San Bruno Mountain: An Ark of Diversity
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.
Botany
How the Mistakenly Named “Himalayan” Blackberry Became a California Summer Tradition
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...
The Tree That’s Rare, Endangered and Common
Should we worry about the Monterey pine going extinct?
Naturalist’s Notebook: Irises Through Time
Try tracking a single iris over time.
Can California Reverse Biodiversity Decline?
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...
Live Biodiversity
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...
Dutchman’s Pipe is the Only Pipevine Native to California
Aristolochia californica can be found in Northern and Central California.
Tree Detectives
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?
What are some the biological consequences of climate change in Northern California?
California Funds Seed-Banking as Hedge Against Climate Change
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...
