Plants of Santa Cruz

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Name

Latin Name

Plant Photo

Characteristics

Notes

Ecosystem

Distincitves

Type

Coastal Redwood

Native

Coastal Redwood

Tall, red-colored bark

Native

Wolf’s milk slime

Grows in groups on dead wood, especially large logs. Thought it may seem like one, this species isn't actually a mushroom or fungus. It belongs to a group called slime molds, or myxomycetes—a group of funguslike organisms that at one time were regarded as animals, then thought to be plants, then fungi. Now, because of DNA studies, slime molds are believed to be closer to the protozoa.

Coastal Redwood

Bright pink, goo like balls on fallen logs. Can turn an Olive brown with maturity

Coal Fungus / Cramp Balls

As with other fungi the light spores are distributed globally and the fungi develop wherever conditions are suitable - it lives on dead and decaying wood, and is a common, widespread saprotroph (which means it “eats” by processing decaying organic matter.

All black fungus found usually on fallen trees.

Arctic Butterbur

Native

Perennial

One large single leaf growing out of a single stem. Near water sources. Wooly fuzz on underside of leaf

Native, Perennial

Western Maidenhair Fern

Perennial

Native

Beautiful black stems, fan-like pinnate leaves.

Perennial, Native

Sword Fern

Coastal Redwood

Very similar to deer fern but leaves are connected to the stem via a very small stem - much more common in Henry cowbell in comparison to deer fern as well.

Licorice Fern

Native

Perennial

Coastal Redwood

Very similar to other polypody ferns but grows from a single stem. May grow in patches, but all individuals. Leaves connected to stem like deer fern but deer fern looks more similar to the sword.

Native, Perennial

Broadleaf forget-me-not

Coastal Redwood

Small purple flowers, long leaf with darker somewhat pronounced vein down middle.

Black Raspberry

Edible

Native

Fruit-Bearing

Very similar to the California blackberry, this plant creates a delicious edible fruit

Coastal Redwood

Edible, Native, Fruit-Bearing

Douglas Fir

When Douglas firs grow in dense forests, they self-prune their lower branches so the conical crown starts many stories above the ground. Trees growing in open habitats, especially younger trees, have branches much closer to the ground. After the sequoias, Douglasfir with it straight regular trunk is our largest tree and some can grow over 300 feet There are two varieties of this species, coast Douglas fir and Rocky Mountain Douglas fir. Coast Douglas firs are the faster-growing and larger of the two varieties

Coastal Redwood

Mixed Evergreen Forest

2 to 4 inch cones, narrow three pointed bracts between scales on cone.

Trooping Crumble Cap

Edible but of low quality, this mushroom does not dissolve into black ink as do many other coprinoid mushrooms.

Coastal Redwood

Growing in small patches, small domed head with a great color.

Honey comb coral slime mold

Slime mold found on decaying wood. Slime mold plasmodia creep about over the surfaces of materials, engulfing bacteria, spores of fungi and plants, protozoa, and particles of nonliving organic matter. slime molds form structures called plasmodia which are naked (i.e., without cell walls) masses of protoplasm which can move and engulf particles of food in an amoeboid manner

Coastal Redwood

whitish and translucent with a fuzzy appearance

California Spikenard

Only Native plant in the ginseng family to California. Their thick tap roots extend straight down for many feet into ground water in order to stay moist during the region’s extremely dry summers and to stay put against raging flood waters. Some use their leaves to create a tea that aides those with chronic stress.

Large smooth looking oval leaves in tall shoots and groups growing near water.

Slender Oat

Grass

Annual

Can grow up to 2-2.5 feed with bristly spiklets.

Grass, Annual

Narrow Leaved Clover

Annual

Invasive

The tower like flower hardens into bristles as the plant dies, grows among grasses and is in the legume family.

Annual, Invasive

American Vetch

Perennial

Native

Bears two light brown peas within a hairless flat pod, this is a climbing perennial forb.

