In California and here in Sacramento there are resources like the California Invasive Plant Council data-base (http://www.cal-ipc.org) and the Sacramento River Watershed Program data-base (http://www.sacriver.org/aboutw...) that are up to date .Chasmanthe floribunda is listed by CIPC as already naturalized in California. ( 2a. Plants already naturalized in California (although not on Cal-IPC’s Inventory) and sold in California.) Definitions: “Naturalized” = listed as naturalized by the Jepson Manual, does not include species that have been
present in California since before 1940 without becoming invasive
“Sold in California” = listed in the Sunset Garden Book or the Plant Locator (Western Region). The bottom line on this one for California is that its here. I have not seen it seed in HamiltonSquare and its an acre with large clumps at each end. Three in total. I have not seen it growing any where in Sacramento county other than in a garden. We are at the confluence of two rivers and enjoy a Mediterranean climate in a fertile valley. Its always best to check the invasiveness status for your particular region. Here there are regulations for the sellers and agriculture/conservation rule the roost. Thanks Kelli for keeping a watch full eye out! I think I'd better look-up this Knapweed I have vigorously seeding about.......

I have seen two small clumps growing wild at abandoned or burned out homesites in the Santa Monica Mountains (Malibu). They didn't appear to be taking over but they were naturalized. In my yard, where regular watering goes on, they take over and have spread to new locations. Once they get started, I can't get them out. The corms are too deep to dig out every single one in this heavy clay soil we have. The best I can do is try to keep them deadheaded. I like having a few but I don't like them popping up all around the yard. They came with the house and could have been planted as early as 50 years ago.

Bummer! So many plants have proven to be disasters for our native habitats and our gardens. I spend most of my time trying to rid this garden of Nut Sedge. Its slow progress with years of sifting earth yet to come but it is working. Bermuda Buttercups... sounds so nice but its a pretty monster overtaking coastal habitat and suburban yards here. It has tiny tiny bulbs which is crazy for a dicot. It will smother plants in Hamilton Square if we don't keep it in check. Star Thistle is marching its way ever higher along our freeways onto every little country road. No end in sight. Knapweed in Montana is another misery. Its a very small planet even for the flora! They travel the world with us. We don't use insecticides here In Hamilton Square and we have a large variety of native bees, and other insect, birds, lizards and nocturnal mammal and gophers. We will occasionally use round up to kill Bermuda Grass that invades the seems of the cemetery plots where it can't be manually be removed but we don't use it casually. Thanks for telling me about your Chasmanthe problems there. I would be very interested to see a photo of your seedlings and the flower of your Chasmanthe if you can.

Here is my chasmanthe flower. I don't have a picture of a seedling but they look a good bit like freesias or Sparaxis.




We get nut sedge in the garden, too. I pull it out when I see it but haven't gotten rid of it all. Another thing that is really invasive in the yard is vinca. It came with the house and keeps on spreading. It is now the 'ground cover' in the rose garden, where it isn't too much of a pain, but it has gotten into the vegetable garden. Maybe the vinca and nut sedge can duke it out in the garden. ;-) The vegetable garden is also full of Bermuda grass. The garden was once a Bermuda grass lawn. We've tried to get rid of it but it keeps coming back. I just live it now and pull it out in the planting holes and figure that it keeps the paths from being muddy. It's kine of weird to have to mow the vegetable garden, but that's the way it is. (It's just a small plot. We just have a '60s tract home lot.) Most everything that is invasive in our yard I've seen naturalized in the wild, though not necessarily really invasive. I'm sure the dry season keeps it in check. My favorite naturalized things to come across are English walnut and Iris pallida. Neither is invasive here. I enjoy seeing these remnants of the past.

Out in the wild, mustard and wild oats are probably the most wide spread invasives and they seem to be here to stay. Grazing or lack of grazing and fire or lack of fire doesn't seem to faze them as far as I can see. We have yellow star thistle, too, but it isn't everywhere. I'd say Italian thistle is more widespread along trails and fire roads. Milk thistle is bad in places, too.

We have most of that here and then some. Since Hamilton Square is a public space I'm more motivated to mitigate the "Weeds" by pulling them up. We don't mulch many of the beds because some of the native bees are ground nesters and thats what our resident entomologist out of UC Berkley recomends. The foothills around here are full of Scotch Broom and non-native Blackberry. Do you have those? Envy you your zone. I was born at Longbeach moved before i could remeber. Been back in California here is Sac since 81' and its starting to get a little to crowded for me but not yet like the southern cal area. thanks for the info and picture. I wonder what polinates your Chasmanthe?This is Me In the Toyon at old family property outside Nevada City. Checking out the crop for our Christmass wreath making. Taken november tenth and it was still shorts weather at 2700'. Yes its Mr Leslie Ray Hurlburt. LOL

We have some kind of broom but I think it is Spanish broom. The blackberry that I've been seeing is the native one. Himalaya berry is supposed to be around but I haven't seen it.

You're right about it being crowded down here but it seems to be my destiny to be here. Thank goodness for all of the parks in the local Santa Monica Mountains and the beaches of western Malibu that are uncrowded.

I don't know what pollinates my chasmanthe but it is very fertile. I'll have to take pictures for the Plant Database.

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Should have previewed it. Yes thanks for thows get aways to keep us connected ot the real world.