LA. Not a desert?

A Gray Hairstreak Butterfly on Black Sage
(Image Property of SoCal Earth Science Blog)

Did you know that much of the highly populated regions of Southern California were not deserts? Deserts exist on the Rain Shadow side of mountains, and receive very little winter rainfall.

Most of the highly populated regions of Southern California were in Coastal Sage Scrub. The habitat lies within the Mediterranean Climate and receives more rainfall than the deserts. Much of it has been lost to development, and many endangered and threatened species live within it (Examples: The California Gnatcatcher and The El Segundo Blue Butterfly).

Plant species that live within Coastal Sage Scrub include California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), Coast Sunflower (Encelia californica), Black Sage (Salvia mellifera), White Sage (Salvia apiana), Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), and many more.

For more information visit:

http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page 

http://www.laspilitas.com/comhabit/california_communities.html
Information retrieved from the sites listed above.