Surrounded by Ancient Plants

This month’s speaker of the Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society will be Robin Kobaly, a Botanist from the Summer Tree Institute. She will give a PowerPoint presentation on many of our southwestern native plants which have been growing since pre-historic times and will be alive long after we are gone. Normal life-spans of some of our iconic southwest plants, including yuccas, nolinas, junipers, and even creosote, are hundreds of thousands years old. Using fascinating samples of local ancient plants, Robin will reveal the incredible ages of the long-lived native plants of the southwest and explore how ancient native plants and their mycorrhizal root partners contribute to estimate the age of native plants in our region and surrounding mountains. The speaker will also discuss how these ancient survivors can enhance our own landscapes for many decades to come; introducing local ancient plants that can be incorporated into our yards, not just for our enjoyment, but for future generations of humans, native songbirds, and wildlife. Come out and attend and learn how to become part of the solution by contributing to an attractive, environmentally sustainable landscape - right in your own yard. The meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 19 at the Church of the Nazarene, 1307 E. Citrus Ave at 7 p.m.