President’s Message,
August 2024

by Don BurkPosted onAnnouncements
American white water-lily. D. Burk.
American white water-lily, Nymphaea odorata, is a horticultural escapee. This plant was found in ponds near Clear Creek Road, Redding; the only previous report from Shasta County (outside of horticultural settings) is from the Big Bend area.
Photo taken August 2, 2024, by Don Burk.

It’s been another of our new-normal summers: excessively hot with a tinge of smoke serving as a constant reminder that fire season is far from over.  Whether it is heat, smoke, or simply a lack of volunteers, the Shasta Chapter has mostly been lying low for the summer.  We have no field trips scheduled for August or September.  If you’d like to help fill this void, pick a destination and serve as the coordinator—you don’t need to be a plant expert!  Please contact us at shastacnps@gmail.com to volunteer! 

Corn-cockle. D. Burk.
Corn-cockle, Anthemis arvensis, has been previously reported from two locations near the northern boundary of Shasta County, but was not known from the Redding area or the Sacramento Valley until recently found near Clear Creek Road. Corn-cockle, which has very little scent, is closely related to the strong-smelling mayweed, A. cotula, that is more common in our area.
Photo taken August 2, 2024, by Don Burk.

The good news is that our nursery operation has been thriving despite the summer heat!  Thanks to our first-ever Shasta College student intern, we’re propagating lots of new stock for our fall plant sale.  See Propagation Update: August 2024 for more info.  

Looking forward to September, we expect to have a general membership meeting, possibly featuring an ethnobotany talk.  We are still working on event arrangements and will provide the details on our blog, which will be announced via our September Firecracker eblast.

Chinese thorn-apple fruit. D. Burk.
Chinese thorn-apple, Datura ferox, has an imposing woody capsule! Although a couple other Daturas occur in Shasta County, this species was thought to occur only in Butte County and to the south until it was found along Clear Creek Road. Photo taken August 2, 2024, by Don Burk.

And if you do need a dose of botany before our next Shasta Chapter event, there is still plenty happening, even on the valley floor.  While spring may be the peak season for our wildflowers, summer is the peak season for weeds (as you may have guessed from our photo selection)!  Find a summer-wet habitat and you are likely to find  previously un- or under-reported weeds!  ~Don Burk, President

Crape-myrtle. D. Burk.
Crape-myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, is a common horticultural plant that usually stays where it is planted. This one, however, was growing as a weed in a debris dump north of Clear Creek Road, Redding. Crape-myrtle has not previously been reported in Shasta County outside of horticultural settings.
Photo taken by Don Burk on August 2, 2024.