Plant of the Month (December) : California Mugwort – Artemisia douglasiana

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): Mother Nature's Pollinator Garden

Few plants are blooming right now.  But several perennials are starting to come back, thanks to the cooler weather – and a little judicious watering.  One of these – the first species planted in our new Bie Havn Pollinator Garden - is the California mugwort, Artemisia douglasiana.  Our Plant of the Month has an easy-to-pronounce scientific name: ar-teh-MEE-see-uh  dug-LASS-ee-ANN-uh.  It’s yet another example of California’s many species in the Sunflower (Asteraceae) family.

California mugwort is also commonly known as Douglas’ sagewort.  The genus name, Artemisia, is the old Latin name for the wormwoods and mugworts.  The name probably honors the Greek goddess Artemis.  The species name douglasiana honors David Douglas (1798-1834), an early Scottish plant collector in the Columbia River region of the Pacific Northwest and in northern California. A number of native plants honor Douglas (the most common is the Douglas fir).   Specimens he collected for the Horticultural Society of London were an important early introduction of our west coast native plants to a European audience.

Artemisia douglasiana is native to the western U.S., from Washington and Idaho south to California and Nevada.  Growing in most of the lower elevations of California (below about 6000 ft; 1800 m.), it can be found in the moister areas of many plant communities including Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Northern and Southern Oak Woodland, Mixed-evergreen Forest and Yellow Pine Forest.

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana):
Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve

Mugwort is also common around freshwater marshes and in moist meadows.  It once grew extensively in the coastal wetlands of western Los Angeles County, and can still be found in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains and on Catalina Island.   It was common along the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers and their larger tributaries.  You can see it in a natural setting in the Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve.

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana):
plants die back in fall

California mugwort is a part-woody, perennial groundcover plant in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae).  It dies back in the fall (the best time to prune it) and sends up new shoots and branches with the cool, wet weather of winter.  It’s a spreader; it increases via underground stems (rhizomes), by rooted stems (where they touch the ground) and by seed.  This is a natural groundcover and will fill an area given time.  If you want to limit its growth, you’ll need to contain it.

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana)

Artemisia douglasiana is known for its erect stems and fresh green foliage.  The stems are 1-5 ft. (50-250 cm.) tall and somewhat woody at the base.  The stems are upright or recumbent (lying down).  Older, unpruned stems often lie on the ground and send up new, upright branches.  Mature clumps of Mugwort can be as much as 10 ft (3.5 m.) or more across in favorable sites.

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): new stems

The foliage is pale green on emergence, becoming medium green above and a pale green beneath.  The underside of the leaves are covered with dense hairs.  The plants can turn their leaves, bottom-side to the sun, as a protection against hot, dry conditions.  The leaves are simple and coarsely-toothed.  They are slightly succulent, softly hairy and have a fresh, slightly pungent odor when crushed.

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): leaves

 

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): mature leaves

 

California mugwort is not one of our showy native sunflowers.  It’s more like California sagebrush; small green-gold flowers, densely spaced on the tips of the stalks.  The flowers do attract the insect pollinators: native bees, pollinator flies and butterflies.  And the seeds are eaten by the seed-eating birds in fall (watch for Goldfinches and White-crowned Sparrows).   The plants themselves provide cover for ground-dwelling and feeding creatures like lizards and birds.  So Mugwort is a good plant for providing general habitat.

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): flower buds

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana):
flowering plants

 

California mugwort is fairly easy to grow.  In our hot S. California gardens it prefers some afternoon shade.  It does well in dappled shade (or even darker) under trees.  It’s not particular about soil texture; we’ve grown it in both very sandy and clay soils.  It looks better with occasional summer water – a deep watering once or twice a month from May to September should suffice.

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana):
prune back old stems in fall

 

A Mugwort clump really needs to be cut back in late fall.  We cut ours back almost to the ground.  No need to be persnickety when pruning – we sometimes just pull up the old, woody stalks and break them off.  This is also a good time to pull up stems that have grown beyond their desired perimeter. 

