![]() ![]() But like most bulbs, the Soap Plant dies back later in the year. You also see this one coming up everywhere right now, and it gets its name from the use of its bulb and roots as a soap by Native Americans. Another example is the Soap Plant (Botanic name: Chlorogalum pomeridianum) that grows from a bulb with strap-like leaves that have wavy edges, and produces a big flower stalk with white flowers. However, as things dry out in the mid-summer or late fall, it dies back significantly. It adds a nice layer of green to the woodland, has great habitat value and was well used by the local Native Americans. This is no small plant, growing to 4 feet tall or more, with big lush leaves and white flower clusters, quite evident on the trails in the East Bay hills right now. Take for example the Cow Parsnip (Botanical name: Heracleum lanatum). ![]() There are various reasons, but what strikes me is the ephemeral nature of so many of these plants – they have a limited amount of the year that they are actually green and thriving plants. Interestingly, many of the plants of the Oak Woodland understory never make it into most nurseries or designed landscapes. On a hike through Tilden Park last weekend I saw all kinds of great native plants coming up through the moist forest floor, growing quickly as the temperatures get warmer. It never ceases to amaze me how much green sprouts from the brown of the earth this time of year in our California native landscapes, and always makes me think of the distinct seasonality of our local plant life, and how quickly it fades to the golden brown of our summer and fall. We are in the midst of Spring here in the San Francisco Bay Area, the lovely neon green hills time! Life gets busy with all kinds of work and fun, but I always make sure to get out and hike while things are flowering and putting on fresh new growth.
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