​Did you know that about 75% of all flowering plant species need the help of animals to move pollen grains for fertilization? Pollination is an essential process in sustaining a functioning ecosystem. The work of pollination is shared by a variety of different pollinators including bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, bats, ants, wasps, and some small mammals.
 
Irvine Ranch Conservancy works consistently to protect and restore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. IRC grows more than 50 native plant species on the Native Seed Farm in Irvine, attracting a variety of local pollinators. We use the seed grown at the Native Seed Farm for restoration projects across the Landmarks, where pollinators play their role to help these native species thrive in the wild. Even with the hard work of IRC staff and volunteers, local pollinators can still use your help to keep our native wildlands thriving. 

Many visitors to the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks get an instant mood boost from seeing the beautiful springtime colors of wildflowers blanketing the hills. If you’re not a botanist, you might have wondered what some of the colorful species dotting the landscape are called. Some are less easy to identify, but a standout beauty is the arroyo lupine. Impress your friends with your botanical knowledge the next time you’re out on the trail.

Part of the pea family, this vibrant purple bloom has a recognizably lupine shape, with clusters of flowers forming a narrow, tapering bloom. Arroyo lupine is native to California and does well in a number of habitats, including the chaparral habitat found in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, and is more water-tolerant than other lupine family members. It is one of the more than 50 species grown at Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm, where it is used along with other native plants for restoration projects. Lupines are attractive to pollinators like bees, birds and butterflies. Arroyo lupine’s water tolerance and appeal to pollinators makes it a great choice for a home garden. ​

​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.