California Native Plants That Grow Along The Kern River Corridor

(Contribution acknowledgements: Frank Bedard, Stan Bergen, Clyde Golden, Andy Honig, Sasha Honig)

ALKALI PEPPERWEED

Also called net pepper grass.
Family: BRASSICACEAE (CRUCIFERAE)(MUSTARD FAMILY), Genus: Lepidium, Species: dictyotum


Alkali Pepperweed

ALLSCALE SALTBUSH

Also called cattle spinach.
Family: CHENOPODIACEAE (GOOSEFOOT FAMILY), Genus: Atriplex, Species: polycarpa


Allscale Saltbush

ANNUAL BURSAGE

Also called flatspine bur ragweed, burweed, western sand-bur.
Family: ASTERACEAE(COMPOSITAE)(SUNFLOWER FAMILY), Genus: Ambrosia, Species: acanthicarpa


Annual Bursage

ARROYO WILLOW

Family: SALICACEAE(WILLOW FAMILY), Genus: Salix, Species: lasiolepis


Allscale Saltbush

BAKERSFIELD CACTUS

Also called prickly pear cholla
Family: CACTACEAE (CACTUS FAMILY), Genus: Opuntia, Species: basilaris var. treleasei

Bakersfield cactus

CHAPARRAL MISTLETOE

Also called big-leaf mistletoe.
Family: Santalaceae, Genus: Phoradendron, Species: macrophyllum


Chaparral Mistletoe

BIG SALTBUSH

Also called quail bush
Family: Amaranthaceae, Genus: Atriplex, Species: lentiformis


Big Saltbush

BLADDERPOD

Also called spiderflower, burro-fat
Family: Cleomaceae, Genus: Peritoma, Species: arborea


Bladderpod

BLUE ELDERBERRY

Family: Adoxaceae, Genus: Sambucus, Species: cerulea


Blue Elderberry

BUTTONBUSH BLOOMS

Also called button-willow, honey-bells
Family: RUBIACEAE (MADDER FAMILY) Genus: Cephalanthus Species: occidentalis

Buttonbush Blooms

CALIFORNIA SUNCUP

Also called California evening primrose
Family: ONAGRACEAE (Oenothera) (EVEN ING-PRIMROSE FAMILY), Genus: Eulobus (Camissonia), Species: kernesis


California Suncup

CALIFORNIA BLACKBERRY

Family: ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY), Genus: Rubus, Species: ursinus


CaliforniaBlackberry

CALIFORNIA/HOARY NETTLE

Also called common/creek nettle, stinging nettle.
Family: URTICACEAE (NETTLE FAMILY), Genus: Urtica, Species: dioica

Hoary Nettle
Hoary Nettle
Hoary Nettle
Hoary Nettle
Hoary Nettle
Hoary Nettle
Hoary Nettle
Hoary Nettle

CALIFORNIA WILD GRAPE

Also called Pacific grape
Family: VITACEAE (GRAPE FAMILY), Genus: Vitis, Species: californica


California Wild Grape

In Spring

California Wild Grape

In Fall


CALIFORNIA WILD ROSE

Family: ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY), Genus: Rosa, Species: californica


California Wild Rose

CATERPILLAR PHACELIA

Family: BORAGINACEAE (BORAGE FAMILY), Genus: Phacelia, Species: cicutaria


Caterpillar Phacelia

COMMON FIDDLENECK

Also called rancher's fireweed.
Family: BORAGINACEAE (BORAGE FAMILY), Genus: Amsinckia, Species: menziesii

Common Fiddleneck

COYOTE MELON a.k.a STINKING GOURD

Also called buffalo gourd, chilicote.
Family: CUCURBITACEAE (GOURD FAMILY), Genus: Cucurbita, Species: foetidissima

Stinking/Coyote Gourd
Stinking/Coyote Gourd
Stinking Gourd

Scattered melons

Unknown how it got the "coyote" name, but I recall that it does have an unpleasant smell.

Fruit: small, green striped globe shaped.

Gourd family. The squash we eat is in this family, but I'm not sure how edible the coyote melon is: one source says it can be eaten when the melon is young, if boiled or roasted. Maybe, maybe not. I’m not volunteering. The dried giordano is brownish and crumbly; kids love to stomp on them and hear them crackle.

This is a perennial vine. Comes up from the root every year. Flies go to the blossoms as do honey bees.

Stinking Gourd
Stinking Gourd

Bee visiting coyote melon flower


EMORYI

Also called desert lavender.
Family: LAMIACEAE (LABIATAE) (MINT FAMILY), Genus: Condea, Species: emoryi

Emoryi

FREMONT COTTONWOOD

Also called alamo cottonwood.
Family: SALICACEAE (WILLOW FAMILY), Genus: Populus, Species: fremontii

Fremont Cottonwood

HELIOTROPE

Family: BORAGINACEAE (BORAGE FAMILY), Genus: Heliotropium, Species: arborescens

Heliotrope

INDIAN TOBACCO

Family: SOLANACEAE (NIGHTSHADE FAMILY), Genus: Nicotiana, Species: N. quadrivalis var. bigelowii

Indian Tobacco
Indian Tobacco
Indian Tobacco

A California native annual, it is in the Nightshade family along with the deadly Datura and more benign tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants.

