Despite being located in the midst of a city, one of my favorite aspects of the Berkeley campus is its proximity to nature. I have some of the fondest memories of camping with my family, and as someone who was involved with the Girlscouts for 13 years and Boy Scouts (or scouts BSA) for 4, nature was an important part of my childhood. Many of my fellow ambassadors have written about some of the best trails to hike on, up and around Berkeley, and while I could lament on the breathtaking views and sites for literal pages, there is a bit more that one should be informed about before striking out on one’s own. Mainly the hazards. So if you are new to California hiking this one's for you!
Okay so first and foremost, there are plants out on the Berkeley Trails. *Cue dramatic gasp* I know, plants in the outdoors, what were we thinking! Additionally, not all of the plants are particularly friendly, this is where VeggieTales lied to us, but none of these facts should discourage one from going hiking since the Berkeley flora and fauna can be truly beautiful. So as any true Berkeley student would, the solution is to EDUCATE YOURSELF *cue canned cheers* and learn which plants you need to be aware of before trekking off into the wilderness. Lucky for you I love plant identification. All of these can be summarized in one simple statement: Don’t Touch It. Through my experiences I have cultivated a “Do not Touch List” specific to Berkeley that I will attempt to eloquently share with you all today.
Poison Oak (California Native)
Poison Oak is a classic, and a personal favorite. I mean don’t get me wrong, the oils of the plants itself are an irritant that can cause an allergic reaction and lead to an itchy rash that is fun for no one. It’s similar to Poison Ivy or Poison Sumac in that regard. Yet, there is just something so nostalgically consistent about it. I don’t think I have ever been on a hike in Berkeley, or California period.
The plant itself tends to be low to the ground, although it can get higher by leaning on trees and other bushes, and it has a distinctive feature of the leaves growing in groups of three. Perhaps you’ve heard the rhyme; leaves of three, let it be? Great rhyme. The leaves are also pretty shiny and smooth, which leads us to the second half of the rhyme; if it’s hairy, it’s a berry. If it’s shiny, watch your hiney. This part of the rhyme can be especially helpful when hiking the trails, since the blackberry species that loves the hills so much also bears a striking resemblance to poison oak if you don’t notice the prickly thorns making the stalks appear “hairy”.
You get good at spotting poison oak fast in my experience, just because you encounter it so much, and to this day I have never actually gotten a rash from touching it. That’s not to say I haven't probably touched it, I almost certainly have. However susceptibility to the plant's oils tends to vary, and increase with repeated exposure. My mother for example pretty much can’t leave the suburbs without somehow getting it on her clothes/skin. Yet another like me and my brother have most definitely brushed past it at least once and through sheer denial have never developed a rash. If you do, the best thing to do is rinse the exposed area with COLD water and soap ASAP.
Stinging Nettles (California Native)
Stinging nettles is also one of my favorites, but mainly because it’s actually edible with the proper preparation. The fact that we even know that is one of my favorite things. It's just such a human thing to find a plant that literally stings you when you touch it, and yet somehow find a way to prepare it in a way that’s edible. I don’t know if it was an accident, or pure determination, but I love it.
w if it was an accident, or pure determination, but I love it. So the stinging nettle, much like its name suggests, will sting you if you touch it! It has these little barbs along the leaves and stem that will end up left in your skin, and through some plant voodoo cause slight swelling and a stinging sensation (A bit like if you scraped up your palms).This plant also tends to be pretty low to the ground (knee height) and resembles mint, but furrier. It tends to grow in places with lots of water, and with strawberry creek running through the Berkeley hills, I have seen stinging nettles out on the trails several times.
I have had the displeasure of having contact with this plant, the first time in a Montalvo Arts class in elementary school, and a second when inner-tubing in the Santa Cruz mountains a few summers ago. Unlike poison oak where you might not always have a reaction, with sting nettles it’s pretty much guaranteed. Icing the area or using cool water can numb you to the stinging, but unless it’s a pretty severe location or size of affected area, I find it best to just wait it out and ignore the rash.
Poison Hemlock (European Invasive Species)
Unlike the other two, Poison Hemlock is not a California native, and I haven't seen it quite as much on the trails. A win, in my opinion. It can not only cause a rash, but is extremely toxic and if ingested will poison you. The plant tends to have large lacey leaves and small whitish flowers in clusters and can vary in height. If you think you’ve touched it, just wash your hands. Honestly, everyone should be washing their hands after hiking anyway, BUT especially if you think you touched poison hemlock.
Oleander (Mediterranean Shrub)
Much like Poison Hemlock, Oleander is not a California Native, yet it has found its way onto our landscape, mainly as a landscape plant. Since Oleander is poisonous, deer don’t eat it, which has made it especially popular in places where we have deer in the city, like in Berkeley. I haven't seen this one out on the trails so much, more at the entrances, where the forested hills and the streets of the berkeley hills lines begin to blur. Oleander bushes are generally pretty big, with long oval leaves and pretty pink or white flowers.
I get that it’s pretty, but I perpetually find this plant a questionable landscaping choice. Especially in places where there are a lot of kids present. We actually had a few of these pushes at my middle school, and it felt very much to me like they were trying to weed out the weak. I mean kids are stupid, I definitely once heard one boy dare another to eat one of the oleander leaves (presumably not knowing what the plant was). Maybe that’s survival of the fittest, but I don't think the public school board needs to help that process along.
If you touch the oleander, same rules as Hemlock, wash your hands.
Now if you’ve read, reread, and internalized this information you’re like 20% more prepared to go hiking in Berkeley! And if you can’t remember all those identification markers, rhymes, and tips; when in doubt, don’t touch it! Enjoy the trails!