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Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
© Project SOUND
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County Project SOUND – 2014 (our 10th year)
© Project SOUND
Fabulous Fruits: California native plants with
edible fruits
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
April 5 & 8, 2014
2014: Bringing Nature Home - Lessons from
Gardening Traditions Worldwide
© Project SOUND
A few lessons from the gardens of France
http://www.lelude.com/en/jardins.php
We’ll also see how Moroccan gardens
incorporate fruit trees
© Project SOUND http://www.darnanka.com/en/swimmingpool-garden.php
4/17/2014
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What do most people think of when they
think of fruit trees?
© Project SOUND
http://www.treemendus-fruit.com/_borders/apple%20tree.JPG
http://www.texaspeaches.com/vogel/PeachTree.jpg
The Rose family contains some of our
most tempting fruits
One of the six most economically important crop plant families
Includes: apples, pears, quinces, loquats, almonds, peaches/ nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and roses
© Project SOUND
Hawthorn
What is a fruit? How do they develop?
Fruit (botany): a part of a flowering plant that develops from specific tissues of the flower (one or more ovaries, and in some cases accessory tissues).
As the ovules develop into seeds, the ovary begins to ripen and the ovary wall, the pericarp, may become fleshy (as in berries), or form a hard outer covering (as in nuts).
© Project SOUND http://urbanext.illinois.edu/apples/images/plant.gif
Why did fleshy fruits arise in some plants?
Fruits are the means by which these plants disseminate seeds.
By making the fruits more attractive (sweet/colorful), plants attract the best disseminators: birds, animals & humans
This is another good example of:
Mutualistic relationships
Plants spending a little extra energy on reproduction
© Project SOUND
https://botanistinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2013/08/
Are plants our servants – or
are we theirs???
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There actually is a CA native apple
Raintree Nursery
Forest Farm Nursery
© Project SOUND
*Malus fusca - Pacific crabapple
https://www.forestfarm.com/product.php?id=2938 http://okanaganokanogan.com/2013/09/17/ancient-stories-of-life-death-and-art/
© Project SOUND
* Madrone – Arbutus menziesii
©2006 Julie Wakelin
SW British Columbia S through WA, OR, CA (coastal mountains & west slopes Sierra Nevada; San Gabriels .
The southern limit: Mount Palomar, San Diego County.
Wooded slopes/canyons in oak, redwood, mixed evergreen forests, chaparral < 5000 ft.
© Project SOUND
* Madrone – Arbutus menziesii
©2006 Julie Wakelin
Image by Scott Jones
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_cpn.pl?ARME
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik
i/Arbutus_menziesii
Madrone: declining in most of its range
Possible causes: fire control Under natural conditions, madrones depend on intermittent naturally
occurring fires to reduce the conifer overstory.
Mature trees survive fire, and can regenerate more rapidly after fire. They are often associated. They also produce very large numbers of seeds, which sprout following fire.
Possible causes: increasing development pressures Destruction due to changed drainage: extremely sensitive to alteration
of the grade or drainage near the root crown.
Until about 1970, this phenomenon was not widely recognized; many local governments have addressed this issue by stringent restrictions on grading and drainage alterations when Madrones are present.
Possible causes: disease Susceptible to many fungal pathogens
Affected to a small extent by sudden oak death, a disease caused by the water-mold Phytophthora ramorum.
© Project SOUND
4/17/2014
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© Project SOUND
Madrone: a stately tree Size: 50-100+ ft tall (slow
growth; generally 20-50 ft)
20-75 ft wide
Growth form: Large evergreen woody tree
Heavy limbs; irregular pattern
Bark red; peeling
Foliage: Green to blue-green
Leaves medium size (3-5 in. long), simple, shiny
Regular leaf drop
Roots: Extensive root system
Resprouts from burl
©2002 Timothy D. Ives
H. Vannoy Davis © California Academy of Sciences © Project SOUND
Flowers: like manzanita
Blooms: in Spring; usually Mar-May S. CA lower elevations
Flowers: Small size
White; urn-shaped like manzanita
Large, showy clusters
Bee pollinators; also visited by hummingbirds
Seeds: Small and hard
Strong embryo dormancy - Require 40-60 day cold-moist stratification + acid treatment for good germination
© 2006, G. D. Carr
Madrone fruits: showy and edible
Pea-size bumpy, scarlet red berries
Ripen fall through winter
Very showy – one of the reasons this species is planted
Can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed or used to make ‘cider’; can be stored for a long time if boiled and dried
Salinan, Miwok, Pomo, and other California tribes hand picked berries. Higher branches were shaken or hit with a long stick to knock off the berries into a basket or cleared area
You can use a long-handled pruner . © Project SOUND
http://www.rainyside.com/plant_gallery/natives/Arbutus_menziesii.html
Ground madrone/manzanita berries
Collect berries in fall.
Dry berries.
