Sutro StewardsMay 18Leaves of Three, Let it Be!By: Christian Chingcuangco Sources [1] Pacific Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum | Native Plants PNW [2] Poison Oak: Identification...
Xienyam ChiuMar 17, 2021The Pink Flowering CurrantIn this installment of Nature in your Neighborhood, we look closer at a small pink flower and its role within the ecosystem with a small...
Janis GomesApr 21, 2020Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea): A Flower Kisser’s FavoriteHummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea) is a favorite of hummingbirds or “flower kissers” as the Portuguese refer to them. This California...
Paul and Edith BourbinApr 13, 2020A Neighborhood NativeWe are Edith and Paul Bourbin and we have been volunteering with Sutro Stewards for a number of years. You may have seen us in the...
Tessa ArensFeb 5, 2020Bay Area Native FernsWhen I was deciding on what my final project would be as a Sutro Stewards intern, the plant that kept going through my mind was a fern....
Janis GomesJun 3, 2019Wild Roses: A Gift of NatureGrowing up in the fifties through the seventies, my experience with roses was of the cultivated variety. Famously large delicate blooms...
Lauren JonesJan 8, 2018Plant Profile: Franciscan WallflowerFranciscan wallflower or San Francisco wallflower (Erysimum franciscanum), a rare and endemic plant to California, can be seen growing in...
Janis GomesDec 1, 2017Soaproot: A Multi-use MarvelSoaproot: A Multi-use Marvel (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) It’s a cold and rainy November afternoon and winter is tugging at my too-thin...
Janis GomesAug 28, 2017Yerba Buena: A Refreshing Native Steeped in HistoryAs far back as 1775 and likely much earlier, yerba buena, a California native herb was thriving on the San Francisco peninsula. It was...
Janis GomesJul 25, 2017Columbine: A Flower of MeaningsColumbine (Aquilegia Formosa): A Flower of Meanings Plant lore associates the columbine with at least as many meanings as the petals on...
Janis GomesApr 24, 2017Native Trees: San Francisco’s Long time ResidentsCalifornia is widely known as the home to some of the largest trees in the world. Among them is the native California redwood (Sequoia...
RezApr 18, 2017Wild Chutney RecipeIn India as here, the rainy season is followed by a huge amount of green plants that respond to the water and are available for only a...
Janis GomesMar 2, 2017Pollinators: All They Need is a Little LoveFor the last two seasons, I’ve noticed a pretty green hummingbird; I’ll call him Al (the Allen hummingbird is a common species in...
Janis GomesJan 30, 2017Plant Profile: Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum)During recent walks atop Mt. Sutro, I found a fair amount of native Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum, syn. H. lanatum). With its large...
Janis GomesDec 2, 2016Plant Profile: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)Lately, it’s hard not to notice shrubs with bright red berries blooming just about everywhere in the City. But look more closely as only...
Janis GomesAug 31, 2016Gardening in the DunesSan Francisco is a city of sand. When I arrived here over 35 years ago my first garden was in a flat in the Sunset District. I recall...
Janis GomesAug 2, 2016Plant Profile: Grindelia (Gum Plant)Summer in San Francisco is in full swing. While the sun shines and the fog rolls in, there’s no better time to take a walk up on Mt....
Janis GomesJun 2, 2016Plant Profile: Farewell To Spring (Clarkia)All seasons must reach their zenith, and spring is no exception. To prove it, I was sitting chewing on a pencil in the Sutro Stewards’...
Janis GomesMay 2, 2016Plant Profile: Manroot (Marah)Since early January, I had been watching this cute little vine weave its tendrils around plants on Mt. Sutro, sometimes overwhelming...
Janis GomesMar 7, 2016Plant Profile: Blue-Eyed GrassWhile our welcome winter rains are forecast into March and April, my internal body clock is asking, "Is it spring yet?" From the look of...