Red Car Property: FIESTA!

Photo: Jay Lieske, March 19, 2017.  Native Blue Fiesta Flowers (Pholistoma auritum) reclaimed the slope at the Adelbert cut-through on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Lieske, a longtime Red Car Property neighbor, reports the Blue Fiesta Flowers are thriving in the slope between the Adelbert cut-through to Fletcher.  Lieske said, "The Fiesta Flowers are even climbing up the chain-link fence around the construction."

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 13, 2009.  In 2009, we first discovered and documented a few Blue Fiesta Flowers near the Adelbert cut-through to the Red Car Property.

2016 was a lean year for the ever festive Fiesta Flowers due to the extraordinary drought combined with the removal of more than dozen large Eucalyptus that died suddenly over the course of 2 years. This alone changed the ecosystem dramatically due to the loss of shade as well as water and carbon storage capacity of the huge trees.  The north end of the Red Car Property which had always been cooler and more damp, suddenly became an inhospitable place, hotter and drier than the previous 26 years I'd walked the property.

Further destroying habitat, in August2016, an entire forest of trees  (including scores of protected native Black Walnuts that had begun to grow back after the 2014 illegal tree removal) was clear cut for the development of the Riverside Drive lots north of Gilroy, further changing the climate and ecosystem in the neighborhood.  

Let's hope the remaining protected native trees on this section of the Red Car Property recover from the past 6 years of extreme drought and stupidity development, encouraging the entire native plant community and the diversity of wildlife it supports to return to the north end of the property.

Click here for all our Blue Fiesta Flower photos and related posts.

No April Fool's Joke: Blue Fiesta Flowers Discovered on Red Car Property

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 29, 2009. Blue Fiesta Flowers on Red Car Property near Adelbert. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

In nearly twenty years of hiking the neighborhood, I noticed the native Blue Fiesta Flowers (Pholistoma auritum) only seemed to grow in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract; not on the Red Car Property. Last weekend, I noticed a small patch of the distinctive blue-purple flower near the foot-path cut up to Adelbert from the Red Car Property.

The Adelbert end of the Red Car Property is damp and shady for half the year, similar to areas in the Semi Tropic Tract where Blue Fiesta Flowers thrive. perhaps those Velcro-like seeds hitched a ride on a coyote from the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract and gained a foothold near Adelbert.
Photo: Diane Edwardson March 21, 2009. Not a Blue Fiesta Flower, near Adelbert on the Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Blue Fiesta Flowers should not be confused with the above purple pinwheel-shaped flower growing all over the Adelbert end of the Red Car Property. This is a groundcover, non-native plant you can buy at any nursery. It is a likely escapee from a nearby yard that enjoys the same shady, damp conditions the Blue Fiesta Flower prefers.

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.

Red Car Property: Blue Fiesta Flowers Back For A Limited Time

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 1, 2010. One-inch diameter, native Blue Fiesta Flowers just started blooming near Adelbert. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

While Blue Fiesta Flowers (Pholistoma auritum) bloom in March in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, they appear the first week of April on the northern end of the Red Car Property, on the shady slope adjacent to Adelbert. In fact, they are blooming just below the giant bushes of Purple Nightshade, another native plant.

Click here for our catalog of neighborhood native plants.

Red Car Property: Native Blue Fiesta Flowers Celebrating Spring Near Adelbert

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 17, 2012.  Blue Fiesta Flowers started their party early this year, near the Adelbert cut-through on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Blue Fiesta Flowers seem to bloom later on the Red Car Property, than elsewhere in the neighborhood.  The tiny purple flowers only bloom in the shady slope below Adelbert, usually in late March or the first week of April.  This year's early rain and dry winter are likely playing a part.  The festive natives made their first appearance on the Red Car Property in 2009. (I've been walking the Red Car Property since 1990.) 

Click here for our Red Car Property neighborhood native plant collection.    

