Natural History Wanderings

An assortment of wildflower reports and information for Northern California.  Starting  with the southern most listing and heading north.

Henry Coe: There is not a date so I am not sure how current this list is, but the park site posts photos of what is in bloom at this site http://www.coepark.org/wildflowers/blooming.html

Edgewood quote from park “absolute best right now”

Mt. Diablo:   From Jim Mitchell of the Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association.  “The visitors center at Mitchell Canyon is your best source for current wildflower blooms. It is open on Weekends. Docents keep a running list of what is blooming. Mitchell Canyon is also a great place to hike from to see a variety of flowers. I drove up North Gate Road on Monday and there are poppies and lupin along the road as well as other wildflowers blooming if you hike off the road just a little. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be a spectacular year for poppys. They are out but not in the numbers that we saw the last two years.”

Nicasio Ridge in Marin County (report from Marin CNPS) has large displays of Goldfields and Blennosperma nanum (a yellow Composite.) and many other flowers are also in bloom.

Pt. Reyes: Chimney Rock, area around Lighthouse  and Abbott’s Lagoon are very flowery right now.  Check earlier post from past weekend: https://sandysteinman.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/pt-reyes-wildflower-report/

Bear Valley I plan to visit and post a report on Bear Valley in the next day or two.  Check back.

Table Mt.   From Bruce Department of Fish and Game:  “The bloom april was still strong but past peak in my view from April 3. This is typical. … The fringe of many vernal pools should be blooming. One dry windy day can force a quick wilt.”  From the Oroville Chamber of Commerce: “flowers are blooming, the yellows have been out and the purples and reds just started about a week ago.” call or email the Chamber for the latest 530-538-2542 or mstanko@orovillechamber.net

Yosemite: at http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/common-wildflowers.htm the park site reports “As of mid-April, wildflowers are blooming in the lowest elevations of Yosemite–specifically in the Merced and Tuolumne river canyons–and just beginning in the Valley. Look for baby blue-eyes, fiddlenecks, Applegate’s paintbrush, woodland star, blue dicks, bird’s eyes, fiesta flower, pretty face, mountain jewel and spider and bush lupine. Brand new are madia, liveforever, Western wallflower, and California thistle (a native thistle). In addition, Western redbud trees still offer a splash of pink. Also look for a vine with small pale-white flowers called wild cucumber or manroot growing up bushes. And, finally, look for the bell-shaped blooms on white-leafed manzanita bushes.”