Carol Leigh's
CALIFORNIA WILDFLOWER
LOCATIONS DEVELOPING
YOUR CREATIVE EDGE Back to Photo Explorations home page. ©Carol Leigh |
[Wildflower reports are shown in chronological order, the most recent
being first. Note, since all your e-mails to me arrive in ASCII text
format, I have to reformat your reports prior to posting here on the
Wildflower Hotsheet. If they look "not quite right" to you, well, it's my
fault! Sorry! — Carol Leigh] Henry Coe State Park - 3/9/2010 - David Senesac writes: Hiked from the Coyote Creek entrance into Henry Coe State Park and up the delightful cool shady verdant Grizzly Gulch Trail. This trailhead is on the Gilroy Hot Springs road about 2 miles beyond the main Henry Coe Hunting Hollow parking area where the road crosses the creek on a bridge that is gated closed. Following images captured Sunday on my Canon G10. About one-third mile beyond the Hunting Hollow lot along the road is a nice stretch of blooming arroyo lupine, lupinus succulentus. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HI0559.jpg Note it also blooms along the trail however I saw only one beyond bud stage. The route begins along Coyote Creek on the gated closed gravel/dirt Coit Road that is only open to state park vehicles. Along the river are fiddleneck, California buttercup, and woodland pea. At about large at this time of year Coyote Creek and at about one-tenth mile branches right on where at a trail post. One has to be wary of Coe State Park trail juntion posts because they are annoyingly confusing. They don't tend to use the trail names on maps but rather destinations further along the trail. In this case that might be Wilson Camp or Kelly Lake. Thus always carry a map. Shortly another junction in the trail occurs for the trail climbing towards Wilson Camp. Small grassy meadow sections contain nice areas of meadow foam,limnanthes douglasii, http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HI0552.jpg and pink to white hued padres shooting stars, dodecatheon clevelandii that dominate the areas above. Also one will see the more beautiful henderson's shooting star, dodecatheon hendersonii, that have reddish stems and petioles, deeper magenta color, and tend to grow in shady wet areas. The next half mile is particularly enjoyable on the north side of the ridge with black oak, madrone, California bay, coast live oak, blue oak mixing up the shady canopy with moss, milkmaids, miner's lettuce, and interesting mushrooms and fungi below. Of course poison oak is in many places so watch out for 3 leaves or vertical shoots with tiny green and red leaves atop. Wonderful just now blooming giant trillium, trillium chloropetalum, grows right beside the trail in several spots. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HI0496.jpg The trail drops briefly to the lively rock hop across stream where orange hued California newts and Northern Pacific treefrogs are common. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HI0539b.jpg On the north side of the stream are two non-native aliens, the ubiquetous pink hued filaree and little blue hued Persian speedwell plus two local natives, clasping henbit, lamium amplexicaule, and true baby stars, linanthus bicolor. The trail rises steeply out of the ravine to reach a wonderful valley oak grassland savana bench interspersed with woodland stream courses that continues for about a half mile. This fine zone contains dense swaths of now peaking padres shooting stars, white hued popcorn flower, and little bicolor lupine, plus scattered johnny-jump-ups, blue dicks, and meadow foam. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HI0503.jpg In the woodland areas one will see hillside gooseberry, ribes californicum, and further along the trail the spectacular red hued fuschia-flower gooseberry, ribes speciosum. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HI0515.jpg Where the trail meets higher grasslands that were formerly cattle grazing areas, wildflowers need a few more weeks of sun. Anza- Borrego - 3/9/2010 - Sandy Steinman writes: March 8, 2010. The Elephant Trees Area in Anza Borrego is currently one of the more flowery spots in the park. The drive to the trailhead is a short dirt road that any car should be able to handle. The road is quite flowery and worth many stops. Plants in bloom near the road included Desert Pincushion, Phacelia, Popcorn, Brown-eyed Evening Primrose, Sand Verbena, miniscule Rattlesnake Weed, even more minisicule Pygmy Weed, Spanish needle, Creosote Bush, Desert Chicory, a small Astragalus, Beavertail Cactus, Silver Cholla Cactus, Little Gold Poppy. The trail is a relatively short level loop trail, but can take hours when you start identifying and photographing. The plants included the Trailing Four O’Clock, Desert Lavender, Datura (none were open; either closed or past), Brittlebush, Phacelia, Brown-eyed Evening Primrose, Little Gold Poppy, Cheesebush, Desert Golden Poppy, Desert Dandelion, Indigo Bush, Coulter’s Lyre-fruit, Desert Chicory, Yellowheads, Chuparosa, Yellow-flowered Barrel Cactus, Creosote, Mesquite (not in flower), Desert Rock Daisy, Desert Wishbone, Trailing Windmills, and Tomatillo del Desierto (also known as Thick-leaved Cherry). Saw only one desert five spot when wandering off the trail, but there was plenty of foliage and buds. Photos of the Elephant Trees area: (http://sandysteinman.wordpress.com/) Along highway 78 west of Borrego Springs Road where there were a large number of Ocotillos in bloom. Anza-Borrego - 3/9/2010 - Phillip Roullard writes: March 8, 2010 Henderson Canyon does have a lot of Saharan mustard, Brassica tourneforti, but volunteers, (like my wife & I and others), are pulling out the mustard in some of the best flower areas. Plenty of verbena, lupine, Cryptantha and a lot of Desert lilies on the opposite, (southern), part of Henderson Canyon Rd. Henderson also had some brown eyed primrose and evening primose. Glorietta canyon is already fantastic. We saw, Cryptantha, desert dandelion, Whispering bells, Phacelia, Chaenactis, Mirabilis, Chuparosa, Desert Chicory, fiddleneck, Pholistima, (Fiesta flower), Ocotillo, desert lavender, monkey flower, chia, jojoba, brittlebush, Mammalaria, barrel cactus, purple mat, Fagonia, Eriophyllum, Lotus rigidus, Mentzelia sp. (blazing star) and cheese bush. Glorietta canyon is off of County rt. S-3 as you head towards Yaqui pass. It is unmarked so you need to get a map from the visitor center to get good directions. It isn't difficult to get to the canyon in a passenger car, just a couple of spots where you have to watch for some rocks in the dirt road. Glorietta Canyon has probably the best diversity for a site close in to Borrego Springs. The beavertail cactus aren't out yet, but they have plenty of buds. The flowers we saw were refreshed after rainfall on Sunday. The wind came up early this Monday 3/8 so it was tough going after about 9:30AM. I don't list non-native species such as London rocket or erodium, (filaree) since they are invasive. Please be sure to check your clothing and shoes so that you don't take the mustard seed with you and disperse it to other locations. Wind Wolves Preserve - 3/8/2010 - Paul Anderson writes: Spent several hours at Wind Wolves Preserve http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org Sunday afternoon. It is a beautiful place yet few others were there. The stunning fields of wildflowers at the entrance remind me of the expanse of lupine at the base of the Grapevine - except that the dominant species is Blue Dick, then fiddleneck plus some lupine and