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Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla)

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Far outside the city the tree frogs were calling her,
and the deep, rhythmic pulse of their voices
set the blood flow to her heart.
— Ann Patchett, Author

Spend time out of doors in the Pacific Northwest and you will hear the call of the Pacific Chorus or Tree Frog. These cute little treefrogs are the smallest frog species in Oregon (at about two-inches) and can be found from northern California into Canada and as far east as Idaho. A few have even been introduced in Alaska.

But do they really call or sing? Yes! Male Pacific treefrogs use sound to attract females as part of the breeding process. It is amazing how loud these little critters can be as they attempt to attract females. The best time to hear them is usually from December through May depending on altitude. The song includes “ooh-yeeh” or ribbiting sounds (like “Krr-r-r-eek”) that are made through the males very stretchy, dark vocal sac that puffs out as they sing.

The frog’s skin is often a shade of green or brown but will change color seasonally to better match the environment. Depending on the season, they may also be tan, reddish, gray, brown, cream, or black with a variety of markings, stripes, and small bumps. The frog’s skin is highly permeable and thus very susceptible to chemical poisoning.

The frogs are predominantly nocturnal and can be found in a variety of riparian habitats often near water. This could include wetland, woodlands, and grasslands, chaparral, pastures, lakes, streams, and even in back yards with a water source nearby during mating season. Their range outside of mating season can include significantly larger and dryer areas.

To find them, look under rotten logs or rocks, in long grass or leaf litter, tree cavities, and hunting in shrubs and trees. Their toe pads, which are long and slightly webbed and coated with a sticky substance. This waxy, sticky substance helps keep their skin moist and helps them climb and hang-on to surfaces. They also have a sticky tongue! What a great advantage when hunting and ambushing spiders, beetles, flies, ants, slugs, snails, etc.  And, eat insects almost as large as they are by slightly expanding their bodies.  

Predators can include snakes, raccoons, birds (like herons, egrets), and other small mammals and reptiles (such as newts). They can be very difficult to spot because they blend so well into their environment when holding still. Their comparatively giant hop gives them away as they try to escape.

Protection. Treefrogs are on the decline in Oregon and are very sensitive to pesticides and herbicides.  The Pacific treefrog is classified as Nongame Wildlife (OAR 635-044). It is unlawful “to purchase, sell or exchange or offer to purchase, sell or exchange” treefrogs (ORS 498.022). It is also unlawful to move or relocate treefrogs without a permit from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Anyone who wants to capture frogs or their larvae for educational or scientific purposes must first obtain a Wildlife Scientific Taking Permit from a local ODFW office (ORS 497.298, OAR 635-043).

For more information on treefrogs and inviting them into your garden see:  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Frogs and Toads page at https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/frogs-and-toads. For more indepth information download the ODFW Living With Wildlife flyer on the Pacific Treefrog at: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/docs/LWW_Pacific_Treefrog_final.pdf. For more great quotes see https://www.wisefamousquotes.com/quotes-about-frogs/.

Tree Lupine (Lupinus arboreus)

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Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

What’s that soft yellow bush in the distance? It just might be a Tree Lupine (Lupinus arboreus). The common names are yellow bush lupine (US) or tree lupin (UK).

This perennial will grow to about 79-inches in full sun. Tree lupins typically live up to seven years and are hardy to 10˚F.

The attractive yellow flowers held on a 12-inch stem is rich in nectar and pollen. The gray-green leaves are palm-shaped and covered with fine, silky hair.

Lupins are attractive to many bees, butterflies, and moths. Tree Lupins host to ten or more butterflies and moths. Some have estimated the number to be upwards of 39 in total. Lupines do not appear to be attractive to birds.

Wolf?

The term lupine is from the Latin for “wolf,” referring to the mistaken belief that these plants deplete soil minerals. The opposite is actually true.

Many species of Lupine will collect nitrogen from the air. This ability gradually enriches surrounding soils and may displace native varieties adapted to more nitrogen-poor conditions.

Invasive Tendencies

Tree lupins are strong growers and can outcompete other grasses, forbs, and native plants. It grows in a number of different soils with good drainage including sand dunes and coastal sage scrub. At one time, this plant was used to stabilize sand dunes and other soils along the Oregon and California coast.

This species can threaten native plants through hybridization. There are approximately 220 species of lupines with many growing in the North American west.

Yellow Lupin creates a lot of seeds every year. These seeds persist in the soil for a very long time and can create a seed bank.

Unsprouted seeds collect and lay dormant in a shallow mat below the shrub. This seed bank will sprout with even minimal disturbance. Disturbances can include manmade or environmental. Even something like rodent activity or wind is enough to cause sprouting.

Lupins can be toxic depending on season, variety, and plant parts. Seeds for instance are often very toxic. A wide variety of less invasive and colorful lupines are available commercially.

REFERENCES:
–Tree Lupine, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Humboldt_Bay/wildlife_and_habitat/YellowBushLupine.html
–Lupine, https://www.britannica.com/plant/lupine
—Lupine arboreus, https://calscape.org/Lupinus-arboreus-()

Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)

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huckleberry
Huckleberries

The evergreen huckleberry is a one of many evergreen shrubs native to Pacific coastal forests.

First noted by Captain Lewis at Oregon’s Fort Clatsop in 1806 and brought into cultivation by David Douglas in 1826.

This shrub can grow to 12 feet or more in the shade, sometimes a bit erratic growth spikes. It, like other berries in the vaccinium family, like acidic soil. The huckleberry will tolerate salt spray and strong winds.

In the spring, the branches are covered with clusters of small, pinkish-white bell-shaped flowers which yield tiny blue-black fruit in late summer. These flowers attract bees, birds, and butterflies and the berries are eaten by songbirds, mammals, and humans.

Like its most well-known relative, the common blueberry, huckleberries contain high concentrations of antioxidants and were favored by native populations.

Today, they are frequently eaten raw and used to make pies, jams, jellies, syrups, and wine.