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): groundcover

 

Mugwort is a handy plant for shady spots under trees, where a green non-ivy groundcover is needed.  It does well on slopes, and will help bind the soil. We often mix it with the Woodmints (Stachys species) and Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) for a mixed groundcover.  It’s a great plant for locally-themed gardens, giving just the right ‘wild’ element.

 

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): on slope
'Garden of Dreams' Discovery Garden, CSU Dominguez Hills

 

It’s also a candidate for the medicinal garden, with a long history of traditional use.  In fact, Mugwort’s medicinal properties are currently being evaluated for use in Western medicine.   A topical (skin) application of a decoction (tea) made from the leaves is affective against a number of micro-organisms.  Rubbing the leaves on affected skin is said to be soothing for poison oak rash.  And the leaves do provide a non-greasy ‘hand lotion’ for the hands; we often rub the leaves between our hands after a day of gardening.   Works like a charm on dry hands!

 

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): medicinal leaves

 

As a medicine, Artemisia douglasiana should not be taken lightly.  It is powerful medicine and should be used sparingly and under the care of a practitioner.  It is sometimes used as a tea for stomach and gastrointestinal ailments.  The plant chemicals have cytotoxic (cell-killing) properties, so this is not a medicine to use indiscriminately.  For more on the medicinal properties of this plant see references 1-3, below.

Mugwort also has another interesting property: it induces vivid dreams.  Some native traditions believe that sleeping on a pillow of Mugwort leaves will bring dreams of one’s future spouse.  We not sure of that, but it does induce vivid, technicolor dreams (we tried it).  It’s certainly not a sleep aid!

In summary, Artemisia douglasiana is a useful plant if you have the right place for it.  It’s a great all-round habitat plant that looks good much of the year.  It’s carefree (except for fall pruning) and can be contained.   It’s not the showiest of our California natives, but it’s a reliable groundcover for shady spots.

 

California Mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana): home garden, Redondo Beach, CA

 

For a gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-artemesia-douglasiana

For more pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/artemisia-douglasiana-web-show

For plant information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html

________________

For more on the medicinal properties of this plant, see:

1. Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West: ISBN-13: 978-0890135396 ; ISBN-10: 0890135398
2.  https://ethnobiology.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/JoE/7-2/Timbrook1987.pdf
3.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3780460/

 

 

We welcome your comments (below).  You can also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

 

 

 

Plant of the Month (January) : Catalina perfume / Evergreen currant – Ribes viburnifolium

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): Mother Nature's Backyard

January is the dead of winter. While most S. California gardens aren’t covered in snow, this is still the coldest and wettest time of the year.  So we treasure any plant that dares bloom in January.  One of our early bloomers, Ribes viburnifolium (pronounced RIE-bees (or REE-bees) vi-bur-ni-FO-lee-um), is flowering right now in Mother Nature’s Backyard.  We urge you to come and see it!

Ribes viburnifolium is also known commonly as the Evergreen currant, Island currant, Catalina currant, Island gooseberry and Santa catalina island currant.    It’s a surprising member of the Gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae), which contains many of our common edible berry bushes.  Catalina perfume looks and behaves differently from other native currants/gooseberries; but it’s a wonderful plant in its own right.

Catalina perfume is endemic to only two places: Santa Catalina Island (one of the S. California Channel Islands) and near the border of San Diego County and Baja California, Mexico.  Island species – and those separated from main populations in other ways – often differ from their nearest relatives.  Isolation can be a powerful force in the development of new species.   So we shouldn’t be surprised that Ribes viburnifolium differs from other local Ribes.   The cultivar Ribes viburnifolium  ‘Spooner’s Mesa’, which has slightly larger leaves, is derived from the San Diego population.