owls clover. Meadowlarks add the perfect touch. Should be more lupine plus poppies next weekend. It is 3 miles south of hiway 166 about 10 miles west of I5 and open to the general public just on weekends. Arvin area/Gorman - 3/8/2010 - Son Nguyen writes: We went to Arvin area (Highway 58 and 223) yesterday. There are lupines scattering along the road. The hills are really green but no sign of flowers yet. Give it maybe 2 week, it will be beautiful. We also stopped by Gorman. The display is very light. Everything just starts coming out. Mt. Diablo - 3/8/2010 - Joyce Chin writes: Mt. Diablo: Mitchell Canyon to Deer Flat and Globe Lily Trail 3/6/10 - Buttercups and Bay (California Laurel) are blooming east of the parking lot. In the first 2 miles of Mitchell Canyon trail are purple larkspur, milkmaids, blue dix, California poppies, wild cucumber, buttercups. Heading up in elevation toward Deer flat are shooting stars, hounds tongue, paintbrush, baby blue eyes, and although well-camouflaged, splendid multiple blooms of checker lilies in shaded spots that are just on the edge next to sunny spots. Along Globe Lily trail black sage blooms are prolific, along with California poppies, purple sanicle, western wallflower, hounds tongue, and buttercups. Death Valley - 3/7/2010 - Sue Liberto writes: We were in Death Valley March 5,6,and 7. We didn't see one single wildflower! We drove to Scotty's Castle and Dante's View... There are tiny green seedlings here and there...Too soon to tell if they are flowers. Cache Creek (near Bear Valley) - 3/7/2010 - Rose Hoskinson writes: My husband and I were hiking on the redbud trail in the Cache Creek Natural area (north on I-5 to Williams, take a left To go west on Highway 20 for 29 miles.) I have never seen so much Indian Warrior. It was on both sides of the trail as we walked above the creek. The scarlet Color was excellent. There were also many shooting stars, some buttercup, but really it was all about the Indian warrior. Rancheria Road east of Bakersfield - 3/7/2010 - Dan Blackburn writes: Hi Carol.. and Happy Wildflower season... We visited Rancheria Road off of Highway 178 east of Bakersfield. This was the first time there. Many fields and hillsides are loaded with wildflowers -- too many to list here but fiddlenecks dominate, mixed with blue dicks and some poppies among others. However, the area is almost all on heavily posted private land, protected with barbed wire fences. The owner appears to be very serious about trespassing. Of course, this impacts photography, especially close-ups. That said, there are some good photo opportunities -- limited but pretty good. Just don't expect to be able to wander through fields of flowers without violating some seriously posted areas. Meanwhile, has anyone checked out Highway 223 yet? Based on what we saw along Rancheria Road, this could be a good year on 223. Red Hills - 3/7/2010 - Jeremy Underwood writes: Wildflowers are blooming in Red Hills area. This is a beautiful area, great for a nice hike…and the recent bloom just made things even better. Right now Yellow Coreopsis, Red Maids, Poppies and a few other varieties that I couldn’t identify are in bloom. I have a feeling that things are just starting so a bit later should be perfect. Red Hills area is located just outside Chinese Camp in southern Gold Rush country and managed by the Bureau of Land Management. You can view some of the flowers in bloom at: http://sacramentoweddingphotographers.com/nature-photography/california-wildflowers-red-hills/ Santa Rosa Plateau - 3/7/2010 - RT Hawke writes: Santa Rosa Plateau - The wildflower show is beginning. Twenty-five plant species are in bloom. Shooting stars, Linanthus, Buttercups,Toothwort and Blennosperma are in full bloom. Chocolate lilies are in the early stages. species list- Locoweed, Filaree, Biscuit root, Yellow Sanicle, Purple Sanicle, Poppy, Red maids, Blue dicks, Cudweed, Oaks (3), Marah, Current, Ceanothus, Bush Monkey flower, Johnny Jump-up, Poison oak, Lacepod, Pepper grass, Various locations - 3/6/2010 - Duncan Carter writes: March 2. On I-5, south of Kettleman City, swaths of yellow along the side of the 70 mph no stopping zone. East of Arvin, en route to SR 58, acres of large fiddleneck, swaths of lupine. Tehachapi, Amboy Crater, Joshua Tree, Box Canyon Road to Mecca - virtually nothing. March 3. Anza Borrego, approaching Borrego Springs, ocotillo mostly over the hill but a few with florets in bud. In Borrego Springs, at the north end of Di Giorgio Street, in sand just beyond the paved road, sand verbena, desert chicory, brown-eyed primrose, Spanish needles, desert aster, dune sunflower, desert dandelion, pincushion, phacelia, chuparosa, desert lily, spectacle pod, dune primrose, lupine, yellow cups, and a few photographers. Borrego Springs to Indio via El Centro, nothing of note. March 4. Backus Road area near Lancaster, nothing. Snow along the road over the hill toward Tehachapi. Kern Canyon Road toward Lake Isabella, nothing. Around Lake Isabella, fiddleneck. March 5. Foothills east of Porterville, large patches of fiddleneck mixed with popcorn flower; blue dicks, goldfields, blue phacelia, mustard, gold fields, filaree, astragalus, lacepod, wild radish, lupine, California poppy in small groups and in carpets on the hillsides. Conclusions: The desert not promising - "next week" doesn't work where nothing at all is showing out of the ground now. Fiddleneck dominant, tinting the hills gold in place of the orange of California poppy. Anza-Borrego - 3/6/2010 - Terry Sullivan writes: We just returned from a week in Borrego. The Syrian mustard has completely taken over the easy-access roadside viewing pull-outs just east of town. You'll see fields completely green, but only with mustard. Driving up Coyote Canyon dirt road towards Alcoholic Pass trailhead brings you to native annuals that are now peaking and even have the first sphinx moth larvae devouring them. If you take the 4-wheel-drive roads like Arroyo Salado into the Badlands, you still have at least a week before peak, and the mustard, while invading, still had a year or two before it can choke out the natives. In the higher elevation canyons like Plum and Glorietta, it's still a week or two before peak flowering, depending on temperatures. So far it has been unusually cool, and if it stays that way, two weeks will be a good peak estimate. If you like hiking canyons then there's more for you to see. If you prefer to look at flowers from you car, there's not much to see except mustard. Wildflower I.D./Update - various locations - 3/6/2010 - Kahlee Brighton writes: Many thanks to Kevin Smith for correcting my report on what appeared to be poppies at Rocky Peak. Not always easy to ID flowers when you're driving by at 65mph! Definitely lovely and bright golden orange! Also, I did get an ID on the pink flowers that are all over the coast from Santa Barbara to Lompoc, etc. They are not prickly phlox as Spencer Westbrook so kindly suggests, although I did see some very pretty prickly phlox heading up and over San Marcos Pass. The pink flowers in question are actually a noxious invader called Asphodelus fistulosus or "Onion Weed". Here's a link to my image and the full description: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kahlee/4401512141 . I also wanted to let folks know if they contemplate driving Rancheria Road out of East Bakersfield that high clearance is necessary (4WD recommended) beyond the paved portion at the very beginning. Further up the road into the Greenhorn Mountains, there are serious