The Theodore Payne Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and propagation of California native plants and trees and they are a great resource for anyone seeking to grow native California plants. We shall see what success I have with this seed growing endeavor.
I know Smoke Trees to be very hardy once established, requiring literally no additional water at all. The tap root does the work of supplying water to the entire tree. And, Smoke Trees that are cut down by those who are insensitive to its beauty, or by the utility companies if the tree interferes with power lines, grow right back up from the stump in a wild profusion of young growth and blooms. Interestingly, the sap of the Smoke Tree is bright deep red, appearing exactly like human blood. When you cut a Smoke Tree is appears to bleed and perhaps that is its way of telling us to leave this majestic and beautiful desert native alone to continue its growth cycle without interference, a commitment that I am glad to make as regards my Smoke Tree neighbors.
Now you know the story of the naming of Smoke Tree Manor and the origin of the house color scheme. This should serve to dismiss the idea held by some, including the California DMV personalized license plate division that rejected our request for license plates reading SMKTRE1 and SMKTRE2 as offensive to community standards, that we are referencing the most popular and newly legal hobby in California, smoking marijuana. While we didn’t name the house after that type of smoke, we support those who do mean marijuana when they reference “smoke.”
If you are in the area, stop by and check out the new digs. And wish us luck with the new seeds and in our attempts to give Smoke Tree Manor a real Smoke Tree beyond its name.
P.S. The Manor part just satisfies the ego needs of one of the owners who fancies himself “Lord of the Manor.”