Native Month: The Secret Life Of Local Plants (Part 1)

Los Angeles might frequently be dismissed as a "desert," but that's not actually accurate. The Militant believes people who tend to use that term are usually transplants want to secretly push a negative image of emptiness, of lifelessness, that there was nothing here to begin with, and therefore this place means nothing.

The truth is, Los Angeles is in a Mediterranean climate zone that is shared by only a handful of places in the world: Southwestern Australia, Southwestern South Africa, the central coast of Chile and the coast regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Is Cannes, France also considered an "empty, lifeless desert?"

The other truth is, before colonization, all of California was a lush paradise filled with an amazing biodiversity. In an example of life imitating art, The Spaniards named this part of the world after a paradside-like island of the same name fron a 16th century novel called Las Sergas de Esplandián by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.

Many of the indigenous plants are gone, either supplanted by introduced species from other parts of the globe or outright torn out by human development. But in our remaining wetlands, meadows and hillsides, they prosper. And thanks to contemporary issues like water conservation and ecological sustainability, California native plants are making a comeback in our parks and frontyards.

The Militant consulted one of his operatives, who started a few native plant gardens in his neighborhood and got a crash course in this whole native plant business. Needless to say, he can't wait to start a native plant garden in his compound!

Nearly all of our native flora are drought-tolerant since their growth cycles are compatible with our dry, rainy and blooming seasons (see, we do have seasons after all). They need no fertilizer since they know the soil. They also prosper by growing roots deep enough into the soil where moisture or a water source is always present. And best of all, they are a source of food, shade and shelter for some of our native insects and animals, being a foundation for our native ecosystem.

The plants in this post are but a sampling of the many varieties of So Cal indigenous flora and is by no means a comprehensive guide. But they are common and/or interesting enough for you to take notice when you spot them.

Native Plants

 
White Sage - This was perhaps the most important native plant to the Tongva and neighboring tribes. Its leaves are burned as incense for ceremonial uses, which is why white hippie/new age types like to rape and pillage the plant in the wild and sell for a profit as smudge sticks (capitalism, yaaaaay). They also provide high medicinal value (usually drunken as a tea), curing everything from coughs to colds to stomach aches. The greenish-grey leaves give off a strong, distinct scent when rubbed. In the Spring, tall flower stalks come from seemingly out of nowhere and bloom, making it a favorite nectar source for bees -- it's also known in its Latin scientific name as "bee sage."

Cleveland Sage - Named after plant collector Daniel Cleveland, this sage (pictured at top of the post), popular with butterflies and hummingbirds, as well as California quails who seek shelter in its bushes, has an etremely pleasent, minty scent from its small green leaves (rub your fingers on one and take a sniff...ahhh). Its purplish-blue flowers bloom from orb-like stalks in the Spring and Summer. Got bedbugs (you know those bloodsucking parasites that East Coast people bring with them)? Take a bunch of Cleveland sage leaves and sprinkle them around your beddings. The sweet scent you smell is downright overpowering for them little critters, and they are naturally repelled by it. NATIVES FTW!

Toyon - This hillside bush with dark, leathery green leaves and spiny edges are common sights in chaparral environments like the Santa Monica Mountains. If you hike Runyon Canyon or Griffith Park, you can't miss them. In the winter, they sprout berries (edible, but not very tasty, unless you're a deer or a bird) and resemble a holly. In fact, the toyon is also called the California Holly, and was the origin of the 9-letter name given to a famous landmark sign, the entertainment industry and an entire community that was built over the Tongva village of Cahugna. For more toyonic talk, check out The Militant's post from Christmas of last year.

Chamise - One of the most common chaparaal (the term "chaps" refers to the sturdy pants one must wear when navigating through the typically spiny plants in that environment) flora, this plant is also highly flammable during fire season due to its resin content. But like all natives, it adapts well to its conditions. In fact, fire is a part of its life cycle and not only germinates following a conflagration, but releases its own toxins into the soil to prevent competitor plants from growing on its turf. This plant is straight up gangsta!