issues with the cattleguards and large potholes, rocks, giant ruts, etc. Very easy to bottom out and punch an oilpan or get a flat tire up here. Here's another link to an example of what I encountered last Spring up near the top of Rancheria: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kahlee/3568161699/ I got through it, but trust me, my Corolla's heart was pounding along with my own! That said, Rancheria, along with Breckenridge (paved, but often loaded with rocks) are two of the best locations to find wildflowers in Kern County. Flowers are stunning through May. Thanks so much to everyone for such helpful info. Whenever possible, please be sure to include road conditions when travel on unpaved roads is necessary. With such changeable weather, it's easy for a back road that's normally navigable in a 2WD sedan to turn into a giant mudhole choked with rock slides. Be careful and happy hunting, y'all! Cuyama Valley - 3/5/2010 - Robbie Jaffe writes: Hello Spencer and Carol, Thanks so much for sharing the information about our Wildflower Festival on March 20th. We would appreciate your getting the word out to folks who love wildflowers, wine and a country barbecue! We're a small vineyard (4 acres) in the Cuyama Valley that is dry farmed in the traditional way. We are expecting a great display this year of flowers. Already we are seeing fields of shooting stars surround us. This will actually be a small event and we are hoping that people who really want to see a gorgeous display of flowers will join us. My husband, Steve Gliessman, is a professor at UCSC and is an expert on California plants--so he will have lots to share with the group. I noticed the invitation that Spencer forwarded did not come through clearly on my e-mail. Carol, if you want to spread the word it may be best to refer folks to our website: www.CondorsHope.com where they can find the invitation, information about the vineyard and download the RSVP form. Please let me know if I can provide you with any further information. Thanks so much for your interest. Robbie Jaffe Condors Hope Ranch www.CondorsHope.com Anza- Borrego - 3/5/2010 - Sandy Steinman writes: I drove into Anza Borrego today from the west side of the park and saw quite a few species in bloom, especially in little canyons along the road. Mostly perennials and no big displays along the road. Species included Ocotillo, two species of Phacelia, Desert Chicory, Desert Golden Poppy, Brittlebush, Popcorn Flower, Creosote Bush, Fiddleneck, Desert Dandelion, Chuparosa, Emananthe, Desert Pincushion, a blue purple Lupine, and Barrel Cactus. Also what may have been Saltbush and Dodder (a orange parasitic plant). Than went to the Visitor Center and Nature trail around it which included a number of the above species plus a small Whispering Bells. There were a lot of Ocotillo, Phacelia, Chuparosa, and Brittlebush. It was a good place to photograph as the plants were very accesible and in good shape (it looks like they have a irrigation system here). The Anza Borrego State Park Website has a new flower update: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638 Currently, the park is predicting is the peak will be the second or third week of March. However, there were plenty of subjects for close-up work. I have posted a few photos on my blog: Natural History Wanderings (http://sandysteinman.wordpress.com/) Rancho Canada del Oro - 3/5/2010 - Willie Wool writes: Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve – 3/5/10 – This lovely valley of wildflowers between Morgan Hill and San Jose today was lush with north facing side hills of shooting stars, buttercups, vetch, milk maids, saxifrage and more baby blue eyes than I have seen anywhere else. Hound’s tongue and Indian warriors stand guard under the oaks along with blue witch. Snake root, zigadene, blue dick and lomatia line the trails. The topmost meadows are not in bloom except for popcorn, shepard’s purse, lace pod and wild cucumber. A few large checker bloom and a stand of purple sanicle overlook the parking lot and poppies and lupine cover the south facing hillsides inside the valley. We spotted one white shooting star. All this on the Mayfair Ranch/Serpentine Trail loop (4.3 miles). Be prepared to ford a creek and plod through some mud. The flora here reminds me of the peak wild flower display at Pinnacles. San Luis Obispo - 3/4/2010 - Joe Christianson writes: Spring is starting here in San Luis Obispo. Recent hikes on Bishop's Peak and above the Cal Poly "P" have turned up California poppies, chocolate lilies, golden violets, shooting stars, bush lupines (these are in full bloom), and a few early goldfields. We've been having drenching rain almost every week so once the weather warms up I suspect the flowers will really explode into bloom. Central Coast - 3/4/2010 - Kevin Smith writes: I just wanted to clear up a report on your page. The report second down after the death valley report [Central Coast, 3/2/2010] the writer explains a poppy field off the 118 at topanga by rock peak. The very much look like poppy's so I hiked up to them and it turns out they are wild daisy's. They were there last year for the 1st time that I can remember and I've been in the valley 40 plus years so it was good to see them back and a bit more than last year. If you get off the 118 at de soto and make a right then proceed up the hill and back into that cyn. area I'd bet in a couple more weeks it will be really nice. Last year there were all kinds of flowers blooming up there. I was up there a couple weeks ago and it seems to be setting up real good. I'll send over a couple pics of last year, maybe you could ID a couple of these flowers for me. [Kevin, thanks for thinking of me and sending pics, but I'm HORRIBLE at wildflower identification! I can tell you where to go, but once you're there, you're on your own! Sorry. — Carol Leigh] Redding - 3/4/10 - Sylvia Lang writes: Scarlet fritillaries, mission bells and shooting stars are blooming quite beautifully on the Mule Mountain Trail in the Bureau of Land Management's Swasey Recreation Area west of Redding. Here are directions to the trail (which, I caution, is muddy): From Redding, take Placer Street to Swasey Drive. Go about one mile on Swasey Drive and you will see the Swasey Recreation Area entrance on your left (across from Straight Arrrow Bowhunting). The flowers are blooming about a half-mile up this trail (which, I warn you, is quite muddy). For more information, visit http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/redding/recreationmain/ reddingrecreationtrails.html . East of Bakersfield - 3/4/2010 - Cathy Colbert writes: I had the opportunity to drive out Rancheria Road off Hwy 178 at the mouth of the Kern River Canyon east of Bakersfield, CA. The flowers are amazing! Whole field coated with fiddleneck, poppies, lupine, red maids, miner's lettuce, and many more. Table Mountain (near Oroville) - 3/4/2010 - John Garbutt writes: Visited Table Mountain 3/3/2010. Waterfalls running, cloudy and cool. Little color present. The Padre's Shootingstar - Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. patulum are in full bloom, the few Bitterroot - Lewisia rediviva are still in the early bud stages. Still early, with the cool/wet weather a week or more? Anza-Borrego - 3/4/2010 - RT Hawke writes: Anza-Borrego The highest number of species in bloom (50) with a number of plants in bloom is the Elephant tree nature trail off of Highway 78. It does require a high clearance vehicle to get to the trailhead, however. A species