California Native Plants as Livestock Food- Best Browse Plants
Cattle:
Amelanchier alnifolia
Atriplex polycarpa
Ceanothus integerrimus
Cercocarpus betuloides
Eurotia lanata
Prunus subcordata
Prunus virginiana var. demissa
Purshia tridentata
Purshia glandulosa
Quercus kelloggii
Rhamnus ilicifolia
Salix lasiolepis
Horses:
Cercocarpus betuloides
Purshia tridentata
Toxicodendron diversilobum
![This is a young Mountain Mahogany after a couple of years with no water. It is mixed in with Trichostema and Chamise here. But nearby it's mixed with scrub oak and Pitcher sage. - grid24_12 This is a young Mountain Mahogany after a couple of years with no water. It is mixed in with Trichostema and Chamise here. But nearby it's mixed with scrub oak and Pitcher sage. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/11118/images/plants/cercocarpus/cercocarpus-betuloides-mountain-mahogany.jpg)
Browse plants may not look tasty to us, but they do to the animals.
![Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversiloba, fall color. - grid24_12 Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversiloba, fall color. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/9528/images/plants/toxicodendron/toxicodendron-diversiloba-fall.jpg)
Poison Oak makes a great fall color, on your arms, legs and other body parts.
![The Magpies like to land on slow moving things that attract flies. - grid24_12 The Magpies like to land on slow moving things that attract flies. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/11385/images/animals/horse/arizona-bird-tail.jpg)
A warm spot with a view.
Sheep:
Adenostoma fasciculatum
Amelanchier alnifolia
Atriplex canescens
Atriplex confertifolia
Atriplex nuttallii
Atriplex polycarpa
Ceanothus cuneatus
Ceanothus integerrimus
Ceanothus leucodermis
Ceanothus parvifolius
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Cercocarpus betuloides
Cowania mexicana
Eurotia lanata
Fremontodendron californicum
Garrya fremontii
Grayia spinosa
Populus tremuloides
Prunus subcordata
Purshia tridentata
Purshia glandulosa
Rhamnus californica
Rhamnus ilicifolia
Salix lasiolepis
Salix scouleriana
Sambucus mexicana (Sambucus caerulea)
Sambucus racemosa (Sambucus callicarpa)
Simmondsia chinensis
Symphoricarpos albus
Symphoricarpos rotundifolius
![Ceanothus leucodermis, White bark Ceanothus in the wild - grid24_12 Ceanothus leucodermis, White bark Ceanothus in the wild - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/36/s/images/plants/160/ceanothus_leucodermis.jpg)
Mountain Lilacs seem to be liked by all.
![The Sierra form of Ceanothus cunetaus, Buckbrush - grid24_12 The Sierra form of Ceanothus cunetaus, Buckbrush - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/262/s/images/plants/345/ceanothus_cuneatus_sierra_mt_lilac-3.jpg)
Ceanothus cuneatus, Buckbrush
![Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry can make a good hedge. - grid24_12 Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry can make a good hedge. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/11103/images/plants/rhamnus/rhamnus-californica.jpg)
Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry
Goats:
Adenostoma fasciculatum
Amelanchier alnifolia
Atriplex canescens
Atriplex confertifolia
Atriplex polycarpa
Ceanothus cuneatus
Ceanothus cordulatus
Ceanothus integerrimus
Ceanothus leucodermis
Ceanothus parvifolius
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Cercocarpus betuloides
Cercocarpus ledifolius
Coleogyne ramosissima
Cowania mexicana (Purshia mexicana)
Ephedra nevadensis
Ephedra viridis
Eurotia lanata (Krascheninnikovia lanata)
Fremontodendron californicum
Garrya fremontii
Grayia spinosa
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Populus fremontii
Populus tremuloides
Populus trichocarpa
Prunus subcordata
Purshia tridentata
Quercus dumosa (Quercus berberidifolia)
Rhamnus californica
Rhamnus ilicifolia
Ribes californicum
Ribes cereum
Salix lasiandra
Salix lasiolepis
Salix scouleriana
Sambucus caerulea (Sambucus mexicana)
Sambucus callicarpa (Sambucus racemosa)
Sambucus racemosa
Simmondisa chinensis
Solanum umbelliferum
Sorbus sitchensis
Symphoricarpos rivularis (Symphoricarpos albus)
Symphoricarpos rotundifolius
Vaccinium occidentale (Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. occidentale)
![A very old photo of Purshia stansburiana, Cliff Rose, taken in 1987. - grid24_12 A very old photo of Purshia stansburiana, Cliff Rose, taken in 1987. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/3581/s/images/plants/223/cowania_mexicana_stansburiana.jpg)
Cliff Rose, Cowania is a Beautiful little bush that is browsed where it lives.
![Ribes californicum, Hillside Gooseberry or California Gooseberry - grid24_12 Ribes californicum, Hillside Gooseberry or California Gooseberry - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/9709/images/plants/ribes/ribes-californicum-hillside-gooseberry.jpg)
California Gooseberry is a thorny bush.
![Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus, Common Snowberry going deciduous with berries. - grid24_12 Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus, Common Snowberry going deciduous with berries. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/6768/s/images/plants/667/symphoricarpos_albus_laevigatus-3.jpg)
Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus, Snowberry
![A hillside of Woolly Blue curls and Adenostoma fasciculatum (Chamise or Greasewood) in flower. Much maligned for flammability, it's less flammable than most garden plants. - grid24_12 A hillside of Woolly Blue curls and Adenostoma fasciculatum (Chamise or Greasewood) in flower. Much maligned for flammability, it's less flammable than most garden plants. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/5710/s/images/plants/16/adenostoma_fasciculatum-4.jpg)
Chamise, Adenostema fasciculatium looks like a topiary after the deer get through with it.
![Fremontodendron californicum California Flannel Bush in the wild. Also known as Fremontia.
The flowers commonly cover all the plant. - grid24_12 Fremontodendron californicum California Flannel Bush in the wild. Also known as Fremontia.
The flowers commonly cover all the plant. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/8363/s/images/plants/317/fremontodendron_californicum-2.jpg)
Fremontodendron californicum California Flannel Bush has stellar hairs that have been used commercially as itching powder.
![Ceanothus Skylark has fragrant blue flowers! - grid24_12 Ceanothus Skylark has fragrant blue flowers! - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/10151/images/plants/ceanothus/ceanothus-thyrsiflorus-skylark.jpg)
Ceanothus Skylark is a form of Ceanothus thyrsiflorus , Blueblossom
Deer:
Acer circinatum
Acer glabrum
Adenostoma fasciculatum
Aesculus californica
Amelanchier alnifolia
Artemisia arbuscula var. nova
Artemisia tridentata
Atriplex canescens
Atriplex confertifolia
Atriplex polycarpa
Betula occidentalis
Ceanothus cordulatus
Ceanothus diversifolius
Ceanothus foliosus
Ceanothus incanus
Ceanothus integerrimus
Ceanothus leucodermis
Ceanothus parvifolius
Ceanothus prostratus
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Cercocarpus betuloides
Cercocarpus ledifolius
Chamaebatia foliolosa
Coleogyne ramosissima
Cowania mexicana (Purshia mexicana)
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Eurotia lanata (Krascheninnikovia lanata)
Fremontodendron californicum
Garrya fremontii
Grayia spinosa
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Lithocarpus densiflorus var. echinoides
Lonicera involucrata
Pickeringia montana
Populus tremuloides
Prunus emarginata
Prunus subcordata
Prunus virginiana var. demissa
Purshia tridentata (Purshia tridentata var. tridentata)
Purshia glandulosa (Purshia tridentata var. glandulosa)
Quercus douglasii
Quercus dumosa (Quercus berberidifolia)
Quercus garryana
Quercus kelloggii
Quercus wislizenii var. frutescens
Rhamnus californica
Rhamnus crocea var. ilicifolia (Rhamnus ilicifolia)
Rhus diversiloba (Toxicodentron diversilobum)
Sambucus caerulea (Sambucus mexicana)
Sambucus callicarpa (Sambucus racemosa)
Sambucus racemosa
Simmondsia chinensis
Solanum umbelliferum
Sorbus sitchensis
Umbellularia californica
Vaccinium occidentale (Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. occidentale)
References:
Sampson, A. W. & B. S. Jespersen. 1963. California Range Brushlands and Browse Plants. University of California Press. 162 pp.
Schemnitz, Sanford D. (ed.) 1980. Wildlife Management Techniques Manual. The Wildlife Society. 686 pp.
Moe, L. Maynard & E. C. Twisselmann. 1995. A Key to Vascular Plant Species of Kern County, California & A Flora of Kern County, California. California Native Plant Society. 395 pp.
![Atriplex polycarpa - cattle saltbush, allscale saltbush, Allscale, cattle spinach in McKitrick - grid24_12 Atriplex polycarpa - cattle saltbush, allscale saltbush, Allscale, cattle spinach in McKitrick - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/2385/s/images/plants/108/atriplex_polycarpa-1.jpg)
Atriplex polycarpa - cattle saltbush, allscale saltbush, Allscale, cattle spinach
![Chamaebatia foliolosa, Mountain Misery up in the Sierras - grid24_12 Chamaebatia foliolosa, Mountain Misery up in the Sierras - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/2364/s/images/plants/715/chamaebatia_foliolosa-1.jpg)
Chamaebatia foliolosa, Mountain Misery
![California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum on a hillside above the nursery. - grid24_12 California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum on a hillside above the nursery. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/334/s/images/plants/283/eriogonum_fasciculatum_foliolosum-3.jpg)
Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum California Buckwheat
![Christmas berry or Toyon with berries is what Hollywood was named after. Toyon will grow in most of Los Angeles with no water after first year. - grid24_12 Christmas berry or Toyon with berries is what Hollywood was named after. Toyon will grow in most of Los Angeles with no water after first year. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/9760/images/plants/heteromeles/heteromeles-arbutifolia-toyon-more-berries.jpg)
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon berries
![A young Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus browsing an apple tree. Some of the typos when I'm tired are funny. It should have been deer browsing, not beer browsing in file name. - grid24_12 A young Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus browsing an apple tree. Some of the typos when I'm tired are funny. It should have been deer browsing, not beer browsing in file name. - grid24_12](/images/grid24_12/11386/images/animals/deer/beer-browsing.jpg)
A young Mule Deer sampling our apple tree.