Manzanita - Not just a street in Silver Lake, but a type of plant of varying sizes known for its twisty branches, reddish hard wood trunks, bright floral blooms and berries that resemble tiny apples (hence its name in Español). The Tongva resourcefully used its leaves as toothbrushes, made cider from the berries and tea from its bark to cure stomach maladies. They also used its wood to make utensils and tools. Butterflies and hummingbirds can't get enough of their flowers.

Desert Agave - This succulent plant that's grows primarily in the deser region can also be found in the Los Angeles area, in the more drier corners. This spiny plant lives for about 10-20 years and only flowers once in its lifetime, and then dies. But throughout its lifespan, agave "pups" will spring up from the ground, seemingly multiplying itself. Although agave is associated with tequila, this isn't the same variety that produces the booze (it's possible though, but not very commonplace). But the Tongva and the neighboring Cahuilla tribe used it for food, rops, utensils, weapons, soap and medicine.

Native Trees

Oak  - The Coast Live Oak and the Scrub Oak most common varieties 'round these here parts. These trees were (and still are, relatively speaking), still numerous in the region, enough that places like Encino (Español for oak) and Thousand Oaks were named after the trees. The trees also grow acorns, popular not just with our native squirrels, but with the Tongva, who used them in multiple food uses. Aside from eating the acorn nuts, they also ground them and made them into flour, which was made into baked goods.

California Fan Palm - Palm trees are a Los Angeles icon no doubt, and developers and city planners were eager to plant them Like All Over The Freaking Place back in the 1920s-1940s. About half a dozen types of palms can be found locally, but only one is actually native: The California Fan Palm. It's actualy native environ is the lower desert region, where they grow in groves next to water sources. Places like Twentynine Palms and Palm Springs were named after these trees, but a few could be found in the Tongva nation. The Tongva's neighbors to the east, the Cahuillas (a.k.a. The Iviatim), used the fruit of the palms for food and flour, and used the leaves for sandals, baskets and roofing material.  

California Sycamore - This hardwood tree is known to grow near rivers, streams and foothills. It's also a deciduous tree, which means its green leaves turn orange in the fall (You East Coast people who constantly bitch about us "not having seasons" should cream in your pants just for that). Sycamore Avenue in Hollywood and Aliso Street in Downtown were named after the tree. And of course, our stately local sycamore was revered by the Tongva, most especially in center of the village of Yangna, especially one 400-year old specimen which you may or may not have heard of before.

If anything, The Militant noticed that our native plants share much in common with its native people: Deep roots, low maintenance and thrive best in this climate!

Having trouble spotting native plants? The Militant will show you where to find them in his next post!

Native Month: El Aliso - The Ancient Center Of Los Angeles

Kissing like a bandit, stealing time,
underneath the sycamore tree...

Much has been said about Los Angeles "not having a center." Back in 2008, while singlehandedly settling the whole Westside vs. so-called Eastside geographical dichotomy, The Militant did come to the conclusion that Los Angeles indeed has a center.

Many of you know that Los Angeles started out as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Reina de los Angeles del Rio Porciuncula. That pueblo was founded on the site of a Tongva village called Yangna, or Place of the Poison Oak (That oak is Poiiiisonnnnn!). Some of you are already aware of Yangna, though a few people out there have the concept all messed up.

At the center of Yangna was a large, six-story sycamore tree that the Pobladores called "El Aliso." But to the native villagers of Yangna, it was no ordinary tree. It was a sacred site where chiefs of neaby villages would convene.

Over time, as the settlement grew, the Tongva were kicked out and their once-great village reduced to parcel property. In the 1830s, the land was bought by a Frenchman named Jean Louis Vignes, who used part of it as a vineyard. Name sounds familiar? You may or may not have been on the street that bears his name.

Here's a pic of the actual El Aliso tree
(note the "Philadelphia" in the lower right corner for the brewery)
Much thanks and props to militant reader Natalie Manarino for sending this to The Militant!

In 1892s, the tree was unceremoniously cut down for firewood to make more room for the Philadelphia brewery (damn those East Coasters...) which eventually became the Maier Brewing Company, and later Brew 102. The tree, which survived floods and droughts, was documented to have about 400 annual rings on it - when Columbus arrived from Europe, this tree was but a seed in the ground.