list is below. Hellhole canyon also has high diversity of blooms (50), but is not quite as showy (species list also provided). It has some nice bouquets of Monkey flower which upper Henderson canyon (37 species in bloom) also has. The carpet of wildflowers at the end of DiGiorgio road has been overcome by the Asian mustard, but if you continue down the dirt road of Coyote canyon, you will come across patches every so often. The Sand Verbena carpet at the east end of Henderson canyon road still exists. It is probably because there are a number of people weeding it. The canyons off of Highway 78 (Plum, Grapevine) have almost no wildflowers. Elephant tree species list- Spanish needles, Asian mustard, Brown-eyed Primrose, California Croton , Sand Verbena, Steve's Pincushion, Popcorn flower, Starfish spurge, Many-seeded spurge, Desert Chicory, Creosote bush, Cheese bush, Small-flowered Poppy, Parish's Poppy, Datura, Burro bush, Common Phacelia, Indigo bush, Garden's Cholla, Rhatany, Brittlebush, Fagonia, Desert Trumpet, Desert Lavender, Ditaxis, Rock Daisy, Mojave goundsel, Trailing four o'clock, Wishbone bush, Ground cherry, California suncup, Sweetbush, Beavertail cactus, Desert five spot, Yellowheads, White suncup, Barrel cactus, Booth's Primrose, Desert star, Triple awn-grass, Big Galleta Hellhole canyon species list- Filaree, Popcorn flower, Combseed, Pygmy-weed, Common Phacelia, Desert Dandelion, Asian Mustard, Whispering bells, Fremont's pincushion, California suncup, Wishbone bush, Wallace's Eriophyllum, Many-seeded spurge, Chuparosa, Desert Chicory, Fiddleneck, White fiesta flower, Tansy mustard, California mustard, Ocotillo, Desert Lavender, Palid suncup, London rocket, Monkey flower, Brown-eyed Primrose, Chia, Lyrepod, Jojoba, Brittlebush, Small-flowered poppy, Parish's poppy, Canterbury bells, Arizona Lupine, Ground Cherry, Lotus, Desert Lotus, Bladderpod, Stillingia, Marah, Artemesia, Pellitory, Desert Apricot, Desert Tobacco, Fountain grass, Willow, Mulefat, Desert thorn, Fishhook cactus Central Coast - 3/3/2010 - Kahlee's unknown flower - Spencer Westbrook writes: The unknown pink flower Kahlee refers to on her 3/2 Central Coast report is probably prickley phlox which is common in the area she was in and very showy. Death Valley - 3/3/2010 - Cinda MacKinnon writes: This is not first hand info but a report nonetheless dated March 2 : http://www.nps.gov/DEVA/index.htm The rainstorms keep coming to Death Valley with perfect gentleness and frequency. A storm at the end of February brought 0.44 inches of rain to Furnace Creek and 0.29 inches to Scotty's Castle. The "tiny specks of green" are now proper little plants in many locations, and are growing quickly with the warming air and soil temperatures. Additional seeds have sprouted between the original ones, which promises not only more flowers but also staggers the blooming time. At the current rate, the number of sprouts suggests the bloom may be thicker and more spectacular than anticipated earlier. The peak bloom should be at the end of this month into mid April. In canyon mouths and washes where extra water has flowed, shrubs and perennials are showing early growth and flower buds. On alluvial fans, the creosote bush have lush foliage and their yellow flowers add a subtle touch of color. Central Coast - 3/2/2010 - Kahlee Brighton writes: Hi Carol -- Here's my latest report from this past weekend, February 27-28. Another wildflower weekend, this time on the southern end of the Central Coast. I should note that on the way out of L.A. on Saturday, I spotted a very nice hillside of California poppies right near Rocky Peak (NW corner of the San Fernando Valley), clearly visible from the westbound 118 freeway. Definitely a Cheeto orange carpet among the rocks. I ran into stormy conditions heading through Santa Barbara, but it was otherwise a glorious adventure. Tons of lupine, brittlebush, and a pink and brown pinstriped flower on 1-2' tall stalks I couldn't identify. After leaving the beach area, I traveled to Lompoc via Highway 1 from Gaviota. More of the pink mystery flower as well as lots of lupine, wild radish, mustard, ceanothus, hemlock, mountain sorrel (oxalis) and giant coreopsis. Drove out to the Ocean Park Preserve at Surf late Saturday afternoon for a bit of bird watching and flower finding. Up near the Amtrak station, I saw lots of milk vetch, giant coreopsis, ice plant and some kind of shrub I'd guess is in the pea family with lovely pink and purple clusters of blossoms. Figueroa Mountain wasn't all that great flower-wise on Sunday; still too early for a good show and the roads are littered with rocks -- some quite large! No big displays of anything yet, although a few individual flowers were nice including California poppies, shooting stars, grape soda lupine, golden yarrow, chia, lomatium, chocolate lilies, filaree, hummingbird sage and prickly phlox. The famous poppy and lupine hill near Catway is still very green. I only drove as far as the turnoff to the lookout, then turned around and decided to go elsewhere in search of feral fleurs. When Fig didn't happen as hoped, I headed back for Highway 1. Lots of cultivated land along this route once you're past Vandenberg. I found several lush and lovely roadside displays of mustard and wild radish as well as lupine and what appeared to be a small field of fiddleneck, although there was nowhere to stop to check that out. Highlight of the trip was a visit to the Guadalupe dunes. There were some true wildflower gems blooming there. Got a bit nervous driving through a fairly long flooded section of roadway to get out to the sand, but took it slowly and made it through fine. Once there, I found gorgeous Indian paintbrush, silver bush lupine, ice plant, and a number of other species in bloom. Plus, the dunes themselves were so pristine and beautiful. All in all, a very nice road trip. I have some images posted on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kahlee/. Happy hunting everyone! Healdsburg - 3/2/2010 - Shelley Bermudez writes: Wonderful site! I went on a hike while on a retreat at the beautiful Bishop's Ranch, Healdsburg and saw a patch of Shooting Stars, healthy, large, and rich in their magenta colouring. Nearby, Hounds Tongue, but just a few in early flower and the flowers were kind of pale, and looked like small vines. Feb. 10th I was in Pocket Canyon, HWY 116, in Forestville, Sonoma County, and saw large, healthy specimens of Fetid Adder's Tongue growing profusely along the canyon cut. Was looking for Calypso, but I heard they are blooming this week, so was just a little early again this year. Pacheco Pass - 3/2/2010 - David Senesac writes: Visited the hilly undulating landscapes of the Pacheco Pass area of highway SR-152 over the weekend of February 27 and 28. Below images taken this weekend with my Canon G10. At this time of late winter the vast majority of sunny aspect greening hills in our San Francisco Bay region will have only sparse numbers of early wildflowers showing. Outside of milkmaids, California buttercup, and hound's tongue, the only other shady woodland species likely to show are shooting stars. And the one place I've found that has some of the best shooting star displays is about Pacheco Pass because it enjoys more sun during mid to late winter than the Bay Area proper while being above the usual Central Valley fog deck. The one species nearing peak during the next couple weeks and the main reason for my own visit is dodecatheon clevelandii called lowland shooting star aka padres shooting star that tend to be pink and white though vary from all white to magenta and white. The species is also often found in lower elevations of nearby Henry Coe State Park. Landscapes that have this species are on east and northern aspects of grassy oak savana hills where they tend to form dense swaths and provide excellent foregrounds for the oaks and green hills. