Month: August 2023

Eriogonum cinereum

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Ashyleaf buckwheat is one of my favourite chaparral plants, and I love that it grows natively here on our block. Also known as coastal buckwheat, it is endemic to the coastline of Southern California, primarily within Los Angeles County and Ventura County.

Eriogonum cinereum can reach from 0.6–1.25 m in height and width. Its foliage is a lovely pale turquoise/silvery grey colour. The leaves are wavy-edged and one to three centimeters long. The inflorescences stick out from the plant, each with several flower cluster heads of tiny tightly-packed frilly flowers which are usually pale pink in colour. It is the food plant for Euphilotes bernardino, the Bernardino dotted blue butterfly.

Porophyllum ruderale

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I found a new-to-me herb at the nursery today, and brought it home. Papalo (Porophyllum ruderale) is a heat-loving alternative to cilantro and is used in all sorts of Mexican food, typically coupled with lime juice.

This aromatic Mexican native tastes like a mixture of arugula and cilantro, with a bit of rue, though papalo is not botanically related to any of these. It is rich in vitamins and nutrients. The herb has been used medicinally among the Quechua people and in other Central and South American cultures to lower blood pressure, improve digestion, and reduce swelling of injuries.

I hope it thrives here. Have you ever eaten papalo?

Malosma laurina

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Catching up in the PerpJo. Not much is flowering now, but the sumac is!

Malosma laurina is a large, rounded evergreen shrub or small tree growing 3 to 5 meters tall. The fragrant leaves and stems, being full of volatile compounds, contribute to the characteristic fragrance of chaparral. The flowers give off a “woodsy-herbal” smell, reminiscent of green apples and turpentine.

The fruit is a whitish drupe 3 mm in diameter with a smooth, flattish stone inside. The Chumash crushed and ate the dried fruits of Malosma laurina and also used the root bark to make a tea for treating dysentery.

Laurel sumac grows natively along the Southern California coastline in frost-free areas. It’s a very tough plant, hard to eradicate — if a fire burns its above ground parts, a large burl underground will re-sprout. It grows new leaves and stems all year long, even during hot dry summers, when most native plants stop growing.