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont CA

 

In the wilds, Catalina perfume is a fairly uncommon plant, growing in shady canyons and slopes, often quite near the ocean. Ribes viburnifolium is a member of the chaparral community.  It rarely occurs above about 1000 ft. (300 m.) elevation,    making it suitable for lowland Los Angeles County gardens.  In nature, it often grows in the shade of Lemonadeberry, Sugar bush and other shrubs.  This hints at its most effective uses in the garden.

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 young plant

 

Evergreen currant is an evergreen sub-shrub (part-woody) that grows 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) tall and up to 8 or 12 feet (2 ½ to 3 ½ m.) wide.  In sunnier locations it may be slightly taller and more upright; in shady locations it’s more of a woody groundcover.  The slender stems are arching or sprawling; where they touch bare ground they may root.  These characteristics make Ribes viburnifolium a popular native shady groundcover.  But the plant is versatile and can also be pruned as an upright shrub if that’s desired.

 

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium): leaves

 

The leaves of Catalina perfume are simple, rounded, medium green and one to one and a half inches (2-4 cm) in diameter.  In sunnier locations, leaves often have a thick waxy coating, giving the upper surface a shiny appearance.  In shady spots, the leaf surface will often appear less shiny. 

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 leaf glands

 

The leaves are covered with small, bumpy yellow glands. These glands (glandular trichomes) secrete the aromatic resins for which the plant is named.  After a rain – or when the leaves are rubbed – they release a fragrance that is pleasant, but difficult to describe.  It has hints of pine, some apple or grape, and perhaps a touch of vinegar.  Anyway, impossible to describe, but a wonderfully refreshing scent.

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 foliage

 

The young bark of Ribes viburnifolium is red to red-brown and contrasts beautifully with the green foliage.  The foliage attributes – and the ability to tolerate shade – have made this plant a popular ground cover for shady slopes and under trees.  It is widely available throughout S. California, from nurseries offering native plants.



Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 flowers

 

Catalina perfume’s flowers are pleasing in a sweet, old-fashioned way.  Unfortunately, they are so small (less than ½ inch) that you may miss them amongst the foliage.  But hummingbirds will let you know that something good is blooming!   Ribes viburnifolium is a winter or early spring bloomer.  It may bloom as early as January/February or as late as April in western Los Angeles County.  The flowers are evenly spaced on short (1-3 inch) flowering stalks (see above). 

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 close-up of flowers

 

The flowers are worth a closer look.  Their overall color is reddish-brown or reddish purple.  The color is mostly provided by the prominent sepals, which are much larger and showier than the petals (see above).  The anthers (male sex organs) and pollen are white and showy – extending out beyond the sepals.  This is a hummingbird flower: red color, sweet scent and distinctive floral architecture.  But the flowers also attract bees and butterflies.  In fact, this plant can be an important food source for all these pollinators in winter.

Like other Ribes species, Ribes viburnifolium produces edible fruits.  They are small, red, currant-type fruits – quite pretty, though uncommon on our bushes.  We’ll try to get some pictures this year.  The fruits are not the tastiest of our native Ribes, and most gardeners just leave them for the birds.

 

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 under Live oak, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont CA

 

Catalina perfume is not picky about soil texture; we’ve had good success in very sandy and clay soils.  If your pH is above 8.0 (alkali soil) you may want to consider another species, but this plant is pretty adaptable otherwise.  It does need some shade and probably looks best in bright shade under trees.  At any rate, be sure it gets at least afternoon shade in S. California; it will grow fine in quite shady locations, though flowering will likely be less.

Catalina perfume does not tolerate extreme heat, so it’s a better choice for western S. California than for hot, inland areas.   Once established, Ribes viburnifolium is fairly drought tolerant; you can even grow it under summer-dry native oaks (see above).  It looks best with moderate to occasional water – 1 to 2 times a month in most S. California summer gardens.  It is fine in areas that get a little overspray from lawns or other regularly watered areas.  And it won’t need any added fertilizer unless you grow it in a container (if so, give a single dose of half-strength fertilizer in early spring).

