Red Car Property Meadow: Morning Dew

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Tiny pinkish purplish flowers are all over the Red Car Property and Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge).

UPDATE May 27, 2009: Thanks to two readers who identified a similar flower, we were able to ID this one as Broadleaf Filaree (Erodium botrys). It is non-native and invasive.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. If you can help identify this or any other plant we highlight here, please email us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Invasive Beauty on Corralitas Staircase

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 17, 2009. Annual yellow sweetclover (Melilotus indicus) is an invasive non-native plant currently blooming on the lower levels of the Corralitas Public Staircase.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood.

Red Car Canyon: Life Cycle of a Mushroom

Day 1:
Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 21, 2009. Freshly sprouted mushroom in Red Car Canyon. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Day 2:
Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 22, 2009. The underside of the mushroom filled out. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Day 5:
Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 25, 2009. Mushroom has blown its spores and gone flat with 3 days of dry weather. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. If you can help identify this or any other plant we highlight here, please email us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Gardener's Enemy or Scenic Puffball?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Dandelion or gardeners' nightmare at the Corraltias Public Staircase. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood.

Hummingbird Babies on Corralitas

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 27, 2009. Hummingbird babies are back in the fern on our lower deck. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Two weeks ago, there were two eggs in the refurbished nest. Last night, I noticed there were two good sized babies filling the tiny nest.

See also: hummingbird series.

Last Summer's Hummingbird Nest

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 21, 2009. Hummingbird nest remnants hanging off our Corralitas driveway. 2 Freeway is in the background. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Last summer, a few weeks after her first baby left the nest, the hummingbird laid another batch of eggs. Two weeks later, she abandoned them. Since the eggs were so isolated by the hanging plant, no predators found them.

After eight months of heat, rain and wind, the nest still contains last summer's eggs. The nest seemed to quickly degrade in large chunks about a month ago. It looks like a hummingbird was scavenging the old nest material for another nest.

Deadly Tiny Wildflowers on Corralitas Staircase

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. These 1/4-inch wildflowers are on a 12 to 16-inch tall plant growing out of the Corralitas Public Staircase adjacent to the Corralitas Pits of Doom. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

APRIL 7, 2009 UPDATE: A reader from nearby Lake Shore and Alvarado correctly identified the tiny flowers as deadly Nightshade (most likely Solanum americanum), a native and HIGHLY POISONOUS plant.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. If you can help identify this or any other plant we highlight here, please email us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Morning Glory on Corralitas Staircase

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Native white Morning Glories are are blooming all over the hills right now. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood.

Alligator Lizard on Corralitas Staircase

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 23, 2009. Alligator Lizard taking the morning sun on the Corralitas Public Staircase. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, Mach 23, 2009. Perhaps he was hunting the bug on the step to the right. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Nose to tail, the Alligator Lizard was about 11-inches long, or the length of my boot. He quickly ran off when I tried to include my boot for scale.

These lizards can deliver quite a bite when threatened. I once saw one latch onto a friend's finger and not let go. My friend was attempting to move the lizard off the roadway so the lizard wouldn't get run over. Luckily, the friend was experienced with reptiles and managed to gently unlatch the lizard's jaws from his finger.

It's been a busy week for reptile sightings: we've had salamander and snake sightings too.

Send us photos of your urban wildlife encounters in the Corralitas Red Car Neighborhood. Include your name, date and approximate time of photo and what the animal was doing at the time of observation: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Beauty in the Underbrush

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

I have no idea what these inch-long yellow flowers are, but they also grow all over the Red Car Property. If you can help identify this or any other plant we highlight here, please email Diane: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract Subdivision Decision Postponed Again

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 22, 2009. Arroyo Lupines (Lupinus succulentus) on the lower plateau of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract appear to be a different variety from those on the upper slope, but the same as the lupines on the Corralitas Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

At today's City Council Planning & Land Use Management Committee (PLUM), the hearing was continued until April 28, 2009. May 8, 2009 is the date for a vote at the full City Council.

