Welcome to the 30th Annual Wildflower Hotline, brought to you by the Theodore Payne Foundation, a non-profit plant nursery, seed source, book store, and education center dedicated to the preservation of wildflowers and California native plants. This a report for May 25th,2012. New reports will be posted each Friday through June 1.
If you are planning for your Memorial Day weekend, here are some recommendations for good holiday outings and wildflower viewing.
The later in the spring it gets, the higher in elevation you must go to find flowers and the blooms are showing up at 8500 feet elevation in the San Jacinto Mountains.A truly great Memorial Day weekend trip would be taking a rideup the Palm Springs Tramway to hike the Long Valley Trail. There are showy patches of Burlew’s onion (Allium burlewii), purple root cryptantha (Cryptantha micrantha), and one seeded pussypaws (Calyptridium monospermum) at one or two places along the trail. Scattered about are wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), Brewer’s fleabane (Erigeron brewerivar. jacinteus), and pumice alpinegold (Hulsea vestitavar. callicarpha).
Pussypaws (Calyptridium monospermum) and pumice alpinegold (Hulsea vestita var. callicarpha). Photos by Tom Chester and David Stith
Visit Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, by heading east along highway 198 through Three Rivers. The California buckeye (Aesculus californica) is in full bloom and absolutely awesome with its long spikes of creamy pink flowers decorating every branch. Keep the windows of the car open as you drive by stands of buckeyes. Their grape soda scent is intoxicating. Also in full bloom, and adding multiple shades of golden yellow to the landscape, are California flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum), bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida), elegant madia (Madia elegans), and bush monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus). Shooting upward along the slopes are the tall spires of white flowers of the chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei). If you are lucky enough to be visiting the Giant Forest or General Grant Grove in Sequoia, the Western dogwood (Cornus nuttalii) is showing off its large white and elegant flowers which are in stunning contrast to the rich bronze and green of the giant conifers.
Cross to the west side of the Great Valley and visit another treasured natural area,Pinnacles National Monument.Here, several different clarkias—elegant clarkia(Clarkia unguiculata), wine-cup clarkia (Clarkia purpurea), and speckled clarkia(Clarkia affinis)can be seen lining the trails. Hiking on the Old Pinnacles route you will want to stop for several photo opportunities so keep the camera in hand. There are patches bright red scarlet bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius), yellow pretty face(Triteleia lugens), fringed onion (Allium frimbriatum), silver bush lupine(Lupinus albifrons) and butterfly mariposa lily (Calochortus venustus). Check out the patches of large gray leaves and sunny yellow flowers of the plant appropriately called mule ears (Wyethia helenioides)— a very cool plant! Paintbrush (Castilleja sp.), Venus thistle (Cirsium occidentale), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), woolly blue curls (Trichostema lanatum) and larkspurs (Delphinium sp.) add to the amazing palette of color in the monument.
In the Angeles National Forest along Angeles Crest Highway and Big and Little Tujunga Canyon Roads there are quite a few flowering chaparral species below 4,000 ft. The California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) is very nice flashing creamy blossoms over the slopes. It is accompanied by the bright yellow bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida) and blue ceanothus (Ceanothus sp.). Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea), bush monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus), honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) and chaparral yucca (Hesperoyuccawhipplei) round out the big showy shrubs. To enjoy the other, colorful plants, you may have to get out of the car and hike around a bit. Along cliff faces, you see dudleya (Dudleya sp.) and prickly phlox (Linanthus californicus) hanging out together. A lot of the paintbrush (Castilleja sp.) is found tucked around the buckwheat. Lupines (Lupinus spp.), wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), phacelia (Phacelia sp.) and forget-me-nots (Cryptantha spp.)are fading, but there are still a few about.
At Stough Canyon Nature Centerin the Verdugo Mountains take an Memorial Day hike with the family and friends around Stough Canyon.Enjoy the bright pink elegant clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata), aptly named caterpillar phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria), monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), prickly phlox (Linanthus californicus), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum),lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia), arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus), fragrant elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea), and the prickly wild rose (Rosa californica).
Caterpillar Phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida). Photo by Michael Charters
The best wildflower viewing atPlacerita Canyon Natural Areaisalong the Los Pinetos Trail. This is a rather steep, 2.5 mile hike up to the ridge line that overlooks the San Fernando Valley. The view from the top and the amazing number of wildflowers blooming make the hike well worth the effort. There are big stands ofYerba Santa (Eriodictyon sp.), California everlasting (Pseudognaphalium californicum) andbush monkey flower (Mimulusaurantiacus) to be seen, withheart-leaf penstemon (Keckiela cordifolia) andsoap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) starting to bloom. The surrounding hills have many yuccas (Hesperoyucca whipplei) poking up through the chaparral. A real treat is a large patch of very fragrant giant lupine (Lupinus sp.) about a third of the way up to the top. All these colorful and fragrant blossomsmake the trail a real treat for the senses.