Grind into a fine powder.
Use as a sweet spice or sugar substitute – or for tea.
© Project SOUND
http://www.livingwild.org/fall/madrone/
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Wild
Granola
Ingredients 4 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped almonds or other nuts
¾ cup coconut
¼ cup maple syrup or Manzanita sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ tsp salt
½ cup prepared Oak nut flour
¼ cup dried and ground wild berries (Madrone, Manzanita, Toyon)
½ cup fresh berries if available
Instructions Preheat oven to 300o.
Combine the oats, nuts and coconut; add syrup or Manzanita sugar, Oak nut flour, oil and salt.
Pour onto 2 sheet pans; cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Add ground berries.
Top with fresh berries just before serving.
© Project SOUND
http://www.livingwild.org/fall/madrone/
© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: well-drained soils
pH: slightly acidic best
Light: Plants need part-shade for
establishment
Probably not suited for very hot gardens
Water: Winter: good rainfall; most
places in natural range get more than we do
Summer: Treat as Water Zone 2 in our area: occasional deep water
Other: organic mulch away from trunk and burl
Image by Scott Jones
© Project SOUND
Madrone : big places
Large tree in Zone 2 places; shade tree
Along the coast
On North-facing slopes
©2007 Julie Kierstead Nelson
© 2013, Ben Legler © 2005, Shaun Hubbard
Madrones are great habitat trees
Important food for the dark-eyed junco, fox sparrow, band-tailed pigeon, quail and others; Fruits also eaten by mammals
Important habitat for primary cavity-nesting species such as the red-breasted sapsucker and hairy woodpecker.
Secondary cavity nesters such as the acorn woodpecker, downy woodpecker, mountain chickadee, house wren, and western bluebird also nest in Madrones
© Project SOUND
© 2009, Al Dodson
The trees provide food, perches and
nesting places for many bird species.
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Madrone as medicine
Burns - Rub crushed, fresh leaves on skin according to the Cowichan Indians.
Colds, Coughs and Sore Throats - Add approximately 5 leaves to boiling water and steep for 20 minutes to make tea. Drink twice daily for colds and gargle as needed for sore throats.
Purification and Ceremony - Leaves were used in puberty ceremonies by the Karok Indians.
Rheumatism, Sore Muscles, Joint Inflammation - Rub crushed leaves on skin.
Stomach Disorders - Chew 1 to 2 leaves for stomachache or cramps, according to the Miwok and Cahuilla Indians, or make Madrone cider by steeping the leaves for 20 minutes.
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
*Black (Western) hawthorn – Crataegus douglasii
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
*Black (Western) hawthorn – Crataegus douglasii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crataegus_douglasii_range_map_2.png
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6716,6717
Native to northern and western North America to N. CA - most abundant in the Pacific Northwest
Grows in varied habitats from forest to scrubland.
Requirement: access to deep water
Hawthorn: not just in N. America
Historically, hawthorn species were used for building hedges and many cultivars have adorned ornamental English gardens.
The common name hawthorn comes from an Anglo-Saxon word haguthorn that is translated into “a fence with thorns.”
The English affinity for hawthorns extends to the traditional use of its beautiful blossoms in May Day celebrations, to poetry where the tree often symbolizes the spirit of spring – and to lovely jellies
© Project SOUND
http://urbanbutterflygarden.co.uk/hawthorn-a-shrub-native-
in-hedgerows-across-britain
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© Project SOUND
Hawthorn: large shrub of small tree
Size: 10-35 ft tall
10-20 ft wide
Growth form: Mounded, shrubby form
Several trunks – or short single trunks with many stout stems above
True thorns
Winter deciduous
Slow growing
Foliage: Medium green
Oval leaves with distal teeth
Roots: deep roots
J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences © 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
Flowers: Rose family
Blooms: in Spring – April-May in wild - ?? April in S. Bay
Flowers:
Modest size: perhaps ¾ inch; but in showy clusters
White; in parts of 5 typical for Rose family
Unusual scent (‘fishy’) – attracts pollinators including butterflies and midges
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus_douglasii
Susan McDougall @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Pomes: think ‘apple’
Pome: seed-bearing ovary (core) is surrounded by a thick, fleshy hypanthium
Usually has multiple seeds
Common in the Rose family
Examples:
Garden fruits: apple, cotoneaster, loquat, pear, Asian pear, pyracantha
Native fruits: toyon, hawthorn, manzanita, mission manzanita. serviceberry, rosehip,
© Project SOUND
http://www.puchen.org/gardens/Conservatory/pl/fruit2.html
http://garden65.blogspot.com/2013/10/foraging.html
Rose’s dirty little secret…poison
The highly cyanogenic nature of rosaceous stone fruits (e.g. almonds, peaches, cherries) has long been known.
