Native California shrub spotted thriving in a San Diego city park
iNaturalist: thesafarihiker
Native Plants
If you walk through a city park in Southern California and spot a leathery, taco-folded leaf shrub, you're likely looking at laurel sumac, a drought-tough native that survives urban heat without any irrigation.
Someone out for a walk in Pan American Plaza in San Diego spotted a laurel sumac shrub and logged it on iNaturalist, where other naturalists confirmed the identification, making it a verified sighting. Laurel sumac is a native Southern California shrub known for its reddish stems and leaves that fold slightly like a taco, and it's prized for surviving heat and drought without help. This kind of sighting matters because it shows native plants can still find a foothold in heavily developed, manicured urban parks.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the species ID was confirmed by community consensus
Location recorded as Pan American Plaza, a developed urban park setting in San Diego, CA
Species identified as Malosma laurina (laurel sumac), a California native shrub
chevron_right Technical Summary
A research-grade sighting of laurel sumac, a hardy native California shrub, was confirmed in a San Diego park, highlighting how native plants persist even in heavily landscaped urban spaces.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) observed in Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA, US
Research-grade observation of laurel sumac in Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Malosma is a monotypic genus comprising the species Malosma laurina. The species is an evergreen tree or shrub belonging to the sumac family, Anacardiaceae, native to the Pacific coast regions of southern California and Baja California, as well as the southeastern California Channel Islands, and ...