The new FANs Guide to Common Weeds of the Deschutes Canyon Area is now available!
See information below left.
See information below left.
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Weed of the Month - May
Tumble Mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) By Penny Radtke, FANs Weed Coordinator Tumble mustard is an annual that germinates in winter or early spring. The rosettes, which are appearing right now, consist of elongated leaves that are flat to the ground, deeply lobed, and have a prominent white vein in the center. As it grows taller, reaching up to 4 feet, tumble mustard becomes rangy-looking with lots of branched stems and smaller, more needle-like leaves. The small yellow flowers bloom all summer. After maturity, the plant breaks off and scatters seeds as it tumbles in the wind. Removing the plant in the rosette stage is effective for small populations. Large patches of tumble mustard are difficult to eradicate due to the number of seeds in the soil. Contact county weed control or a certified sprayer. For questions, or to schedule a weed consultation on your property, contact me at pradtke48@gmail.com. Or visit Fansofdeschutes.org. Consultations are $40 for non-members, $30 for members, and include our new book: Guide to Common Weeds of the Deschutes Canyon Area. 
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Native Plants of the Month - May
by Marilynne Keyser, FANs Native Plant Coordinator 
Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) is a medium-tall, extensively branched shrub with rigid stems. The small olive-green leaves are wedged-shaped with three lobes at the end of the leaf. They look a bit like sagebrush leaves, only these are not fuzzy. Many tiny, tubular, pale yellow flowers grow along the stems. Often the lower section of taller plants looks completely dead due to constant browsing by deer who depend on it in the winter. This perennial prefers somewhat moist soils.
Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) is a complete surprise when you find the beautiful, delicate, many-petaled, white to deep rose flower appearing to grow right out of the ground. By the time this happens, the fleshy finger-like green leaves have completely disappeared. This perennial grows in rocky soils, often along the canyon rims.
Carey’s Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza careyana), a large late spring perennial, can grow to 2 feet tall. It produces flowering stems of equal lengths with one large composite yellow flower. The huge leaves, which are alternate on the stem, are shiny green and heart-shaped with an obvious white central vein. It can be differentiated from arrowleaf balsamroot by the lack of woolly bracts behind the flowerhead. Carey’s balsamroot is the only balsamroot found in the middle Deschutes Canyon sagebrush plateau.
Desert Paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa) is one of the most striking plants of the
sagebrush steppe. Although the actual flowers are rather small and non-showy, they bloom amid many red bract-like leaves. The petals fuse into a flower tube that is twice as long as the bracts. This perennial is often found growing on talus slopes with sagebrush. |
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FANs Guide Books
Guide to Common Weeds of the Deschutes Canyon Area
by Penny Radtke and Marilynne Keyser This brand new, hot off the press, field guide is now available! Anyone striving to identify and eliminate unwanted and/or invasive plants will want this book! Includes photos and descriptions of many local weed species. This book features the same durable 8.5" x 4.25" spiral bound format as our popular Native Plant guide, making it easy and practical to carry in the field. Price $12 FANs members, $15 non-members You may order online using the link below, or if you would prefer to coordinate local delivery or pickup, thereby saving the shipping fee, please email Sue Combs at suekeeper@gmail.com. Guide to Common Native Plants of the Deschutes Canyon Area
by Marilynne Keyser This field guide includes the most common native plants on public lands near Crooked River Ranch in Central Oregon. It is small (8.5" x 4.25") and durable, so you can take it on your hikes to identify native shrubs, bunchgrasses and wildflowers on the many local trails. Organized by bloom time, the field guide is especially helpful from February through September. FANs bestselling guidebook, Common Native Plants of the Deschutes Canyon Area, is SOLD OUT. Please check with your local independent bookstore where copies may still be available. We are working on a second, expanded edition, which should be available in late 2022. Stay tuned! Both the weed guide and updated plant guide will be available at these local booksellers:
Herringbone Books in Redmond Dudley's Bookshop Cafe in Bend Roundabout Books in Bend Paulina Springs Books in Sisters Bowman Museum in Prineville the Bohemian Peddler's Blackbird Tea & Tales in Madras We graciously thank them for their support! |
FANs Weed Team
Our Weed Team, directed by Penny Radtke provides programs that educate local residents about invasive weeds and the value of native plants in restoring land in the Deschutes Canyon Area and nearby private lands. This team engages in restoration projects in the Deschutes Canyon Area and provides advice on restoration projects on private lands close to these public lands.
Learn about Native Plants and Invasive Weeds on Your Property
Our “Weed Team” offers private consultations for Crooked River Ranch property owners who want to know what native plants and invasive weeds are growing on their property.
FANs requests a consultation donation of $30 for FANs members and $40 for nonmembers. This fee includes a copy of our new book, Guide to Common Weeds of the Deschutes Canyon Area. Email Penny at pradtke48@gmail.com or fansofdeschutes@gmail.com to schedule a consultation. Computer Wallpaper Collection
FANs member Diane Nunley has created photo wallpaper that you can download and save to your computer. Use these beautiful photos to identify native plants by common and scientific names. We thank Diane for developing this great learning tool. Simply click on "Download File" to save the images. Have fun learning the names of native plants!
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Visit the Native Plant Interpretive Garden at Crooked River Ranch
click here for more information
click here to print a native plant garden checklist
Deschutes Canyon Area Native Plant Checklist
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Would you like to discover native plants while hiking in the Deschutes Canyon Area? Print out this Deschutes Canyon Area Native Plant Checklist and take it along with you. Sagebrush Country by Ronald J. Taylor and Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest by Mark Turner are two books with good illustrations that can help you identify native plants on our local public lands.
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Cushion fleabane on Steelhead Falls Trail | Marilynne Keyser
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