The fleshy portions of the ripe fruits are basically innocuous – so we eat them
The seeds, which accumulate the cyanogenic disaccharide (R)-amygdalin, have been responsible for numerous cases of acute cyanide poisoning of humans and domesticated and wild animals
© Project SOUND http://barefootintheorchard.blogspot.com/2011/07/fridays-photos-stone-fruit.html
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Toyon – just a rose by another name?
The cyanogenic glycoside content of Toyon - as well as its resultant toxicity to insects and other herbivores - is well described.
The cyanogenic potential is highest in the newly developing leaves.
The cyanic glycosides in the pulp of immature fruits protect them from premature bird predation
During the long seed maturation process, cyanogenic glucosides are gradually shifted from pulp to seed, while pulp carbohydrates increase and fruits turn from green to red.
The birds read the cues and eat the fruit
Subsequent seed predation is prevented by the localization of cyanogenic glycosides in the seeds. It can be used (as needed) or converted to other Nitrogen compounds.
© Project SOUND
Toyon is the ‘pome’ branch of the
Rose Family along with quince, pear,
apple hawthorn, pyracantha,
cotoneaster, pomegranate, and others
http://curls-eyelashes.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-coat-apple-fruits.html
Hawthorn: lovely
for jellies, sauces
Dark red when ripe in fall
Fairly easy to pick – just beware of thorns [another Rose protective trick]
Many uses: Jelly/syrup
Catsup/chutney
Sauces
Alcoholic cordials/wine
Etc., etc., etc.
Come to the Spring Garden Tea at Madrona – April 12th to taste
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Hawthorn
Requirements Soils:
Texture: any well-drained
pH: any local except very alkali
Light: Part-shade/dappled sun is
optimal in our area
Full sun with adequate water
Water: Winter: plenty
Summer: regular to moderate water – Water Zone 2-3 or 3 for good fruiting
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: needs an organic mulch and/or herbaceous groundcover (Yarrow; strawberries; etc.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus_douglasii
Plant young & don’t move – long taproot © Project SOUND
Hawthorn
In an edibles or medicinal plants garden
As a small tree or background shrub – or in a hedgerow
Habitat: Larval Host: Gray Hairstreak,
Mourning Cloak
Birds ; insect pollinators
©2009 John J. Kehoe
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CRDO2
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Hedgerows: food,
health & habitat
Many of the plants in this month’s list are perfect size and habit for hedges and hedgerows
Be sure to look at the list
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Netleaf hackberry – Celtis laevigata var. reticulata
Celtis reticulata
Native to western United States (mainly the Southwest), but extending eastward
Riverside & San Bernardino Co, Kern Co - Banning, Mojave Desert Mtns
Most commonly in bottomlands, washes, ravines, arroyos, etc. Also as scattered individuals in desert shrubland and semi-desert grasslands.
© Project SOUND
Netleaf hackberry – Celtis laevigata var. reticulata
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7729,7730,7731
http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/plantae/celtis_reticulata.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis_reticulata
© Project SOUND
Celtis: nice size water-wise tree
Size: 20-30 ft tall
20-30 ft wide
Growth form: Usually a small tree with relatively
short trunk; bumpy bark
Spreading branches; rounded form
Medium-slow growth; lives 100-200 years
Winter deciduous
Foliage: Medium green; simple with net-like
veins underside; gritty feel
Roots: wide-spreading, shallow & deep. Don’t plant too near foundation
©2013 Jean Pawek
http://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bio406d/images/pics/ulm/celtis_laevigata_reticulata.htm
http://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bio406d/images/pics/ulm/celtis_laevigata_reticulata.htm
4/17/2014
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© Project SOUND
Flowers: not much to
write home about
Blooms: spring - usually March-April S. CA
Flowers: Separate male and female flowers
on same plant
Female flowers (shown) not very noticeable – green-yellow and small
Flowers on this year’s growth
Fruits develop from an inferior ovary
Vegetative reproduction: Can re-sprout from root crown if
above-ground portions are damaged
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Celtis_reticulata
http://www.friocanyonnature.com/n/w/celtis-r.htm
Fruit: sweet drupes
Fruits are small drupes ( ¼ - ½ inch)
Ripen in late summer or fall; ripe fruits are red to dark red
Surprisingly sweet and tasty – you can eat them fresh, but they have a big seed
Important food source for many Native American peoples; eat fresh, dried, as fruit leather, cooked
Make nice jelly, candy, syrup – or dried and ground for tea, seasoning
Birds love them; they stay on the tree in winter, so birds can eat great quantities of them
© Project SOUND
http://www.friocanyonnature.com/n/w/celtis-r.htm
Drupe: think ‘peach’
Drupe: Seed enclosed within a stony endocarp (pit).
fleshy, one-seeded fruits that do not split open at maturity; the seeds are enclosed in a woody shell, the endocarp (Toxic).
These hard-shelled seeds are often called ‘stones’.
