​Q&A with Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator Rachel Lambert, Part 2

Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator, Rachel Lambert, is giving us an inside look at what species are growing on the Farm this year and other behind-the-scenes information. Make sure to catch the first part of this interview, which was published last week!
 
What flower species are planted on the Native Seed Farm this year?
This year we’re growing over 50 native species including American bird's-foot trefoil, Strigose lotus, Bicolored/mini lupine, Wishbone bush, Vinegarweed, Deerweed, Winecup clarkia, Purple owl's clover, White pincushion, Yellow pincushion, Cobweb thistle, Common cryptantha, Slender buckwheat, California poppy, California goldfields, Chick lupine, Arroyo lupine, Parry's phacelia,
California plantain, Coastal tidy tips, Smallhead clover, Littleseed Mhuly, Coastal sagebrush, California buckwheat, White sage, Black sage, Coastal Prickly Pear Cactus, Palmer's goldenbush, Menzie's goldenbush, Ragweed, California mugwort, Woolypod milkweed, Narrow-leaf milkweed, California brome grass, Common sand aster, California croton, Sticky monkeyflower, Blue wildrye, California fuschia, Leafy daisy, Longstem buckwheat, Common sun rose, Cliff aster, California melic grass, Longleaf/Silverleaf lupine, Branching phacelia, California bee plant, Western blue-eyed grass, Goldenrod, Giant needle grass, Foothill needle grass, One-sided blue grass, Goldenstars, Orange fiddlenecks, and Schoolbells.
 
What flowers are currently in bloom?
Wishbone bush (Mirabilis laevis) which has magenta blossoms that only open in the afternoon. California poppies (Eschscholzia californic) are at full steam and Arroyo lupines (Lupinus succulentus) just started! California goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis) are little tiny yellow flowers, like daisies but smaller than a penny, and Orange fiddlenecks (Amsinckia intermedia) will start to bloom soon!

​Q&A with Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator Rachel Lambert, Part 1
 
The first day of spring is just around the corner and Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm is starting to show signs of color! Every year the Farm grows more than 50 native species that will be harvested for seed and used to help restore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator, Rachel Lambert, is giving us an inside look at what species are growing on the Farm this year and other behind-the-scenes information. Check back next week for Part 2 of this interview.
 
What is the process of deciding which species will be planted each year?
It's a long and thoughtful conversation back and forth between the restoration site managers and the Farm manager--we call it making a "plant palette." Like a color palette in home decor, these are the array of species that we will be painting the hillside with! But it's not about looks, it's about function.

What do food, wildflowers, and modern medicine have in common? They all rely, to varying degrees, on pollinators for their success. Pollinators are an essential part of the ecosystems in Orange County. In addition to pollinating locally grown crops like avocados, oranges and strawberries, they are necessary for the reproduction of almost all the wildflowers that are on display this Spring on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Pollinators are estimated to be responsible for at least a third of human food production and are crucial to the survival of flowering plants all over the world.
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Mary Nolan, a volunteer with Irvine Ranch Conservancy since 2015, leads programs at the Conservancy’s one-of-a-kind Native Seed Farm to teach the public more about pollination. Mary explains that the work of pollination is shared by bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, bats, birds and even the wind! Mary says pollination occurs when its practitioners “visit flowers to drink nectar or feed off of pollen and transport pollen grains as they move from spot to spot.” This ensures proliferation of the species. While pollination is often a byproduct of an animal’s natural feeding behavior on a flower, it is an incredibly important process that affects the entire food chain.

Spring is officially upon us and wildflower blooms are in full effect across the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks! In case you missed it, Irvine Ranch Conservancy shared a collection of wildflowers that can be seen across the Landmarks during the #WhereTheWildFlowersAre social media takeover. From March 15 - 21, the Conservancy’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were blooming with color as each post highlighted some of the most common local wildflowers.
 
The #WhereTheWildflowersAre social media takeover featured 24 different local wildflowers and gave wildflower fans an easily accessible way to explore the outdoors and inspire outdoor enthusiasts to get out and spot these local blooming beauties. Wildflowers like Arroyo Lupine, Bush Sunflowers, Common Fiddlenecks and the popular super bloom California Poppies were just a few of the species that were featured during the virtual tour. Check out a few posts below with fun facts about local wildflowers.
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Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria biflora) - Named for the color of its flowers, the Chocolate Lily is most often found on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks in Chaparral areas.

​Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm helps wildflowers bloom across the Landmarks
 
Spring hasn’t sprung just yet, but signs of the coming season are already appearing across the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. With the abundance of rain this year and Southern California sunshine, wildflowers are already beginning to bloom, bringing pops of color to Orange County. Irvine Ranch Conservancy staff and volunteers do their part in helping wildflowers flourish through restorative efforts on the Irvine Ranch Conservancy Native Seed Farm.
 
The Native Seed Farm has two goals: give the local community a way to connect with the land and provide a reliable source of quality plant material for restoration projects. The 14-acre farm is a sustainable way for the Conservancy to help restore thousands of acres of native habitat throughout the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Certified staff and volunteers are key to the operation of the Native Seed Farm, helping to grow and tend to a custom mix of native plants like wildflowers, then harvesting the seed for use on the Landmarks.