2 minute read
Dudleya Deluge
By Charlotte Grenier, Rare Plant Technician
March 21, 2024
It was another lush spring field trip to the Sierra Nevada foothills. After several hours of unsuccessful scouting for our target species from this year’s Bureau of Land Management list (which includes 34 rare species), we called it a day. As we came around the corner, golden hour was illuminating a majestic waterfall and a perfect camping spot surrounded by silver bush lupine (Lupinus albifrons var. collinus). Suddenly we are feeling more hopeful of what tomorrow could bring.
March 22, 2024
As the sun rose, our search continued. We followed a meandering trail and found ourselves at the top of the waterfall. And there, to where our eyes were drawn the night before, we were greeted by my favorite of our target species: the canyon liveforever (Dudleya cymosa). It was sprouting from the granite, bountiful blooms amongst lichens and mosses. However, we must wait to collect the seeds. So, we made a note to return in June.*
*Click here to read more about our adventures with the Seeds of Success Program, including a tale of being chased by wildfire!
