Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrub land or found in the U.S. state California and northern Baja California peninsula Mexico. Chaparral needs Mediterranean climate and often has wildfires. Plants like these are also in the Mediterranean Basin, central Chile, South African Cope Region, and in western and southern Australia. A typical chaparral plant community consists of evergreen scrub oats and other drought resistant shrubs. It is very hard to walk though. by Aliyah and Casey, Gr. 9
Despite its looks, various types of plants can thrive in the chaparral area. These plants are further described in depth by our third, sixth, and ninth grade students. Other student works include drawings and poems about the plants of the chaparral.
Monkeyflower
It has light green leaves and a red flower. The flower looks like a mouth that opens and closes. The leaves feel sticky.
Arroyo Willow
Deciduous broadleaf tree
Chartreuseleaves
Thin, pointed leaves
Yellow flowers, round and long
Colorful California tree
The Arroyo Willow has beautiful flowers
Pinyon Pine
Four-leaved coniferous tree
Green and brown
Oval needles
Colorful and strong
-Dale.6
Manzanita
Manzanita looks red and green. The leaves are small oval and green, and the branches are reddish brown. It is a small tree. The flower is small and oval. It doesn’t need much water. The word manzanita means small apple in Spanish. Manzanitas bloom from winter to spring, and the flowers and berries are edible. There are about sixty kinds of manzanita.
Laurel
The leaves and stems are hard to touch and colorful. The roots are thin and soft. The stem is red, gray and white. The leaves are hard and small. The leaves were used as medicine. Tea from laurel leaves helped people with colds. California laurel was an important ceremonial plant for the Luiseno and Kumeyaah tribes in California.
Laurel Sumac, by Raven, Gr. 6
A Laurel Sumac is a shrub or small tree that's growing 10 to 15 ft. tall. The Laurel Sumac the whole plant is evergreen. Evergreen means that it never lose it's touch of green. Laurel Sumac is often found on dry ridges and canyons. It is often planted by citrus growers as a frost indicator. The Laurel Sumac blooms mostly in June to July.
Popcorn Flower
This is a small fuzzy plant with not too many branches. It is blue flowered with small triangular leaves. It grows in Mexico and in California. It is covered with long haired bristles.
Toyon
The toyon has sharp pointy leaves. Toyon is part of the chaparral. It is also called Christmas berry and California holly. It grows up to about thirty feet tall or ten meters. The leaves are really green and they have spikes. Animals such as mocking birds, robins, and coyotes love this plant.
It has a brown stem that almost looks like a trunk. It already has three brances in five inches. It is known as the Christmas berry.
Toyon is part of the chaparral. This plant is alwo called California holly. It grows up to about ten meters tall. The leaves are really green and have sharp spikes. The fruit is small, but cedarwaxwings and coyotes and bears also love this plant. by Mia, Gr. 9
Canyon Sunflower, by Jocelyn, Gr. 6
Lemonade sumac is a shrub, also known as lemonade berry. The scientific name is Rhus Integrafolia. The stem is hard, brown and green. The leaves are green and wide. It is evergreen. Eating a lemonade berry burns, but is safe. This plant lives on dry slopes. It is rich in tannens. It keeps deer away, and it can be used for lamps. It is native to southwestern California. By Grade 9
Lemonade Berry
Lemonade berry is a small tree. It grows in the chaparral. It is great for a bird garden. It is edible. by Gr. 3 Lemonade berry can be great for many things:
- bird gardens
- evergreen display
- flowers
- edible berries
The canyon sunflower leaves are alternate and thin. It's a widely-branched shrub. There are 12-21 ray flowers that are very slightly yellow and have tube bases. Canyon sunflowers are mostly in shaded canyons. The flower can usual grow about to 5' tall.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is a groundcover native to the California chaparral. It is fast-growing and drought resistant.
