John Martin, San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are stepping up efforts to preserve the endangered San Diego Ambrosia, found worldwide only in California’s San Diego and Riverside counties. Within the past 70 years, the silvery gray-green flowering plant has lost 21 or more of the 40 known places where it has grown.

Plans are underway to create a new population of San Diego Ambrosia on a section of San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge that is largely shielded from foot and vehicular traffic. Refuge biologists have given about 200 rhizomes, or underground stems, from existing plants to Recon Environmental to grow in their greenhouse. The plants are scheduled for replanting in November.