Showing posts with label x: Pacific Grove City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label x: Pacific Grove City. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Thursday, March 31, 2011
California flannel bush / California fremontiaFremontodendron californicum ssp. californicum
Malvaceae (formerly Sterculiaceae)
posted 04/07/11 - More often than not I see flannel bushes in yards and on the side of the highways where they're obviously planted and could be cultivars. I don't remember ever seeing them growing out in the wild. For the purposes of this Nature ID blog, they should probably be considered garden flowers. According to the records for Monterey County, it looks like they grow in the Santa Lucia Mountains where I rarely go hiking and may not for a while considering Highway 1 collapsed around the Rocky Creek area 3 weeks ago. For those out of the area and are considering visiting Big Sur this summer, you may want to check that the highway has been fixed beforehand.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Kool-Aid bush ~ 04/06/10 ~ Pacific Grove
Kool-Aid bushPsoralea pinnata
Fabaceae
At the Easter shindig, we met Michelle who tends this B&B's garden. She told us to stop and smell this tree since it only blooms for a short period of time. Considering the heavy rains we had Sunday night, I'm surprised the tree had any blooms left at all. She gave me the scientific name, but my auditory memory is incredibly poor - I need to take the hint from all the moms out there and carry around a notepad so I can take notes of things I want to remember. Next time I see Michelle, I'll make sure to correct the ID for this post.
ps 05/25/13 - I initially posted this as "Soon to be ID'd fragrant, flowering tree", and have finally gotten around to correcting the ID. Michelle has since taken out this older tree and allowed one of its seedlings to grow in its place. The only other spot I remember seeing this bush anywhere around here is on the way to the Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach where we went last spring for a fundraiser. I'm thinking if it's not in bloom, I'd hardly give it a second look. This garden plant hails from South Africa.
ps 05/25/13 - I initially posted this as "Soon to be ID'd fragrant, flowering tree", and have finally gotten around to correcting the ID. Michelle has since taken out this older tree and allowed one of its seedlings to grow in its place. The only other spot I remember seeing this bush anywhere around here is on the way to the Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach where we went last spring for a fundraiser. I'm thinking if it's not in bloom, I'd hardly give it a second look. This garden plant hails from South Africa.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
arboreal salamander ~ 02/21/10 ~ Pacific Grove
arboreal salamanderAneides lugubris
more information
Plethodontidae
My husband came home from an evening walk and announced he saw what might have been a dead lizard, newt, or salamander on the corner. I tossed on my shoes and ran back out with him to see what he found in the dark.
I was happy to discover this live salamander! My pictures were a bit fuzzy, so I brought him home to take a closer look. The salamander was surprisingly quick and agile.
I'm not 100% positive about my ID here, especially considering that before we looked it up online, I was trying to remember back to my basic biology class in college - something about 4 or 5 toes (lizards, btw!) and what was the difference between newts and salamanders. Haha! I did find this great herp site and from a fellow Pacific Grove resident to boot!
I fell in love with his sets of four moist toes and briefly considered keeping him as a pet. After repeatedly exclaiming how cute he was, even with his missing eye, we let him loose in the park below our balcony by the big oak tree instead of back on the street corner. I likened it to being picked up by a giant and plopped down in Nevada, but I figured he'd be much safer away from cars and evening dog walkers.
May you live long, my cute, one-eyed arboreal salamander!
ps 03/30/14 - After looking at my pictures of another arboreal salamander, I think the toe count is supposed to be 4 in the front and 5 in the back. This individual is missing more than an eye, as its toe count is off. I believe the slender salamanders (Batrachoseps spp.) are the only group with a max of 4 toes in the back. Right?
I was happy to discover this live salamander! My pictures were a bit fuzzy, so I brought him home to take a closer look. The salamander was surprisingly quick and agile.
I'm not 100% positive about my ID here, especially considering that before we looked it up online, I was trying to remember back to my basic biology class in college - something about 4 or 5 toes (lizards, btw!) and what was the difference between newts and salamanders. Haha! I did find this great herp site and from a fellow Pacific Grove resident to boot!
I fell in love with his sets of four moist toes and briefly considered keeping him as a pet. After repeatedly exclaiming how cute he was, even with his missing eye, we let him loose in the park below our balcony by the big oak tree instead of back on the street corner. I likened it to being picked up by a giant and plopped down in Nevada, but I figured he'd be much safer away from cars and evening dog walkers.
May you live long, my cute, one-eyed arboreal salamander!
ps 03/30/14 - After looking at my pictures of another arboreal salamander, I think the toe count is supposed to be 4 in the front and 5 in the back. This individual is missing more than an eye, as its toe count is off. I believe the slender salamanders (Batrachoseps spp.) are the only group with a max of 4 toes in the back. Right?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Cooper's iceplantDelosperma cooperi
Aizoaceae
This particularly bright ice plant was in someone's yard. These flowers are slightly bigger and more purple than what's found along the rec trail past Lover's Point. While it adds a splash of color to PG during the spring, I can't say that I'm in love with this plant.
ps 11/21/10 - For more information, also known as vygies, check out the maX files.
ps 11/21/10 - For more information, also known as vygies, check out the maX files.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
lion's tail / wild daggaLeonotis leonurus
Lamiaciae
I saw several of these around the neighborhood, but I don't even know where to begin looking up what it is. It looks like something from S. Africa.
ps 09/09/09 - We walked this evening and I couldn't believe that these were STILL blooming all around town, in September!!! Even if it's a non-native, I can see why anybody would like to have it in their garden.
pss 04/18/10 - Now that I know better, the comment from September may be the START of the bloom, not necessarily still blooming.
pss 07/29/10 - Hmm... I see this blooming around town right now. Can it really bloom all year long?
pss 11/07/10 - Thanks to Sue in the comments below, I now have an ID for this unknown. I've added the common name, scientific name, and embedded links above. I believe it's a non-native from South Africa, but since I've only seen them in gardens I don't count it as a wildflower.
ps 09/09/09 - We walked this evening and I couldn't believe that these were STILL blooming all around town, in September!!! Even if it's a non-native, I can see why anybody would like to have it in their garden.
pss 04/18/10 - Now that I know better, the comment from September may be the START of the bloom, not necessarily still blooming.
pss 07/29/10 - Hmm... I see this blooming around town right now. Can it really bloom all year long?
pss 11/07/10 - Thanks to Sue in the comments below, I now have an ID for this unknown. I've added the common name, scientific name, and embedded links above. I believe it's a non-native from South Africa, but since I've only seen them in gardens I don't count it as a wildflower.
happy wanderer ~ 01/31/09 ~ Pacific Grove
Fabaceae
This is in our neighbor's yard and I have no idea what it is. If she wasn't so aloof, I'd ask her.
ps 02/18/10 - Thanks to visiting a friend today who's renovating her garden, I discovered that this is called "happy wanderer" which was enough to search on google. Previously I labeled it "unknown purple flowering bush."
ps 02/18/10 - Thanks to visiting a friend today who's renovating her garden, I discovered that this is called "happy wanderer" which was enough to search on google. Previously I labeled it "unknown purple flowering bush."
golden wattle ~ 01/31/09 ~ Pacific Grove
golden wattle / acacia treeAcacia longifolia
Fabaceae
Finally found what this is! I'm thinking this might be the same bright yellow one sees on massive trees along Hwy 1 between Watsonville and Aptos this time of year. Having spent 9 years in Ohio, it strikes me that January "should be" too early to see spring yellows.
