Spent the weekend pulling a dense hundred foot stretch of scotchbroom ( scorparius) growing along a road berm, in a watershed that until recently has been remarkably free of invasive plants. Scotchbroom is not only a fire hazard, invasive, poisonous to live stock, (deer are smart enough not to eat it) it also messes with the soil pH. It makes soil in my area so acidic almost nothing but moss will grow. After eradication, soil can take years to recover. It screws up phosphate availability, and i suspect it puts out allopathic chemicals in it roots to deter other plants. I eradicated a patch 20 years ago, and today the only thing growing there is moss.
Scotchbroom removal can be daunting, especially using an old school, clunky, extremely heavy weed wrench. Id been thinking about what to try planting in place of the scotchbroom. What kept popping into my mind was Toyon, and perhaps Ceanothus douglisiana. Toyon sprouts easily if you soak them in hot water overnight. I had no idea if they'd take but thought I'd try.
I started pulling scotchbroom, exposing the mostly barren soil beneath, but i noticed a few other green seedlings scattered among the broom. Curious I looked to see what species they were, I discovered they were Toyon, and a solitary ceanothus douglisiana.
I swear the plants in my watershed talk to me, telling me what to plant, and where, and I mean this literally , not metaphorically. I ask a question, what should i plant, they answer "Toyon and Ceanothus"
Toyon is a CA native, a beautiful shrub with bright red berries that are an important winter food source for birds. Recommended for landscaping because its relatively fire resistant, and drought tolerant. The flowers of Ceanothus , also known as wild lilac produce an indescribably delicious aroma favored by bees.
#InvasivePlants #scotchbroom #ScotchbroomRemoval #CaliforniaNativePlants #toyon #CeanothusDouglisiana #AcidicsoilpH #plantcommunication
Scotchbroom before and after day 1, toyon seedlings