Last week City Planning issued another reconsideration of the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) with public comment open until April 20, 2009. Case Number ENV-2005-9337-MND, for 2400 Allesandro. City Planning contends the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor does not go through the site. However a check of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy map would suggest otherwise.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Another Plant Not Found on Red Car Property

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Mystery wildflower at Alvarado St. entrance to the upper plateau of Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This exotic little plant stands about 4-inches high, with leaves growing in a spiraling pattern around the stem. Protected by the leaves, blooming close to the stem are a series of tiny white flowers.

The flower and size of the plant is similar to one found on the Red Car Property (in the more moist region near Adelbert). The spiral shape of the growth and the buds tightly grouped with the stem are unique to the Semi Tropic plant. The buds on the Red Car plant hang loosely away from the stem, facing down.

If you can help identify this, or any other plant we highlight here, please email us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Salamanders on Riverside Place

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, March 23, 2009. Slender Salamanders found on Riverside Place, near Red Car Canyon. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This past weekend, Jonathan Vandiveer found two 5-inch long salamanders under pots in his Riverside Place garden. One was either hibernating or dead. After Jonathan shot some photos (with his work glove in the background for scale), he set them free in his garden. You may remember Jonathan's MOTHRA! discovery from last summer.

From a search of www.CaliforniaHerps.com, we narrowed it down to being a Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps), possibly a non-native to Los Angeles, California Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus), who hitched a ride in from a nursery. However, it's more likely to be the native, Garden Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps major major).

There are 19 species of Slender Salamander on the California Herps website. Few are native to LA County. Both candidates seem suited to damp environmental conditions of Red Car Canyon near Riverside Place.

In January 2001, a neighbor's son showed me two smaller (likely juvenile) salamanders, just like the one in the photo above. He set them free where he found them in the damp, shady part of "the Meadow" on the Red Car Property.

Send us photos of your urban wildlife encounters in the Corralitas Red Car Neighborhood. Include your name, date and approximate time of photo and what the animal was doing at the time of observation: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Significant Pine Tree

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

According to the developer's tree report, the tree pictured above and below, is an Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) with a 38-inch trunk diameter. While it is non-native, it is considered a significant tree, having well more than an 8-inch diameter trunk. It is among the approximately 60 native and significant trees to be removed if the developer's plan gains final approvals. See earlier post: These Trees Don't Count

The City currently only requires replacing this giant tree with one tree that won't reach this size in our lifetimes. Last summer, we lost a much smaller Italian Stone Pine on the Red Car Property near India Street.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November, 2004. One Italian Stone Pine takes up most of the width of the above photo. For scale, the woman in the photo is 6-feet tall. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Heritage Coast Live Oak Threatened in Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) sprouting new growth on the upper plateau of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Native Coast Live Oak definitely thrive in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. Several are considered "Heritage" trees. In other words, they are more than 100 years old. Most residents cite the trees as the biggest attraction to the living on the hill. Only one of the Red Car Property oaks come close in size to the oaks in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.

Coast Live Oak are a "Protected Tree" in the City of Los Angeles, along with Valley Oak, California Black Walnut, Western Sycamore and California Bay trees. Which means, if a developer wants to take them down to build, they have to follow rules set by the City. Whereas, most of the trees at the bottom of the hill are neither significant, nor protected.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Heritage Coast Live Oaks surrounded by Blue Fiesta Flowers, below El Moran & Peru Streets and the Landacre Cabin. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The developer's grading plan calls for complete removal of the plateau (above photo), right up to the base of the oak tree's trunk. He has not shown how he will retain the slope above once the plateau is removed. His plan will likely be the death of this Heritage oak since the root ball typically extends as wide as the tree canopy. The canopy radius extends a good 25 to 30-feet over the plateau.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Red Car Property: Traffic Calming Device Near Rose Scharlin Preschool

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 21, 2009. Why not put a discarded couch to new use? It's been in the bushes since October 2008. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

UPDATE, March 29, 2009: Couch was finally picked up last week. Woo hoo!

