Monkey Flower or Bush Monkey Flower is a sub-shrub form flowering plant that is native to California and is found slightly beyond California borders into Baja California; they commonly grow on the border of chaparral or sage scrub, or in open foothill and woodland forest.
Monkey Flower
Mimulus grows up to 4 feet tall, has deep green sticky leaves 1 to 2 ½ inches long and up to a centimeter wide; flowering stems grow vertically and the flowers are tubular at the base and they grow in a variety of shades from white too red, the most common color being a light orange.
Mimulus aurantiacus
When using Monkey Flower in the landscape, plant in full sun near the coast and light shade inland. Provide good drainage and keep on the dry side. Monkey Flower is a larval food source for the common Checkerspot and Buckeye butterflies as well as flowers which provide nectar for hummingbirds.
This beautiful solitary succulent has flat broad pale green-grey leaves that vary in color depending on the amount of sunlight. In full sun the foliage is pinkish, in the shade more bluish green. The leaves have notable dark narrow lines running longitudinally and toothless pale reddish leaf margins.
Coral Aloe’s flat broad pale green-grey leaves with red margins
Coral Aloe grows to about 12-18 inches in height and 2 feet in width; rosettes form at the base eventually showing 2-foot stems and flat-topped clusters of vibrant coral-orange flowers.
flat-topped clusters
vibrant coral-orange flowers
2-foot stems
Plant in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil, irrigate little to regularly though quite tolerant of dry conditions; also use Aloe striata in small scale ground cover or edging for succulent rock gardens and makes a great patio container.
The next time you drive into the parking lot at Rice Canyon Open Space Preserve and as you navigate the turn-around, look at the Opuntia in the center island; this species of cactus is known by the common name coastal prickly pear. It is sometimes called the sprawling prickly pear due to its short stems and habit of growing close to the ground.
Coast Prickly Pear generally grows in dense clumps spread wide and up to 3 feet tall; its habitat is in coastal sage scrub community.
It is highly clonal and responds well to any disturbance – it can be very weedy as it covers whole hillsides. It recovers well after fires.
The fruits on the Opuntia are called tunas, by the Spanish Americans, are edible. Relished by the Indians, they are still eaten today. Great care and some skills are required to remove all of the bristles. After removing the spines and skin, the fleshy pads, called nopales, are sliced and eaten. If you wish, you can make Cactus Candy by soaking 1/2 inch slices of the tunas overnight in cold water and simmering slowly in a syrup of 3 cups sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbs. orange juice and 1 tbs. lemon juice until the syrup is almost absorbed. After soaking in water, Indians and early pioneers of the southwest used the split, fleshy pads, of these cacti for binding wounds and bruises. In Mexico the pads are boiled and crushed, the juice being added to white wash and mortar to make it stick more securely.
Cacti of the flat-stemmed variety were a staple of the Indians of most western states. The Blackfeet of the northern plains eliminated warts by rubbing the young spines into them. The Navajo picked the fruit of the Prickly Pear with great reverence. To appease the spirit they believed inhabited the plant, they offered the plant a hair from the gatherer’s head in sacrifice. In Mexico, the Prickly Pear is represented on the silver peso, the state flag, and on the Arms of the Republic.
Mexican folklore states that in 1325 the Aztecs were being pursued by a hostile people when then came upon an eagle strangling a snake atop a Prickly Pear. The Aztecs interpreted this as a good sign, perhaps a symbol of their eventual victory over their adversaries, and decided to settle at that site-the present location of Mexico City.
The fruits, seeds and stems serve as food for many different kinds of animals. Rodents, in particular, eat the seeds for food and often chew the pads for moisture. Sheep and deer browse on them also. Birds especially feed on the fruit, while the Cactus Wren makes its nest in the branches of certain species. Many Opuntias are on the rare and endangered plant list for California and should not be picked.
Thimble Cactus is a clump-forming cactus; the clumps can exceed 12 inches in width. Stems can be up 1 inch thick and are easily disarticulated. Tubercles are in 5-8 spirals with 12-16 white radial spines, which are needle shaped and up to 5mm long. The central spine is brown at the tips pointed outward and stout. Flowers are yellow to pale yellow and about a ½ inch long.
This cactus is very showy and great for containers.
Tiny globular bodies are densely covered with interlaced white radial spines. Clusters prolifically to form large mats.
This beautiful succulent has powdery pinkish-lavender leaves that have a bright pink edging. It grows on a short stout stem that holds 12-16 inch wide rosettes. The deep orange-red flowers can emerge from below the lower leaves or sometimes as a terminal inflorescence. Its best to remove flower stalks as it detract from the foliage and a terminal flower stalk aborts further growth.
Plant in full sun to get the most vibrant color but does well in shade. Afterglow should be planted in well-drained soil.
