In touch: woollyheads

This small annual is quite rare and endangered

“George, over here, let me show you.” I was pretty excited. George and I had just completed a plant survey of a stretch of land that lies north of the zoo where I work. Our task had been to find out how much nonnative iceplant had invaded the area, which we found plenty of. And while most of the plants we had surveyed that day were native, they were mostly species commonly found along the coast of Southern California: salt grasses, pickleweed, with occasional salty Susan, and seablight. Nice native plants, but nothing to get excited about.

What I was now delighted to find was a small, low-lying plant: a woollyhead (Nemacaulus denudata). Woollyheads are cute. With their grey-green, crinkly leaves, they appear to be the result of a school paper mache art project. I found only one that day, and it was right in the line of tire tracks, so its chances of survival were, well, pretty slim.

Woollyheads, most likely the coast woolly-heads variety, at the estuary of the San Diego River in the San Diego neighborhood of Ocean Beach. Photo by the author

All the plants I’ve written about in the In touch series have been species I’ve worked with in some way: propagating them, planting them, trimming or pruning them in my gardening work. I’ve done none of that with woollyheads. Nonetheless, about ten years ago, I volunteered for conservation work through the San Diego River Park Foundation. Most of my volunteering was at the estuary where the San Diego River meets the Pacific Ocean and where you can find woollyheads.

Last week, I visited the estuary with my friend Dave. The estuary is home to at least three rare and endangered species, woollyheads among them. I was happy that Dave and I discovered whole areas blanketed with woollyheads.