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HG0397.jpg Blue oak, coast live oak, and buckeye provide most of the woodland trees. Two other species at the pass beginning to explode in color are the ubiquetous orange hued fiddleneck and white hued popcorn flowers. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HG0455.jpg Mixed in with these are many blue dicks. In shady northern aspects I also saw the always sparse dodecatheon hendersonii called mosquito bills or Henderson's shooting stars. An easy way to tell the two species apart is this latter usually has pretty red stems and petioles while lowland species are green. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HG0422.jpg http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HG0459.jpg Also in shady areas tiny white hued miner's lettuce is abundant with sparse California buttercup, hound's tongue, and wild cucumber. A few flowers of other species are also appearing in grasslands including yellow hued hog fennel, purple hued sanicle, pink hued checker bloom, yellow hued johnny-jump-ups, filaree, California poppy, and tiny white hued California saxifrage. The paved Dinosaur Point Road junctions off SR-152 at Pacheco Pass turning south and ends up about 2.7 miles below at the Dinosaur Point picnic and boat launching part of the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area. About 0.4 miles from that SR-152 junction is the gated gravel road entrance gate to the Pacheco State Park equestrian staging and main parking area. Also at that park gate, the Dinosaur Point Road is gated as it and the state park are only open between 8am and sunset. Most of the state park proper has only sparse wildflowers at this early point but that will change in about three weeks. One good trail in the adjacent San Luis Reservoir Wildlife area to see the above species is 0.9 miles beyond that gate where the road makes a 90 degree right angle turn. A wooden sign with information indicates an entrance through the barbed wire fence as lands to the east are within the wildlife area whereas areas on the west side of the road are in the state park. Beyond the fence entrance off the path to the right, one will see abundant lowland shooting star below oaks in the woodland grassland savana. A crude bulldozed dirt road is met less than 100 feet in elevation below where beyond the previous mentioned grassland species, there are also butter and eggs and red maids. Turning left on the dirt road with a stream ravine about 200 vertical feet below on the right, one will also pass many flowers including early goldfields and fiddleneck. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HG0450.jpg After a quarter mile one reaches a wonderful shady woodland with buckeye and California bay trees where mossy lichened rocks are covered with miner's lettuce and wild cucumber. Note the fascinating fruticose lichens, moss, and orange fungi growing on the buckeye branches and trunks. http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2010/HG0440.jpg Table Mountain - 2/28/2010 - Don Novak writes: Many photo ops after a big rain at Table Mountain. Follow the stream from the North parking lot off of Cherokee rd. Slides from Sunday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29498007@N05/sets/72157623408823189/show/ Palm Springs Area - 3/1/2010 - Gregg Pasterick writes: Flowers blooming 3/1 in 1000 Palms Oasis and along Varner Rd. between Ramon and Date Palm Rds (in Riverside County, CA, between Joshua Tree Nat. Park and Palm Springs): white Brown-eyed primrose, Woody Bottle-washer, Cryptantha species, Incienso, pincushion, Desert chicory, Desert dandelion, Desert trumpet, Little gold poppy, Bladder pod, Camissonia species, Creosote bushes, Desert sunflower, Sand verbena, Arizona lupine (a big field of it along Varner Rd), Fagonia, Notch-leafed Phacelia, Spanish needle. Henry W. Coe State Park - 3/1/2010 - "rideout7160" writes: I've had a few lovely hikes at Henry W. Coe State Park in the past week and I've seen shooting stars, blue dicks, hounds tongue, johnny jump-ups, buttercups, fiddleneck, scarlet pimpernell....most of the early flowers. Looks like a great start to the season. Carrizo Plain - 2/28/2010 - Don Vogt writes: The plain is covered with brilliant fresh color - green! If solid green is any harbinger of flowers to come, there will be plenty in 2-3 weeks, depending on temperature. Right now it's belly flowers like tiny storksbill, a few small fiddleneck and spotty carpets of goldfields, mostly at the lower elevation to the north. Recent rains have made the less-traveled crossing roads deceivingly slick. More rain to come. Wait until mid-March. Page Mill Road (Palo Alto) - 2/28/2010 - Peter Bradshaw writes: A few days ago, we drove up Page Mill Road to Montebello Ridge MOSD for a short hike. Along the road, at about the 2-mile marker, there were more Indian Warriors than I have ever seen there before, with a great color. There are several patches of then, mostly on the south side of the road. Highway 58 (San Luis Obispo County) - 2/26/2010 - Kelda Wilson writes: 2/25 drove east on Highway 58. It is too early for Shell Creek still. Saw only a few baby blue eyes, a handful of tidy tips, bush lupine, and indian paintbrush there. The show will start in a few weeks. At the Red Hill Rd/Highway 58 Junction a fabulous display of shooting stars is under way. The flowers are short but currently have great color, very few have faded and they form large carpet displays. Another patch can be seen on the Camatta Ranch (buffalo) from Highway 58. If you like shooting stars now is the time to go. Continuing on Highway 58 to where it meets the Temblor Range I noted a small patch of Choreopsis in bloom south of Highway 58 just as the highway meets the Temblor Range. For those who love the Temblor Range we might be in for a treat, currently the entire range is a brillant green. Also the upper part was covered with fog adding some additional moisture. It appears from the color of the range, the fact that I saw numerous large patches of standing water on 7 mile Rd and Soda Lake is completely full we might have a spectacular show this year. If past years are typical it should happen in the mid-April to first week of May time frame. I will be keeping an eye on it and post updates here. Thanks to others for your posts and to Carol for all your work. Anza-Borrego - 2/26/2010 - RT Hawke writes: Anza-Borrego -- The desert floor is now in the beginning of full bloom. What I thought was going to be a great year, now looks like it is going to be less than average. On a worse note, Asian Mustard is so invasive- we may never see a great year ever again. The two hot spots for showy flowers are at the end of Di Giorgio road and to a lesser extent at the east end of Henderson Cyn. road. Both of these sandy habitats contained 17 species (for a partial species list look under "A". Other areas such as Alcoholic Pass, Surprise canyon, Glorietta canyon all had around 25 species in bloom with few individuals. Palm canyon had the most species in bloom (37), which contained most of the same species in bloom of the other canyons, but again not very many individuals (for a partial species