Purple Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevidensis) attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and a wide range of feeding insects and birds.
Tweet Street park on Cortez Hill has a sign with some very useful information. It shows shrubs and trees that attract local San Diego birds and butterflies.
Please refer to the information on the sign and my photo captions. As you can see, some of these plants are native to San Diego. All are beautiful and would fit nicely in most San Diego gardens. And all naturally attract winged life. Even in the heart of the big city.
A sign at the Tweet Street linear park on Cortez Hill, a neighborhood in downtown San Diego. It shows beautiful plants that attract local birds and butterflies.Jacaranda (Jacaranda acutifolia) is a flowering tree that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. The trees host insects that are a food supply for insectivorous birds such as finches.Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is a San Diego native. White flowers in March attract hummingbirds and butterflies. In winter, red berries are food for many different birds.Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora “Samuel Sommer”) provides shade and perches for birds. The fragrant white flowers attract bees and hummingbirds.Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii “Purple Passion”) has flowers that are a rich source of nectar, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.Ornamental Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) has flowers, fruit and seeds that make a good food source for many birds.Prostrate Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis “Prostratus”) is an herb that attracts bees, butterflies and insects that many birds eat.Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens) is a native clumping grass. It’s abundant with seeds that birds eat. The tall grass tufts also serve as shelter.Rockrose (Cistus “Sunset”) attracts birds and insects with its magenta color and fragrance.Copper Canyon Daisy (Tagetes lemmonii) is native to Mexico. It attracts butterflies most of the year with its strong lemon-mint fragrance.Torch Lily (Kniphofia uvaria) also known as Red Hot Poker, produces sweet nectar that hummingbirds absolutely love.Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus africanus) is a popular perennial that attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds.
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Hikers head from the Kumeyaay Campground at Mission Trails Regional Park toward a shady nature trail that runs beside Kumeyaay Lake.
I enjoyed an amazing walk last weekend at Mission Trails Regional Park. The guided hike met under the flagpoles of the Kumeyaay Campground, and started down a pleasant nature trail at nearby Kumeyaay Lake. The hike then proceeded at a leisurely, easy pace along several trails by the San Diego River, ending up at the Old Mission Dam.
Every month, anyone can go on a variety of free interpretative nature walks at Mission Trails Regional Park. The walks are led by experienced trail guides, who point out the native flora and fauna, and relate the fascinating history of this mountainous wilderness in the city. To learn more check out the park’s website.
Please enjoy my photos and read the descriptive captions to join me on a virtual hike. Not only will you experience natural beauty, but you’ll learn a bit about early San Diego history!
A couple walks slowly along the Kumeyaay Nature Trail, enjoying a beautiful November day.Signs along the nature trail include descriptions of wildlife that can be found around Kumeyaay Lake (once called Hollins Lake). Open water can be glimpsed beyond cattails.At Mission Trails Regional Park, birds of all feathers include quail, gnatcatchers, herons, egrets, ducks, woodpeckers, scrub jays, owls, and the endangered least Bell’s vireo!
The sign includes the following: “Because of our diverse habitats, San Diego County has 486 bird species–more than any other county in the United States! Birds from as far as the tip of South America to north of Siberia pass through, many stopping here either to breed in the summer or to winter in our mild climate.”
