Strawberry Hill, Parks Committee, Barron Park (Neighborhood) Association

Background

Strawberry Hill is the area between Matadero Creek and the Gunn High School athletic fields.

Herbicide Use - 2007

• Article in the Palo Alto Weekly of 7 March 2007: So much for 'green' education: School district renders 'bird-nesting' area barren with herbicide
• Letter to Board of Education, PAUSD

Native Plants

Although Strawberry Hill itself has been disturbed multiple times by construction, there are various colonies of native plants nearby (along the border with the VA Hospital, the donkey pastures). Native plant seeds were also sown at the finish of the construction of the creek bypass (a tunnel under the bike path).

The following have been tentatively identified on the portion of Strawberry Hill in the area bounded by the various paths.

• Brodaiea / Dichelostemma / Tritelia
  These are very similar plants that have been split - and occasionally moved - between these three categories by the various "authorities"
  • Perennial (bulb)
  • Reference Photo - Blue Dicks (Brodaiea/Dichelostemma capitatum)
  • Reference Photo - Ithuriel's Spear (Brodaeia/Tritelia laxa)
  • Pictures of existing colony (near the top of the hill) - April 2007
    • Showing rough location (baseball field in background)
    • Closeup
• Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
  • Perennial (not a grass, but member of lily family)
  • Reference Photo
  • Pictures of existing colony (near the top of the hill) - April 2007
    • Location: just barely downhill from the Blue Dicks colony (above)
    • Closeup
• Soap Plant / Soap Lily (Chlorogalum pomeridianum)
  • Perennial (bulb)
  • Reference Photo
• Lupine (multiple colors: blue, white, violet, ...)
  • Annual (from seeds - although there are perennial lupines)
  • Reference Photo (representative)
  • Picture of Lupine on Strawberry Hill circa 2000-2004
• Clovers
  • Annual (from seeds)
  • Reference Photo (Dense-flowered Owl's Clover - Castilleja densiflora)
  • Reference Photo (Purple Owl's Clover - Castilleja exserta)
• California (Golden) Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
  • Annual (from seeds)
  • Reference Photo
• Purple Needle Grass (Nassella pulchra
  • Perennial
  • Note: The novice might mistake the seed heads for a scrawny growth of foxtail grass (an invasive), but the base of the needle grass will still be grey-green when the foxtails have dried out to golden straw.
  • Reference Photo
  • More info and photos
  • Close-up pictures of the seed heads
• Evening Primrose (Oenothera elata)
  • Short-lived Perennial
  • Reference Photo (Hairy Evening Primrose)
  • Reference Photo (Hooker's Evening Primrose)

Potential revegetation

History/Background