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Leaves of Three LbNA #25361

Owner:CW Sun Seeker
Plant date:Sep 6, 2006
Location:
City:Los Osos
County:San Luis Obispo
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: DarkZen and Evil Cow Pie
Last found:Sep 6, 2016
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFa
Last edited:Sep 6, 2006
From the trailhead, it’s about 93 steps to the box.
Flat sandy trail. Dogs are not permitted.

Los Osos Oaks Reserve is a 90 acre grove of dwarfed, 800-year-old coast live oaks on an ancient dune habitat. According to botanists, five major plant communities thrive within the reserve. They are coastal sage scrub, central coastal scrub, dune oak scrub, coast live oak forest, and riparian (streamside). The oak communities exist close to each other, but each has its own character. Along with a variety of wildlife, the reserve is also the home of several species of lichen that can be found nowhere else. Look for wisps of lichens and mosses dangling from oak branches throughout the reserve.

A word of caution: one of the predominant undergrowth plants in the area is poison oak. A sign at the entrance helps visitors identify and stay away from this pesky plant.

“Leaves of three, leave them be”

DIRECTIONS: On Los Osos Valley Road, east of the town of Los Osos is a parking area on the south side of the road for the Los Osos Oaks State Reserve. Park here.

CLUE: Take the path across the bridge, and to the sign with 3 trail directions. Take the Chumash Trail to the right, going past the stone with a plaque. From this stone, go about 57 steps to a trail sign on the right, low to the ground, and go about 50 more steps and go under the tree branch to the left of the trail. Then from the tree branch, take about 20 more steps to the tree with 5 branches on the right. At the base of the tree is the box, under bark and leaves.

Please be discreet and rehide well, with bark and leaves to look “natural”.