The Native Plants of Baja California are being part of a plant conservation project with the aim of raising awareness among the inhabitants through knowing their names, how they are propagated and the different uses, which leads them to appreciate and care for them. Some of the Native Plants of Baja California are white sage, saladito, jojoba, hierva del manso and others. Read on to get to know them a little more.
Native Plants of Baja California
The geographical position of the Baja California Peninsula that isolates it from the North American continent, together with its climatic characteristics, its soil, orography, the marine air currents coming from the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, give it a series of characteristics typical of this region, distinguishing the high endemism in species of different orders of animals and plants.
The studies and monitoring carried out before in Baja California have led to specifying the great biodiversity of this peninsular region, such as being the region with the largest number of native scorpion species in all of Mexico. Likewise, in faunal investigations of only the Valle de los Cirios region in Baja California, 74 species of animals have been reported, such as the "peninsular pronghorn" and also plant species endemic to the area such as the "cirio". It is estimated that some 700 native species come from the Baja California peninsula, demonstrating the high biodiversity of this region.
All these peculiarities of the Baja California Peninsula, rationally manage the ecosystems present in that region and their biotic components, and manage to maintain their balance. The rational use of these faunal, vegetal and landscape resources will allow their permanence and development for a long time and to obtain food, maintain purified air, be a source of fresh water, conserve their soils, obtain new drugs after studying the biochemical properties of the plants endemic to that region and other benefits, which can last over time if their use is balanced.
However, throughout the history of humanity, when human beings settle in new places, either due to ignorance or lack of interest, they have destroyed ecosystems and caused the extinction of animal and plant species. A situation from which Baja California has escaped so little and is evidenced by the clear loss of plant diversity of the coastal scrub that is observed in the city of Ensenada. This vegetation that grows along the coasts has reduced its population not only in Ensenada but also in almost all urban sectors of western Baja California, as can be seen in Rosarito, Tijuana, and San Quintín.
Main Plant Communities
The Native Plants of Baja California that make life in the main community communities of this region, are plants with low water requirements as an adaptive response to the climate of the area. They are plant ecosystems where plants with a unique beauty grow, achieved after thousands of years of evolutionary processes, which, if they know and know how to cultivate, can be exhibited in home gardens and propagated in nurseries, in order to protect natural habitats.
Many of the native plants that grow in Baja California were highly appreciated by the ancient inhabitants of the region for their various medicinal, ornamental, nutritional and magical-religious properties, since they were used daily by them. For this reason, projects must be promoted to resume interest in the care of the Native Plants of Baja California and achieve ex situ propagation, to conserve their natural habitats and recover the traditions of the ancestors who gave these plants a fair value.
In Baja California, due to the climatic conditions, the type of soil, orography and biotic component, as well as the established species, define six types of plant communities. Each of these plant communities are impacted by altitude due to annual precipitation, bodies of surface water, dominant plant species, this allows observing the growth requirements of each of the plants. As well as the growth of a species in more than one plant community. These communities are:
- Plant community Coastline
- Plant community Coastal scrub
- Chaparral plant community
- Plant community Coniferous forests and,
- Plant Community Desert
Coastal Scrub Plant Community
In view of the high diversity of Native Plant species in Baja California, this post will show the plants of the “Coastal Matorral Plant Community. In this ecosystem grow plants that grow after the coastline that have the peculiarity of being tolerant to environmental humidity, but are sensitive to irrigation with salt water. They adapt to soils rich in nutrients and little water retention.
They are short plants and shrubs and small trees, some plants are resistant to fire. Among the Native Plants of Baja California, which grow in this plant community are: Cactaceae, Crasulaceae and Agavaceae, which grow up to an altitude of about 300 to 400 meters above sea level. The plants are naturally watered by winter rains. Among the plant species characteristic of the coastal scrub plant community, ash trees (Fraxinus sp); mastic (laurine maloma), (Rhus integrifolia), among others. Some species of Baja California Native Plants are listed below.
Shrubs of Baja California
In these shrubby species, several species of the Salvia genus stand out, among which is the white Salvia, which is a plant considered sacred by the indigenous people of the region for its various healing properties. From this region comes the adolphia californica, protected species, Rosa minutifolia endemic to the Baja California peninsula and others described below.
Sage apiana
According to the indigenous tradition of the northwestern region of Baja California, it is a sacred plant, due to the multiple uses they gave it. The Native Plant of Baja California, the "white sage" was used in different medicinal, food, ornamental and magical uses. It is a grayish-green plant, which stands out at night with the light of the moon. Its flowers are violet in color and give off a minty fragrance. Among the properties that "white sage" has, the medicinal ones stand out: flu, bronchitis, it is used for body deodorant, rheumatism and to purify or tonic the blood.
salvia munzii
This native plant can be collected or observed only in the fringe of the United States, making it a protected species. This species Salvia Munzii, It has olive green leaves that highlight the beautiful and stylized violet flowers that give off a pleasant fragrance. These flowers are very attractive to butterflies and birds, including hummingbirds. The speed of growth of Salvia Munzii, It is very slow, which is why they are often used to decorate pots and small flower arrangements. It grows well in soil with poor drainage and high moisture retention.
sage clevelandii
It is a plant with bushy growth habit, the sage clevelandii It has gray colored leaves and violet flowers that contrast with its foliage. Due to its beautiful flowers, color, shape and aroma they make it stand out among the plants in a garden.
yamate
The Yamate species (Asclepia subulata), is a plant with medicinal properties that has been used to heal venereal diseases, sores, calluses, snake bites, jiotes and petty. In addition, it is also used as an ornamental, which is distinguished by dropping its leaves when it is in the adult phase, the color of its stems changes to bluish green. Its flowers have particular shapes that attract butterflies.