The early City planners were nice enough to name a street after the sacred Sycamore. The exact location of the tree was found to be in the Alameda on/off ramp for the 101 Freeway, just south of the train platforms of Union Station:

Next time you drive on the 101, ride on the (M) Gold Line on the overpass bridge or even visit that nearby strip club, take a moment to pay your respects to the Tongva people who once lived for millenia in the village of Yangna - The Los Angeles before Los Angeles.

Chasing Arbor Vitae

The Militant had to drop off one of his unspecified siblings at LAX on Wednesday afternoon, and although the Militant was bike-less, he nevertheless couldn't pass up an opportunity to go on a Militant adventure.

The Militant firmly believes that the streets of Los Angeles and its environs tell stories, whether you read up on the history or not. All you got to do is pay attention.

So on Wednesday, he decided to follow a particular street that's stuck in his mind for years: Arbor Vitae St., which runs 2.4 miles from Airport Blvd in Los Angeles to Prairie Ave. in Inglewood, where the Hollywood Park racetrack property separates the street from a non-contiguous half-mile stretch to the east of it, where it turns into 92nd St. east of Van Ness Ave.

When the Militant was a kid, watching TV during the middle of the day, with a certain trade technical school advertising its services, and listing one of its locations at some "Arbor Vitae" place. Even as a kid, Lil'Mil was curious about an mysteriously-named street in Los Angeles that wasn't named after a local historical figure, a saint, a part of town or a number. Much less one named in Latin.

But you don't have to be the Pope to know that "Arbor Vitae" means "Tree of Life" (which sounds like something those Na'vi Avatar people would wanna hang out in).

The street runs in a straight line and cuts through industrial, commercial and residential areas, (in that order) from west to east. Unfortunately not much historical background onj the street could be found via online Militant research. There is such a species of tree as an "Arborvitae" which is a member of the cypress family. The Militant thought he had one of these trees on the grounds of his compound, but it was only an Italian cypress, which are pretty ubiquitous here in So Cal. On the other hand, most arborvitaes are found in colder climates such as Canada.

But alas, pay attention to the surroundings. Eventually the Militant stumbled on various Inglewood cross-streets with arbolesque nomenclature: Ash, Oak Cedar, Eucalyptus, Fir (and they weren't even in alphabetical order, like most cities are apt to do). And looking at a map, he also found other streets parallel to Arbor Vitae with such names: Magnolia, Elm, Lime, Olive.

So there you go, mystery solved. Arbor Vitae fits in with the theme. Inglewood isn't just the (once-upon-a-time) City of Champions, or The City Without A Mayor, but a City Of Streets Named After Trees.

5,000 Light Years From Birdland

Have you noticed? There's a lot more birds in the neighborhood, and no I'm not just talking about those wooden ones suspended on wires over the intersections. Their audible presence is easily heard, chirping, tweeting and warbling at all hours of the day. During the Griffith Park Fire, they seemingly fled to the treetops of surrounding neighborhoods and exactly two months later, they're still around. refugees from an infernal disaster. Like New Orleanian evacuees from Katrina, these birds are making their music elsewhere because there's no home to return to. Two months after Mt. Hollywood glowed like a volcano in the night sky, the extreme eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains look like an extremely bad haircut with some parts covered with brush and flora, and others a barren, ash-draped landscape. With no rain for a good several months (if we're lucky) and the eventual mudslides that will occur (wouldn't want to be in in the Los Feliz hills during the next rainstorm...), it's gonna be a long while before these winged refugees, all presumed to be living within a 2-3 mile radius of the park, return home. I wonder though if they will ever return home. Perhaps El Alcalde can get his mind off poontang for even just a few minutes and step up his Million Trees LA campaign to increase it severalfold. In addition to the fire-ravaged areas, it might be a good idea to have a few more planted in the Hollywood flatland areas, Los Feliz and AWV to help out our new fine-feathered neighbors. I might just plant a few more trees in the hood in addition to the handful of street trees I've already planted around here. According to the MTLA website, "Los Angeles has 18% tree canopy cover, which is below the national average of 27%." Wow, I guess this Militant watched too much Live Earth the other day.

Speaking of the birds, any real-life William Forresters out there who can spot and ID some our two-winged neighbors? I'm too busy being a Militant to know the difference between a great blue heron and Gil-Scott Heron.