Cherries, plums, peaches (including Desert peach and Desert almond), mangos, hackberries, madrone and olives are stone-fruits (drupes).
© Project SOUND
http://www.puchen.org/gardens/Conservatory/pl/fruit2.html
http://www.friocanyonnature.com/n/w/celtis-r.htm
Have you ever noticed how birds know
when the fruits are ripe?
© Project SOUND
http://www.gardenguides.com/633-barren-bushes-treat-
hungry-birds.html
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Why do fruits change color as they ripen?
Answer 1: to let their seed disseminators know that fruit is ripe (seeds are mature)
Answer 2: changes in fruit’s pigment composition
Decrease in chlorophyll (which masks other pigments)
Production of new pigments: anythocyanins
Changing pH – changes color of anthocyanins from blue to red
Other chemical changes
© Project SOUND http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/imagelib/imgdetails.php?imgid=219192
Cooking with native Rosaceae fruits
Pick when ripe – a few slightly under-ripe are fine (and will help jelly set better)
Wash and remove damaged fruits
Dry or expose to heat through:
Baking
Simmering in a little water to extract juice
Seeds will stay intact (they are pretty hard)
Seeds are strained out before using as juice/jelly/syrup
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Hackberry: hardy Soils:
Texture: any well-drained
pH: any local, including alkali
Light: full sun to part-shade
Water: Winter: adequate
Summer: wide tolerance range: Water Zone 1-2 to 2-3
Fertilizer: whatever you want to supply
Other: galls are common; pther than that no problems
Sheri Hagwood @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/plantae/celtis_reticulata.html
Start training up fairly early © Project SOUND
Hackberry: water-
wise shade tree
Shade, water-wise, habitat and fruit – good all-purpose tree
Good choice for home & public
Fine for rain garden/infiltration
Takes heat, cold, sun
http://selectree.calpoly.edu/treedetail.lasso?rid=301
http://museum2.utep.edu/chih/gardens/plants/celtisr.htm
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French gardens are known for their play
of sun and shade
© Project SOUND http://www.rightfrenchmove.com/french-property-buy-detail.php?ID=1037
Follow the French: choose edible trees
© Project SOUND
http://www.aridzonetrees.com/AZT%20Interactive%20Buttons/Tree%20Index/Cut
%20sheets/Celtis/Celtis%20reticulata.htm
http://www.lushome.com/lovely-french-country-home-interiors-outdoor-rooms-rustic-
decor/105065
http://rosesandrustblogger.blogspot.com/2012/08/provencal-in-franschhoek.html
In small gardens, fruit trees
provide shade, food and habitat
© Project SOUND
* Western Serviceberry – Amelanchier alnifolia
© 2007 Matt Below
© Project SOUND
* Western Serviceberry – Amelanchier alnifolia
Mainly a plant of the Pacific Northwest, the midwest and western Canada – up to AK
In CA, mainly in the northwest; also, in the western San Gabriel mountains
Found on forested slopes, open rocky woods, cliff edges, prairies, or along side streams or lakes; also bogs and wet sites.
‘Serviceberry’ and ‘Juneberry’
refer to the time of bloom
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROL
OGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=193
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© Project SOUND
In the local mountains, Western
Serviceberry is an understory to pines
Often grows in the shade of the overstory trees
In Western San Gabriels
http://biology.csusb.edu/PlantGuideFolder/SanGabriels.htm
© Project SOUND
Western Serviceberry: very adaptable
Size: 6-15+ ft tall
6-10 ft wide
Growth form: Erect shrub/single or multi-
trunk small tree
Branches smooth with gray or red bark
Dense, but winter-deciduous
Medium/slow growing
Foliage: Medium to dark green
Leaves oval, toothed
Roots: spreads via rhizomes; also deep taproots
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=amal2
© Project SOUND
Serviceberry is showy in bloom
Blooms: Spring: usually Apr-May
in Western L.A. Co.
Bloom period up to 1 mo.
Flowers: White; rose-like
In dense clusters; very showy
Fragrant (sweet)
Seeds: Like rose; propagate
similar to roses
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
But most folks like
the berries best
Ripen in summer
Dark blue-purple when ripe with white bloom – look like blueberries
Loved by berry-eating birds – you’ll probably have to outwit them!
Use just like a blueberry: Eat fresh or dry
Used in baked goods
Use for sauces, syrups, jellies, beverages, etc.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=amal2 http://www.malag.aes.oregonstate.edu/wildflowers/species.php/id-103
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Berries: think ‘currant’
Fruit from a superior ovary, whole pericarp is fleshy, no stony layer, one or many seeds
entire ovary wall ripens into a relatively soft pericarp, the seeds are embedded in the common flesh of the ovary
Examples: tomato, persimmon, grape, date, blueberry, grape, serviceberry, currants/ gooseberries, loquat, pomegranate, orange, lemon, grapefruit, banana; most members of the squash family (Cucurbitaceae) such as watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber. .
