Indian Warrior- (Pedicularis densiflora)
Indian warrior is one of my favorite plants to find. It is a gorgeous wispy little bud of magenta red goodness. The dark green leaves almost remind me of ferns because of their feathery texture. …
Western Redbud- (Cercis occidentalis)
Western Redbud is a small tree or shrub native to the western U.S. It can easily be identified in the early spring by its bright violet red blooms. Now is the perfect time to see …
Buckbrush- (Ceanothus cuneatus)
Buckbrush is a real scraggly looking mass of tangled sticks and branches. The leaves of this plant can be used to make a mildly stimulating tea. The first pioneers in this area would actually make …
Grey Pine- (Pinus sabiniana)
Easily the most common pine growing in the valley near Redding is the grey pine. It is recognized by its greyish blue green needles and awkward shape. This pine does not grow in a conical …
Manzanita- (Arctostaphylos spp.)
Manzanitas are really the iconic plant of California. There are over 50 different species of manzanita native to California, with less than 5 species occurring anywhere else in the world. The twisting turning red branches …
Soaproot – (Chlorogalum pomeridianum)
Here’s another great one that is abundant in the Northstate. This is called soaproot. This plant has wavy leaves and when it comes out of the ground it looks very similar to a corn sprout. …
Blue Elderberry- (Sambucus cerulea)
Elderberry is a wonderful plant, that grows as a medium sized shrub or tree. It can be easily identified when the clusters of cream colored flowers are in bloom during spring. These flowers can be …
Pacific Madrone- (Arbutus menziesii)
Out in the Trinities is where you will find an abundance of trees known as madrones. There are also some small pockets of them growing in the very western Sierra Nevadas. I’ve seen them growing …