Miner's Lettuce in Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Miner's Lettuce is the round-leafed plant on the right. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Native Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), on the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract was particularly tough to find, because the grass had already overwhelmed it. There is a patch of Miner's Lettuce on the shady slope just above the lower plateau. Miner's Lettuce is also found on the Red Car Property near the Fletcher Viaduct Footings.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Giant Green Bunny Ears: Another Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract Mystery

Photo:Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Mystery plant on the lower plateau of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

When you walk onto the lower plateau of the proposed subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, from Allesandro and El Moran St., you'll see giant green bunny ears poke out of the knee-high grass. The plants have very thick, heavily veined leaves, about 3 feet tall. A dozen or more are concentrated in the flat sunny area closer to Rosebud Ave. and Sunflower Ave.

The plant doesn't seem to grow anywhere else in the entire Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. Nor do they grow on the Red Car Property. Perhaps they migrated down from the upper slope, from Paul Landacre's garden. Landacre professed love of "mundane pursuits," like gardening. Or, they might be remnants from when the Semi Topic Spiritualists' used the large central lot as a communal garden.

From the photo, a neighbor speculates the plant might be a type of mustard green. If you can help identify this or any other plant we highlight here, please contact us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Flowers Seem More Exotic in Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Wild geranium on upper plateau of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The wild geraniums in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract have larger leaves and vibrant lilac hued flowers with larger petals than the wild geraniums on Corralitas Drive and the Corralitas Red Car Property (see photo below). They tend to thrive on the lower slope right down to the sidewalk on Allesandro. This one was just below the Landacre Cabin, below the closed-off portion of El Moran St.

If you can help identify these or any other plant we highlight here, please send email to: redcarproperty@gmail.com.


Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 17, 2009. Wild geranium off the Corralitas Public Staircase has smaller, less showy flowers. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Lupines Below Landacre Cabin

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Lupines on the upper plateau of Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Lupines growing on the slope just below the closed-off portion of El Moran St. and the Landacre Cabin appear to be a different variety than lupines growing on the Red Car Property or Corralitas Drive. The Semi Tropic lupines have larger paler purple flowers on sturdier stalks, 3 to 4-feet tall.

If you can help us further identify this or any other plant we highlight here, please contact us: redcarproperty@gmail.com.


Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Lupines just below the Landacre Cabin. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Gopher Snake on Corralitas Drive

Upon reading the subject line, "Snake on Corralitas," in an email from a neighbor, I thought, "Don't these developers ever learn?" But I was pleasantly surprised to see a photo of a beautiful 3-ft long gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer).

My neighbor found the snake in the cul-de-sac atop Corralitas Drive. Gopher snakes are not poisonous. They eat gophers, rats and mice. You often see small snakes that have been hit by cars in the street at this time of year. They crawl out onto the street to warm up in the morning.

www.CaliforniaHerps.com has a good photo index and info on native snakes and other reptiles. Also see last year's: "Snake vs Hawk."

Photo: Benjamin Harvey, March 18, 2009. Gopher snake at the top of Corralitas Drive.

Send us photos of your urban wildlife encounters in the Corralitas Red Car Neighborhood. Include your name, date and approximate time of photo and what the animal was doing at the time of observation: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

"California Manroot" in Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Native wild cucumber or "California Manroot" is a tenacious vine with spiky fruit (upper right in above photo). (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Native wild cucumber (Marah fabaceus), also known as "California Manroot," is thriving on the steep slope among the California Black Walnut Woodland, closest to Peru and Modjeska Streets in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. It is a huge tangle of vines growing between and all over the trees on the slope. Clearly, the moist conditions and native trees encourage its growth. Wild cucumbers are not found on the Corralitas Red Car Property.


Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Native wild cucumber overwhelming a dead tree in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. Homes in the background are on Corralitas Drive and Silver Ridge Ave. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Neighbors will be back in front of the City Council's PLUM Committee on March 24, 2009.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract Homeless Encampment

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Homeless encampment in California Black Walnut Woodland. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The natural beauty of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract comes with a reminder of that it's still in Los Angeles: a homeless encampment. Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has attempted to provide assistance to this individual; LAPD invited him to leave the property in February, and yet, he still persists. He's got an incredibly beautiful home site, why should he leave?

Developers allow homeless activity to continue on their hillside lots, because it makes them look like they're solving a problem by developing the site. However, it would also indicate negligence of their property and complete disregard for their neighbors. It is a potential liability if a camp fire were to spread to the surrounding area and damage neighbors' property.

Worth noting, the trees and this slope, along with the plateau above, would be completely removed and compacted 2:1 under the developer's proposed plan for subdivision.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Neighbors Back to PLUM on Tues., March 24, 2009

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Blue Fiesta Flower overlooking the lower plateau of Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

City Council's Planning & Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) will revisit the plan to subdivide the 3 large lots into 16 lots in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. In February, the City Council sent the item back to City Planning for further review the environmental concerns. Since February 10, City Planning has not submitted additional information to the City Council File.

PLUM Hearing
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
2PM
City Hall, Room 350
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Council File #: CF 09-0082

UPDATE, March 19, 2009: City Planning issued revisions to the environmental review of 2400 Allesandro, Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: ENV-2005-9337. According to the City Environmental Notices in the LA Times on March 19, 2009, the deadline for public comment is April 20, 2009. However, the item still appears on the PLUM Agenda for March 24, 2009.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract Inspired Artist, Paul Landacre

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Native wild cucumber stretches for morning sun. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The extraordinary quality of light in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, combined with steep topography and natural beauty clearly influenced the preeminent 20th Century wood-cut print artist, Paul Landacre. Landacre lived on the hillside for more than 30 years. Landacre's work always seemed to depict the neighborhood as sharply backlit.

In 2006, the City declared Paul Landacre's cabin a Cultural Historic Landmark. The cabin is situated between El Moran and Peru Streets, just above the proposed 16-lot subdivision. Echo Park Historical Society sponsored the landmark application.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog, in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Native Blue Fiesta Flowers

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Blue Fiesta Flowers (Pholistoma auritum) cover the ground in low bushes, up to 3-feet tall, on the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Native Blue Fiesta Flowers (Pholistoma auritum) thrive in the native Coast Live Oak and California Black Walnut Woodland of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. The flowers are really more purple than blue.

This plant could be the model for Velcro. Profuse spiky filaments cover every part of this plant, including the seeds. If you walk through this plant once it's dry, it will attach itself to your boots, socks and pant legs, as well as any animal walking through it.

Blue Fiesta Flowers do not grow on the more arid Red Car Property. It is likely due to the extremely moist conditions in on the Semi Tropic slopes. In the coming days, we'll show you a variety of plants you don't see on the Red Car Property.

The Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract has very steep slopes with limited sun during the rainy season. The topography, combined with the native black walnut and oak woodland, allow the soil to retain moisture longer. Dew was still covering the slopes when I shot photos around 10 AM, last Friday. Rubber rain boots are the best choice of footwear for exploring the Semi Tropic wilderness.

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. All Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract photographs published on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog, in March 2009, are of plants growing on the 3 large lots destined for destruction, if a developer gains final approval of his proposed subdivision.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: California Black Walnuts Blooming

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. California Black Walnut (Juglans californica) tree limbs are weighed down with flowers on the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This month, we're taking a close-up view of the natural beauty of our neighborhood. The neighbors appealing the decision to subdivide and destroy the natural beauty of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract will be back in front of the City Council's PLUM Committee later this month. So for the next few weeks, we'll be taking a closer look at the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' lots, just across the 2 Freeway from the Corralitas Red Car Property.

