Siskiyou Chapter

As one of three founding chapters in 1977, the Siskiyou Chapter has long advocated for native plant enjoyment, conservation, and study. In particular, their area of focus in the southwest part of Oregon, boasts some of the highest plant diversity and number of endemic species in North America. Bounded by California to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Cascade crest to the east, and Douglas County on the north, this area of botanical diversity was made famous by R.H. Whittaker in Vegetation of the Siskiyou Mountains (1960) and by David Raines Wallace in The Klamath Knot (1983).

Photo by Rachel Werling

Photo by Rachel Werling

Photo by Rachel Werling

The extension of the California Floristic Province into southern Oregon contributes to the high species richness in our region. The Illinois Valley alone supports 90 endemic taxa associated with mantle rock (serpentine and peridotite) while the greater Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion in southwest Oregon and northwestern California harbors 18 conifer species and 230 endemic plants.

This region boasts the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which forms a land bridge for plant and animal migration between the Klamath-Siskiyou and Cascade ranges and is the only Monument ever established to conserve biodiversity. Members of the Siskiyou Chapter regularly visit the glacially-scoured subalpine peaks of the Siskiyou Crest, the rugged Kalmiopsis Wilderness, big trees and marble caves of Oregon Caves National Monument, lovely valleys with intact oak woodlands and chaparral, and the Agate Desert, a unique landform composed of vernal pools and mounded prairie.

From fall through spring, Siskiyou Chapter members meet for programs in Ashland or other locations, and lead field trips year-round to botanically fascinating places like Eight Dollar Mountain, Rough and Ready Botanical Area, Limpy Botanical Trail, Babyfoot Lake, Table Rocks, and the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. The chapter is always advocating for the conservation of native plant species and communities including an Adopt-a-Rare-Plant program, hosts an annual wildflower show for the Ashland 4th of July celebration, and has published wildflower brochures for Grizzly Peak, Mt. Ashland and the Siskiyou Crest, the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, and the Cathedral Hills.