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium)

 

So why consider Ribes viburnifolium for your own garden?  If you have a shady slope – or need a groundcover for a shady spot under trees or in the side yard – Catalina perfume is an easy care, native alternative to invasive ivy, star jasmine or non-native honeysuckles. It’s a great plant for erosion control.  Just water occasionally, trim back as needed, and that’s about it.  This plant is more than acceptable for front yards; your most persnickety neighbors won’t even guess it’s a native!

If you need a small shrub for a shady spot, start shaping Ribes viburnifolium the first year.  It can be kept to a quite serviceable size with routine pruning.  We haven’t yet grown it in a container, but are considering trying it on a shady porch. We love the idea of being able to reach over and rub the scented leaves.  We’ll update with pictures in a year or so.

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 shady garden

 

And if you worry about having winter flowers for hummingbirds and other pollinators, this is a superior choice to many of the non-native groundcovers.  You’ll also be helping to maintain a plant that’s rare – even threatened – in the wild.   And that may be reason enough to plant this wonderful island native!

Catalina Perfume (Evergreen currant; Ribes viburnifolium):
 Mother Nature's Backyard, Gardena CA

 

For a gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-ribes-viburnifolium

For more pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/ribes-viburnifolium-web-show

For plant information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html

 

 

We welcome your comments (below).  You can also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

 

Plant of the Month (November) : Clustered (California) Field Sedge – Carex praegracilis

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis) - Mother Nature's Backyard

Few plants are blooming now in Mother Nature’s Backyard.  And those that are have already been featured as Plants of the Month.  But one of our favorite ground covers is perking up with the recent rains and cooler days.  So we’ve chosen Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis) as our Plant of the Month.  The species name is pronounced CARE-ex  pre-GRASS-ill-iss.

The sedges (genus Carex) are perennial, grass-like plants that grow in climates ranging from the tropics to the tundra; sub-Saharan Africa is the only continent with few species.    Most of the several thousand species grow in boggy, marshy places or near ponds and streams, but some are more drought tolerant. 

There are over one hundred and thirty Carex species native to California, the  vast majority growing solely or mostly in the Sierra Nevada Mountains or the mountains of N. California.  However, about 20-25 species are native to Los Angeles County or the S. Channel Islands. [2]   While most of them grow only in the San Gabriel Mountains, a few can be found in the lowlands as well.  Carex praegracilis is one of them.

 

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis) - good example
 of California native sedge

 

The leaves of sedges are long, narrow and grass-like. In fact, many people mistake sedges for grasses. But sedges are actually close cousins, belonging to a different family entirely (the Cyperaceae) and having flowers quite different from those of the grasses. In fact, the flower stalks of the sedges are triangular in cross section.

The old saying 'sedges have edges, rushes are round, grasses have knees that bend to the ground' helps one remember a key difference between the grass-like plants.   Most sedges spread by rhizomes (underground stems), stolons (‘runners’) or roots, forming a lawn-like sod.  Sedges are used in some areas as a substitute for lawn grasses.

Clustered field sedge has a wide geographic range – from mid-western U.S. to the west coast.  In California, it grows in the California Floristic Province and desert mountain ranges, from sea level to about 7000 ft. (2500 m).  It once grew along the LA River, Ballona Creek and marshes, on Santa Catalina Island and in the Liebre, Tehachapi and San Gabriel Mountains. [3]  It likely was common, but unrecorded, in many other moist places in the lowlands of western Los Angeles County.  In S. California, it occurs in/near both freshwater and alkali wetlands, including those that are only seasonally wet.



Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis)

 

In the horticultural trade, Carex praegracilis is sometimes confused with (and sold as) Carex pansa, a shorter species native to several areas along California’s central and northern coast.  Both are similar in appearance and use in the garden.  But there are important differences between the two, including size: Carex pansa is only about 6-8 inches tall, while Carex praegracilis is slightly taller.  For a great discussion of the two species (and how to tell them apart) see reference 4, below.