Photo of the San Diego River emerging from Kumeyaay Lake. This is near an outdoor amphitheater and fire pit. The park is a perfect place to learn about nature from rangers, and for stargazing at night!An Autumn wildflower at Mission Trails Regional Park.We head from the lake back toward the campground. Our pleasant hike has just begun.Non-native plants can cause serious damage to natural areas and wildlife. Park staff and volunteers work to protect the natural ecosystems.Hiking down the Grasslands Crossing Trail, my guide and I pass over the San Diego River. It has been a typically dry summer, and the pooled water here is still.Leaves and reflections of trees in the quiet water.We spied a wood rat’s nest of twigs and branches near the hiking trail. I learned these nests contain several rooms with different functions, not unlike a human home.Larry the trail guide showed me a photo of a wood rat.Now we are heading along the easy Grasslands Loop Trail, following the north bank of the San Diego River. Riparian trees such as willows, sycamores and cottonwoods thrive along the river.Mountain bikers enjoy a warm, sunny morning at Mission Trails Regional Park.Approaching an overlook of the Old Mission Dam.Photo of the Old Mission Dam from the north. The dam was built around 1813 and powered a water wheel that drove a grist mill. A tiled flume brought water to Mission San Diego de Alcala, about five miles away.Families play on the rocks near the Old Mission Dam at Mission Trails Regional Park.Lush trees along the San Diego River. Autumn leaves have yellowed a bit.We have descended onto Oak Canyon Trail, and are working our way down to the river and the historic dam.Standing on the north end of the Old Mission Dam. Materials used in constructing the dam include abundant volcanic rock found in this area.A slot in the dam wall where a water wheel was located. The river water, after driving the wheel, flowed along a tile-lined aqueduct south to the mission, where it was used to grow crops.Walking along the Oak Canyon Trail. Mission Trails Regional Park is like a small wilderness inside the city of San Diego. At 5,800 acres, it’s the largest city park in California.Riparian plants recover quickly after a fire because all are vigorous resprouters as long as they have a steady water supply.Granitic rocks seen along the trail.South Fortuna Mountain, elevation 1094 feet, rises to the south. Its sides are covered with native chaparral and sage scrub.Crossing the San Diego River via a steel footbridge.Looking down at the San Diego River. During rains, the river swells. The water runs down into Mission Valley and finally to the Pacific Ocean, sustaining an estuary near Mission Bay.Larry, my knowledgeable trail guide, informed me that the tiny green vegetation is duckweed, an aquatic plant that floats on the water’s surface.Sign at one end of the Oak Canyon Trail, near the Old Mission Dam.A cool 3-D model of the Old Mission Dam beside the trail. The dam was constructed from granite boulders and limestone mortar. At the gap there was a 12-foot wide floodgate.It’s possible to walk out onto the old dam, but one must be careful!A vertical groove in the dam wall shows where the floodgate used to exist. The dam was completed around 1813, and the long flume to Mission San Diego was completed several years later.Inscription in a boulder dated 1941, by the Daughters of the American Revolution. OLD MISSION DAM. Built 1813-1816. A part of the first permanent irrigation project by Padres and Indians in California.A plaque by the old dam. In memory of Edwin L. Feeley. 1917 – 1971. Artist – Dreamer – Doer who as a gift to his city, moved rocks and people to bring about the restoration of this historic site.Bright fluttering leaves of a river tree growing beside the Father Junipero Serra Trail, a road that leads past the Old Mission Dam.Walking to the parking lot by the Old Mission Dam, also called the Padre Dam.The site is a California historical landmark. A dam and flume system was finished between 1813 and 1816 by Indian laborers and Franciscan missionaries. It provided a reliable source of water for crops and livestock for Mission San Diego de Alcala. The system continued until 1831 when it fell into final disrepair.Beautiful hiking trails, and a fascinating look back at early San Diego and California history await at Mission Trails Regional Park.
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Naturalist Mike Kelly leads a small group of hikers into Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve from the Del Mar Mesa trailhead.
Free guided nature walks in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve introduce the public to unexpected wild beauty in the heart of San Diego. Yesterday I went on one of these easy walks.
Our guide, naturalist Mike Kelly, longtime member of the Friends of Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, has been an advocate working to safeguard this beautiful and historic San Diego canyon for over three decades. He’s a friendly fellow whose knowledge of the canyon’s flora, fauna and fascinating history made for an extremely enjoyable hike.
Years ago, Mike and others fought to save Los Peñasquitos Canyon from development. Their efforts resulted in about half of the canyon being protected. Fortunately, the preserve is connected to other similar natural areas in San Diego through various corridors, allowing wildlife to move about and thrive. Owls, woodpeckers, hawks, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer, even an occasional mountain lion make the canyon their home. Native trees, chaparral, grass and spring flowers are abundant and the source of endless enjoyment.
I learned there are also wildlife tracking hikes, plus night walks, when deer are frequently seen. There are also free guided tours of San Diego’s second oldest residence, which stands near the east end of the preserve, the Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos adobe. To learn about all these wonderful adventures, which are ideal for families, click here.
To learn more about the Friends of Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, click here! Perhaps you’d like to become a member!
