I love pampas grass season in Bodega Bay. The beautiful thick, feathery plumes line both sides of Hwy. 1 and the surrounding hillsides as you wind down into town. You'll also find patches in other areas including this stretch of Westshore Rd. along Bodega Harbor.
The silky "featherduster" plumes start out as a pink-purple color then gradually turn a warm white. The stalks grow as high as 6-8 ft. and are surrounded by tall, thin, sticky, sharp leaves. In fact, they are so sharp, they're a barrier to animal movement and have been known to cut the hide of deer trying to walk through them!
Unfortunately pampas grass is not native and it's highly invasive throughout the California coast. Authorities have taken steps to eradicate this opportunistic grass and discourage people from planting it on their property. They say it's an aggressive colonizer that competes with native vegetation, displacing native coastal dunes and other shrubs.
I get it and I won't plant any in our yard, but you just can't help admiring the beauty of these majestic grasses blooming now in all their glory!
My mom used to complaint that Pampas Grass was murder on her hay fever. So I never became a fan, love your pictures, though!
ReplyDeleteI love it, too! My grandma showed me how to cut pampas grass, spray it with Aqua Net hairspray as a fixative, and use it for groovy 70's decor. Not for the allergy-prone though.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of the Aqua Net hairspray! It would be cool to do that and then put them in a shadow box frame ... no allergies that way.. I also really like the sound they make in the wind. Thanks Kathlene!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
That sounds like fun! Unfortunately this storm has probably wiped it out now. The blooms are so delicate, I bet they're waterlogged. :-(
ReplyDeleteI love that - "aggressive colonizer"
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