Serpentine plants

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California native plants that tolerate serpentine soils.

Kruckeberg estimates that serpentine regions of California represent only about 1% of the land surface but have about 10% of the endemic species.
For those of you that have soil with serpentine in it you have probably noticed that some plants hate you. The plants fail to thrive. They rot off at the base. They are variegated when they are supposed to be green.

Serpentine soils are usually not pure blue serpentine. They are usually adobe like with serpentine rocks here and there. Sometimes that look like red rock with some blue in it. Jade is a form of serpentine.

One of the few ways that you can keep nasty weeds out of serpentine areas is to limit the fertility.So if you have a hillside of serpentine, plant serpentine tolerant plants and do not amend the soil, nor fertilize. (Huenneke, Laura Foster, et. al, 1990)

Serpentine soils west of New Irdia - grid24_12

In extreme conditions, where the serpentine soils are all serpentine, there is very limited plant life.

Arctostaphylos glauca, Arctostaphylos pungens, Quercus durata, and Coulter pine on serpentine soil - grid24_12

In the areas where the serpentine has broken down a little, serpentine tolerant and endemic plants can grow. Serpentine tolerant plants can handle excess Magnesium, Nickel, and Iron, and low Calcium. Here is Leather Oak and Big Berried Manzanita

Even serpentine tolerant plants have a great deal of trouble in raw serpentine. - grid24_12

Notice the little mangy looking manzanita in the corner. Even serpentine tolerant plants have trouble in raw serpentine.

Notice there is very little undergrowth under the Coulter Pines and manzanitas. - grid24_12

Plants that can tolerate serpentine do fairly well, others do not. Thus there are only a few species like Coulter Pine in photo. Even the weeds have problems. It's not all bad.

Serpentine tolerate plants.

Along the Big Sur coast serpentine soils reach the ocean bluffs. - grid24_12

In California serpentine soils exist from about the Ventura County line and up to the north. Both the coast ranges and the Sierras have some. Baja California, Oregon, Washington and even Alaska have their serpentine areas but California has human population pressure.

Arctostaphylos obispoensis and Ceanothus foliosus on serpentine soil. - grid24_12

Many of the areas that look to be covered with vegetation actually have clusters of plant life with bare soil or rock in between.

Arctostaphylos obispoensis mazanita and Sargent Cypress tree on serpentine. - grid24_12

Some plants like the Sargent Cypress and Serpentine Manzanita can grow on almost raw serpentine.

Serpentine soil seems to have a red rock component on the edges. - grid24_12

Raw serpentine is commonly blue-green, but the soils associated with it can be red, white, green or blue. This is not meant to be a soils page, so check other sites if your want more on serpentine soils.

Arctostaphylos hookeri franciscana Franciscana Manzanita flowers and stems - grid24_12

There are some really nice manzanitas that tolerate ultrabasic soils, even thrive in them.

A side view of the flower and leaves of Calycanthus occidentalis, Spice Bush, in our Santa Margarita garden. - grid24_12

In wetter spots plants like Calycanthus occidentalis, Spice Bush will do fine.

This Fritilary was on Monardella villosa obispoensis above Big Sur - grid24_12

In heavy serpentine San Luis Obispo coyote mint gets real fuzzy and flat.

Black Sage flowers can be blue or white. Sometimes the white ones are blue on cold years. Here they are along a coastal trail in coastal sage scrub. - grid24_12

Black Sage tolerates serpentine based soils in the central part of the state. The areas above the Bay area are probably too wet.

Sisyrinchium bellum, Blue-Eyed Grass flowers are lavender blue. - grid24_12

Blue Eyed Grass makes almost a lawn in nearly all serpentine rock.

Tips about growing plants in serpentine.

I read somewhere that serpentine soils contain up to 70% moisture, when dry. Plants seldom die of drought in serpentine soils.

Drip irrigation increases the salts and heavy metals in the soil next to plant. Drip dramatically shortens the lives of most native plants.

Be careful with mulch on these soils. Mulch can drive the salts away from the plant, but the soil may be wet for months, drowning your plants.

NO soil amending. The drainage is pretty bad in serpentine soils, an amended hole turns into a mud hole as there is no where else for the surface water to go. Your plant drowns in winter, but doesn't die until summer, when it needs the roots.
Plants that are always associated with serpentine can commonly be grown in a conventional garden. But they do not tolerate weeds well, need regular water and need high fertility. But serpentine plants will usually hate you if you have a high calcium soil.

This was compiled from our observations, Kruckenberg's "California Serpentines", Safford, Vieras and Harrison, "Serpentine Endemism in the California Flora: A database of Serpentine Affinity". the "Consortium of California Herbaria", and several serpentine plant list of different serpentine soil areas.