© Project SOUND
http://www.puchen.org/gardens/Conservatory/pl/fruit2.html
What’s the difference between a
vegetable and a fruit?
Answer: it all depends on who is talking
Botanist:
Fruit is a matured ovary that contains seeds; a vegetable is from a non-sexual part (leaf, root, stem, etc.)
If it contains seeds, it’s a fruit
Chef:
Fruit is sweet and a vegetable is not
© Project SOUND
http://all-free-download.com/free-vector/vector-misc/fruit_cut_in_half_310961.html
http://img4-3.cookinglight.timeinc.net/i/2006/11/0611p26a-
squash-l.jpg?400:400
© Project SOUND
Serviceberry does well in the home garden
Soils: Texture: just about any
moderately or well-drained soil
pH: likes pH between 5.0-7.5
Light: Adaptable: part-sun best, but
can take full sun to quite shady
Water: Winter: like good soil moisture
Summer: best in Zone 2 to 2-3
Fertilizer: likes a good organic mulch like leaf litter
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
© Project SOUND
Serviceberry: a
garden favorite
Makes a great small tree for front yard or patio
Fine as a large shrub; dormant Dec.-Feb/Mar
Good choice for hedge, hedgerow or screen
Espalier along a wall
Can even trim to a medium groundcover
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/White%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/amelanchier.htm
http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/Trees/Shrubs/junebrry.htm
http://www.denverwater.org/cons_x
eriscape/xeriscape/garden2002.htm
l Leave some of previous year’s
growth as fruiting wood
4/17/2014
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© Project SOUND
French gardeners make the most of
whatever space they have
French (and other Europeans) grow grapes, citrus, apples, pears and other fruits in very narrow spaces: espalier and hedges
http://greengrasslandscape.com/plantdata1.htm
Walls/fences can provide
food and beauty
Hanging pots/planters with greens, herbs
Used to support melons & other vines
Fruit trees espaliered along a wall
© Project SOUND
http://monkeyfister.blogspot.com/2009_04_26_archive.html
http://www.bellewood-gardens.com/2006/Garden%20Writers'%20Get-Together.html http://www.learn2grow.com/gardeningguides/landscaping/design/Chai
nReaction.aspx
Espaliers First introduce in the Roman times
and later mastered in the European Middle Ages, espaliers were a way of planting fruit trees and berry-bearing shrubs in limited spaces (small courtyards) because they are trained to grow vertically along flat surfaces.
They can be created using fruit trees and/or selected native shrubs/trees (need to have proper growth structure)
Great use of narrow spaces
An espalier can add color, texture, smell and many other elements to a dull wall/fence.
© Project SOUND
http://thisbountifulbackyard.com/2012/05/13/mothers-day-trip-to-
chicago-botanic-garden/
Ribes – a member of the Gooseberry
family (Grossulariaceae)
120-150 gooseberry species: Northern Hemisphere and temperate South America
Deciduous woody shrubs
Alternate and usually palmately (hand-like) lobed leaves
Flowers in “fives”, in bunches at ends of short branches
Edible fruits – although some are more tasty than others!
http://montana.plant-life.org/families/Grossulariaceae.htm
Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service
4/17/2014
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Everybody loves wild currants!!!
Flowers: Hummingbirds
Numerous early pollinators
Forage source for Coppers, Monarch and
Anglewing butterflies..
Foliage: Roosting, loafing, nesting
for birds Browse for large animals Insect food
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Pink%20E
nlarged%20Photo%20Pages/ribes.htm
Everybody loves wild currants!!!
Fruits:
Humans - berries are tasty and
tart, high in Vitamin C
Birds – many species Robins
Cedar waxwings
Vireos
Grosbeaks
Mockingbirds
Finches
Jays
Many, many more http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Pink%20E
nlarged%20Photo%20Pages/ribes.htm
Moroccans (and French) also grow
fruiting plants in containers
© Project SOUND http://jeffreygardens.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html
Our native Ribes would probably work
well in large containers
Ribes aureum var. gracillimum
Ribes californicum
Ribes indecorum
Ribes malvaceum
Ribes speciosum
Ribes menziesii
Ribes montigenum
Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum
© Project SOUND
http://www.sagestonelandscapes.com/containergardens.htm
4/17/2014
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© Project SOUND
Oregon Grape – Mahonia (Berberis) aquifolium
© 2006 Louis-M. Landry
© Project SOUND
Oregon Grape is a
popular home shrub
foundation plant
mass plantings; shrub border
mixes well with other broadleaf evergreens
useful in shady spots
desirable for spring bloom, high quality summer foliage and blue fruit in fall
All CA native barberries have edible fruit
Nevin’s Barberry – Mahonia (Berberis) nevinii
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Nevin’s Barberry (chaparral shrub) tolerates
typical garden conditions
Soils: Well-drained; sandy or
gritty best
Light: full sun is best Bright shade
Water:
Quite drought tolerant when established
Give very infrequent deep waterings to improve berry set
Nutrients:
None/low
http://thedeaneorganization.com/clients/lasgrwc/details.asp?action=ProfileDetails&Profil
eID=37
A good choice for hedges and
hedgerows
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© Project SOUND
Fremont’s Barberry – Berberis (Mahonia)
fremontii
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Primarily a plant of the Four Corners region
In CA, Peninsular Ranges, e&s Mojave Desert (Granite Mtns; New York Mtns)
Rocky slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland, chaparral, 900–1850 m
© Project SOUND
Fremont’s Barberry – Berberis fremontii
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Mahoni_fre/_Mah_fre.htm ©2002 Dr. Louis Emmet Mahoney
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500229
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?1996,2000,2005
© Project SOUND
Fremont’s Barberry:
large shrub
Size: 5-10 ft tall
5-10 ft wide
Growth form: large, straggly to mounded
evergreen shrub
Upright form; branched
Slow-growing
Foliage: Green to gray-green; leaves
holly-like
Unique, attractive
May provide fall color
Roots: bright yellow dye and medicinals
Introduced into cultivation in California by Theodore Payne
© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic!!
