Explore the wide variety of native plants in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

From the towering chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) to the miniscule California plantain (Plantago erecta), the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks is home to a large number of unique and sometimes rare native plants. Native Plant Week, which is April 16-24, celebrates these species that support a diverse collection of local wildlife. 

​Not surprisingly, the Landmarks contain a wide variety of plant communities, including coastal sage scrub, chaparral, valley grassland, oak woodland and riparian forest – all home to many native plants. Native plants are species that are indigenous to a certain area, and have not been introduced by human activity. In the Landmarks, some of the most common native plants include California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), laurel sumac (Malosma laurina), and purple needle grass (Stipa pulchra).

Tecate cypress seedlings planted at the Fremont Canyon Staging Area need volunteer support to thrive.
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The rare Tecate cypress needs fire to reproduce. The seed cones use fire as an ecological trigger to know when to release the seeds, a process which optimally happens every 30 years or longer. When mature trees burn, the cones pop open, and the seeds are released, germinate and become seedlings to replace the mature trees. However, if another fire happens before the young plants can mature, the grove is destroyed before new seeds can be produced.

From the dark leaves of coastal scrub oak and black sage, to the bright hues of coyote brush and coastal prickly pear cactus, St. Patrick’s Day green is a common color around the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks this time of year. Recent rains and the winter season – when native plants come out of dormancy – have made the green shades even more prominent.
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There are a variety of activities out on the Landmarks the week of St. Patrick’s Day to spot green in full force, whether during a fast-paced hike, an interactive outdoor adventure or volunteer opportunities giving back.

Celebrate the new farm’s opening by planting seedlings that will be harvested for future habitat restoration.

The New Year brings new beginnings for all, and 2016 is off to an exciting start with the opening of an expanded Native Seed Farm. The original 12-acre farm, created in 2009, has relocated and expanded to 14 acres, with 8 acres of growing area ready to be planted. You can help get the new farm site off the ground by planting seedlings that will be harvested for future habitat restoration projects throughout the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

Winter is the optimal season for native species planting, and 15,000 native plant seedlings need to be in the ground at the new farm site by the end of February. Public support has been crucial to the farm’s success from day one, and will continue at the new site with twice-weekly volunteer opportunities tailored to fit each season. Irvine Ranch Conservancy staff have spent the past year planning and preparing the site, and now members of the community have a unique chance to plant tiny seedlings that will have a huge impact on successful habitat restoration.