list look under "B". Glorietta canyon was the only place to have Coulter's Lyrepod in full bloom and Surprise canyon had one Ghost flower. "A"- Asian Mustard, Spectacle-pod, Sand Verbena, Dune Primrose, Brown-eyed Primrose, Desert Lily, Desert Chicory, Arizona Lupine, Desert Dandelion, Desert Sunflower, Spanish Needles, California Suncup, Pale Suncup, Popcorn flower, Creosote bush "B"- Asian Mustard, Chuparosa, Cheesebush, Brittlebush, Ocotillo, Fremont's Pinchusion, Desert Dandelion, Monkey flower, Parish's Viguiera, Fiddleneck, Popcorn flower, Combseed, Ditaxis, Desert Lotus, Red-stem Filaree, Whispering bells, Common Phacelia, Canterbury bells, White Fiesta flower, Desert Lavender, Rock Hibiscus, Wishbone bush, California suncup, Brown-eyed Primrose, Purple mat, Small flowered Poppy, Parish's Poppy, Desert tobacco, Barrel cactus, Fagonia, Comet flower, Fountain Grass, Big Galleta Grass. (and one last flower on the Crossosoma) Borrego Desert - 2/26/2010 - Tom Chester writes: Peak bloom began on the Borrego Desert floor ~23 February 2010, at elevations of ~1000 feet and below. The first carpet of bloom is now present in many places along Coyote Canyon Road, the white carpet from spectacle-pod, Dithyrea californica. About half of the desert annuals have begun blooming, with the rest to follow in the next month. This is the exciting phase of peak bloom, where every trip reveals additional species blooming, and finds fields of bloom from species that only had a few individuals blooming just a week earlier. Peak bloom at elevations of ~1000 feet on the desert floor should continue for at least several weeks, through ~7 March. Its end will come whenever the temperatures hit 80° or above for a week or two. Peak bloom in the canyons to the west of Borrego Springs should begin in a few weeks, sometime in early March. Peak bloom is defined here as the time period when you can see the maximum number of species in bloom on a given one or two day trip, as well as the maximum number of individual plants in bloom. On a typical full-day trip there now, I see over 60 different species in bloom, with at least 2,000 "total" individual plants in bloom, with each species contributing a maximum of 99 plants to that total. This funny "total" is done so that I don't have to estimate how many million spectacle-pod plants are in bloom right now, and so the total count isn't dominated by, say, one million plants of Brassica tournefortii in bloom. I have a much easier time counting up to 99 than counting one million. The bloom is best from the city of Borrego Springs westward; it has not been observed to be very good at all east of there. The best places to go now are along Coyote Canyon Road, and the main canyons west of Borrego Springs: Hellhole, Borrego Palm Canyon, and Henderson Canyon. The desert sunflowers on Henderson Canyon have not yet begun to bloom; they are coming. For pix, and much more info, including a complete list of all the species I've seen in bloom so far this year, see: Plant Species of the Borrego Desert: 2009-2010 Blooms http://tchester.org/bd/blooms/2010.html Also see Bill Sullivan's page here: Wildflowers: Spring in Anza-Borrego: Latest Reports http://www.abdnha.org/pages/03flora/reports/current.htm I've also been keeping up the picture gallery of plants I've seen in bloom so far this year there. I now have pictures of 139 species, most from this year, with locations and dates, here: Pictorial Gallery of Species in Bloom To Date in 2009-2010 http://tchester.org/bd/species/gallery.html Pulgas Ridge - 2/25/2010 - Willie Wool writes: Pulgas Ridge just across from Edgewood in San Mateo 3/25 - Pulgas Ridge (MPROSD) is in its glory right now, however, there are a few muddy spots which could get worse with more rain. At least 15 varieties of wild flowers are blooming: hound’s tongue, meadows of Indian warrior, milk maids, zigadene, shooting stars, manzanitas, buck brush (white ceonothus), sticky monkey, blue witch, filaree, yellow sanicle, butter cups, giant purple trillium, meadow rue (not yet in bloom) and fetid adder’s tongue which probably will not last more than a week or 10 days--all this along a short 1.6 mile loop—Dick Bishop and Polly Geraci Trails. California Central Coast - 2/24/2010 - Kahlee Brighton writes: Hi Carol -- Here's a quick report from a recent adventure to the California Central Coast. Throughout the region, the hills are vibrantly green, and Common Yellow Wood Sorrel (oxalis sp.) is blooming in abundance, its brilliant yellow heralding the promise of a wonderful Spring show. Along Highway 154 from Santa Barbara to the crest of the west-facing mountains, I found lots of Lupine, Brittlebush, Sunflowers and wild pink Morning Glories, along with a few Prickly Phlox, Bush Monkeyflower and some kind of shrub with brilliant red berries adding tremendous color to the landscape. Highway 1 from Santa Maria to Cambria has noteworthy patches of Lupine at roadside. Just east of the entrance to Morro Bay State Park, one large Bush Lupine and a small patch of California poppies highlighted a section of the roadway that circuits the wetlands. The best color at the time was in Montana de Oro State Park where I found lots of wild Morning Glories, along with Indian Paintbrush, Bush Monkeyflower, Hummingbird Sage and a few California poppies. There was a large, dense display of what looked to be blooming cabbage at Spooner's Cove. It's still early for the Central Coast overall, but I have a few images from the area posted in the Spring Wildflowers 2010 set on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kahlee/ . Thanks to all for your helpful reports. Near Sutter Buttes - 2/21/2010 - Jason Branz writes: Well, it's that time of year again, so here is my first report for the season: Sutter Buttes, 2/20: Almond orchards along the Sutter Buttes Scenic Drive are close to full bloom right now. The best blooms are on the west and north sides of the Buttes. From Yuba City, head west on Highway 20 to Acacia Rd, then turn right and proceed through Sutter to South Butte Rd and turn left, following the green signs (which are a bit hard to see if you're not looking for them). There are shoulders along the road for quick pull-offs, but be careful since people tend to drive fast on the route. Some photogenic older trees are along Almond Orchard Rd, which intersects the loop on the north side of the Buttes. I have a couple of bloom photos on my website, www.jasonbranz.com Edgewood Park (SF area) - 21/2010 - Anne Chellek writes: Lots of lovely woodland flowers in bloom at Edgewood Park in Redwood City. Right at the park entrance on Edgewood Road, lining the creek, a dozen currant bushes (Ribes sanguineum and Ribes californicum) are in spectacular blossom. Up the Serpentine trail, we saw a sprinkling of shooting stars and a good showing of Hound’s Tongue. Nothing was blooming in the meadows at the top of the Franciscan Trail yet, but coming down the Sylvan Trail we saw big patches of Indian Warriors, more shooting stars, Hound’s Tongue, a few blue witches and bush lupines, and one lonely but lovely Fremont Star Lily. Pt. Mugu State Park - 2/19/2010 - Carol Underhill writes: I haven't contributed in a while, but recently saw some nice wildflowers while hiking in Point Mugu State Park. On 2/14/2010 I hiked up the La Jolla Canyon Trail then up the Mugu Peak Trail. Giant Coreopsis is starting to bloom in La Jolla Canyon. Ceanothus, morning glories, and bush sunflowers as well. On north facing slopes towards Mugu Peak there are a ton of shooting stars blooming. Also