A trip among native plants and interlopers

This may be the "Sagebrush State" to many, but it may not be that too much longer, between spreading cheat grass and more frequent forest fires.

That was the message that Ed Smith, natural resource specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension, had for a group attending his Native Plants Identification and Propagation field trip Tuesday evening at the Faye Luther Trailhead outside Gardnerville.

Despite the chill wind and unspring-like temperatures, the listeners walked with Smith from 6 p.m. to after 8 p.m. as he explained the changes going on in the Carson Valley and elsewhere in the state. "Soil and rain pretty well define what grows here," Smith said.

"Cheat grass, a nonnative annual plant, got its name from wheat farmers in Washington when it began appearing in their fields, cheating the wheat out of water," Smith explained, as he scuffed at a clump of the grass with a boot. It moves into areas following fires and quickly becomes the dominant plant. "When it moved into Nevada it began breaking up the life cycle of sagebrush by germinating earlier in the season than the sagebrush seeds after fires.

"That way it deprived the sage of moisture. Cheat grass has very little nutritional value for animals. They'll eat it if there's not much else, but not after it turns red."

When the tiny flowers appear the cheat grass becomes dangerous; it closes down digestive systems in animals. So the grass is of little value to the environment or animal life.

Cheat grass is encouraged by forest fires which knock down dried or old sagebrush.

"Forest fires are coming much more often now," said Smith, blaming urban sprawl and fire measures which have allowed fuel to gather. "Fires take down the sage and open things up for cheat grass."

Declining amounts of sage in Nevada also threaten the sage grouse, said Smith. "The grouse use the sage as habitat, hiding from predators and the wind. The sage goes, and the grouse go." Sagebrush is the most abundant plant in Nevada, Smith said - at least for now.

Sagebrush is ideally adapted for Nevada soil and weather conditions, said Smith. "It has two root systems, a tap root which goes deep for water, and a lateral system which picks up surface water. Most of the water sage gets is from melting snow."

Sage plants average 3 feet tall and release 300,000 seeds annually, which travel up to 300 yards.

Smith suggested that those interested in native plants pick up a book called "Sagebrush Country" by Ronald J. Taylor for $10. "It has a very pretty cover," said Smith, who has a replica of the cover in his living room, and has a lot of information.

Another book Smith recommends is "Soil Survey of the Douglas County Area," by the Natural Resources Conservation Services. This thick manual is free and contains aerial photos and maps of Douglas County showing what plants will grow where and what plants would like to move in.

Smith, who does this lecture annually and will be happy to do it for a group anytime, moved on to other plants native to Nevada.

The bitter brush is another Nevada plant. It is bright green and is an erect, stiff, and abundantly branched shrub up to 6 feet tall. The young stems are reddish-brown in color, becoming a reddish-gray brown with age. The leaves alternate on short spur shoots off the main stem and are deciduous. It was used by American Indians for firewood. Although the seeds are bitter, they are cached or eaten by rodents in large quantities.

"As rodents often don't survive winters these caches of seeds often germinate and spread bitterbrush," said Smith.

Another native plant, explained Smith, is the needle-and thread grass. Needle-and-thread is a drought-tolerant, perennial bunchgrass widely distributed in native grasslands on silty, sandy and gravely range sites throughout Nevada.

Then there is Indian rice grass. This grows to about 3 inches high and has yellow flowers. It looks like a spray of hair. Insects love its tiny seeds and American Indians used to collect the seeds to make flour.

"I know it seems impossible to make flower from such small seeds," said Smith, "but in the old days there used to be vast fields of rice grass."

A colorful plant that grows in Nevada is the flaming desert peach. As one might expect, it bears peaches - but the tiny peaches "don't taste very good."

Rabbit brush almost went to war under the name of rubber rabbit brush. During World War II the shortage of rubber triggered searches for local rubber plants. And yes, there was rubber in the brush but "not in useable quantities."

For more, wait until next year or invite Ed Smith to your next cocktail party. He's a good talker.

Contact Sam Bauman at sbauman@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1236.