Blooms: in spring – usually March-May in S. CA, depending on weather
Flowers: Bright, golden yellow
Small but many – a mature plant can be covered in flowers
Fragrant
Flowers attract insect pollinators (primarily bees)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mahonia_fremontii
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Berries are edible
True berries with small seeds
Ripen in summer
Ripe berries red to purple; about ½ inch
Slightly drier flesh than other Berberis/Mahonia
Berries are sour but edible fresh, cooked (usual), or to make a beverage
Birds and mammals also eat berries – they won’t go to waste
© Project SOUND
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Mahoni_fre/_Mah_fre.htm
http://www.wildlandnursery.com/456/mahonia-fremontii-desert-holly/fremontberries2/ © Project SOUND
Most drought tolerant
mahonia Soils:
Texture: any well-drained
pH: any local
Light: full sun to part-shade; tolerates heat well
Water: Winter: adequate
Summer: quite dry to some irrigation – Water Zone 1-2 to 2 probably best.
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils; inorganic or very thin organic mulch
Other: Beware of prickly leaves
Is not planted in agricultural areas because is an alternate host for wheat rust (fungal)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mahonia_fremontii
© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
Fremont’s barberry
Ornamental shrub; seasonal color
In hedges/hedgerows or espalier
Great addition to habitat/edible garden
Appropriate for desert gardens
Al Schneider @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://www.greensparrowgardens.com/2013/11/denver-botanic-garden-does-not.html http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/yellow%20enlarged%20photo%20page
s/mahonia.htm
© Project SOUND
Barberries are tart but delicious
Can be eaten directly for a tasty zing!
Can be fermented with sugar to wine
Make nice, tart jellies – good with meats
Boil berries in soup to add flavor
Use to make sauces and marinades for ham, pork, chicken
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© Project SOUND
* Silver buffaloberry – Shepherdia argentea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherdia_argentea
Primary distribution outside of CA
South Coast Ranges, Western Transverse Ranges, San Bernardino Mountains
Mt. Pinos, Cuyama River Valley/Piru
Along streams, river bottoms, slopes, 1000–2000 m.
Introduced into cultivation in California by Theodore Payne
© Project SOUND
* Silver buffaloberry – Shepherdia argentea
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_cpn.pl?SHAR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherdia_argentea ©2010 Lee Dittmann
Elaeagnaceae – the Oleaster family
45-50 species; three genera (Elaeagnus, Hippophaë, Shepherdia).
Small trees and shrubs
Temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, south into tropical Asia and Australia
Most of the species are xerophytes (dry habitats); several are also halophytes, tolerating high levels of soil salinity.
Commonly thorny, with simple leaves often coated with tiny scales or hairs.
Often harbor nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes of the genus Frankia in their roots, making them useful for soil reclamation.
Can be weedy
© Project SOUND Russian Olive - invasive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_angustifolia
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shepherdia_argentea
_%E2%80%94_Matt_Lavin_001.jpg
© Project SOUND
Silver buffaloberry: silvery foliage
Size: 6-15 ft tall
6-10 ft wide
Growth form: Deciduous large shrub or small
tree
Bark silver-white, exfoliating
Some stout thorns
Foliage: Leaves simple, lance-shaped
Color: silvery green – like olive tree
Roots: complex; shallow and deep; sprouting from rhizomes
©2005 Louis-M. Landry
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SHAR
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© Project SOUND
Flowers: simple
Blooms: in spring - usually April-May in many areas
Flowers: Dioecious (separate male &
female plants)
Both are simple, yellow flowers – small (males slightly larger)
Long bloom period
Bee pollinated – perhaps with help from pollinator flies
Vegetative reproduction: sprouting from rhizomes
Al Schneider @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Fruits are drupe-like
Ripen in late summer/fall
Ripe color varies – usually dark red but may be yellow
Fruits have single large seed
Use soon after harvesting – and best to harvest after a cold spell – sweeter
Used to make pies, jams, and jellies & other cooked foods; or dried – breaks down the low levels of saponins
Native Americans also used berries/bark medicinally for fevers, stomach complaints & more.
