesa. This month we are pleased to present the next installment of emerging spring … flowers. A great many species are contributing to the show. And among all the introduced species (mustard, radish, Bermuda Buttercups, etc) there are some truly delightful natives popping…

  • February 2011

    It has been several years since the More Mesa Preservation Coalition has reported on the growth of our supporter base, and how important it is to the success of our mission … to preserve More Mesa forever. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to reemphasize the significance of building this already large and…

  • | |

    Living with the Lockdown – Treasure Hunt #6

    A Tiny, but Powerful Member of the Animal Kingdom Prologue: When I sat down to write this week’s Treasure Hunt I had planned to introduce one of my favorite and hard-working little plants, Deerweed. But as I got deeper into the research about certain aspects of Deerweed, I discovered a world of mind-boggling information on…

  • | | |

    September 2011

    Stories of More Mesa Last month we shared one of our “Stories of More Mesa”; stories that tell the world what More Mesa means to the people who cherish it.  This month we present a second story, a different story, but the same theme. (If you, too, have a story you would like to share,…

  • May 2011

    Vernal Pools With all the emphasis on water in last month’s news, it seemed most appropriate that our web site should include a section devoted entirely to a very special water feature of More Mesa; its vernal pool.  As described in the More Mesa Handbook, as well as in the Draft Updated Biological Resources Study,…