The Del Mar Mesa trailhead is located near suburban homes at the north edge of Los Peñasquitos Canyon.A sign posted at the trailhead shows future trails proposed in the Natural Resources Management Plan.Our small group of hikers heads down into the canyon through Coastal Sage Scrub habitat. We are passing California scrub oaks.We headed to Carson’s Crossing before checking out the popular waterfall.Approaching the central part of the long, narrow canyon, which runs from Poway west to Del Mar and the Pacific Ocean. Peñasquitos Creek lies beyond those coast live oaks in the distance.Carson’s Crossing is an historically important spot in Peñasquitos Canyon. Kit Carson crossed the creek here during the Mexican-American War. General Kearny’s US Army of the West was faced with formidable Californio lancers in San Pasqual, and the legendary frontiersman Kit Carson snuck away in the middle of the night to summon reinforcements from San Diego. He knew to come this way. The later 1857 Jackass Mail stagecoach line also ran through the canyon here enroute to San Diego.Heading west through the beautiful canyon in the shade of oaks, sycamores and willows. It’s an easy, pleasant hike.Looking north across a field in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve in late October. Summers are very dry. Many leaves and flowers are now brown, awaiting winter rains.Walking slowly, senses alert. I smell the nearby sagebrush. I hear acorn woodpeckers and quail. I see beautiful clouds.Mike Kelly is a guide and activist whose knowledge of Peñasquitos is deep. Here he shows us some poison oak which is growing a short distance off the trail.A peaceful walk through nature. Over several decades, activists like Mike have worked hard to preserve the canyon and protect it from development. Today it is maintained by volunteers and both the City and County of San Diego.Mike Kelly shows us some California broom. Native American Kumeyaay and pioneers used the plant like a broom for sweeping.Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve is a very popular place for jogging, hiking and mountain biking. Even marathoners use it for training.Now we’re approaching a trail sign and a large rock outcropping, which I learned is volcanic.Sign shows proposed San Diego Trans County Trail, which when completed would run from the Pacific Ocean over the mountains east of San Diego and out to the Salton Sea in the desert.I see lots of prickly pear cacti. Now we are getting close to the popular waterfall!Approaching the Peñasquitos Creek waterfall from the east.Descending rough stone steps to the waterfall. I learned the steps were a project of an Eagle Boy Scout.The small waterfall and its rocky pools are located near the center of Los Peñasquitos Canyon. It is the destination of many hikes. A great place to relax, cool off, and listen to the soothing water.Water spills over rocks. It isn’t Niagara Falls, but it’s wonderful nonetheless.Hikers pause above a pool of water which is captured by large blocks of volcanic rock. When the creek crests, it can rise many feet and submerge this area.A hiker up above seems to walk in the sky.Families wander down a pleasant trail in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. There is much here to see and appreciate. So much to learn.Naturalist Mike Kelly shows us a poisonous flower of Datura. In nature, beauty and danger are often found together. One should be thoughtful when hiking, and be careful to wear sturdy footwear and bring water. We didn’t see any rattlesnakes or mountain lions!
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Visitors at the San Diego Zoo Centennial Festival in Balboa Park learn how rare, threatened and endangered native plants are being saved by the zoo.
Many know how the San Diego Zoo is a world leader in working to protect animal species from extinction. One important task is to store critical genetic material. Their world-renowned Frozen Zoo has been storing cryogenically preserved biological samples since 1976.
When I walked through the San Diego Zoo Centennial Festival in Balboa Park last Saturday, I learned something that really impressed me. Not only is the zoo striving to save the world’s most endangered wild animals, but San Diego Zoo Global has developed an important native plant seed bank, in an effort to conserve rare and threatened local plant species.
The zoo is member of the California Plant Rescue Partnership, whose goal is the long term conservation of wild plant species through seed banks and field work. One of the people with whom I briefly spoke has the job of hiking about San Diego County, searching for and monitoring populations of these rare plant species. What a fantastic job that must be!
The zoo has developed an extensive seed collection. Some native plants being protected are the San Diego golden star Bloomeria clevelandii, Dudleya brevifolia, Monardella stoneana, Comarostaphylis diversifolia ssp. diversifolia, and Corethrogyne filaginifolia var. linifolia, which is commonly called the Del Mar sand aster.
The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research is also working hard to save the Tecate Cypress in Southern California and Baja California, a tree that the rare Thorne’s hairstreak butterfly depends upon. A poster at the zoo’s centennial event helped to explain why this effort is so urgent.
San Diego Zoo Global’s Native Plant Seed Bank and horticulture departments have planted 500 Tecate Cypress trees to establish a field gene bank. (Click to enlarge.)The San Diego Zoo’s conservation efforts extend beyond protecting animal species threatened by extinction. Plants are important, too!
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Cheerful blooms cover Pink Trumpet Trees in Tweet Street Park. The neighborhood park is site of an upcoming spring festival!
This morning, when I saw a large temporary sign on the street outside my front door, I went to investigate. And look what I discovered! A neighborhood spring festival is going to take place on Cortez Hill!
It’s called Jacaranda Spring Thing! (Yes, there are lots of beautiful Jacaranda trees on Cortez Hill. Many can be found in Tweet Street Park where the festival will take place.)
