Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 6, 2010. Native Blue Elderberries (Sambucus mexicana) are being overtaken by non-native, highly invasive Arundo (Arundo donax) on "Lot C" of the Red Car Property. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Every year, the City Dept. of Lot Cleaning and private brush clearance contractors fail to clear the Arundo from "Lot C" of the Red Car Property. Arundo is listed by the California Invasive Plant Council as highly invasive. Because it explodes when it catches fire, it should not be planted in hillside areas. It aggressively pushes out native plants out of the ecosystem.
Blue Elderberries were originally planted along the lot lines of our hillside neighborhood, according to a Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract neighbor (who has been here since the 1950s). If you look at lot lines in the Red Car Neighborhood and Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, you will often see Blue Elderberries.
July 9, 2010, UPDATE: According to CalFlora, Blue Elderberry plant (Sambucus mexicana) is majorly toxic, but the ripe fruit is nontoxic. Eat at your own risk.