The photo above shows one of the thriving trees in the California Black Walnut Woodland destined for destruction when the slope is removed from above the proposed 16-lot subdivision, as required by the City's Grading Division. To orient yourself, the view is facing northwest across the 2 Freeway, toward Corralitas Drive and Silver Ridge Ave. (the houses in the background).

Tiny Wildflowers Near Viaduct Footings

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. There are tiny wildflowers all over the Red Car Property. These were between Adelbert and the Viaduct Footings. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Wildflowers on Red Car Property

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. Wildflowers blooming near the Silver Lake Ave. public staircase, facing south toward, Rose Scharlin Preschool. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Little white butterflies flock to these wildflowers growing in bushes up to four feet tall, all over the Red Car Property. They are likely non-native. It's worth clicking on the above photo to see detail in the petals and sharp spikes on the buds. If you know the name of this plant, please send the name or a link to us at redcarproperty@gmail.com.

UPDATE 4-22-09: Thanks to a reader for identifying this plant as non-native Wild Radish, (Raphanus sativus L). It's highly invasive, but pretty nonetheless.

Red Car Property: Lupines in the Meadow

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009. Lupines blooming on the Meadow, with the 2 Freeway in the background. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Ten days ago, the lupines looked sparse on the Corralitas Red Car Property. Today, the distinctive purple stalks are sprouting all over the "Meadow" (the big open space, closest to the 2 Freeway).

Coming Soon: Explosion of Pollen

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. California Black Walnut Tree flowers adjacent to the big Coast Live Oak between Adelbert and Riverside Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Coast Live Oak in Red Car Canyon

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) sprouting new growth in the canyon between Lake View Ave. and Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

California Poppies Blooming on Corralitas

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. Native California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are blooming on the first bend on Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Neighbors Losing Patience With 2562 Corralitas Drive

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. Unsecured fence and piles of trash at 2562 Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Progress at 2562 Corralitas Drive has been painfully slow. Since November 2008, a few windows were installed. The trash is in piles at the front of the property and the fence is not secure. There is no phone number posted on the fence, to reach the owner or developer, as required by Building & Safety.

Construction began in February 2007. The owner died last summer and the DWP disconnected the power in August 2008. A new owner was supposed to continue the work. Neighbors are fed up with the slow pace.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. 2562 Corralitas seen from the Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

UPDATE 4-1-09: After Building & Safety contacted the owner two weeks ago, per CD13's request, they finally cleaned up the piles of trash on the site and secured the fence.

Miner's Lettuce Blooming at Fletcher Viaduct Footings

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. Southern Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata mexicana) on the Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Southern Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata mexicana) is currently blooming on the shady slope below Adelbert and around the upper Red Car Viaduct Footings. It is an native plant with 1" to 3" bowl shaped, waxy leaves with a stalk of tiny white flowers growing through the center of the leaves. While edible, it has a bitter taste. It seems to thrive in rainy years on the northern end of the Red Car Property.

The grass is quickly overwhelming the Miner's Lettuce. However, if you look closely as you walk toward Fletcher, down the narrow footpath, just above the Viaduct Footings, you will see the distinctive plant.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 7, 2009. Southern Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata mexicana) on the Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Lupines on Corralitas Drive

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 3, 2009. Lupines on Corralitas Drive (below the log cabins) may be a variation of the lupines on the Red Car Property. The Corralitas lupines have fewer and smaller flowers on each stalk, and are arranged differently on the stalk. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Wildflowers Blooming on Red Car Property

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 3, 2009. Lupines are sparse on the Red Car Property this year. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Master of Camouflage

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 3, 2009. Can you spot the 3" lizard on the tree root on Corralitas Drive? (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Green Days on the Red Car

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 3, 2009. Facing south from Red Car Canyon. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Canyon made it through February without losing trees.

California Black Walnuts Blooming

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 3, 2009. Juglans californica coming into bloom on the Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)