Coastal Splendor

Can you feel the coastal breezes at Jenner? This stretch of Highway 1 along the Sonoma coast is a popular route for bicyclists and motorcyclists alike. Coastal Splendor features golden poppies and California needle grasses along with a stunning coastal view. Purple needle grass is a 2-3 feet tall native bunchgrass with 2-6 feet deep roots and is also California's state grass. It is drought and heat tolerant, grows well in poor soil, and burns slowly. This makes it a valuable plant for habitat restoration, erosion control and stabilizing levees and hillsides. The indigenous peoples of California used this grass for food and making baskets and benefited from the animals that fed on it. Purple needlegrass remains an important early sprouting food for grazing animals including deer, elk, and commercial livestock.