Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

NaturesApprentice 7/19/2011, 1:11 pm

Good folks of SFG,

My folks just picked up some land near Patterson, CA...up in the hills, between Mt. Oso and Mt. Hamilton. I was up there this last weekend, scouting out ways to reforest the land, when this bizarre odor found me.

It smelled almost chemical, like an astringent, but it was very obvious...not subtle at all. Here are some pics:

Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie! Dscf2310

Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie! Dscf2311

Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie! Dscf2312

Thoughts?

Thanks for your help...

NA

acara 7/19/2011, 1:57 pm

Hyssop

**camprn** 7/19/2011, 3:13 pm

Cleveland Sage? Shocked

No_Such_Reality 7/19/2011, 4:02 pm

You're in SoCal. Hit the Cal Photos site at Berkeley to look at plant photos.

Hyssop sounds correct.

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/flora/

**camprn** 7/19/2011, 4:15 pm

No_Such_Reality wrote:You're in SoCal. Hit the Cal Photos site at Berkeley to look at plant photos.

Hyssop sounds correct.

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/flora/

Great link!!! I typed in Salvia clevelandii and it brought up numerous photos but this looks similar to your original pic NA. I think the pic from Berkley is of the plant prior to flowering, your original appears that the plant has flowered already.
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0510+1014

pattipan 7/19/2011, 5:29 pm

Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echium_vulgare

Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie! Echium_vulgare

pattipan

westie42 7/19/2011, 7:11 pm

Natures Apprentice Congratulations you have an oilseed cash crop in place, You struck oil already, nor is it a surprise who came up with the answer. Speaking of potential cash crops PattiPan did I see your name mentioned in an old outside forum article about the Autumn Olive Berry.

**camprn** 7/19/2011, 8:15 pm

pattipan wrote:Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare)?

pattipan

Ooooh, that looks even better! Very Happy

Chopper 7/23/2011, 9:18 pm

Looks like sage and if you can smell it - strong and somewhat minty/eucalyptusy then yeah. I would guess sage. And it grows wild everywhere here.

**donnainzone5** 7/24/2011, 3:11 pm

You referred to reforesting the land; was there a fire in that area? If so, it may be the dreaded poodle-dog bush--which, like poison oak/ivy, causes a horrendous rash.

**camprn** 7/26/2011, 8:04 pm

NA, what's the verdict?

NaturesApprentice 7/26/2011, 9:23 pm

I'm going with Hyssop. Matches the description, and wasn't too close to the poodle-dog thing. Thanks for the help, everyone!

Goosegirl 7/26/2011, 10:00 pm

Hyssop is in the mint family. Does it have the trademark square stem of mint?

NaturesApprentice 7/27/2011, 11:13 am

Goosegirl wrote:Hyssop is in the mint family. Does it have the trademark square stem of mint?

Goosie,

I don't remember. I didn't know that was a trademark of the mint stuff. My oregano has a round stem, isn't that in the mint family also?

Or am I doing it wrong?

Goosegirl 7/27/2011, 2:12 pm

NaturesApprentice wrote:
Goosegirl wrote:Hyssop is in the mint family. Does it have the trademark square stem of mint?

Goosie,

I don't remember. I didn't know that was a trademark of the mint stuff. My oregano has a round stem, isn't that in the mint family also?

Or am I doing it wrong?

I just did some more reading, and not all of the mint family have square stems, but it is quite common in many of them. So, not a determining factor in your ID. SORRY!

GG

Sponsored content

Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Best guess

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Use CalPhotos

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!

Re: Plant People! Help identify this thing...win a cookie!


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.