Sunday stroll through UC Davis Arboretum (part 1)

One of my resolutions for 2016 was to visit the UC Davis Arboretum more often. I did spend more time there but still not enough, considering all there is to explore (17 gardens/collections on 100 acres) and how close it is to my house.

To make up for lost time, I went for a walk in the Arboretum on two of the four Sundays in November. I ended up taking so many photos that I will split this post into three parts. This part is a little bit of everything; part 2 has photos from the East Asian Collection, the Desert Collection, and the Southwest USA and Mexican Collection; part 3 is all about the Australian Collection.

Here is a handy interactive map to the Arboretum. Some collections have better labeling than others, but in general, most plants aren’t labeled. That’s why the Living Plant Collection Database is invaluable for identifying plants. 

The Arboretum is open 24/7. I usually go on the weekends because parking is free then; during the week it’s $9.00 whether you park for one minute or all day. This downloadable map shows all the parking lots. Depending on which part of the Arboretum you’re most interested in, I suggest you park at the new Putah Creek Lodge lot off Garrod Drive off La Rue Road (look for the A on the downloadable map) or at the Davis Commons in downtown off 1st Street. (Davis Commons is the shopping center where Whole Foods is located; parking is free there.) Or, if you’re local, ride your bike there!

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Pearl acacia (Acacia podalyriifolia)

On my first Sunday visit in November we parked at the Putah Creek Lodge lot and headed directly to the Eric E. Conn Acacia Grove. Most acacias there bloom in late winter/early spring (check out this post from February 2016) but this fall has been confusing to some trees—I’ve seen Bradford pears beginning to flower! I did see buds on many acacias, including the Acacia podalyriifolia in the photo above, but it’ll take another few months before they’re in full bloom.

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Weeping myall (Acacia pendula)

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Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana)

Pops of fall color were everywhere although it’ll be another week or two before it’ll peak.

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Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera)

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Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana)

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Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana)

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Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis)

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Jimsonweed (Datura wrightii)

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California buckeye (Aesculus californica) near the Wyatt Deck

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Big berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca)

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Big berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca)

The grasses in the Southwestern USA/Mexican Collection are at their showiest at this time of year, especially Bouteloua gracilis:

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Western grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

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Western grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

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Western grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

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Bladderpod (Isomeris arborea)

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Texas ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens)

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Brugmansia ×cubensis 'Charles Grimaldi'

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Eucalyptus sp. (species no ID’ed as per Living Plant Collection Database)

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Eucalyptus sp. (species no ID’ed as per Living Plant Collection Database)

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Bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.)

Now we’re back at the Putah Creek Lodge parking lot. The plantings here were installed in the summer of 2015. I did a post about this area in November 2015 and will follow up with an update soon. As a teaser, here are some photos of a particularly showy combination of Muhlenbergia dubia, lavender and Juncus effusus.

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Pine muhly (Muhlenbergia dubia), lavender and soft rush (Juncus effusus)

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Comments

  1. Love that Muhlenbergia...maybe I'll try it in containers in the future :-)

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    1. They should be hardy in the ground in Portland--and not too big either. Nothing like M. rigens.

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  2. Another place I hope to get to some day!

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    1. Remember we have a guest room that's empty most of the time :-).

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  3. I had every intention of photographing the Acacias last winter/spring but it never happened.On the list again for this year !

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    1. I'll keep an eye on their progress and will let you know. It'd be great to get together!

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  4. I'm not sure I've ever heard of an arboretum that's open 24/7, much less one that doesn't charge an entrance fee. You're very lucky to have it so close. Your photo of the western redbud explains why I'm seeing my 2 plants developing multiple trunks - I didn't realize they tend to be multi-trunked until I looked the species up in my Sunset guide after seeing your photo.

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    1. Kris, I see many redbuds around here that are multi-trunked shrubs rather than trees. But I think they're easy to shape into whatever form you prefer.

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  5. You've captured so many incredible views and plants in these photos. The colors on the Chinese tallow are fantastic! I don't usually mind the grey PNW winters, but these photos really have me missing the sun.

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    1. I love the fall color on Chinese tallow. Actually, they're quite attractive year round. They seem to have fallen out of favor. Must be a reason why...

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    2. I had to read up on them after seeing your photo. Seems it's invasive in some areas, and is apparently beginning to appear in riparian areas in California. Once something gets labeled as invasive in one area, it tends to be viewed as such everywhere.

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