Not seen on the reserve since the 2003 Cedar fire, the San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia) was re-discovered there. Urgent management actions are needed.

This small member of the mint family is found only in clay soil microhabitats in San Diego County and northern Baja California. It is a “covered species” under the Multiple Species Conservation Program, or MSCP, and is termed a “narrow endemic” due to its restricted geographic range. This Spring, meticulous surveys conducted by the Conservation Biology Institute found 17 of the diminutive plants – buried in the midst of highly invasive weeds – on the Crestridge Ecological Reserve. This reserve, near the City of El Cajon, is managed by the Endangered Habitats Conservancy, EHL’s sister land trust.

To maintain and enhance the population, an aggressive effort should be made to control non-native species of brome, which have taken hold after the fire. The Conservancy is waiting for a response from state, federal, and regional agencies as to whether funding for weed control will be available. Preservation of the San Diego thornmint testifies to the value of creating a comprehensive reserve system, but this is also a good test of the MSCP’s ability to respond to urgent management situations.