 

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis): fine-textured
 foliage

 

Clustered field sedge is a perennial with narrow, bright to medium green leaves typical of sedges. The leaves are slightly more narrow and longer than Carex pansa.   It grows about 1-2 ft. tall and looks superficially like a fine-bladed grass.  In fact, the species is commonly used as a grass substitute.  It spreads via stout, dark rhizomes (underground stems) to form a sod-like mat. 

 

 

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis): spreads by
 rhizomes to create a sod-like mat

 

This species is a very useful addition to local gardens.  It tolerates full sun to part-shade.  We’ve found it looks best in part shade, and even have a nice stand growing north of a 10 ft. wall in Mother Nature’s Backyard (see below).  Carex praegracilis does fine in most local soils, from sandy to clay (we’ve grown it in both extremes).  It doesn’t mind the alkali soils found in some parts of our region.  

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis): in shady
 position with Feltleaf everlasting

 

Clustered field sedge really needs no added fertilizer, though it probably wouldn’t harm it.  While young plants need regular water, established plants are quite drought tolerant. Carex praegracilis can get by with infrequent irrigation (deep watering several times a summer), though plants will go dormant.  To keep established plants green, water every 2-4 weeks, depending on soil type.  Taper off water in the fall, to give plants a bit of a rest.

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis): naturally
 dormant under dry conditions

 

Like most Carex species, Carex praegracilis is best started as a purchased plant or as plugs.  In our experience, Clustered field sedge spreads more slowly than Carex pansa, taking several years to really establish in western Los Angeles County.  It may fill in more quickly in wetter regions (or with more irrigation than we give it).  If used as a lawn substitute, we suggest planting plugs 8-10 inches apart. 

Carex praegracilis is a cool season, sod-forming sedge, so it does most of its growth in winter and spring in lowland S. California.   It blooms in late spring or early summer.  The blooms, on stalks that are somewhat taller than the leaves, are pale green, fading to tan fruits with white tips. The flowers and fruits are not particularly noticeable, although characteristic of the species; we’ll get some photos next year.  For good photos see reference 5, below.

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis): nice
natural groundcover

 

Clustered field sedge is worth considering when you want the appearance of ‘grass’ in an easy care, water-wise native.  It’s very low maintenance; all that’s needed is to cut back to remove the brown foliage (if any) in late fall.  If it spreads into areas where it’s not wanted, just pull out the young plantlets.

Clustered field sedge makes a good natural lawn substitute, and established plots can even be mowed (4-6 inches) several times during the growing season. Sedge lawns can be walked on, though probably not the best choice for heavy use.  The sod grasses are still the best option for playing fields and other heavy traffic areas.   But if you just need a water-wise, decorative green ‘lawn’, Carex praegracilis could be a good choice.

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis): low maintenance

 

We like Clustered field sedge left un-mowed, allowing it to form a natural groundcover under and around trees/shrubs. It is a great natural groundcover for vegetated (infiltration) swales, and can be mixed with other groundcovers liking seasonal water.   It does well on slopes and can be very useful there.  If watered, it can be used as a fire-resistant buffer plant in fire-prone areas.   You can even grow it in a pot for spot of greenery on a shady porch.

Incredibly adaptable and drought-resistant, Carex praegracilis may be just the plant you need to create a ‘green oasis’ in your water-wise garden. It’s locally native, delicate of appearance, yet tough as nails.  It fills in between plants, providing needed contrast for other native plants.  We couldn’t garden without it!

Clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis):  nice addition
 to many gardens

 

 

For a gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-carex-praegracilis

For more pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/carex-praegracilis-web-show

For plant information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html

 

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1.            http://www.greenleeandassociates.com/carex-pansa.html

2.            http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?row_to_start=150&num_matches=172&tmpfile=cf158936&format=photos&next=next+22 

3.            http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=17745           

4.            http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/a-sedge-by-another-name/

5.            http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Carex+praegracilis

 

 

We welcome your comments (below).  You can also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com