© Project SOUND http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos/news/BLM-Montana-
Dakotas%20Miles%20City%20Field%20Office%20Develops%20Native%20Plant%20Materials%
20Program.htm
Harvesting
Buffaloberry
The fruit ripens in late summer and should be picked slightly under ripe when making jellies because of the higher pectin levels.
The fruit is best harvested by shaking branches and catching the fruits in a sheet or flat pan spread on the ground.
© Project SOUND
http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/Plant_Families/Elaeagnaceae.htm
Why do fruits get softer, juicier and
sweeter with time?
Answer 1 – to attract their seed disseminators
Answer 2 – part of the life cycle of the fruit (fruit senescence)
Breakdown of cellulose bonds (some) makes fruit softer
Fruit cells take up and store more water (juicier)
Ripening fruits are a ‘sink’ – more sugars are diverted to them from the leaves
Some bitter-tasting (often poisonous) compounds break down
Involves several plant hormones, often in response to environmental signals
© Project SOUND
4/17/2014
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Saponins and other compounds break
down with ripening
Buffaloberry's fruit is tart but sweetens some if given enough time to ripen bright red and to pass through several freezes.
Robins, Sparrows, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Grosbeaks, and many other birds usually eat the fruit when it is yellow or light orange in July and early August, weeks before humans would call it palatable.
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: well-drained is best, but adaptable
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to part-shade
Water: Winter: needs good moisture
Summer: fairly drought tolerant but best with some summer water – Water Zone 2 or 2-3. Let dry out between waterings to prevent fungal diseases
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: inorganic or thin layer of organic mulch; prune out suckers regularly – other than that easy
© Project SOUND
Garden uses Often used as hedge/ hedgerow
plant – also good on slopes
Nice accent plant – showy foliage and berries – quite pretty with a little pruning
R.A. Howard @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://conservationgardenpark.org/plants/213/silver-
buffaloberry/ © Project SOUND
* Western Chokecherry – Prunus virginiana var. demissa
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=23962
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© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
Chokecherry
Trimmed as a small tree
For hedgerows & screens
As a large accent shrub – pretty most of the year
For erosion control – good on slopes
Note: recommended only for colder gardens – ‘chill factor’
http://www.landscapedia.info/images/plant_images/Prunus_virginiana_Canada_Red_.jpg
What is a ‘chill
factor’? Number of hours between 32 and 45°
F in a winter
Why is it important? Keeps trees from breaking dormancy prematurely – corresponds to a ‘normal winter’s worth’ of cold
What happens if not met? Plants won’t emerge from dormancy – won’t bloom/fruit normally and may develop other symptoms such as delayed/ extended bloom, delayed foliation, reduced fruit set/poor fruit quality.
Native plants from an area have the ‘right’ chill requirements for that area
© Project SOUND
http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/chill-out-the-climatic-factor-
every-native-plant-gardener-must-know/
We live in a ‘low chill factor’
area
How do I know what the chilling
requirements are for a native fruit plant
Not so easy – many native fruit plants have not been formally tested.
Always safe – local natives
Also good bets: Chaparral plants (S. CA)
Likely the desert plants
Take a chance: Many plants have a wider tolerance
range than first believed
Even if you don’t get lots of fruits, you’ll have a nice tree/shrub
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
* Desert Peach – Prunus andersonii
http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunus_andersonii_(USDA).jpg
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© Project SOUND
Small and shrubby, but a real peach
Size: 3-6 ft tall
3-6 ft wide – but spreading
Growth form: Dense, mounded shrub; lots of
side-branching
Individual stems live ~ 5-10 years, then die
Winter-deciduous
Bark light gray
Foliage: Light green to gray-green
Leaves small for peach - desert
Roots: clonal; spreading via rhizomes
http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sites/nemo/lid/plantlist/plantdetails.asp?ID=38
http://mudface.net/1landscapenatives.html
Yum, peaches
In wild, tend to be small & dry
With a little summer water they are delicious
Native Californians eat fresh, make into jelly, dry into fruit leathers
Stems, leaves & roots used for medicines, dyes
© Project SOUND
© 1982 Gary A. Monroe
© Project SOUND
* Desert almond – Prunus fasciculata
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Prunus_fas/_Pru_fas.htm
Southwestern U.S. deserts
San Luis Obispo south to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts from 2,000 to 6,000 feet
Slopes and washes in Creosote Bush Scrub, Joshua Tree Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Coastal Sage Scrub, Desert Chaparral
© Project SOUND
* Desert almond – Prunus fasciculata
http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Ivanpah-Wildflowers.html http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Prunus_fas/_Pru_fas.htm
4/17/2014
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© Project SOUND
Desert almond: resilient desert shrub
Size: 3-7+ ft tall
4-6 ft wide
Growth form: Mounded to sprawling large
shrub; winter-deciduous
Many short, rigid branches with gray-white bark
Foliage: Small, narrow leaves
In bundles (fascicles)
Medicinal: weak tea for colds, rheumatism
Roots: spreads via roots or rhizomes
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Prunus_fasciculata http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Prunus_fas/_Pru_fas.htm
A desert survivor
The leaf structures of most desert perennials are modified to prevent water loss: size, shape, coverings
The leaves of Prunus fasciculata, have very tiny hairs that help reduce water loss by reflecting heat and sunlight.
