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| NOVEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER |
Fall Native Plant Sale Breaks Records
We are thrilled to report that our chapter’s Fall 2020 Plant Sale broke records in the number of plants sold (400 plants), and the amount raised to support the Chapter, nearly $3,000! We worked hard to propagate and grow a greater number and variety of plants than ever before, and still we sold out of several plants. Best of all, these numbers mean that 400 more native plants will be put in the ground this fall around Solano County - saving water, nurturing pollinators, and helping restore our precious California landscapes. So what were the most popular plants in the Fall plant sale? Salvias took first place with 43 plants sold. We offered 14 different varieties of this fragrant pollinator favorite. Monkeyflower (previously called Mimulus but reclassified as Diplacus in 2012) came in second with 29 plants sold. We offered nine different kinds, with varying blossom colors, including ‘Jelly Bean Orange’, white, apricot and ‘Fiesta Marigold’. Runners up included tried-and-true standards Heuchera, Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) and Ceanothus. [READ MORE] The on-line orders from the Fall Native Plant Sale were trucked from the nursery to two pickup locations on October 10.
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Fire Damage to Solano County ReserveA Solano County nature reserve popular with Willis Jepson Chapter members was completely burned over by the LNU Lightning Complex Fire on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, and is closed to the public until further notice. The UC Davis Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve is only 40 minutes from Fairfield, south of Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa. UC Davis maintains the 638-acre reserve for research and education, and it is usually open to the public for hiking. Our Chapter last sponsored a hike to Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve in March 2017. Reserve staff are working to reopen the land to the public. “We will be leading guided walks with our docents just as soon as it is safe to do so, probably before the end of this year.” said Sarah Oktay, Reserve Director. Efforts include removal of fire-damaged trees, installing erosion control and water diversion features, and removing rebar and other exposed hazards left by the LNU fire. [READ MORE]
Trail at Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve burned by the LNU Fire, photo by Paul Havemann.
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Native Plant News from Sister OrganizationsCreek Restoration Project Complete. The Solano Land Trust announced the completion of their Lower Spring Branch Creek Project located at Rush Ranch Open Space. This project allows for the migration of the marsh's edge as sea level rises and restores the tidal marsh's natural flow to upland habitat.
 The recently completed culvert replacement project will restore tidal flows to this upland reach of Lower Spring Branch Creek at Rush Ranch.
National Recreation Trails Map. The Bureau of Land Management provides over 2,200 miles of trails on public lands in California. Experiences on these developed trails range from comfortable, accessible visitor center learning environments to wild and remote authentic adventures. Visit the interactive National Recreation Trails map to plan your next hike.
Zoom Program - Firesmart Landscaping. The UC Berkeley Botanical Garden's virtual programs in November include a Zoom program on Firesmart Landscaping on November 17 at 5:00 PM. Fay Mark, a UC Marin Master Gardener, will offer guidance on how to plan and maintain healthy fire-smart landscaping With photos, videos, and real world examples of recommended best practices she will explain how to have aesthetically pleasing landscaping that also enhances the defensible space around your home. The program is free but you must click here to register.
Watershed Education Programs. The Solano Resource Conservation District offers a School Water Education Program to local schools. This program includes the Watershed Explorers Program that provides interactive video guides and virtual field trips for third graders, and the Suisun Marsh Watershed Education program that engages sixth grade students in investigating, collecting and analyzing data that explains how human activities affect watershed health. Free training for teachers is offered on November 7. Click here to register.
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PLANT OF THE MONTHCeanothus maritimus 'Popcorn' (Popcorn mountain lilac)This white-flowered Ceanothus cultivar is a low-growing, dense, evergreen shrub that mounds to 3 feet high and spreads 4 to 5 feet wide. It blooms in late winter to early spring, producing profuse clusters of white, fragrant, star-shaped flowers with red-orange ‘eyes’. The dark-green, glossy, holly-shaped leaves stay dark green all winter, and are larger than most ceanothus leaves but smaller than those of Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’. [READ MORE]
Ceanothus maritimus 'Popcorn', photo by Youngblood Nursery.
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Calendar of Events
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CNPS Statewide Website | Jepson Chapter Website     
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