Perennial, Native

California Broom

During the summer, perennial species can drop their leaves to reduce transpirational water loss, as observed in the drought-deciduous California broom

Sandhills

Small stems of yellowish flowers carpeting direct sun sandhill areas.

Santa Cruz Mountain Manzanita

Pretty and edible light yellow-green berries, and rich red-brown bark. It does not like summer water, growing in shallow or sandy soils where rainfall in summer is scarce (native to the Santa Cruz mountains and old sand dunes)

Sandhills

Reddish ghost looking fuzzy stems with green oval shaped leaves with red outlining and red vein.

Western Starflower

Native

Coastal Redwood

Mixed Evergreen Forest

Small purple star-shaped flower groing out of single quad leaved plants close to ground.

Native

Cretan Brake ?

Perennial

Invasive

Evergreen fern native to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Coastal Redwood

Perennial, Invasive

Chamise

Sandhills

Stick like branches with small small leaves pointing upwards. Small white tubular flowers when in bloom.

Coffeeberry

Native

Sandhills

Red stems with longer green downturned (in the shape of a U) leaves. Dark blue or purple berries when in bloom.

Native

Smooth Cats Ear

Annual

Unsure

Long large ribbed leaves growing along ground out of stem with very tel stem leading to dandelion looking flower.

Annual

Sensitive Manzanita

Native

Found by observation deck in Sandhills Henry Cowell.

Sandhills

Native

Manzanita (maybe brittle leaved)

Found by observation deck in Sandhills Henry Cowell.

Sandhills

Seaside Daisy

Native

Coastal Bluffs

Light purple many mini petals, 10-15 flowers a plant.

Native

Bluff Lettuce

Also known as powdery live forever, this is an important hummingbird plant in its native areas.

Coastal Bluffs

Reddish and green succulent star plant near ground with rising stem of same color.

Seaside Buckwheat

Native

Coastal Bluffs

Milky white small flowers with same color stem.

Native

Wall Barley

Invasive

Coastal Bluffs

Invasive

French Broom

Woody shrub and a legume, very invasive.

Throughout the County

Small yellow flowers growing throughout stem, can grow tall and in big patches.

Silver burr ragweed.

Supports the ambrosia plume moth and also known as Beach bur.

Coastal Bluffs

Growing directly in sand, sprawling and covering large portions.

Pale Dewplant

Coastal Bluffs

Small carpet of purple flowers over small succulent bed.

Redwood Violet

Native

Coastal Redwood

Carpets the floor underneath redwoods in a similar manner to sorrel. Small circular leaves with small yellow flowers.

Native

California Milkwort

Coastal Redwood

Small oval leaves, purple flowers, near to ground.

California Poppy

Native

Throughout the County

Deep orange/golden petals.

Native

Giant Chain Fern

Native

Coastal Redwood

Similar to lady fern but only 2x pinnate and larger individual leaflets spaced farther apart.

Native

Broad leaved helleborine

Terrestrial species of orchid.

Coastal Redwood

Grows straight up, large leaves. Funny bushy leaf thing at top.

European Searocket

Coastal Bluffs

Yellow Bush lupine

Bull thistle

Coastal Bluffs

Similar in size to milk thistle but no white washed leaves.

Redwood inside out flower

Coastal Redwood

Fragrant Bedstraw

Coastal Redwood

Very small growing close to the ground with perfectly 5 star shaped towered leaves

Big leaf Periwinkle

Invasive

Frequently used as ground cover in landscaping. Contains highly toxic alkaloids. Should not be eaten.

Coastal Redwood

Invasive

Hookers Fairybells

Other names include “drops of Gold”

Coastal Redwood

Similar to the star false lily of valley but smaller and doesn’t grow in a single big stalk.

Woodland Madia

Coastal Redwood

Milkmaid

Annual

Native

One of the very first flowers to bloom in the early early spring, small four Petaled white flowers with two types of leaves (broader at base and skinnier near flower)

Coastal Redwood

Annual, Native

Herb Robert