The Daly City Dunes

Home to a unique dune plant community - with rare and endangered species

In spite of numerous assaults from development and invasive plant species in recent decades, this unique remnant of ancient dunes still supports a variety of plants characteristic of an inland dune scrub plant community.  The plant diversity is impressive and is dominated by Chamisso Bush Lupine (Lupinus chamissonis), California Goldenbush (Ericameria ericoides), Coast Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium), California Phacelia (Phacelia californica), Sandmat (Cardionema ramosissimum), Dune Knotweed (Polygonum paronychia) and Common Deerweed (Lotus scoparius) - to list only a few of the more widely-spread California native dune species. 

Other plants of particular interest are the rare and endangered San Francisco Spineflower (Chorizanthe cuspidata var. cuspidata), the Sandysoil Suncup (Camissonia stingulosa) and Davy’s Clarkia (Clarkia davyi).

San Francisco Lessingia (Lessingia germanorum) © 2012 SBMWWhat is incredibly special about the Daly City Dunes, however, is that this habitat supports the only remaining, naturally occurring, population of the rare and endangered San Francisco Lessingia (Lessingia germanorum) outside of the Presidio. In recognition of its rare status, the San Francisco Lessingia was protected as an endangered species under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1997.

The San Francisco Lessingia, an annual herb in the sunflower family, once occurred throughout San Francisco’s vast dune system.  Like many dune plants, it thrives in open sandy areas subject to being disturbed – thus reducing the competition from both invasive species and other natives.  But it is not immune to the threats of habitat loss due to development, or the many other potential dangers resulting from human activities and their ecological consequences.

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