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Eradicating a New Invasive Plant on the Mendocino Coast

Licorice Plant, Helichrysum petiolare, is a South African plant that has spread extensively through Marin County and has been reported in a few locations along the Mendocino Coast. Often sold in nurseries for its soft gray foliage, the plant is commonly used in gardens where it grows in either sun or shade. Unfortunately, Licorice Plant has proven to be especially vigorous in mild coastal climates, where it has escaped cultivation and become invasive.

In Marin County there have been thousands of reports of Licorice Plant popping up in natural areas and posing a threat to native vegetation and altering habitats. Near Stinson Beach the plant invaded an apparently healthy coastal scrub ecosystem, spreading across native vegetation and smothering the plants below. One such plant that was displaced is the native shrub Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis). Although Coyote Brush does not have large, showy flowers, it provides an important late-season nectar source for dozens of insects, which in turn, are food for birds and other animals. Licorice Plant’s ability to invade and alter ecosystems, including intact ecosystems which are usually more resistant to invasive plants, is concerning and points to the plant’s potential to become a problem along the California Coast.

Licorice Plant has only three reported locations in Mendocino County (Albion, Anchor Bay and Mill Bend Preserve) and this limited spread presents a unique opportunity to eradicate it. Licorice Plant was first found on Mill Bend Preserve near the cottage, where it was likely planted as an ornamental years ago. The area contained several mature plants and numerous seedlings. A second population was located in a shady ravine below the Gualala Arts Center. This sizable patch spread quickly in the damp gulch, rooting along the stems where they touched moist soil. All Licorice Plants were pulled by hand at both locations and the task was completed in less than two days. Regular monitoring for new plants will continue so the plant does not reestablish at Mill Bend Preserve.

Elimination of invasive plants at this very early stage of invasion is critically important. As an invasive plant’s population expands exponentially, so do the resources required to remove it. Unlike many invasive plants that have colonized the area, complete eradication of Licorice Plant is feasible and was easily achieved at Mill Bend Preserve.  

If Licorice Plant is growing in your garden, removing it and monitoring the area for seedlings will prevent its expansion into neighboring natural areas. Many beautiful native plants are available as alternatives to Licorice Plant in the garden. Coast Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium) has compact mounds of silver leaves and attractive light pink flowers, and several species of California native Sage (Salvia sp.) have similar gray foliage. In addition, many of these Sages flower abundantly, providing food for native pollinators. Hopefully, with community efforts to remove this plant and increased awareness of its invasive potential, nurseries will cease its production and the plant will be eliminated from the Mendocino Coast before it becomes a widespread problem. 

If you know of Licorice Plants growing in natural areas, please remove it if you have access and report this information on the Calflora website. You can also contact Stewardship Director Sophia Pisciotta at sophia@rclc.org for more information.

Bear Research at Mill Bend Preserve

In October, Meghan Walla-Murphy of the North Bay Bear Collaborative led a training in bear scat collection at Mill Bend Preserve. The North Bay Bear Collaborative is a working group of agencies, non-profit conservation groups, landowners and individuals committed to being proactive liaisons between humans and bears. The event was an opportunity to learn about basic bear ecology, how to collect hair and scat samples for DNA analysis, and safety measures for tracking in bear habitat. We were joined by staff from Sonoma County Regional Parks. 

Black bears are active in our area, with recent sightings along Highway 1 and prints recently found at Gualala Point Regional Park. Bear scat is being collected by the North Bay Bear Collaborative for DNA analysis in order to learn more about bear movement, diet and population throughout the region. The DNA from the scat can be used to determine gender, how they are related to others, and track movement of individual bears.

Bears in our community are a sign of a healthy ecosystem, but there are things we can do to help them continue to thrive here. North Bay Bear Collaborative helps teach people how to live among bears safely, including guidance on avoiding the kind of attractive nuisances likely to lure wild animals into neighborhoods. While 85% of a bear’s diet is vegetation, they’ll eat just about anything and it’s important to not let bears get habituated to human food. Bear proof trash cans are a great strategy to help mitigate this, as well as “aversive conditioning” tactics, which are strategies that make bears less comfortable around humans. Websites like www.bearwise.org and www.bearsmart.com have great tips for how to live responsibly with bears. In addition, protected spaces like Mill Bend Preserve help build resilient and biodiverse habitats so bears remain wild.

It’s possible to see bears throughout the winter on the coast. Instead of hibernation, bears in this region can go into “torpor,” a lighter sleep than hibernation which helps them conserve energy in the winter. However, scat cannot be collected if it has been rained on, so collection has just ended for the season. It will begin again in 2025, and RCLC will continue to partner with North Bay Bear Collaborative to contribute samples that support research of bear movement along the coast.

Wreath Making & Open House:

December 7

Join us on Saturday, December 7 for wreaths and winter crafts! Drop by to make a wreath from natural materials, sip some hot apple cider, and enjoy the beautiful trails and views at Mill Bend Preserve. 

At last year’s event, we had a great crowd of children and adults who made wreaths from holly, fir, redwood, and eucalyptus branches, as well as other greens and pine cones that were gathered at Mill Bend Preserve the day before the event. To attach the greenery, we had metal rings and rings made from willow branches on hand, as well as ribbons and bows to decorate the wreaths. Like last year, we’ll also have crafts for kids –including a peanut butter pine cone bird seed activity. Kids can spread peanut butter on a pine cone, roll it in birdseed, and then hang the feeder outside at home for the birds to enjoy throughout the winter.

It’s also a great opportunity to explore the grounds at Mill Bend Preserve, including the historic Gualala Cemetery, and chat with RCLC volunteers about our ongoing projects. We ask that you leave your dogs at home for the event, but please feel free to take your leashed furry friend for a walk on the trails throughout the Preserve.

Visit rclc.org/events for more information.



Our Vision for the Future Needs You

In 2024, RCLC made great progress on our mission to preserve, restore and share the natural wonders of coastal southern Mendocino and northern Sonoma Counties. As we look towards next year, our vision for the future is even more ambitious.

Restoration at Mill Bend Preserve will continue to be a top priority. We’ll also continue to explore new land and easement acquisitions in the Gualala River watershed, look for opportunities to preserve and repair native habitats, and deliver new ways for the public to enjoy and learn from the natural world.

This past year, we pursued two new property acquisitions. While they did not come to fruition, it is only a matter of time before we announce our next big acquisition.

If it sounds like we’re gearing up for big things, it’s because we are. As a land trust, our job is to protect and sometimes assist in the repair of nature.

But to fully realize this vision, we need your support. We hope you’ll consider contributing to the next chapter for RCLC, and help us preserve, restore and share this landscape for future generations.