Daugherty Hill
Activities
Animals
Steller's Jay
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
Mountain Chickadee
Coyote
Western Fence Lizard
Mule Deer
Plants
Appearance
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Blue-gray colored leaves (almost silvery).
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Leaves have rounded lobes, not sharp points.
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Bark is light gray and cracked.
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Usually grows widely spaced with a rounded canopy.
Facts
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It is one of the most drought-tolerant oaks in California.
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Many animals eat its acorns, including deer, squirrels, and woodpeckers.
Blue Oak
Appearance
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Long gray-green needles that grow in groups of three.
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Very large pine cones (can be over 10 inches long)
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Often has a crooked trunk and an open canopy.
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Bark is dark and deeply furrowed.
Facts
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It produces some of the largest pine cones in the world.
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The pine nuts were traditionally eaten by Native American tribes.
Foothill Pine
Appearance
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Evergreen shrub with dark green, leathery leaves.
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Leaves have small serrated edges.
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Produces clusters of bright red berries in winter.
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Small white flower clusters appear in spring or early summer.
Facts
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Toyon is sometimes called “Christmas berry.”
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The name Hollywood may have been inspired by hills covered in toyon berries.
Toyon
Appearance
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Glossy oval leaves with smooth edges.
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Leaves grow alternately along the branch.
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Small greenish flowers that are not very showy.
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Berries change color from green to red to black when ripe.
Facts
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The berries were once used as a mild natural laxative.
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Birds love the berries and help spread the seeds.
California Coffeeberry
Appearance
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Bright orange cup-shaped flowers.
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Four smooth petals that close at night.
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Leaves are finely divided and bluish-green.
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Usually grows 6–18 inches tall in open sunny areas.
California Poppy
Facts
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It is the official state flower of California.
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The flowers close at night or during cold weather.
Appearance
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Long, narrow leaves that grow opposite each other.
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Clusters of small pink or purple flowers.
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Produces long seed pods filled with silky fibers.
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Grows 2–4 feet tall in open sunny areas.
Facts
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A key plant for monarch butterflies, whose caterpillars eat only milkweed.
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The silky fibers from the seeds were once used as stuffing in life jackets.