Lot C: Oak Tree Fighting Back Against Arundo

 Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 16, 2014.  A native Coast Live Oak sapling has been fighting for its life for at least 4 years in the dense patch of Arundo on Lot C.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The non-native, invasive & highly combustible Arundo, a giant reed commonly found in streams & rivers had been winning in the battle over a small patch of earth.   

In 2012, the oak sapling did not survive the City's brush clearance.  It did not return in 2013.  The same patch of Arundo almost obliterated the native Blue Elderberry.

Having trouble finding the oak tree among the giant reed?  See below for a close-up on the same photo.

The California Invasive Plant Council classifies Arundo (Arundo donax) as invasive.  It outcompetes native species for water.  

Arundo is also highly combustible.  When it catches fire, gas builds up inside the hollow chambers, until they explode, sending fire in all directions.  Arundo is a poor landscaping choice for Southern California, particularly in hillside areas.