saw a few California poppies, sweet peas, and wishbone bushes in bloom. It was a great hike. The views out to sea were magnificent, the grasslands were green, there was water in the creekbeds and trickling down waterfalls, and the weather was fantastic! Hope to do more hiking out there soon. Cottonwood Canyon - 2/18/2010 - Spencer Westbrook writes: Regarding Bob Jordan's request for info on Cottonwood Canyon off Rt 166, it is still way too early for anything to bloom, give it at least 3 weeks, probably mid to late march until a bloom appears. I have a friend who has a ranch, vineyard at the very end of Cottonwood Cyn Road and I'll be checking in with him in the next few weeks, will post here as I normally do. Coming from Carpinteria (I come from Ventura) one fun way to get to the area is to get to the Santa Maria area on Hwy 101, then go east and take Tepusquet Canyon up and over the coast range to Hwy 166, one of my favorite trips to the area. Santa Monica Mountains - 2/17/10 - Gina Bryant writes: 2/17/10 at Calabasas Peak Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains. Enjoying our interlude of sunshine between rainstorms this morning, along with the usual assemblage of hikers, trail dogs, and an occasional celebrity citing, we noticed a welcome sign of early spring- the smell of some kind of Ceanothus! Following our noses, we found the source on the hillsides all around us, down into the canyons- Verrucosus; aka the rudely-named Wart-Stem. We then decided to chronicle other early blooming flowers, so we started collecting names, starting with the most abundant Wild Cucumber, and Wild Bush Sunflowers. Next, followed the Lavendar Lupine in several places along the trail, and a few different species of Gnaphalium- Bicolor Bioletti, and Wright's Cudweed, among some Wild Buckwheat Also, we saw small spots of Indian Paintbrush, and some white tubular blooms on the So.Cal Manzanita bushes. In the more shady areas of the trail descending into the Calabasas Highlands, we spotted yellow scented Western Wallflower, Purple Nightshade, Scarlet Penstemon, and a whole bunch of lavender Prickly phlox. I had put another species of little purple flowers into my pocket to identify later, but they've closed themselves up in protest. Vacaville to Sebastopol - 2/16/10 - Jim Hardwick writes: Sunday, I drove from Vacaville, Solano County to Sebastapol, Sonoma county. The volunteer almond trees were in full bloom along highway 80 between Vacaville and Fairfield. There were nice displays of mustard along highway 12 between Cordelia and Sonoma. The fields at the northeast corner of highway 12 and Highway 29 are spectacular. There is good parking along North Kelly Road off highway 12. The roadsides and Vineyards from Sonoma to Santa Rosa are covered with a small orange composite. I went to Capay Valley via highway 16 Saturday, and saw very few flowers.Santa Cruz Island - 2/16/10 - RT Hawke writes: Santa Cruz Island- We saw 27 species in bloom. It is still early yet, another two weeks would be better. The island is very green and the Coreopsis is just starting. Island Packers will take you there for 45 dollars. The hike to Pelican Bay will net you a number of endemic plants (and animals). If you are lucky, you will get Jean for a tour guide who knows a lot on many subjects. Santa Rosa Plateau - 2/15/10 - Rick Crippen writes: The goldfields are now starting to show up around the ponds at the Santa Rosa Plateau west of Murrieta. I was there today. Cottonwood Canyon Road - REQUEST FOR INFO - 2/15/10 - Bob Jordan writes: Do you have anyone who reports on the status of wildflowers growing in the hills around Cottonwood Canyon Road, which intersects with Calif. 166 a few miles north of New Cuyama? Last year wasn’t so good due to the sparse rains, but a few years ago the display was spectacular. We visited the area on Friday the 12th of February and found the stream running and everything quite green and lush. It could be a good year. It’s all a matter of timing and as we live in Carpinteria, CA it’s not practical (or economical) to drive up there once a week or so. Santa Barbara - 2/15/10 - RT Hawke writes: 2/14 Santa Barbara (Cold Springs and Rattlesnake trails) We saw 60 species in bloom, although not a lot of individuals of most species. On Cold Spring trail, Big-pod Ceanothus was in full bloom along with a few others. The burn area of Rattlesnake canyon is recovering nicely although not very many fire annuals. Giant Phacelia was just starting to bloom. The area is a lush green, but mostly because of Marah and Morning Glory(Calystegia). The burl-sprouting shrubs are already 3-4 feet tall. Upper Rattlesnake canyon had an abundant display of Blue Dicks. Response to request for info - 2/14/10 - Jared Ikeda writes: Hello Carol, If the writer was talking about the area near the intersection of Hwy 58 and Hwy 233, it is the area of the Tejon Ranch. The Tejon Ranch Conservancy is planning 3 community hikes in March which will be focused on the north side of the ranch. The dates as I understand are tentative and are Saturday March 13 and 27th and Friday March 19th. More information is to be placed on their website soon. www.tejonconservancy.org/ . From what I understand, the northern area of the ranch is a great area for viewing wildflowers. In April there will also be several community hikes focused on the southern, Antelope Valley, side of the ranch and it is expected that more wildflowers should be out on that side in April. Anza-Borrego - 2/12/10 - Craig Marshall writes: As quoted on Tom Chester's website, the the Park Rangers are predicting the peak bloom this year at Anza Borrego Desert State Park to be the same as last year. On 2/10/10, the Park released a press notice that said: Environmental Services Intern Paul Johnson predicts a "very good to outstanding" bloom this spring, with the peak expected between the last week of February and the second week of March, depending on the weather. Death Valley - 2/10/10 - Death Valley reports that "This week’s storms have brought more rain to Death Valley, which increases the chances of a moderate wildflower bloom this spring. Tiny wildflower sprouts have started to appear in the lower elevations of the park and with the warmer temperatures predicted for later this week they should rapidly give a tint of green to the alluvial fans and hillsides. At this rate, peak bloom will likely be in late March to early April." Anza-Borrego - 2/8/10 - Phil Roullard writes: There are flowers blooming in the Anza-Borrego desert right now. The best place to find out about current blooms is this website. http://www.abdnha.org/pages/03flora/reports/current.htm Huddart Park/Woodside - 2/7/10 - Bonnie Pospisil writes: Hi: Slink pod are still in bloom along Richard's Rd. and in the Phleger Estate Golden Recreation Area trail along the stream off of Richard's Rd. in Huddart Park. The park is a San Mateo County Park in Woodside, California. It is off Hwy. 84 and King's Mt. Rd. In general - 2/7/10 - Spencer Westbrook writes: Hi Carol, Just wanted to check in for the first time for 2010. It certainly looks as if El Nino may bless So Calif with a promising wildflower year; have had 14+ inches so far here at my Ventura home, 16" being normal for the season overall. Any word from Ranger Charlie in Death Valley or any word on Anza Borrego rains? Also, Carrizo may be excellent this year. Looking forward to seeing all wildflower reports with LOTS of details on where the action is. As usual I will provide details on my outs and abouts for others to share. Highway 