top of page
October 2026
Monthly Meeting
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: Ferns and Lycophytes of San Diego County, With Jon Rebman, October 17, In-Person, Oasis, Rancho Bernardo, 1:30p -3:30p
Jon P. Rebman, Ph.D., Curator and Chair of Botany, San Diego Natural History Museum. Jon P. Rebman, Ph.D., is Curator/Chair of Botany at the San Diego Natural History Museum (since 1996) and a plant taxonomist who conducts extensive floristic research in Baja California and in San Diego and Imperial counties. He leads field classes and botanical expeditions and directs the San Diego County Plant Atlas project (sdplantatlas.org). Personal scientific collections: 37,000+ plant
Oct 1
Articles
TREES, PLEASE! Ten Common Myths of Trees – Need a Reminder?
By Robin Y Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! October 2026. Myth #1: “Topping” and “Lacing” are valid arboricultural pruning terms… They are not. DO NOT TOP YOUR TREES! Topping is destructive tree mutilation. You won’t find either term in the older ANSI A300 tree care standards or the 2023 updates. Although heavy crown-reduction in orchards may appear to ease fruit harvesting, the wounds increase risk of disease, sun scald and incur yearly high-maintenance - assumed by a grower
Oct 1
TREES, PLEASE! Bananas – Are they Going, Going - Gone?
By Robin Y Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026. Banana Flower Close-up - Musa paradisiaca (Musa acuminata x balbisiana). Ruestz, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons. Are bananas as we know them doomed? Probably yes. Considering it’s the most popular and widely distributed fruit in the world, that ought to be a scary thought. Wild vs. Commercial Bananas. Composite image by ryrivet for SDHS 2026. What’s up? Bananas use
Aug 1
TREES, PLEASE! Mighty Myrtaceae – “the myrtle family”
by Robin Y Rivet, for Let's Talk Plants! June 2026 Anna’s Hummingbird seeking nectar from a eucalyptus flower. Photo by Karney Lee, USFWS on Pixnio. Mighty Myrtaceae – “the myrtle family” The tallest flowering tree in the world is the "giant mountain ash", which belongs to the Myrtaceae family. So does the diminutive dwarf common “myrtle”, an evergreen shrub often sold at San Diego nurseries as a tidy border plant. What do they have in common? Most members are trees or shrubs
Jun 1
TREES, PLEASE! Graft Smart - Don’t Grift
By Robin Y. Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2026. Cherry Tree Grafting Calyponte , CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons. Graft Smart - Don’t Grift Grafting is not mysterious. Like other forms of plant propagation, success requires knowledge of biology
Apr 1
TREES, PLEASE! Are Your Trees Climate Ready?
By Robin Y. Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! February 2026. Photo credit: LadyCamera, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Are Your Trees Climate Ready? Valentine’s Day is looming, but February 2nd is Groundhog Day . Although we have ample sunshine for groundhogs to see their shadow, where are all the woodchucks? Duh. There aren’t any marmots in San Diego ( unless you count the one that hitch-hiked from NorCal in 2009 ). So how do
Feb 1
TREES, PLEASE! Urban Tree Observations: Conks, Stains, Saps And Bugs
By Robin Y. Rivet, for Let’s Talk Plants! December 2025. Turkey Tails - Trametes versicolor - fruiting body on rotting tree log. Bernard Spragg – Flickr Pro: https://www.flickr.com/photos/volvob12b/41856600312 . Urban Tree Observations: Conks, Stains, Saps and Bugs In October, I wrote about abiotic tree mishaps – especially those inflicted on urban trees by well-meaning humans. Many were preventable, so please re-read that essay if you’re a DIYer, as many of those failures
Dec 1, 2025
TREES, PLEASE! Is That Tree Really Sick?
By Robin Y. Rivet, for Let's Talk Plants! October 2025. Jacaranda tree loses its foliage before blooming in May. Nearby trees have already leafed out. "SelecTree. UFEI. " Jacaranda mimosifolia Tree Record." 1995-2025. Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. Is That Tree Really Sick? “I think my tree is dying”. Sadly, this is a common lament for far too many residents. Decline of urban trees often arises from largely preventable abiotic causes. Environmentally stressed tr
Oct 1, 2025
bottom of page