UC Davis Natural Reserve System
Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve
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Common Live Oak Woodland
Plants
There are three types of oaks living in the Cold Canyon Stebbins Reserve: interior live oak (Quercus wislizeni), blue oak (Quercus douglasii), and scrub oak (Quercus berberidifolia). Unlike the blue oak, interior live oak and scrub oak are both evergreen, with shiny, prickly leaves, but interior live oak is either a tree or a shrub, whereas scrub oak is always a shrub. It is difficult to tell the two evergreen oaks from one another. Native Americans of this region preferred the acorns of blue oak or valley oak (Quercus lobata); however, they also gathered the acorns of evergreen oaks in times of emergency.
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Interior live oak Photo: Laura Kindsvater |
Interior live oak Photo courtesy of PLB 102 web site (1) |
Buckeye (Aesculus californica) is summer deciduous, losing its leaves already in August or early September, probably as a response to drought. The California buckeye seed is the largest of any tree in Western North America. Although the seed is a beautiful mahogany brown, it harbors a toxin so powerful that Native Americans used a ground extract as fish poison. In winter its white branches point dramatically skyward, barren of leaves and contrasting starkly to evergreen shrubs. After unfurling tender new leaves in spring, it produces large, showy, "spike-like" white or pinkish stems of flowers that cover its canopy, giving it the appearance of a great candelabra.
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Aesculus californica
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Photos: Laura Kindsvater |
Manzanita's (Arctostaphylos spp.) berries, like those of toyon or Christmas berry, are red; one difference between the two plants is that manzanita has smooth, reddish bark that peels off in strips. The leaves of manzanita are thick, flat, paddle-shaped, and between 1/2 and 1 1/2 inch in length. The Manzanita berries are a good source of vitamin C. Native Americans made a drink by removing the skins and seeds of the berries, then grinding the pulp into a powder, mixing it with water and letting it stand for several hours before drinking it. They also dried the berries for winter use.
Arctostaphylos manzanita Photo: Laura Kindsvater |
Arctostaphylos manzanita flowers Photo courtesy of CalPhotos (2)
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California coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica) belongs to a genus that is named for its red or dark brown berries that look vaguely like coffee beans. Coffeeberry is most readily distinguishable by its leaves, which have pinnate (symmetrical, like a feather) veination. Native Americans collected the bark of this bush for some of their medicines.
Leaf of California coffeeberry Photo courtesy of CalPhotos (2) |
Flowers of California coffeeberry:
Photo courtesy of PLB 102 web site (1) |
Fruits of California coffeeberry:
Photo courtesy of PLB 102 web site (1)
(1) These photos are courtesy of Dr. Ellen Dean, and http://herbarium.ucdavis.edu/pltbio102/index.html
(2) These photos are courtesy of http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/flora
Last Updated
03/09/06