Lupine (Lupinus sp.) at Placerita Canyon Natural Area. Photo by Ron Kraus
TheHungry Valley SRAguided wildflower tours of 2012 have ended for this year. Self-guided tours will still yield displays of poppies (Eschscholzia californica) out along Stipa, Powerline and Badger Roads, and along the first mile of Gold Hill Road from the North Entrance. Scarlet bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius) is blooming in profusion near Smith Forks Campground and chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) can be seen blooming throughout the park. A few late season Mariposas (Calochortus sp.) are blooming along Stipa, but it is like treasure hunting—they are small, few and far between.
Scarlet bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius) Hungry Valley SRA photo by Lora Owens
The golden eardrops (Dicentra chrysantha) and bright yellow golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum) welcome you as you drive along Clinton Keith Rd. to the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. The bush monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus) and white sage (Salvia apiana) are very showy among the rocks and boulders. The thread leaf brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia) is up on the clay flats, and the lithe splendid mariposa lily (Calochortus splendens) is sticking up among the grassy trail slopes. Bush lupine (Lupinus excubitus var. hallii) and chaparral yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) are stand outs here and there throughout the preserve. White whorled lupine (Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus) and strigose lotus (Acmispon strigosus) are lining some of trails in the preserve.
Here is a nice reportsubmitted from CNPS Orange County.They had a field trip to the area surrounding Hobo Canyon (near Aliso Creek Canyon) in South Laguna last weekend and found a goodly number of blooming plants. Wildflowersincluded golden star (Bloomeria crocea), Mariposa lily (Calochortus splendens), paintbrush (Castilleja affinis), Turkish rugging (Chorizanthe staticoides), California sunflower (Encelia californica), sapphire woolly-star, (Eriastrum sapphirinum), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertifolium), gum plant (Grindelia camporum), chick lupine (Lupinus microcarpus), bush monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), osmadenia (Osmadenia tenella), and blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum). Other specialty plants of the unique southern maritime chaparral in the area were bigberry California lilac (Ceanothus megacarpus), bush rue (Cneoridium dumosum), summer holly (Comarostaphylis diversifolia), western dichondra (Dichondra occidentalis), and spiny redberry (Rhamnus crocea).
A walk along the immediate coastal sandsof San Clemente State Beach, from it's southern extreme to a mile North you will find red sand verbena (Abroniamaritima), pink san verbena (Abronia umbellata var. umbellata), beach morning glory (Calystegia soldanella), suncups (Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia), and live forever (Dudleya edulis).
Amazingly enough, the Habitat Gardens at Elizabeth Learning Center in Cudahy are still experiencing a colorful bloom. This week, the Flagpole Garden has San Diego viguiera (Bahiopsis lanciniata), Santa Barbara Island dudleya (Dudleya traskiae), Clarkias (Clarkia spp.) of every kind, giant gum plant(Grindeliasp.), chia (Salvia columbariae),and phacelias (Phacelia spp.). California poppies (Eschscholzia calfornica), bush poppy (Dendromecon spp.), Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa),desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata), paintbrushes (Castilleja spp.) and lupines (Lupinus spp.) light up the area as well. The Matilija poppy (Romenya coulteri) blooms are outrageous! In front of the Family Center & Elizabeth Street Clinic, there are bright colorful patches of all the flowers mentioned above and many, many more.The prickly poppy (Argeome corymbosa), woolly blue curls (Trichostema lanatum) and the Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) are real standouts here. The general public is always welcome to visit the gardens at the Elizabeth Learning Center from 8:00am to 4:00pm Monday thru Friday. Anyone interested in visiting just needs to get a Visitor's Pass from the Main Office and say they are here for the Habitat Garden Wildflowers.
San Diego Vigiera (Bahiopsis laciniata) at ELC. Photo by George Nanoski
That’s it for this week. Look for our next report on Friday, June 1.It will be the last report of the season.
NATIVE PLANT & WILDFLOWER EVENTS:
CNPS-Los Angeles Santa Monica Mountains Chapter
Tuesday, June 12, 7:30 - 9:00pm. Lecture: Wild By Nature: Sowing Seeds for Spring Wildflowers. Presenter:Genevieve Arnold. Genevieve Arnold is the Seed Program Manager for Theodore Payne Foundation. For more information, go to
CNPS-Orange County Chapter
Saturday, May 26 CNPS OC will be leading a field trip to Caspers Wilderness Park off Hwy 74.Meet 8:00 AM. Free (except for park admission) and open to all. See details and directions.
CNPS-San Diego Chapter
Saturday, May 26 - Public Plant Hike, Marion Bear Park
10:00am – noon. From Highway 52, exit at Regents Street. Turn south, go 200 yards, turn right, drive to parking lot 619-297-2957. For more information
CNPS-San Gabriel Mountains Chapter
Eaton Canyon Plant Walks: Second Sunday of each month except July and August. Meet in front of Eaton Canyon Nature Center at 9:00 a.m. Then go on a leisurely walk, about 2 hours, through the native plant garden that surrounds the Center and into the nearby wild areas. The walk is different each time — what's leafing out, flowering, in seed, etc., determines what your leader will talk about — and different leaders bring different points of view.
The Arlington Garden in Pasadena is a three acre California native, wildflower and Mediterranean climate plant public garden open every day from dawn to dusk.And it's free. The garden is just seven years old but in full bloom. It shouldn't be missed.