The free outdoor event will feature food trucks, a special Home Depot workshop (about fixing up your outdoor patio), live music, a book truck, a photo booth . . . all sorts of fun stuff!
Okay, are you interested? It takes place on April 16 at Tweet Street Park, along Date Street between 8th and 9th Avenue, from noon to 4pm. Here’s a link with more info. (By registering at that link, the organizers at the Downtown San Diego Partnership can get an idea of how many people might show up.)
A special neighborhood event is coming to beautiful Cortez Hill. The Jacaranda Spring Thing takes place Saturday, April 16, from 12pm-4pm.I love walking along Date Street through sunny Tweet Street, a park dedicated to city birds.Spring is in the air on Cortez Hill. The gentle season brings new life and great natural beauty.
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Heading down the Bayshore Bikeway on Coronado Island, with a bit of downtown San Diego in the background.
My random walks around San Diego are full of surprises. I’m always excited to stumble upon one of those immensely fun sculptures that used to be part of the Urban Trees exhibitions on the Embarcadero.
From 2003 to 2011, seven different Urban Trees projects were funded by the Port of San Diego. Each exhibition featured about 30 unique sculptures, standing downtown at intervals along San Diego Bay. This public artwork was made from a whole range of different materials, including wood, copper, glass, tiles and steel. The fanciful pieces were selected by juried artist competitions, and when the Urban Trees exhibitions came to an end after about one year, many of the creations were sold by the artists to various collectors, institutions, businesses and public entities.
So there are times when I just can’t help smiling, because I happen to encounter one of the transplanted “trees” during a walk.
Perhaps you’ve already seen a few of these highly creative sculptures on my Cool San Diego Sights blog. If not, then click here.
My Bike, by Amos Robinson, 2008. This inventive kinetic sculpture turns in the wind. It was part of the Port of San Diego’s fun Urban Trees 5 exhibition.A steel bicyclist with wildly blowing hair flies through the blue sky past some Southern California palm trees!This colorful sculpture was part of Urban Trees 2. It’s called A Different But Loving Pair, by Cecilia Stanford. It’s made of handmade tile and mosaic.Whimsical public artwork that now stands across the parking lot from the Port of San Diego building on Pacific Highway.Visitors to San Diego’s Embarcadero walk past a looming dragon!Sea Dragon, by artist Deana Mando, 2006. This fantastic creation was part of the Urban Trees 3 exhibition. It’s now seen by many people.My walks around San Diego are frequently interrupted by dragons and other very cool sights!
UPDATE!
Here are a few more photos of three Urban Trees in front of the Cruise Ship Terminal! (I took the following pics in early 2017.)
Three sculptures by the San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal on the Embarcadero were part of Urban Trees exhibitions in past years.Green Fire, Robert Verhees, 2006.Tap Root and Growth, Christopher Lee. I can’t find a year.Orange Tree, Guy and Ellen Mayenobe, 2007.
ANOTHER RANDOM UPDATE!
Some of the Urban Trees that have been acquired by the Port of San Diego are moved around from place to place. I’ve observed that the Sea Dragon was moved to Pepper Park in National City in early 2017.
I’ve also noticed from the window of the trolley that the Fish Tree by Zbigniew Pingot and Tobias Flores, which used to stand with those three other sculptures in front of the Cruise Ship Terminal, is now located in the northwest corner of the Port of San Diego’s parking lot! A Different But Loving Pair no longer occupies that corner of their parking lot! Where it is, I don’t know!
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Seven curving metal palm trees rise into the beautiful San Diego sky at Bayfront Plaza.
These are photographs of “living metal” under changing skies. Since 2008, seven stainless steel abstract palm trees have stood in front of San Diego’s Bayfront Hilton, moving gently on windy days. I’ve taken many photos of these unique sculptures over the years. They were created by artist Ned Kahn.
Wind Palms, Ned Kahn, 2008. Stainless steel kinetic sculptures in front of Hilton San Diego Bayfront.People walk beneath unique tree-like art between the San Diego Convention Center and the Hilton hotel.The silvery, sun-reflecting stainless steel ribbon “leaves” of the Wind Palms move very slightly in the sea breeze.Looking upward at different geometric patterns. The curving fronds rotate when the wind’s direction changes.Seagulls circle high above the palm-like kinetic sculptures on a gray, cloudy day.Walking along near the Hilton, heading toward the edge of San Diego Bay.Shining trees in a cloudless blue sky.
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A fairy puppet and smiling puppeteer pose for my camera in San Diego’s wonder-filled Balboa Park.