The Canutillos
The Canutillo (ephedra sp.) It is a plant with medicinal use, for its blood purifying properties and also serves to tone the kidneys. It has modified leaves to prevent perspiration, so they are not observed, the stems of these plants are bluish green. Among the medicinal properties attributed to the "canutillo" are: it purifies the blood, it can treat venereal diseases, kidney diseases, stomach problems, ulcers, flu, it stimulates the central nervous system and heals burns.
Chickpea
This plant is used as food by the indigenous people of the region, the scientific name of "garbancillo" is arboreal peritoma, its flowers are yellow and its fruit is a green pod. The indigenous people consume its flowers seasoned with onions. The shape and color of the pods and flowers make it attractive to its pollinators, bees and hummingbirds.
salty
This small tree named "saladito" (Rhus integrifolia) It is used as food. Its leaves are dark green with jagged edges, its fruits are of different very striking colors that can range from white to bright pink. The indigenous people prepare a refreshing drink flavored with lemonade. This small tree is widely used to form living fences.
jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Jojoba is a plant of uses: medicinal, food, ornamental and industrial. It is a plant that is used as an ornamental on slopes, its roots help shore up the soil. It is a monoecious plant and the fruits of its female plants are used in industry for their high oil content. It is a drought resistant plant. As a medicine, it is used to heal sores and its seeds are roasted to prepare a drink similar to coffee.
malvia
The Native Plant of Baja California “malvia” (Malacothamnus fascilatus), It has abundant pink flowers, leaves with very striking grayish-green shapes that appear in different shades according to the illumination of sunlight, whether it is in full sun exposure or in the shade. It is a drought resistant plant.
castor
The species (Aesculus parryi) Known by the common names of trompo or higuerita, it is a Native Plant of Baja California, it is a deciduous shrub. Its leaves are very striking light green, in the rainy season they are the point of attention of this plant. On the other hand, in the dry season, its leaves fall, leaving its trunk bare with a striking gray color. The "higuerilla or trompo" is used by the natives to treat hemorrhoids, as an antidote for poison and as a psychid. As an ornamental it is used, it is pruned to give it aesthetic shapes.
The league plant
This plant of the Euphorbiaceae family, the Garter (euphorbia misery) it stands out for its different appearance in the dry season and during the rainy seasons. This is because in the rainy season the euphorbia misery, is full of small, dark green leaves sprouting from bright red stems. In the summer season it sheds its leaves and the bare trunks can be seen in a tortuous silver-gray color. Its flowers are quite small, which has to be observed closely.
Cneoridium dumosum
The species Cneoridium dumosum, It is an autochthonous plant, this species is unique in its genus and its distribution is restricted. It is a kind of bushy habit, low in height and slow growing, it has dense foliage with elongated and stylized leaves, with colors of different shades from green to yellow. Its flowers are white and its fruits are round and scarlet red.
Lupinus
It is one of the Native Plants of Baja California, which stands out for its elegant dark green compound leaves, which resemble the leaves of palm trees. Its flowers are a beautiful blue color. It is a plant for ornamental use, which grows well in times of drought and on the sides of paths. This plant contributes nitrogen to the soil.
Mimulus
The Mimulus (Mimulus aurantiacus), It is a bushy plant with thin dark green leaves. It presents flowers in a stylized shape and colors that range from intense red to cream, it is a plant that the color of its flowers is conditioned by the soil where it grows. It is used for garden ornament, especially planting it on slopes and to stand out in xerophytic gardens for its brightly colored flowers.
rosemary
It is one of the Native Plants of Baja California, emblematic of the coastal scrub. The "romerillo" (Californica Artemisia) It is a plant with thin leaves that are bright green and aromatic, with an aroma that sweetens the humid and cool morning hours of the coastal regions of western Baja California. It grows well in poorly drained soils, it is used as an ornamental plant to build live fences.
rose minutifolia
La rose minutifolia, It is one of the native plants of Baja California, highly appreciated by the locals for its uniqueness. It has bushy growth, has small dark green leaves and white or pink flowers. In the winter season, it stands out for its beauty. When it is used as an ornamental, it is suggested to plant together with other species of the coastal scrub plant community.
