Trees

Mexican Elderberry: root: tea for constipation; two sources of basket dyes: 1. juice: purplish or black and 2. stem: yellow or orange. Due to hollow construction of branches they were used to make musical instruments- flutes, etc.

Mission Manzanita: Native Americans ate berries raw, cooked, or ground into meal for porridge; berries and leaves crushed for astringent to relieve bronchitis and other diseases; tea used as a wash for poison oak. Leaves crushed and dried for smoking tobacco.

Nevin's Barberry: roots and bark used by Native Americans to make a dye

Pinon Pine: edible nut, prized by people and animals

Snowberry: white berry edible by birds and other animals

Tecate Cypress: Walnut size cones may not open for years. Found only on Otay Mt. and in Santa Ana Mts. in the USA. Exfoliating bark, mahogany brown. Prefers the North slope with some moisture. (between 1500 and 2,000 feet)

Torrey Pine: Pine gum applied to boils; pine resin ingredients in brown dye; pine nuts eaten. Very limited habitat (Del Mar and East Santa Rosa Island), clusters of five needles.

Western Redbud: Bark is used for baskets and medicine for diarrhea and dysentery; buds used in salads for pickles. The wood takes a fine polish.