Red Car Property: Fiesta!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 28, 2015.  Native Blue Fiesta Flowers (Pholistoma auritum) just started blooming last weekend on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

The Blue Fiesta Flowers  were barely coming back to the Red Car Property when we hit 3 years of mega drought.  They seem to prefer shady damp slopes (like the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract prior to the controversial 16-lot subdivision).

Red Car Properrty: Party Is Almost Over For Native Blue Fiesta Flowers

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 12, 2015. You can still catch a glimpse of the native Blue Fiesta Flowers (Pholistoma auritum) below Adelbert Ave on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 12, 2015.  Blue Fiesta Flowers usually last a little longer in the shady slope below the native California Black Walnut Trees off Adelbert.  Unfortunately, the north end of the property has been hit hard by the unseasonably intense sun & hot temperatures in the past 2 months. (Photos were shot earlier this month.) 

Last summer, ore than a dozen big dead Eucalyptus Trees were cut down on the north end of the Red Car Property. (Another 4 Eucalyptus were cut down in 2013.) The Eucalyptus likely died from a pest that spread a fungus, accelerated by the severe drought.)  

Also last summer, just below this same section of the Red Car Property on adjacent Riverside Drive lots, real estate speculators cut down more than a dozen protected native California Black Walnut & Coast Live Oak, as well as a number of non-protected & "significantly" sized trees.  Together, these incidents radically changing the the micro-climate, reduced the watershed & carbon storing potential of the soil.  The north end of the Red Car Property has a lot less shade & is drying out faster than most years.

Red Car Property: Blue Fiesta Flowers

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 19, 2011. Native Blue Fiesta Flowers just started blooming near the trail cut through to Adelbert. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Property: Blue Fiesta Flowers Still Blooming Near Adelbert

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 16, 2011.  A small patch of native Blue Fiesta Flowers is blooming between the Adelbert All-Weather Lounge and the Adelbert trail cut-through.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 16, 2011.  Although not as prolific as last year's patch, the buds (to the far left of the flowers) should keep blooming for a few more weeks.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Click here for our catalog of Red Car Property neighborhood native plants.

Red Car Property: Blue Fiesta Flowers

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 21, 2010. Blue Fiesta Flowers are still blooming near the trail up to Adelbert. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Blue Fiesta Flowers Are None Too Festive This Year

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 10, 2012.  The native Blue Fiesta Flowers are usually fully festive by February in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  Since so many trees were cut down earlier this month, the flowers lacked for shade and were drying out quickly before Wednesday's rain.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

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: Native Plant Communities

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 9, 2010. Native Blue Fiesta Flowers and Miner's Lettuce growing with non-native Barley and other foxtail-type grasses near Adelbert. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

When you find one native plant, look around for a few more species. It seems they like to grow in the same area. Perhaps they work together to fight off the aggressive non-native grasses.

Click here for our catalog of neighborhood native plants.

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.

Red Car Property: Looking For Wildflowers?

Photo: S. Bartron, March 22, 2017.  The north end of the Red Car Property, above the City of Los Angeles Historic Landmark Viaduct Footings (looking toward the Menlo Property and Griffith Park), has long been a healthy ecosystem where native wildflowers and wildlife can be found.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 9, 2009.  Tomcat Clover above the historic viaduct footings.

Even though the non-native grass and flowers are tall, it's time to look for native wildflowers low to the ground, particularly at the base of the slope going up to Adelbert, among the viaduct footings and along the edges of the trail.  Many of the native flowers bloom after the non-native, invasive grasses have gone to seed, so there is still time to start looking for the native plant communities.

Photo: Diane Edwardson,  February 2, 2013.  Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia) near the viaduct footings.

What blooms on the north end of the Red Car Property?  Natives include: Blue Fiesta Flowers, Miner's Lettuce, Tomcat Clover, Golden Stars, Arroyo Lupine, Spanish Lotus, California Fuchsia, Doveweed, Kotolo Milkweed, Cudweed, California Poppy, Toyon, Native Dandelions, in addition to protected native Coast Live Oak and Black Walnuts.  There are others we've not yet identified.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 6, 2016.  Mystery plants near Adelbert have green flowers that apparently create pink to red seeds.

