Tag Archives: native plant

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Pyrola aphylla has the common name of Leafless Wintergreen, which really doesn't make sense. It does have very small leaves at the base of its stems. Peter Baye has a beautiful group of them blooming at his place in Annapolis.

Last year I had a group bloom, but this year there are only two very small stalks. I don't know why! But these plants are mycotrophic, which means they have a relationship with fungi, getting nutrients.

These plants are native to California.

Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Sunny and warm, with some strong winds near the ocean this afternoon.

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Peter Baye found this beauty, which is endemic to the Mendocino Coast, Mendocino Coast Paintbrush, Castilleja mendocinensis. It grows in coastal sage scrub habitat.

This native wildflower is considered rare, and it's a treat to see it.

Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

We've had a pretty darn big rainstorm. Our rain gauge had 1.80 inches when it was all said and done. Total season to date is 48.40 inches, and 50 inches is a "normal" year here. Today the Pacific Ocean is riled up, with big breakers crashing into bluffs and on sandy beaches. It's LOUD! Skies are blue, as the storm clouds have left. It should be a lovely weekend here on the Mendonoma Coast!

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Kathryn Arnold wrote, “I found this stunning flowering plant clinging to the bluff at Shell Beach. Do you know what it is?” It was new to me so I queried Peter Baye and he wrote, “It’s Seashore Dock [or Willow Leaved Dock] in the Buckwheat family. Those are mostly immature fruits. The fruits mature into corky, floating structures for water dispersal.”

A beautiful and rather unusual native plant for you today. Thanks to Kathryn for allowing me to share her photo with  you here.

We are having thunder and lightning and spatterings of rain, quite unusual for the Mendonoma coast in July!