I made a magical discovery today during my walk through wonder-filled Balboa Park!
This nice lady was passing by the House of Hospitality with a large fairy puppet, testing it for reactions from kids! I learned her daughter, Julie Otto, creator of Julie’s Puppet Creations, is going to have experimental, larger-than-life puppets featured at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater!
The production is called Whispers of the Forest, and it will be showing at the theater for a two week span, beginning the week before Earth Day. Fun marionettes will be featured, in addition to a 9-foot-tall talking tree, and it sounded to me as if it’s going to be great!
San Diego’s Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater in Balboa Park has showtimes at 11, 1 and 2:30, Wednesday through Sunday.The Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater is a place of magic and fun for kids and warmhearted adults alike!
The silvery curving towers of the Marriott Marquis as seen from across Harbor Drive. The cluster of trees on the right contains a wonderful secret.
I’ve lived in downtown San Diego for years and years. But apparently I still have much to discover. Because I had no idea that the Marriott Marquis on our waterfront has a hidden parklike hollow, in a place where seemingly few people venture.
The quiet green space, with a beautiful lawn, fountain, waterfalls, koi and ducks is partially concealed in an island of trees. You’ll find it set back a short distance from Harbor Drive, at the center of the looping driveway that leads to the Marriott’s front entrance.
There’s no clear footpath to the hollow. But there is a fish food dispenser and a couple of stone benches, and plenty of tranquil beauty. Hotel guests who’d like to unwind and quietly relax have their own secret garden, a place for meditation in the middle of bustling San Diego!
We’ve crossed Harbor Drive and are walking on the driveway, carefully watching for cars and buses.Within the trees there’s a tranquil, inviting green space.Grass, rippling water, and a mixture of shade and sunshine fill a parklike hollow in front of the Marriott Marquis in San Diego.These ducks are enjoying a small artificial stream among some rocks.Two beautiful stone benches invite meditation.The koi wouldn’t mind a bit of food tossed their way!A shining pond reflects the nearby hotel and flagpoles on another pleasant San Diego day.
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A beautiful live oak grove in Balboa Park honors men who died tragically on the USS Bennington in 1905.
Balboa Park is without a doubt one of America’s national treasures. Located just north of downtown San Diego, its 1,200 acres is the home of magnificent museums, gardens, architectural marvels, many recreational facilities and perhaps the world’s most famous zoo. The amazing urban park is so gigantic most visitors see only a small fraction of it. Some out-of-the-way corners of Balboa Park are enjoyed by locals who live nearby; other overlooked areas seem almost forgotten.
The USS Bennington Memorial Oak Grove is one such area. While many drive by it on any given day, as they travel along 26th Street just before it turns into Florida Drive, and a few joggers pass through the shady grove, I’d wager only a handful of San Diegans know of the oak grove’s existence or historical significance.
There are 66 live oak trees in this grove. They were planted to memorialize 66 men killed on the USS Bennington on the morning of July 21, 1905, when the gunboat’s boiler suddenly exploded and the ship nearly sank in San Diego’s harbor. No markers in the grove indicate the significance of the large gnarled oaks. (A 60 foot high granite obelisk stands at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, a memorial to those sailors who died on the USS Bennington. Most of the dead are buried there.)
The USS Bennington was a warship with a long and proud history. Commissioned in 1891, she was the ship that claimed Wake Island for the United States. After the boiler explosion in San Diego Bay, eleven men were awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism.
Earlier this year, when I visited an exhibit in Balboa Park created by The Daughters of the American Revolution San Diego Chapter, I learned the local DAR would like to place plaques in the grove to memorialize the USS Bennington and the men who tragically died. If you, your business or organization would like information about the project, or to help, you might contact them from their page. Should this project come to fruition, I’ll be very pleased to blog about it!
View of the Bennington Memorial Oak Grove from Golden Hill Park, located near Balboa Park’s southeast corner. Balboa Park’s public golf course and Naval Medical Center San Diego are also visible.Wooden footbridge along 26th Street leads to a little-used trail through USS Bennington Memorial Oak Grove in Balboa Park.Beautiful old oak trees memorialize 66 sailors killed in 1905 when the USS Bennington’s boiler exploded in San Diego’s nearby harbor.Looking up through the leaves of the live oak trees at blue sky and clouds.These trees, honoring fallen men, remind us of a sudden tragic moment in San Diego’s military history.A commercial airplane flies overhead as it crosses Balboa Park heading in toward Lindbergh Field.A jogger enjoys the shady old trees on a warm day in early October.
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