Valley Oak (Querus lobata):
The acorns were a staple food, which was leached (rinsed with water) to remove the bitterness, and ground into flour with mortar and pestles. The ground acorns were used in stews/soups, pancakes/tortillas, mush, or layered into pits and cooked with other plants and meats. Oak galls were squeezed to make a blue-black ink for tattoos and tannins were used to make dyes and decorate animal skins.
Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens):
A major grass for creating beautiful, sometimes water-tight baskets to cook food, to carry and store food and other items. Stalks were generally harvested in the spring when easy to pick, then wrapped to keep straight and allowed to cure for a year. They were often soaked prior to weaving into basket. About 1600 stalks would be needed to make one basket.
One of the most beautiful California grasses, this easy-to-grow plant attracts butterflies in the spring with its cream-colored flowers and seed-eating birds in the summer.
Santa Barbara Sedge (Carex barbarae):
The rhizomes (underground stems which generally grow horizontally) provided the strongest threads for basket making. The people would manage the rhizome growth by cleaning the soil of anything that might obstruct the growth (i.e., rocks) to allow the rhizomes to grow long and straight. An evergreen grass, the summer flowers range from cream, red and purple colors, which attract butterflies.
Toyon, aka California Holly (Heteromeles arbutifolia):
The wood from this sturdy shrub had many uses including tools, games/toys, fuel for smoking fish, and religious ceremonies. The red berries produced in the fall which were eaten after roasting over coals or dried in the sun.
An evergreen shrub, the summer white flowers attract bees and butterflies. Birds love the berries.
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea):
This tough, easy-to-grow shrub or tree is dormant in the winter. The spring and summer blooming cream or yellow flowers attract bees and butterflies, with their berries being an important food source to many birds.
Manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita):
Its distinctive red wood which was sometimes used to dry and smoke fish. The fruit was gathered in summer, then dried and ground to make coarse meal which would be mixed with a little water during winter months or made biscuits. They would make tea with the berries and tips of the branches, which apparently was a pleasant drink.
Sticky Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus):
The seeds were used as a food source. They were gathered, parched, ground, and added to foods or eaten by the handful. Flowers were used as décor after drying, made into wreaths, and used in religious ceremonies. The roots and leaves were used for medicinal purposes.
This drought-tolerant, evergreen shrub blooms in the spring, summer, and fall. The bright yellow tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Autumn seeds attract small birds.
Whenever I see any of these California native plants, I think of how the indigenous people of California used these plants over thousands of years. By growing them in our gardens, we honor that history, help the survival of these plants which provide food sources for so many birds, bees, and butterflies, reduce water usage, bring variety to our gardens, and joy to our spirits with their beauty.
Learn more at the Library - Take a free class!
This September, our UC Master Gardeners will present on the topic, "CA Native Plants" at 9 Stanislaus County Library locations. Visit our Calendar at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Calendar/ for dates, times, and locations.
Upcoming Workshop
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, we are offering our "The New Front Yard" workshop. Topics include drip irrigation, converting your yard to native plants, and how to garden for year-round bloom! Stay tuned for the registration announcement.
Resources:
- Enough For All: Foods of My Dry Creek Pomo and Bodega Miwuk People by Kathleen Rose Smith
- The Real California Cuisine: A Treatise on California Native-Plant Foods by Judith Larner Lowry
- Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources by M. Kat Anderson
- Indian Summer: A True Account of Traditional Life Among the Choinumni Indians of California's San Joaquin Valley
- Great Valley Museum of Natural History at Modesto Junior College's exhibit on Yokuts
- California Native Plant Society: https://www.calscape.org/
Acknowledgment: Lillian Vallee, English professor emeritus, Modesto Junior College, who has shared her passion and knowledge with me over the years of California native plants and their historical uses by the California native people.
Denise Godbout-Avant has been a UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Stanislaus County since 2020.
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- Author: Anne Schellman
- Interested in helping others and giving back to your community.
- Excited about gardening and meeting other like-minded volunteers.
- Interested in learning science-based information about gardening.
If so, consider applying to our program for 2024. To learn more details and apply, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Become_a_UCCE_MG/
Join Heidi Aufdermaur, UC Master Gardener and experienced Seed Saver for this class and learn:
- What types of seeds to save and the difference between heirloom and hybrid seeds.
- How flowers are pollinated and how seeds develop.
- How far apart to plant varieties of vegetables to ensure seed purity.
- How to save seeds and how long saved seeds last.
Registration Details:
Date: Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Where: Online
Register: https://ucanr.edu/seedsaving/2023
Link: you'll be sent a link to log in with before the class. Please register at least one hour before the class.
This free class will be available the following week on our YouTube Channel at http://ucanr.edu/youtube/ucmgstanislaus Subscribe to our channel to be notified when the class has been posted.
Heidi Aufdermaur has been a UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Stanislaus County since 2019.
/h3>/h3>- Author: Anne Schellman
Are you interested in helping others and giving back to your community? Do you have a passion for gardening and volunteering? The Stanislaus County* UC Master Gardener Program is accepting applications for 2024.
Who are the UC Master Gardeners?
Master Gardeners are volunteers from the community that are trained to help answer questions about gardening and pest management and to promote sustainable landscaping. Watch this short video from the Coordinator, Anne Schellman, about what it takes to be a Master Gardener.
How are UC Master Gardeners Trained?
Classes are taught by University of California experts on water management, soils and fertilizers, ornamental and drought tolerant plants, landscape tree care, vegetable and fruit tree care, pest management, and more. Each session is approximately 5 hours long. The 2024 training program will be held weekly from January through early May (18 weeks).
Program requirements include weekly reading and quizzes, and an open book a final exam. Collaboration on assignments is encouraged, and trainees are provided any needed assistance by Master Gardener mentors.
How Can I Apply to Become a UC Master Gardener Trainee?
Visit Become a UCCE Master Gardener website page to read more and fill out an online application before August 18.
*You must be a Stanislaus County resident to apply. For other county programs, visit http://mg.ucanr.edu/FindUs/
Learn about planting leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach, and root vegetables like carrots, beets and radishes. Not to mention broccoli and cauliflower. All of these vegetable plants can be grown in the ground or in containers. Great class for beginning gardeners.
We are excited to say that our classes are at nine Stanislaus County Library Branches! We hope to see you there.
August 2023 Library Branch Schedule
- Tuesday, 8/1 at 6:00 p.m. - Salida
- Saturday, 8/5 at 2:00 p.m. - Empire
- Tuesday, 8/8 at 6:00 p.m. - Oakdale
- Thursday, 8/10 at 1:00 p.m. - Patterson
- Saturday, 8/12 at 2:00 p.m. – Riverbank
- Monday, 8/14 at 6:00 p.m. – Ceres
- Tuesday, 8/22 at 2:00 p.m. - Waterford
- Wednesday, 8/23 at 6:00 p.m. - Turlock
- Monday, 8/28 at 5:30 p.m. - Modesto