This grows to about 4’ high and has numerous white tubular blossoms. The blossoms stay open after dusk. Hummingbirds visit by day while night-flying species of Sphinx moths may do so after dark. Very long tongues allow these moths to reach nectar deep within the flower. Here is a good video showing such a moth at action. https://youtu.be/SZhRuo1CPq8

Indian tobacco is so called because of its great importance in traditional California Indian culture. In local Yokuts mythology, for instance, it was with the discovery of tobacco that earth could be created; previously there was only water and no land. Like most California Indians, Yokuts gathered it in the wild. They smoked dried leaves on sacred occasions and believed it gave them wisdom and power. It was when Hawk was “made wise” by smoking tobacco that he was able to put the Sierra Nevada where it is. Tobacco was also used medicinally and socially.

Another “Indian tobacco“ Can be found along the river which is called Tree tobacco (N. glauca). It is not a native.

Indian Tobacco

MULE FAT

Also called seepwillow, water-wally.
Family: ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE) (SUNFLOWER FAMILY), Genus: Baccharis, Species: salicifolia


Mule Fat

NARROW LEAF MILKWEED

Also called Mexican whorled milkweed.
Family: APOCYNACEAE (DOGBANE FAMILY), Genus: Asclepias, Species: fascicularis


Narrow Leaf Milkweed

NARROW LEAF WILLOW

Also called sandbar/coyote willow
Family: SALICACEAE (WILLOW FAMILY), Genus: Salix, Species: exigua


Narrow Leaf Willow

OWL'S CLOVER

Also called escobita.
Family: Orobanchaceae, Genus: Castilleja, Species: exserta


Owl's Clover

PYGMY WEED

Also called sand pygmyweed.
Family: CRASSULACEAE (STONECROP FAMILY) Genus: Crassula, Species: connata


Pygmy Weed
SAGEBRUSH

Also called California mugwort, Douglas's sagewort.
Family: ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE) (SUNFLOWER FAMILY), Genus: Artemisia, Species: douglasiana

Sagebrush

SALT GRASS

Also called desert saltgrass, inland saltgrass, seashore saltgrass.
Family: POACEAE (GRASS FAMILY), Genus: Distichlis, Species: spicata

Salt Grass

SHINING PEPPERWEED

Family: BRASSICACEAE (CRUCIFERAE)(MUSTARD FAMILY) Genus: Lepidium, Species: nitidum

Shining Pepperweed

SKY LUPINE

Family: FABACEAE (LEGUMINOSAE) (PEA FAMILY), Genus: Lupinus, Species: nanus

Sky Lupine
Sky Lupine

SLENDER CATTAIL

Also called lesser bulrush, narrowleaf cattail, lesser reedmace.
Family: TYPHACEAE (CATTAIL FAMILY), Genus: Typha, Species: angustifolia


Slender Cattail

TELEGRAPH WEED

Also called silk-grass goldenaster.
Family: ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE) (SUNFLOWER FAMILY), Genus: Heterotheca, Species: grandiflora


Telegraph Weed

WESTERN SYCAMORE

Left: California/western sycamore in Fall, right: sycamore female blossom string (early Spring)
Family: PLATANACEAE (SYCAMORE FAMILY), Genus: Platanus, Species: racemosa

Western Sycamore

WESTERN JIMSONWEED

Also called datura, thorn-apple.
Family: SOLANACEAE (NIGHTSHADE FAMILY), Genus: Datura, Species: wrightii


Western Jimsonweed

WINGED COMBSEED

Also called sleeping/shortleaf/hairy-leaved combseed.
Family: BORAGINACEAE (BORAGE FAMILY), Genus: Pectocarya, Species: penicillata


Winged Combseed

WILD LICORICE

Family: FABACEAE (LEGUMINOSAE) (PEA FAMILY), Genus: Glycyrrhiza, Species: lepidota

Wild Licorice

YARROW

Family: ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE) (SUNFLOWER FAMILY), Genus: Achillea, Species: millefolium (inc. A. lanulosa, no vars)


Yarrow

YELLOW MONKEY FLOWER

Erythranthe guttata, formerly known as Mimulus guttatus

Also called seep monkey flower.
Family: Phrymaceae, Genus: Erythranthe, Species: guttata

Yellow Monkey Flower
Yellow Monkey Flower
Yellow Monkey Flower

Officers

Sasha Honig and Andrew Honig

Other

Sheila Gehani, Webmaster

How to Contribute

Citizen scientists can send us pictures of their sightings with the feature's common names and scientific names (For instance in the case of plants: Family, Genus, and Species) and any other description details. In order for the sighting location to be shown on a mapped locations application, a set of Latitude, Longitude coordinates would have to accompany the picture and details.

Citizen scientists can send us their contributions via email to editors@kernrivercitizenscience.org.

Pictures have to be of reasonably high resolution (at least 600px wide) and should compliment the images on this website. We are particularly interested in replacing pictures of native plants that have been downloaded from sources outside of the Kern River Corridor. If we decide to use your contribution, we will give you credit by listing your name with your contribution.

Eco Links

California Dept. of Fish & Game, Central Region Kern Audubon Society
Nature Alley by Nature Ali
Panorama Vista Preserve
Sierra Club Kern-Kaweah Chapter