
Coast Live Oak
Quercus agrifolia. Broad dense rounded crown, trunk erect or with widely spreading branches, which are often massive, gnarled. Leaves leathery, deep green, oblong to oval, 1-2.5ā³ with entire to toothed margins, upper surface strongly convex, paler beneath, with hairy-tufted vein axils. Wind pollinated. Single-seeded nuts 0.5-1.4ā³ called acorns, slender, conical. Flowers Feb-April, fruits mature Aug.- Oct. Important food source and habitat for many bird species.

Fremont Cottonwood
Populus fremontii. Riparian, 30-100ā, 1-4ā² trunk diameter. Leaves heart-shaped, white veins, coarse teeth on margins, hang on stems that are laterally compressed near blade so leaves flutter in wind. Young bark smooth, becoming deeply furrowed with whitish cracked bark. Flowers bloom March-April in drooping 2-6ā catkins. Wind dispersed fruit attached to silky, cottony hair. Used in stream bank restoration, traditional medicine.

Red Willow
Salix laevigata. Common riparian deciduous shrub/tree in or near creek. Can grow up to 50ā² tall and wide within 10 years. Called red willow because newly emerging leaves are red and twigs are yellow to reddish. Leaves 3-4ā³ long, lanceolate, shiny green above, dull whitish green below. Yellow flowers in drooping catkins produce tufts of cottony, wind-blown seeds. Cuttings used in habitat restoration.

Redwood
Sequoia sempervirens. The species name sempervirens means āalways living.ā They have red-brown deeply furrowed bark and the red wood so prized for building. Tall and narrow, they can grow fast when young, sometimes 3-5ā per year. After thousands of years growth a few have been recorded as the worldās tallest trees. Leaves 5/8ā1ā³ long. flat. Small cones, 1ā long, with dozens of tiny seeds. New trees can sprout from base of parentās trunk.

Lemonade Berry
Rhus integrifolia. Shrub/small tree found on dry slopes in coastal chaparral communities. 30ā² tall inland, 3ā² tall and sprawling near ocean. Leaves simple, evergreen, leathery, 2-3ā³ long, 1-2ā³ wide, toothed and waxy above, paler below. Blooms Feb-May, blossoms sticky and clustered. Fruit dark red, sticky, tart . Uses: wildlife food and shelter, drought tolerant landscaping, stream bank stabilization. Sap may be allergenic.

Coffeeberry
Frangula californica. Rounded compact evergreen shrub 2-6ā² tall. Branches bright gray or brown; twigs smooth to finely hairy. Simple leathery leaves 2-4ā³ long, elliptic to ovate, generally alternate, maturing to dark green. White star-shaped flowers attractive to birds and butterflies. Fruit ripens from green to orange/red to black in August-October. When red resembles the berry of the coffee plant. Food for diverse species.

California Lilac
Ceanothus, spp. Large, diverse genus. Shrubs 1-6ā² tall. Small oval leaves, glossy upper surface, with most species having 3 parallel veins and serrated edges. Tiny flowers in dense clusters bloom Mar-May look like tiny lilacs. Seed bearing capsules explode with audible āpopā on hot days, scattering seeds. Many insects attracted to flowers. Birds and small mammals attracted to seeds.

Himalayan Blackberry
Rubus armeniacus. Sprawling rounded evergreen shrub, to 10ā² tall. Spreads by roots and runners into large impenetrable patches. Stems up to 0.7ā³ thick, 5-angled, with many sharp, stout spines. Pinnately compound leaves, 3 to 5 leaflets, dark green upper surface and whitish underside covered in dense short hairs. Introduced in 1885 from India by Luther Burbank, spread by birds, displaces native species.

Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia. Multi-stemmed evergreen shrub/small tree 6-8ā² high, 4-5ā² wide. Leaves sharply toothed, 4ā³ long, 1.5ā³ wide. Blooms in spring with dense clusters of small, white flowers petals, Butterfly-pollinated, mild Hawthorn scent. Copious red berries in fall-winter contain toxic, bitter-tasting cyanide compounds, but Native Americans ate them after mashing and cooking. Attractive to many fruit eating birds.

