Plant Management
Birds / Marine Mammals / Plants / Other

Farallon weed sprouts after the first rains of the winter. By February a lush carpet of green plants and yellow flower covers most of the island. Seaside daisies and their purple flowers fill crevices on shear rock walls while low growing Spurgelaria covers large patches of the marine terrace. Invasive species are interspersed on the southern side of Southeast Farallon Island. New Zealand spinach and Malva have been the targets of intensive control efforts for years while other invasives such as plaintain and annual grasses are controlled opportunistically. These non-native species grow during the seabird breeding season and cover up important nesting areas.

Attempts have been made to create a “Farallon forest” but the unyielding wind and shallow, gravelly soil foiled the efforts. Dozens of eucalyptus trees were planted by early residents before it became a refuge but all of them withered. Four cypresses and one Monterey pine now make up the “Farallon forest.”