Native shrub self-seeds on UCLA campus, observer hopes it stays
iNaturalist: sticklink
Native Plants
A self-seeded native shrub popping up on a mowed campus lawn is a small sign that local ecosystems can reclaim ground on their own if landscapers just hold off on the weed-whacker.
A person walking around UCLA noticed a laurel sumac plant growing on its own, meaning nobody planted it on purpose. Laurel sumac is a native Southern California shrub known for its sweet-smelling, apple-scented leaves, and the observer is hoping campus landscaping crews don't mistake it for a weed and pull it out.
Key Findings
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Observation logged on iNaturalist of Malosma laurina (laurel sumac) growing at UCLA in Los Angeles, CA
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The plant appears to be a volunteer, meaning it germinated naturally rather than being deliberately planted
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Observer expresses concern that campus maintenance may remove it before it establishes
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Technical Summary
Someone spotted a volunteer laurel sumac growing on the UCLA campus and is hoping campus grounds crews leave it alone instead of removing it as a weed.
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Abstract Preview
Original paper
laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) observed in University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, US
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 ...
