The plants that grow on this 2,400-acre island amid a sea of city—including these four endemic manzanita species—help make San Bruno Mountain a world biological hotspot.
San Bruno Mountain: An Ark of Diversity
January 3, 2021 •
Botany
The study and science of plants.
How the Mistakenly Named “Himalayan” Blackberry Became a California Summer Tradition
July 7, 2020 •
With five to seven leaves resembling outstretched fingers on the palm of a hand, the blackberry Rubus armeniacus grows from curved, blood-red stalks resembling veins. Sonoma County horticulturalist Luther Burbank acquired the seeds in 1885 from a trader in India, … Read more
The Tree That’s Rare, Endangered and Common
June 21, 2020 •
Should we worry about the Monterey pine going extinct?
Naturalist’s Notebook: Irises Through Time
June 21, 2020 •
Try tracking a single iris over time.
Can California Reverse Biodiversity Decline?
March 24, 2020 •
At a time when development is paving over habitat and climate change is transforming ecosystems at an unprecedented pace, California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot says the state has a moral imperative to focus on biodiversity.
Live Biodiversity
March 24, 2020 •
There’s a certain predictable expression that frequently settles on the face of the friend or family member I’m talking to when I say the word “biodiversity.” I’d call it tolerantly bored.
Dutchman’s Pipe is the Only Pipevine Native to California
January 6, 2020 •
Aristolochia californica can be found in Northern and Central California.
Tree Detectives
January 6, 2020 •
The Northern California black walnut led scientists into a genetic mystery: is this a rare tree, or a common one?
As Temperatures Change, What Organisms Move North to California?
September 18, 2019 •
What are some the biological consequences of climate change in Northern California?
California Funds Seed-Banking as Hedge Against Climate Change
September 16, 2019 •
California is a world biodiversity hot spot. Full stop. Roughly 32 percent of the nation’s native plants are found in California, and those 6,500 species provide habitat that supports the state’s multitude of wildlife. To protect that biodiversity as the … Read more