Non-native grasses are more diverse than you might think.  Non-native Wild Radish flowers are widespread, scenic and attract a variety of butterflies.

California Harvester Ants were thriving and helping to diversify the plant population by harvesting and inadvertently planting seeds.  Prior to the devastation of the urban forest on the Red Car Property and the the Riverside Drive Lots now being graded, Harvester Ants thrived in either a super colony or multiple colonies between the Coast Live Oak Tree and Fletcher.  Harvester Ants are an "indicator species."  Their presence is a sign of a healthy and diverse environment.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 21, 2016.  Native Dandelions attract a variety of pollinators including tiny beetles.

Unusual bugs to look for: mod-looking Flower Flies, Funereal Duskywings, swarming Green Darner Dragonflies, Trapdoor Spiders and in June, look for Tarantula Hawks. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 8, 2014.  Red Shouldered Hawks tend to hang out in the protected native Black Walnut Trees.   

Red Tailed Hawks ride the updrafts of Fletcher at Riverside, often landing in the power line towers off the public staircase coming down from Waverly.  Neighbors report hearing owls after dark.

Rarely seen, but present in the neighborhood: Bobcats and Gray Foxes.

In the early mornings you're likely to see coyotes on this part of the Red Car Property, even crossing Fletcher near the ARCO Station.

Click here for all our neighborhood native plant posts.

Red Car Property: First Time Documented, Native Dove Weed

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 8, 2011.  This is the first documentation of native Dove Weed (Croton setigerus) on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

In 21 years of walking the Red Car Property I've never seen this plant growing here.  There used to be a small patch of Dove Weed on the 18 Acre Elysian Park Parcel, but it was recently taken out by Rec & Parks to build a drainage bench. 

I literally stumbled across a patch of Dove Weed after shooting photos of a Red Tail Hawk, upslope from the historic viaduct footings.  In 2009, it was similarly exciting to find native Blue Fiesta Flowers on Red Car Property.  The Adelbert end of the Red Car Property has the most native wildflowers. 

Click here for our catalog of neighborhood native plants.

Red Car Property: Brush Clearance Contractors Left A Few Native Plants

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 23, 2010. Three out of four of these plants are native. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

When private brush clearance contractors followed City Lot Cleaning through the Red Car Property last month, I expected to find this slope below Adelbert denuded of native plants. To my surprise they actually left a few California Black Walnut saplings, California Fuchsia, Kotolo Milkweed (which is just starting to bloom) and some Cudweed (not visible in the photo above), as well as some non-native Jupiter's Beard.

Hopefully, the Miner's Lettuce, Blue Fiesta Flowers, Spanish Lotus, Tomcat Clover, Golden Stars and California Poppies all went to seed prior to brush clearance, as none of those plants survived. The natives usually come back every year despite brush clearance.

Mostly native plants recolonized this slope after a landslide in the record rains of 2005. It is one of the most diverse native plant communities on the Red Car Property.

Click here for our catalog of neighborhood native plants.

Red Car Property: Please Don't Pick The Native Wildflowers!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 16, 2011.  Someone keeps picking the California Poppies blooming on the slope between the Viaduct Footings and the last house on Adelbert.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

This year we have a sad show of wildflowers on the Red Car Property.  Most likely, because brush clearance happened early, before everything went to seed last year. 

Very few native Lupines came back to the meadow on the south end of the Red Car Property. Blue Fiesta Flowers, California Poppies and Kotolo Milkweed are sorely lacking this year. The patch of California Fuchsia has mostly died off.  Golden Stars have yet to make an appearance.   Spanish Lotus is back and should bloom next month. 

Native wildflowers reseed themselves and return to the same spots year after year.  Unlike the non-native, invasive species, they don't take over an entire territory.  They cling to their small patch of earth, which is how I know where to find them every year. 

PLEASE DO NOT PICK THE WILDFLOWERS!  Let everyone enjoy them while we can.

Click here for the Red Car Property Neighborhood's catalog of native plants.