Natural History Wanderings

Updated 7/10/11 

Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area just published a new wildflower bloom report: 

    Topanga State Park     Trailer Canyon Trail     Date: 07/08/2011

“Today we hiked up the Trailer Canyon Trail from Pacific Palisades to the Backbone Trail and back, about 4.5 miles each way. Even though we have been having hot weather the flora is still quite green, with some surprises. While the Laurel sumac, California buckwheat and Toyon dominate in quantities, Elderberry flower and fruit are plentiful. There is leftover Monkey flower, Deerweed, Golden yarrow, Purple nightshade, Filaree, Black sage, Caterpillar phacelia, and Heart leaved penstemon. Starting up the trail we saw Vervain, Chaparral honeysuckle, and Sunflower, giving way to Cliff Aster, Narrow leaved milkweed, Bush lupine, Two-tone everlasting. Of course there was plenty Yellow star thistle, Black mustard, Tree tobacco, Sweet fennel, and a few Bristly ox-tongue. I was surprised to see what appears to be re-blooming Greenbark ceanothus and Chamise. There are a few Hollyleaf redberry that are easy to identify with the berries. The expected Felt-leaf everlasting and Slender tarweed were represented. Not having hiked this trail before, I was surprised to see more than a few Braunton’s milkvetch in the final stages of blooming. When I referred to my iPhone app for SM Wildflowers, I see that the pictures posted for this plant were taken on Temescal Ridge Trail just above the trail that we are hiking. Rating: very good.”  – Burt Elliott

“Much of the hiking I’ve done recently indicates that flower season is nearly over and summer is here. Granted, most of my recent hiking has been in some of the drier parts of the range but still the indications of the change of the season are here. There will still be some very nice flower species blooming for a while yet, like the Plummer’s mariposa lily and the scarlet larkspur, but the diversity of Spring is passing. For sure, flowers can be found throughout the summer and my camera will be busy, but mostly gone is the best Southern California has to offer. Where before any old trail was bound to please from now on finding flowers will be a matter of the craftiness of the flower hunter. Look for sheltered sites with shade or water or near the coast. These places can offer flowers year-round and additionally may reward us with some of the rarest finds.”

“Alternatively, consider re-defining your expectations of what defines a flower. Many of our true summer flowers are small and obscure or have a scraggly habit and not perhaps what the typical person would use in their flower arrangements (this value judgment is clear when we note many of them have the word “weed” in their names.) Now is the beginning of the season of the true flower enthusiast.” editor

Go to their website to see all of the reports: http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/