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| Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Spanish Lavender (Lavendula stoechas) Both hailing from the Mediterranean. Both found growing on the hill- some of the more platable plants... Will they stay or go under the guidelines? TBD.... |
Flashback to just a few posts ago when I said “rules” would not be imposed, this is not a “challenge.” I am going to help grow and develop and see what happens. Now I am going to slightly back pedal on previous statements and say I will establish “guidelines.” I probably shouldn’t follow the logic, “that looks pretty, it stays until I get to it, I don’t like that it goes now” as I determine how to slowly repatriate the hill with natives. That logic is reminiscent of practices that may have got us here to begin with. These “guidelines” will provide some structure to prioritize a first round of plants into the “impending eradication” and “needs nurturing” categories. I am sure there will still be a BUNCH of plants still hanging out, but at least they will be lower risk “weeds” and maybe even natives!
The first investigation of the
Pepper Tree Gang was fun and interesting.
I discovered what the gangs were, but more importantly I found resources
to help with the classification process!
Yeah! These resources are my new “guidelines.”
Noxious
Weeds- as determined by the California Department of Food and
Agriculture- are plants that are a threat to our silviculture, agriculture or
important native species. These plants
are usually difficult to control and eradicate.
Noxious weeds are illegal to bring into the state and the state
classifies them to prioritize state-wide eradication efforts. Noxious weeds are the really bad guys, they were
always “weeds.” I don’t see many, if any, landscape escapees.
For the hill guidelines, noxious weeds will be sentenced to “impending eradication.”
California Invasive Plant Council
helps determine Invasive Plants.
Cal-IPC is not a lawmaking
organization, but they weigh in when asked by those that do make laws. The Cal-IPC protects California’s land and
water from ecologically-damaging plants through science, education, and policy. Their recommendations are not law and the
plants they list can still be sold and planted in California. California law aside, the Cal-IPC works with
landscaping organizations and consumers through the PlantRight and Don’t Plant
a Pest initiatives to prevent planting and promote removing species determined
to be invasive. Their landscaping recommendations
are summarized in Invasive Plant Checklist
for California Landscaping:
For the hill guidelines, plants
listed by Cal-IPC will be sentenced to “impending
eradication.”
The last gem I found was from
the organization San Diego Canyonlands:
Their mission is to promote,
protect, and restore the natural habitats in San Diego County’s canyons and
creeks. What a great mission to
support!! They have prepared Canyon Habitat Restoration 101 Manual a
handbook for volunteers to help them during their restoration projects. It identifies both native plants and “weeds.”
The handbook also provides instruction
for removal and restoration.
The Hill is half a canyon in a
way, so this resource will help me sentence plants to both “impending eradication” and “needs nurturing.” It will be exciting
to feature some natives on the blog! This
resource will also be great for future planting instructions. What a priceless find!
So Rosemary, Lavender, still don't know what to do with you in the long run, but for now you are safe.
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