Coyote Brush
Baccharis pilularis. Common upland evergreen 6-10ā² tall round shrubs. Dwarf variety (2-4ā² tall) planted along Adobe Creek. Leaves small, round to oval, hairless (glabrous), a little stick. Male flowers and female flowers on separate plants (dioecious) cover these plants in late autumn. Important food source and habitat for many species.

Boxelder
Acer negundo. Riparian, deciduous, fast-growing tree to 60ā² tall. Short trunk, wildly spreading branches, broad rounded crown like maples. Leaves pinnately compound with clusters of 3-5 leaflets, opposite, thin, shallowly lobed, light green. Male and female flowers on separate trees. Flowers in long, drooping clusters. Maple-like seeds attract some small birds. Follows cottonwood and willow species in colonizing stream banks.

California Blackberry
Rubus ursinus. Deciduous to evergreen mounding or prostrate shrub. Stems round, root at tips, prickles weak, slender, straight. Leaves simple or compound usually in groups of 3, sometimes 5, underside vein bears thin, red spines at regular intervals. Sparse white male and female flowers on separate plants, so berries not abundant. Sweet, edible fruits purple, red, or black, food for diverse wildlife.

Valley Oak
Quercus lobata. Deciduous dense groves of valley oaks used to grow in groves along streams with other trees and were called āgallery forest.ā Farther away from streams they spread out into savannas with luxiorous grass below. Bark checkered or fissured, becoming deeper as the trees age;. Leaves 2- 4.5ā³ long, half as wide, bluntly lobed. Acorns about 2ā valued by Native Americans and by many wildlife species.

Blue Gum
Eucalyptus globulus. Large Australian native introduced in 1800s for lumber, windrows. Elongate, waxy bluish-green leaves can be straight or slightly sickle-shaped, alternate and dangle from short stems. Used in medical products, foods, perfumes, toothpastes, industrial solvents. Entire tree flammable, explosive. Toxic to local wildlife, leading to low species diversity. Tree line on Ellis Creek used by nesting herons and egrets.

Black Walnut
Juglans hindsii. Deciduous, planted by Native Americans near their homes. Leaves 1ā² long with 13-21 leaflets, dentate margins, unpleasant fragrance. Vein angles bear tufts of hair. Nut has smooth, brown, thick shell containing small edible nutmeat. Hybridizes, only 3 natural, genetically pure groves remain of true N. Ca. species. Attractive to wildlife, resistant to oak root fungus, rootstock for English Walnut.

California Buckeye
Aesculus californica. Deciduous tree/shrub with many low branches, rounded crown. Trees leaf out early spring and can drop leaves in hot summer. Dark green, palmate compound leaves with 5-7 leaflets. Candle-shaped clusters of flowers. Leathery pear-shaped fruits open to release glossy brown seeds. All plant parts toxic, but hummingbirds sip nectar; squirrels, chipmunks can consume seeds.

Blue Elderberry
Sambucus nigra. Deciduous shrub/small tree, to 20ā² tall with single or multiple trunks. Opposite leaves pinnately compound with 5-9 elliptical, finely toothed leaflets, each 1-6ā³ long. Leaves smell can be āstinkyā to āpleasant. Bunches of creamy-white flowers in flat-topped clusters have strong, unpleasant odor, attract many pollinators. Dull, bluish berries in summer or fall are edible, important food for wildlife.

Wild Rose
Rosa californica. Native roses sometimes form thickets or 3-8ā high shrubs. Grey-brown stems, thorns like prickly Velcro. Compound leaves, 2-3 paired leaflets, green above, paler below. Clusters of 1-2ā pink flowers at end of stem, bloom May-Nov. Fragrant and edible fruits called hips, provide more vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and iron than oranges. Become sweet after frost. Used for tea.