Long-term persistence in current landscape accompanied by high resilience to climatic changes are a likely reason that this species has retained high genetic diversity during the past 10,000 years.
© Project SOUND
http://chga2010.blogspot.com/2011/02/diverse-plant-flora-of-nevada-desert.html
© Project SOUND
Flowers: not as showy
as some Prunus
Blooms: when weather begins to warm – usually March-April
Flowers: White or pale yellow; small
Typical for Rosaceae: perfect flowers in parts of 5
In axils of twigs/leaves
Good at attracting insect pollinators
Seeds: large, hard pit
Like many such in Rose family (peach; plum; etc) seed is toxic (contains cyanins)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Prunus_fasciculata
Fruits: prized by Native
Americans
Cahuilla considered the fruit a great delicacy; important food and a highly prized food source
Small size: about ½-3/4 inch and large pit
Becomes yellow-orange and somewhat soft when ripe (summer) – quite pretty at this time
Flesh can be eaten raw or cooked
Probably best cooked for jelly, sauces, mixed fruit leathers
© Project SOUND http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Prunus_fasciculata
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© Project SOUND
Desert almond:
adaptable
Soils: Texture: any well-drained from
clays to sand
pH: any local including alkali
Light: Full sun (or at least 6 hours per
day) for best fruiting
Water: Winter: adequate; supplement in
dry winters
Summer: quite drought tolerant; best fruit Water Zone 2 – infrequent deep water
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils –might try light fertilizer (fruits)
Other: no mulch/inorganic mulch or very thin layer organic when young
©2013 Jean Pawek
© Project SOUND
Desert almond
Proven winner in desert gardens
Good choice for edible/habitat hedge or hedgerow
Good for erosion control
Interesting accent plant, particularly in winter and when fruiting
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Prunus_fasciculata
©2013 Jean Pawek http://www.fourdir.com/p_desert_almond.htm
© Project SOUND
Managing fruiting shrubs
in the Rose family
Pest management: Susceptible to Fire Blight & fungal
diseases
Practice good preventive measures (see last lecture handouts)
Pruning: Flowers/fruits on last year’s wood –
leave some if you want fruits
In general, best with minimum of pruning once general shape is established
Suckering: Will happen with watering
Plant accordingly; good candidates for mowed lawn area or someplace where they can just fill in
http://www.kansasforests.org/conservation/shrubs/chokecherry.shtml
http://www.stevenspoint.com/forestry/right_tree/11.html
Hardy habitat
hedgerow pairings
Desert almond
Desert peach (Prunus andersonii)
Fremont’s barberry
Desert thorns (Lycium spp.)
Desert lavender (Hyptis emoryi)
Desert Olive - Simmondsia chinensis
© Project SOUND
http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Shrubs/Prunus_fas/_Pru_fas.htm
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In summary
We’ve learned What a fruit is
How fruits form
Some different types of fruits
We’ve been reminded again of the close relationship between plants, humans and animals
© Project SOUND
http://loriaull.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/western-serviceberry-amelanchier-alnifolia/
Lazuli Bunting in Serviceberry Bush
In summary
We’ve seen some ways that fruiting trees and shrubs can be used in gardens:
Shade trees
Hedges & hedgerows
Espalier
In large containers
© Project SOUND
http://www.glamourdrops.com/posts/2011/06/16/espalier-fruit-trees-thats-natty
http://www.saga.co.uk/lifestyle/gardening/features/growing-blueberries-in-pots.aspx?Posted=1
Summary
We’ve learn why unripe fruits and seeds/pits of fruits from the Rose Family can make you sick
We’ve also learn ways to pick and prepare these fruits safely
© Project SOUND
We hope we’ve inspired you to consider
adding a native fruit tree/shrub
© Project SOUND
http://shade-trees.tripod.com/families/selections/netted_hackberry.html
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And we’ll keep on trying to tempt you…
© Project SOUND
Come to the Native Plant Garden Tea at Madrona - April 12
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