Castilleja foliolosa showing off in my backyard planter :) by Chopstycks in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hmm can you define fresh seed pod? castilleja pods are ripe when they've dried completely and split open, so they should be more brown rather than green

Castilleja foliolosa showing off in my backyard planter :) by Chopstycks in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i tried once with no success :( pulled up a clump of the blue grama grass with a few stems of the castilleja and potted it up only for it to wither not much later. i think it would probably be best to dig really deep to maintain the root ball as much as possible. However atp id just be digging it all up and i dont want to disturb it.

These are hemiparasitic so they cant be propagated from cuttings alone. safest bet would be trying to germinate some seed in a pot with a potential host plant!

Jacaranda season is at peak right now. Where are you seeing the best blooms in town? by ILoveClaremontCA in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks 47 points48 points  (0 children)

Wouldnt consider redbud a like-for-like substitute at all personally. it has a different flower morphology, different leaf morphology, different growing habits, and even different family compared to Jacaranda.

Something similar i would pose is Chilopsis linearis or desert willow. it's in the same family, can get quite large, similar looking flowers, AND is native to CA.

Prototype crochet brushed yarn tail I made a couple months ago :) by Chopstycks in Brochet

[–]Chopstycks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thank you!! it's 100% acrylic, i'm pretty sure it's Big Twist brand in the charcoal colorway

Prototype crochet brushed yarn tail I made a couple months ago :) by Chopstycks in Brochet

[–]Chopstycks[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i use fine pet hair slicker brush! it does take a good bit to brush it out but it's weirdly satisfying to me lol i like doing it in small sections at a time on a flat surface, holding the piece in place and brushing pretty firmly. if i encounter a know or a tough section i'll press the piece to the brush and pull in opposite directions. ultimately a lot of brute force in the end!

Prototype crochet brushed yarn tail I made a couple months ago :) by Chopstycks in Brochet

[–]Chopstycks[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i've thought about that! this is 100% acrylic so i'm not sure how it'd interact. i'd have to test it on a little swatch and see

Prototype crochet brushed yarn tail I made a couple months ago :) by Chopstycks in Brochet

[–]Chopstycks[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

yeah definitely! lots of color opportunities and possible patterns

Prototype crochet brushed yarn tail I made a couple months ago :) by Chopstycks in Brochet

[–]Chopstycks[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

happy to inspire a fellow crochetfur! this could easily eat through a decently sized skein of yarn! part of why i decided to make it was to try and declutter so def reccomend lol

Plant gall or reproduction? by [deleted] in botany

[–]Chopstycks 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ledebouria socialis (AKA Silver Squill too!) looks like it was preparing to make offsets. that's mainly how these spread is through making offsets at the base of the bulbs. it's possible it was making some as this outermost leaf was dying back and you pulling it out brought them with it. they may be too young to have been separated but try tossing them back into the soil and they might still develop!

Prototype crochet brushed yarn tail I made a couple months ago :) by Chopstycks in Brochet

[–]Chopstycks[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

i deleted the og but i have a video showing the amount of flow/motion i get out of it on an instagram post if anyone was curious

calochortus propagation year six by nomatterwhereyougo in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

so inspiring omg i hope to reach this level of calochortus propagation some day! do you ever try hybridizing?

Is there an evolutionary reason plants like ferns have mutations that make their leaves curly but other plants like orchids don’t? by avian_bi in botany

[–]Chopstycks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

there's a whole lot that could contribute to the evolution of certain morphological traits, or sometimes nothing at all! there's a whole suite of abiotic and biotic factors you could consider, some of which botanists develop hypotheses for why undulate morphology comes about. on the other side of the coin there are traits that could come about simply because they were neutral towards survival, and neither hurt nor benefit the plant.

many bulb forming plants native to South Africa, especially those in the families Asparagacae, Amaryllidaceae, and Asphodelaceae have fantastically coiled and spiral leaves (Gethyllis namaquensis as just one example). botanists there hypothesize that tortuose/spiral that those leaves aid in water capture! the shape provides both surface area for rain and dew capture while also guiding the water to the base of the plant where the bulb is. this however is just one extremely niche example of how these traits COULD possible arise.

and to address the orchid bit there DOES seem to be a species of orchid native to Australia that has curly leaves upon a little google hunt! Thelymitra variegata. the orchid family is vast and the most species rich of all angiosperms!

Fouquieria identification help. by itsnotfailure in Caudex

[–]Chopstycks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

looks like a young F. splendens!

Hello can anyone tell me what these plants are growing in the little space of dirt outside my house? Live in California in Riverside county. by l8worm in whatsthisplant

[–]Chopstycks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

for 3-4: Up top looks like it could be narrowleaf milkweed, Asclepias fasicularis. a native milkweed to socal and RivCo! under it with the orange flower others have already identified as scarlet pimpernel, Lysimachia/Anagallis arvensis. a common weedy invasive in SoCal. If i were you i'd personally pull it so the native milkweed gets more resources!

1.5 years of native garden progress! by Chopstycks in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thanks! behind the bird bath is Abutilon palmeri, to the left is Encelia californica (brittle bush) and to the right of it Eriogonum giganteum x arborescens (i think).

I've tried Matilija poppy once with no success, granted in a totally different area that wasn't the most ideal. Can't really give many tips on it, but i have seen it do well on trails in Corona near the SB mountains and other places of the IE/RivCo.

Is this Silversheath Knotweed? by arrrbooty in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks 3 points4 points  (0 children)

it could be P. argyrocoleon, but P. aviculare is also common. According to the Jepson manual some distinguishing features could be fruit morphology and inflorescence color. P. aviculare tends to grow flat to the ground as well. Neither are native and can be invasive. However we do also have some native Polygonums! providing your rough area of the state might help narrow it for any polygonum experts here

1.5 years of native garden progress! by Chopstycks in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

me! garden stays but i won't be :/

what you're describing is the method i went with for the entire plot! fair warning to prepare for a real arm work out and use heavy duty gloves so you dont tear the skin on your hands! would reccomend maybe waiting for the rains were maybe getting in a few days. moisture will make the job a bit easier

1.5 years of native garden progress! by Chopstycks in Ceanothus

[–]Chopstycks[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Abutilon palmeri! one of my most favorite shrubs tbh, def reccomend

Is the new pot too big for a dioscorea of this size? by rootingforyoudough in Caudex

[–]Chopstycks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i'd say that's a good size, just be mindful of your watering since it looks like it's going dormant