False Lily-of-the-Valley

False lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum dilatatum) is another plant that grows in abundance in the redwood forest and some other areas. It seems to like shade. Sometimes it covers the ground like a thick green carpet. It seems to grow in groups, like sorrel: I have not seen any isolated plant. This lily has beautiful shiny rounded leaves with a distinctive corner. In fact, the leaves look a lot like wild ginger. Unfortunately as for the moment of this writing I was not able to find any wild ginger and photograph it, but when I do, be assured that I will post a picture as soon as I find one, as I have read that wild ginger grows in the redwood forest. The leaves of ginger are not shiny though but matte.

So this is the carpet that false lily-of-the-valley forms on the forest floor:

False lily-of-the-valley

And here's a close-up of the plants. The plant just started to bloom so I don't have a picture of the flowers yet.

False lily-of-the-valley (close-up)

False lily-of-the-valley used to belong to lily family (Liliaceae). It does not look much like (real) lily-of-the-valley, though there is some similarities in leaves. The flowers are totally different. However phylogenetic research moved the plant to the Asparagus family (Asparagaceae).

Candy Flower

So now I am going to show you another resident plant that is often found in the redwood forest. The flower of that plant looks amazingly similar to redwood sorrel's and you have to look very close to tell the difference.

The plant is called candy flower. Like sorrel it has 5 petals, white in color but with deep purple veins. If you look close, you'll notice that candy flower's petals are more narrow and are cleft at the outside edge. The leaves of these two plants are also quite different, in fact, leaves are enough to tell them apart. Candy flower has lily-like round double leaves wrapped around the stem.

Candy flower among redwood sorrels

Yes, to add to the confusion, they also grow in the same patch, like in the picture above.

And here's the picture of redwood sorrel again, so you can see the difference:

Redwood sorrel

Notice the sorrel has more rounded leaves. In fact, they belong to different plant families. Redwood sorrel (oxalis oregana) belongs to sorrel family or Oxalidaceae. Candy flower (claytonia sibirica) belongs to  Portulacaceae or purslane family. In fact, one of the names for it is pink purslane.

Redwood Sorrel

Now I am going to show you some typical plants that grow in the redwood forest. We live fairly close to several of these forests, including the famous Avenue of the Giant - the oldest redwood grove on the planet. Lots of trees have been logged of a long time ago but fortunately what we have left is a National Park so it's protected from further logging.

 A path through the redwood forest

Redwood forest is a peculiar environment. They like cool (but not cold) damp climate with high moisture in the air. They like fog. They don't like any other trees: seldom you see some other tree species besides redwoods. As a result, there are not that many plant species that are found in the redwood forest. We shall make an attempt to identify as many as we can.

So we'll start with redwood sorrel (oxalis oregana), the most abundant plant on the forest floor. The leaves look very similar to oxalis or yellow wood sorrel that grows both in Southern California and in the north. Here is the picture of redwood sorrel meadow:

Redwood sorrel (oxalis oregana)

The leaves close when exposed to sunlight and open again when in the shade. The movement only takes a few minutes.

 Closed leaves of redwood sorrel. Notice the bright sunlight.

And here is the picture of redwood sorrel close-up with a flower:

Blooming redwood sorrel

And here is an extreme close-up for sorrel flower. I managed to get a pretty good shot .

Redwood sorrel flower close-up

It has small flower, white in colour but covered with purple veins so it looks pinkish. The leaves grow in triplets and fold down in the sun to preserve moisture. The plant really loves shade and moist areas as I don't remember seeing it in sunny patches though it can tolerate some sunshine.

Here is the picture of oxalis or yellow wood sorrel. As you can see, the leaves are quite similar.

 Oxalis stricta or yellow wood sorrel 

Update. I found another oxalis plant right in town on somebody's lawn. The leaves and flowers are definitely that of oxalis, only this time the flowers are pink. They seem to be oddly out of place.

 Pink sorrel (oxalis articulata)

There is another plant that grows in redwood forest with a flower that looks stunningly similar to redwood sorrel. Just the flower, the leaves look quite different. Stay tuned for the next post to find out what it is.

Mugwort

Mugwort, also known as artemisia, is an interesting plant. It is known mainly for its medicinal purposes. It grows wild pretty much everywhere. The leaves smell really good when crushed.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

Note that there are several varieties of Artemisia genus. The most common are Artemisia californica (coastal sagebrush) and this Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort).

Bedstraw

Bedstraw is a wild plant that grows in wild areas. I saw it in Southern California but I don't know about the other regions. It's not as common as mustard. The plant itself is rather small but it's enlarged on the photograph.

 Bedstraw in Felicita Park, Escondido

Camomile

Wild camomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Camomile is a common medicinal plant common for soothing properties. It's great for making infusions to  help you relax and sleep better. The yellow flower exudes a very nice scent when crushed between fingers. It can be also dried and preserved for future use.

But the most peculiar thing about this plant is it likes to be stamped on. You notice it always grows on the sides of the roads and trails, occasionally right in the middle of the road.And when you step on it it springs right back.

There are two common varieties: German or wild camomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and Roman or English camomile (Chamaemelum nobile). Notice that white petals can be present in both varieties.

In America the most common variety is without petals, in Europe the more common species have white petals around a yellow middle.

 Roman camomile

  Roman camomile

Wild radish

Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) belongs to the mustard family and there is indeed strong family resemblance. Radish looks a lot like mustard, only the radish's flowers are purple and mustard's are yellow. There are also some species with white flowers, which are the cross between the two.

Wild radish leaves

Like mustard, radish grows everywhere. It is an edible plant: you can harvest young leaves and boil them twice and that will make a nice side dish for boiled or baked potatoes.

Like mustard, radish plant is found everywhere. It does not mind desert heat though it prefers moderate climate.