FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OF DESCHUTES CANYON AREA
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Native Plant and Weed Guidebooks Available!  Click on each title to order. 
Our GUIDE TO NATIVE PLANTS OF THE DESCHUTES CANYON AREA by Marilynne Keyser is an expanded second edition of FANs highly successful 2017 book. It includes more than 130 common native plants that are found on the sagebrush plateau and in the river canyons where Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties meet. The color photographs, taken primarily by the the author, along with the plant descriptions are organized by taxonomic family. It includes a list of botanical terms and drawings and photographs of the parts of a flower and the parts of a grass to help you understand the descriptions.
The guide is designed to fit in your pocket or small pack. Use it to identify native shrubs, bunchgrasses and wildflowers that you see on the many trails in the canyons of the middle Deschutes and lower Crooked Rivers and the surrounding sagebrush plateau. Trail recommendations are included to help you find specific plant species.
Plant guide price is $15 for FANs members and $20 for nonmembers.


Our GUIDE TO COMMON WEEDS OF THE DESCHUTES CANYON AREA by Penny Radtke and Marilynne Keyser
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.
Weed guide price is $12 for FANs members and $15 for nonmembers.

​ If you would prefer to coordinate local delivery or pickup, thereby saving the shipping fee, please email Marilynne Keyser at mtkeyser@gmail.com.
Books are also available at most FANs programs and events, and at these independent, local bookstores:

Herringbone Books in Remond
Dudley’s Bookshop Cafe in Bend
Roundabout Books in Bend
Paulina Springs Books in Sisters
Bohemian Peddler’s Blackbird Tea & Tales in Madras
Bowman Museum in Prineville

Weed of the Month - April / May
​By Penny Radtke, FANs Invasive Weed Consultant
Small Alyssum  (Alyssum alyssoides)

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     Small alyssum (aka yellow alyssum) is a small spring annual or biennial in the mustard family that appears in early spring.  Mustard family flowers all have 4 petals and 6 stamens in the center, 4 of which are tall and 2 short.  All members of this family are edible but not necessarily palatable!  Some are native, but small alyssum was introduced from Europe.
     The whole plant is covered with soft whitish hairs, and the fleshy reddish stems each grow from the base of the plant upward and outward.  The small oblong leaves grow irregularly along the stem. Tiny bright yellow flowers are clustered in the apex of leaves at the end of the stems.  As the flat brown disc-shaped seed pods form, new flowers continually appear and the stem continues growing longer producing more flowers and more and more seeds!
     Although not considered a major problem by the counties, it quickly becomes invasive so is classified as obnoxious.  Hand pulling is effective, but can be tedious as it spreads quickly.  When manual removal is not feasible, a pre-emergent herbicide sprayed in the late fall can be effective.  Contact a certified sprayer.
     If you have questions or would like to schedule a weed consultation to sort out the native plants from the weeds on your property contact me at: pradtke48@gmail.com

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Native Plant of the Month - May
by Marilynne Keyser, FANs Native Plant Coordinator
Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva)

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 The Spectacular Bitterroot!
     Bitterroot, a late spring perennial, is a complete surprise when you find the delicate white-to-deep rose flowers appearing to grow right out of the barren gravely ground along the basalt canyon rims in the high desert. Where are the leaves and stems? Well, by the time the flower blooms, there are none.
     If you find these wildflowers in April, all you will see is a strange circle of fleshy, finger-like green leaves growing from an unseen stem. As the plants develop, you will find a bring pink bud in the center. These fleshy leaves store the moisture required for the plant to bloom in the harsh, dry conditions where it grows.
     Each flower has 12-18 petals above 5-9 sepals, under which there is a whorl of 4-6 bracts. The Deschutes Canyon rim is an excellent place to find them. In Crooked River Ranch, your best bet if the Sandridge Trail. Be sure to walk out onto the promontories where these flowers can be prolific.
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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

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Deschutes Canyon Area Native Plant Checklist
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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  • Home
  • ADVOCACY
    • Deschutes-Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area
    • National Conservation Lands
  • STEWARDSHIP
    • Upcoming Stewardship Projects
    • Recent Projects
    • Nest Monitoring >
      • bluebirds & kestrels
      • Golden Eagles
    • Monarch Waystations
  • EDUCATION
    • Programs : Upcoming
    • Programs: Past
    • Guided Hikes
    • Native Plants & Weeds
    • BIRDS
    • wildlife
    • Engaging Our Youth
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Membership & Donation
    • Support FANs through Purchases
    • Volunteer
    • Board Members & Coordinators
    • Contact Us
  • RESOURCES
    • FANs Newsletters
    • Explore Deschutes Canyon Area
    • Related Links
    • VIDEOS
  • ORDER BOOKS HERE