HABITAT: Coastal Prairie

COASTAL PRAIRIE HABITAT

DESCRIPTION

Namesakes such as Prairie Avenue and Meadows School describe what was once the main habitat of Manhattan Beach east of the sand dunes to about the 405 freeway. Mounds of undulating evergreen grasses and patches of low shrubs covered the treeless landscape. Wildflowers of blue, yellow and white sprang forth from the greenery in spring, and numerous watery depressions called vernal pools dotted the landscape. One such pool is now a pond at Polliwog Park, and although greatly altered for flood control, remains a rare reminder of the past. The plants of the species-rich coastal prairie habitat are well adapted to the cooling effects of fog as well as rainy winters and long dry summers.

SOIL

Generally moist to semi-moist all winter and semidry to dry throughout summer and fall. Non-native grasses that make up a conventional lawn require fertilizers and year-round water to remain healthy. Well draining soil with no added fertilizers, but plenty of rain winter-spring and occasional irrigation summer-fall, will do in the home garden planted with local CA native bunch grasses, low shrubs, wildflowers and bulbs.

WHERE TO FIND IN NATURE LOCALLY

Coastal prairie habitat in critically endangered in California. In Los Angeles most has been lost to urbanization, however driving two hours north in spring, one can see an eye-popping array of native wildflowers, grasses and prairie wildlife at Carrizo Plain National Monument in southeastern San Luis Obispo County:

https://www.blm.gov/visit/carrizo-plain-national-monument

PRAIRIE GRASSLAND PLANT and WILDLIFE COMMUNITY

In addition to grass, wildflowers play a big role in this habitat. Yellow pincushions will draw an assortment of tiny bugs to the garden. They serve as mini-pollinators as well as a protein-rich snack for birds. Hummingbirds love Miniature Bicolor lupine of blue and white, which can still be found wild in sections of Polliwog Park. With white tipped petals, Tidy Tips, along with Goldfields are springtime garden beauties. Aphids will be quickly consumed by ladybug larva (photo below) as well as adults.

IF YOU PLANT IT ------------->

THEY WILL COME!

Wild Onion (bulb) (Allium species)
Common Goldenstar (bulb) (Bloomeria crocea)
Clustered Field Sedge (Carex praegracilis)
Catalina Mariposa Lily (bulb) (Calochortus catalinae)
Yellow Mariposa Lily (bulb) (Calochortus luteus)
Paintbrush (Castilleja affinis)
Farewell-To-Spring (wildflower seed) (Clarkia amoena)
Elegant Clarkia (wildflower seed) (Clarkia elegans)
Chinese Houses (wildflower seed) (Collinsia heterophylla)
Blue Dicks (bulb) (Dichelostemma capitatum)
Dune Poppies (wildflower seed) (Eschscholzia californica maritima)
Blue California Fescue Grass (Festuca idahoensis)
California Fescue Grass (Festuca californica)
Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana)
California Goldfields (wildflower seed)(Lasthenia californica)
Tidy Tips (wildflower seed) (Layia platyglossa)
Blue Flax (wildflower seed) (Linum lewisii)
Miniature Lupine (wildflower seed) (Lupinus bicolor)
Blue Blue Eyes (wildflower seed) (Nemophila menziesii)
Four O'Clock Wishbone Bush (Mirabilis californica)
Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
Lacy Phacelia (wildflower seed) (Phacelia tanacetifolia)
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
Foothill Needlegrass (Stipa cernua)

Butterflies; Bumblebees; Native Flies; Moths
Yellow-faced Bumblebees and several solitary native bee species
Umber Skipper and Common Ringlet Butterflies
Orange Tortrix Moth; Nectar-loving insects
Orange Tortrix Moth; Nectar-loving insects
Host plant for Leanier Checkerspot Butterfly larva; Tortrix Moth
White-lined and Pacific Green Sphinx Moths; Bumblebees; Seed-eating birds
Butterflies; Native solitary bees; Bumblebees; Seed-eating birds
Variable and Edith's Checkerspot Butterflies; Bees; Seed-eating birds
Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds; Native flies and bees
Yellow-faced Bumblebee; Crab Spider; Seed-eating birds
Sandhill and Lindsey's Skippers; Seed-eating birds
Sandhill Skipper; Common Ringlet Butterfly; Seed-eating birds
American Ear Moth; Verbena Bud Moth; Butterflies
Butterflies; Bumblebees; Seed-eating birds; Hoverflies
Small Heliothodes Moth; Diamond Spottail Hoverfly; Bumblebees
Variegated Fritillary Butterfly; Bees; Native flies; Seed-eating birds
Painted Lady, Gray Hairstreak, & Acmon Blue Butterflies; Finches
Host plant for Funereal Duskywing Butterfly larva; Seed-eating birds
Butterflies; Bees; Seed-eating birds; Native flies
Seed-eating birds; Provides cover for Fence Lizards, other ground dwellers
Yellow-faced & Sonoran Bumblebees, Butterflies, seed-eating birds
Native flies; Skipper Butterflies; Seed-eating birds
Juba Skipper; Common Ringlet Butterfly; Seed-eating birds

Wild Hyacinth, also known as Blue Dicks, grow from a bulb-like structure called a corm. They are easy to grow and along with California poppies, can turn a native prairie grass lawn into an attractive wildflower meadow in spring.

LEARN MORE

Carrizo Plain National Monument in southeastern San Luis Obispo County:

https://www.blm.gov/visit/carrizo-plain-national-monument

Plants

Calscape: www.calscape.org

Las Pilitas Nurserywww.laspilitas.com

Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants: www.theodorepayne.org

Santa Monica/Los Angeles www.lasmmcnps.org

Birds

iBird PRO app

Merlin Bird ID app (especially good for identifying birds by sound)

iNaturalist app