58 from I-5 to US 101 - 2/4/10 - Craig Dremann writes: The stretch of Cal. Hwy 58 in Kern and San Luis Obispo Counties, that Carol O'Keefe talks about, from I-5 to US 101, contains the densest contiguous stretch of wildflowers in the State. I am suggesting that readers of this website, lobby their representatives to preserve at least a one-mile wide strip of land along that entire Hwy 58 route, either as a State or National park, to protect the best examples of our California wildflower heritage. During drought years like the last four years, and continuing into 2010 spring, the European grasses and filaree gets suppressed, which allows the wildflower seeds to germinate and bloom. Photos, plus mile-by-mile details on what species of wildflowers grow along Hwy 58 in March and April, can be found at http://www.ecoseeds.com/wild.2008.html If anyone knows of a better contiguous stretch of wildflowers, please post it, and we also need to think about preserving that area also. Response to request for information - 2/3/10 - Kahlee Brighton writes: I saw Carol O'Keefe's post requesting information about possible routes leading from Bakersfield to the coast that would likely include displays of wildflowers. Highway 58, which goes past the north end of Carrizo Plain National Monument, then out to Shell Creek and Red Hill Road probably is the area she's describing. Another great place to check out is Highway 166 that leads from Maricopa to Santa Maria. It goes past Wind Wolves Preserve, the southern end of Carrizo Plain NM, and Cottonwood Canyon where, in a good year, spectacular flowers abound. Given our rains this year, either route should prove most rewarding. Hope this is helpful. Request for information - 2/1/10 - Carol O'Keefe writes: Hi Carol, A couple of years ago I spent some time in Death Valley and then was headed for Los Angeles. It was a Sunday afternoon and I ran into a sandstorm on 15. Listening to radio I heard reports of accidents and an overturned vehicle and decided to get off 15 and skip LA. I headed for Bakersfield and spent the night there. The next day as I headed for the Coastal highway on what I believe was Route 58 I passed beautiful multicolor hills covered with flowers. I figured that they were wildflowers but could have been cultivated. I had no idea where to stop to get closer views and walk around. In March of this year (about a week earlier than my last trip). We’ll be there around March 20. I will be heading down the coast highway from SF to LA. If I thought I could find those hills again I would definitely go through Bakersfield again. Are you at all familiar with the area I am talking about? I would appreciate any input you might have and would be happy to buy your CD if this area is included on it. Thank you and hope you can steer me. Love your site. Carol O’Keefe Ps we are coming from NJ. Southern California - 1/31/10 - Kahlee Brighton writes: Hi Carol -- Happy New Year!!! Spring already has sprung in Southern California. Recent rains have caused the plants to grow quickly and blooms have started in several areas:
I'll be posting a few of my images here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kahlee/ Let the wildflower dance begin! San Luis Obispo-San Jose - 2/1/10 - Charlene Burge writes: After our recent rains (downpours) I'm guessing some folks are beginning to see flowers pop up. I hope to see reports from other folks! We traveled yesterday from San Luis Obispo to San Jose, and along the way noticed a couple of dense "stripes" of California Poppies above Cuesta Grade (the "hill" just north of San Luis Obispo). The area is National Forest land and accessible to the public. As we came into the orchard lands near the South Bay we also noticed fields of black mustard under the still-bare orchard trees. Before we left Sonoma/Napa Counties last week, we noticed black mustard growing in the vineyards, too. Anza-Borrego - 2/1/10 - RT Hawke writes: Hi Carol, I don't know when your web page is going to start for the season, but here goes . . . Anza-Borrego 1/30 Palm Canyon and Hellhole Canyon, The season has started with the rare plant Crossosoma in full bloom (although only 10 plants). Desert Apricot is nearing full bloom also. I only saw 18 other plant species in bloom, and with few individuals at that. However, with the big rains, a lot of the annuals have germinated and have four or five leaves. I predict the games will begin soon. My guess would be three weeks (but there are other variables). For good information, people should watch Tom Chester's web page. Bay Area/Mt. Diablo - 1/31/10 - Duncan Carter writes: Only January but the mustard is plentiful along the Bay Area highways and the dentaria is showing at the 1,500-foot level on Mt. Diablo. Best rains in years, could be a banner year. Thousand Oaks - 1/8/10 - Jane "Spider" Fawke writes: Here is the first wildflower report of the season! Jan 8. Lang Ranch Open Space. Thousand Oaks, California. The Lang Ranch Open Space is located at the far North end of Westlake Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. Take the 101 North exit at Westlake Blvd, follow Westlake to Lang Ranch Parkway, turn right, go past the Chumash Interpretive Center, at the far East end of Lang Ranch Parkway you will find the trailhead which joins up with the Simi Hills and China Flats open space managed by National Park Service. Just up from the trail head you will be able to look South into the Chumash Interpretive Center, where a large stand of Manzanita is blooming. About 1 1/2 miles in, you will see a big rock face on your left, (north), carry on up the trail going east, you will pass some big stands of Prickly Phlox on the south side walls, Chilicothe is starting to bloom along most of the trails. We also observed Purple Nightshade, California Everlasting, Bladderpod, Shrubby Butterweed, Wishbone Bush, Yellow Monkeyflower, Yellow Chaenactis, Miners Weed and Coyote Bush. Ranger Sheila Fernandez reports Shooting Stars blooming in abundance on the Stagecoach Trail in Wildwood Park. You can check out our trail system and locations on COSCA.org. San Mateo County - 1/18/10 - Craig Dremman writes: January 18, 2010 - San Mateo County, East Palo Alto, West Bayshore Road, between University Avenue and 7-11 store, against US highway 101 soundwall, blooming yellow-orange small annual wildflower in the sunflower family, that has not been seen in this area for probably 100 years. The drought has suppressed the annual exotic grasses and weeds, and native seeds that have laid dormant for up to 100 years, have sprouted and grown. Probably Monolopia major. Directions: 101 highway take Univeristy ave. exit east towards Palo Alto. At first light a few feet from highway, left at Woodland, and bear left to get onto the highway frontage road, and go left and follow around the two curves. Plants grow on frontage road between sound wall and roadside, to the 7-11 store. This blooming of long-dormant native seeds, released from the suppression of the exotic grasses by the extreme drought conditions in California, has been observed for the last two years elsewhere in California, particularly along Highway 46 and 58 near San Luis Obispo. Photos and mile-by-mile details about what you can see in March and April along highway 58 can be found at http://www.ecoseeds.com/wild.2008.html and other photos at http://www.ecoseeds.com/wild.2009.html and http://www.ecoseeds.com/wild.html All information copyrighted © by the individual authors and may not be reproduced without their individual permission. |
