Manual of California Native Plants

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About California's Climate and Such

In California we have horizontal variation; from the Pacific Northwest to the Desert Southwest, with Mediterranean-like and a cold desert in between There is vertical variation as you go up the Sierra and the Coast Ranges. California has many, many variables. We have customers whose mailboxes are two USDA Zones or Sunset Zones removed from their house, in a distance of 200 feet. California has climates with temperatures as high as 130 degrees F.(Death Valley, The Colorado and Mojave Desert) and as low as -54 degrees F.( a gold mine in the White Mountains, approximately 30 miles from Death Valley). There are areas only 50 miles from L.A. that have regularly got down to -15 degrees F. and occasionally down to -30 degrees F.. We have fog, some areas as much as 50% of the year and providing 18.4 to 30.4 cm (7-15 inches) of rainfall from fog drip, other areas never see clouds or fog. Can you imagine an area that gets 330+ days of bright sunshine? Our rainfall in the state ranges from 80 inches, plus 12 inches of fog drip, in the redwoods to 1.5 inches in Death Valley, about 3 inches in Taft, and between in parts of the Sonoran Desert.

For those of you back east or in other areas of the world remember that almost all of California does not get summer rain. The only places that do get rain from April to October are the S.E. Deserts and the coastal fog belt. Most of these areas you would find dry by your standards. In 1841 Santa Barbara had no measurable rainfall and ½inch of fog drip. One of our customers from the Desert Center area told us she had had no rain for three years, but the vegetation still looked good.

The extreme records in the Santa Margarita nursery: 95 degrees F.(35 C.) for a couple of weeks in Feb., followed by a 12 degrees F(-10 C) night. 118 degrees F (48 degrees C.) for five days in the heavy shade, it was cool there, at least 10 degrees cooler than out in the sun where most of the plants were. There was also a 20-30 mph (10 mps) wind with 10% humidity. We've had as little as 4 and 7 inches of rainfall or as much as 40 inches in the last 15 years. We have had as much as 4-5"(10 cm) of rain or 10"(25 cm) of snow in a morning before and gone for 10 months with no rain. Historical records say California was much drier and colder 400 years ago with temperatures 30 F degrees cooler in the winter and slightly hotter in summer. A period of an 80 year drought ended as the Europeans showed up. Ice hung off Big Sur bluffs and the Salinas River in Monterey was frozen to 6" or more in 1608. (Cabrillo) Customers set us to giggles when they tell us how cold a 28F temp is!

If your ground is regularly bare when the cold hits subtract at least one USDA zone from what you think you are. If you always have deep fluffy snow when the cold hits you may be able to add two zones to your climate.

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Las Pilitas Nursery

Santa Margarita - Escondido