Natural History Wanderings

Santa Monica Mountains just published a new wildflower report:

Spring is getting close with the first of March only a week away.  We are seeing more and more flowers all the time but have yet to reach what I would call the true flowering season of the Santa Monica Mountains.  Very quickly over the last few days the bigpod ceanothus largely finished here at Circle X Ranch, although the sheltered north slopes and higher elevations still have quite a bit of it.  It had a wonderfully long blooming season this year compared to last year.  I’ve been seeing more of its bluer cousins starting to bloom recently as well.  Unfortunately the little bit of rain we got a few days ago has already turned to dust in many places — a measure of how very dry things are.  Most of the creeks are dry or have only dribble in them when usually they are a continuous babble by this time.  Unless we get some real rain soon this year may turn into another disappointment.

Circle X Ranch Mishe Mokwa Trail  02/18/13

The big pod ceanothus is the highlight of this hike.  Entire mountainsides are in bloom to the degree that one wonders if there are any other shrubs on the hillside.  The trail is dusted with the “snow” of fallen petals.  This trail features both big pod ceanothus and hoary leaf ceanothus. Additionally there are blooming manzanita and chaparral current with wild cucumber climbing over them in certain places.  I was surprised at how few prickly phlox plants are in bloom, we only saw a couple.  There are several openings alongside the trail that were carpeted in Padre’s shooting stars which are always a treat. There was a single blooming bush of hillside gooseberry just above Split Rock.  I saw two early blue dicks in the chaparral.  – Dorothy Steinicke

Follow all of their reports at:  Wildflowers – What’s Blooming in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.