Ceanothus leucodermis
This Baja California Native Plant Ceanothus leukodermis, It is a very striking small tree, its trunk and green foliage highlight the beauty of its small flowers that grow in bunches and are in colors ranging from lilac to blue, these colorful flowers are its attraction during the winter and summer seasons. spring. It is a tree that can be used as an ornamental in xerophytic and Mediterranean gardens. The plants of this genus are nitrogen fixers, therefore it is a soil regenerating plant, helping in their conservation.
Ceanothus oliganthus
This is a tall, erect shrub up to 3 meters, native to Baja California and other regions of California. It has evergreen leaves and beautiful blue-purple flowers that stand out in the landscape of dry scrub and riparian environments at the end of the winter season. It is one of the few plants that flower in winter and at altitudes greater than 600 meters above sea level. This bush is a plant that maintains its flowers even with snowfall, resulting in a landscape spectacle worthy of admiration.
California adolphin or California prickbush
adolphia californica is the scientific name of this shrub colloquially called California adolphina, spineshrub and California prickbush. It grows in a coastal scrub ecosystem below 400 meters above sea level. It is a plant native to the northwestern peninsula of Baja California and San Diego County in Southern California. It is a plant that is listed in the category of rare and threatened species. This shrub, when its inflorescences bloom, shows its flowers along its branches, its flowers are white and give off a pleasant aroma, especially at the end of winter.
rhamnus crocea
This Baja California Native Plant Rhamnus crocea, It is a medium-sized shrub with red fruits, highly sought after by the native fauna of the region. It is a host plant for a Lepidoptera larva. It is used for food.
Baja California Trees
The native trees of the dry scrub of Baja California are mostly of low heights. Among the Native Plants of Baja California with arboreal habit, species of the genera Prunus, Sambucus, Fraxinus and others. Trees with different uses since ancient times for their culinary, medicinal, ornamental and other properties. They described below.
Islaya Tree
the islaya tree (Prunus ilicifolia), is a low tree used as a plant with culinary and ornamental properties. It is a tree with which they form living fences and to provide shade. They are consumed are its red fruits.
Elder
This small tree called Sauco (Sambucus nigra), It has long been famous for its medicinal and nutritional properties. Its trunk is thin, it has deciduous leaves, it has a small crown and yellow flowers that give off a pleasant aroma, these flowers remain in good condition for a long time. Its fruits are consumed and its flowers and fruits are used as medicine.
Ash
The Fresno (Fraxinus dipetala) It is a small tree of up to 7 meters, with dark green deciduous leaves, ovoid and stylized, during the autumn season the leaves turn coppery red. Its white flowers have two lobes and fall in clusters, they give off a sweet aroma.
toyon
This Plant Native to Baja California Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), It is the only species of this genus. It is a small bush that measures between 2 to 5 meters high, its leaves are perennial, its flowers are white and its fruit is a red knob. Its use is food, since ancient times the indigenous people of the Chumash, Tongva and Tataviam tribes, consumed its berry-like fruits and its leaves were used for infusions to relieve stomach ailments.
Succulent plants
Succulent plants are very well represented in this dry scrub ecosystem of the Baja California peninsula, endemic species such as cacti grow in this Californian region bergerocactus emoryi, the Everlastings, very well represented by their different species with climbing habits and great beauty. They described below.
coastal yucca
The Coastal Yucca Plant (Hesperoyucca whippei), It is a stemless herbaceous plant that produces a cluster of bluish-green leaves, lanceolate, thick, succulent, with slightly serrated edges and a sharp apex. It has a single inflorescence that grows up to 3 meters, with white flowers with violet tones, which blooms only once in its life cycle.
cacti emoryi
The emoryi cactus (Bergerocactus emoryi), It is the only species of this genus. It forms a thin stem of about 5 centimeters in diameter and a height of about 60 centimeters in general. It is an indigenous species of California, in southern California its growth is restricted to a strip of land adjoining the Mexican border. Its leaves modified into thorns are golden-yellow, its flowers are yellow and grow at the apex of the stem.
coastal cholla
The Coastal Cholla (Cylindropuntia prolifera), is a plant native to California and the only species in the genus Cylindropuntia. Its distribution is from Ensenada to Tijuana, its population only grows in southern California. It is an endangered plant, due to the threat to the coastal dry scrub ecosystem due to urban development.
cochal
the cochal (Myrtillocactus cochal), It is a Native Plant of Baja California of the Cactaceae family, its growth is arboreal and its architecture is similar to that of a chandelier. Its flowers are green and white tones that are complemented by its bright purple fruits.
immortelles
Among the Native Plants of Baja California, different species of the genus grow Dudley spp. They are very beautiful succulent plants, with thick leaves in colors ranging from white, different shades of green to dark green. Tolerates environmental humidity and solar radiation. It grows well on vertical surfaces.
Among the species, the Dudley powdery, is a plant that grows as a rosette, succulent much admired for its great beauty. Because it colonizes vertical surfaces, it is used as an ornamental in the design of xerophytic, nocturnal and vertical gardens. Its leaves are gray or light green, flat and thick. The color of its flowers is dark red that grow in an inflorescence that reaches about 90 centimeters in length, it blooms during the summer season.
I invite you to continue learning about the wonderful nature and how to take care of it, reading the following posts: