Vine Hill Reserve
Map SatelliteA remnant of the plant community that once covered the Sonoma Barrens is preserved in this small Reserve. These barrens were characterized by an upper Pliocene marine sand, acid and poor in nutrients. During the summer, the surface baked to form a very hard layer which retained the moisture underneath. Virtually all of the barren has been destroyed by cultivation.
On this Reserve, two of the plants, the rare Arctostaphylos densiflora and the uncommon Ceanothus foliosus var. vineatus, are still present. The former, a low-growing shrub, is represented by perhaps forty specimens. It appears to have been derived from Arctostaphylos stanfordiana ssp. decumbens. The Arctostaphylos densiflora hybridized with Arctostaphylos manzanita and many of these tall hybrids are found in nutrient-poor soils of the western part of the county.
Integrity: The area surrounding the Arctostaphylos stand has been disturbed. Management plans call for fencing in the Reserve and planting some of the other rarities of the area and relicts of the barrens in the Reserve.
Use: Research.
Ref: Roof, James, 1972. Detective Story: Our "Lost" Sonoma Barren. The Four Seasons, Vol.4, No. 2, p.2-15.
March 1975
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman