Natural History Wanderings

calphoto : Where to photograph in California had the following wildflower report for Lower Mitchell Canyon at Mt. Diablo:

no great displays; variety was pretty good; the Globe Lilies made it all worthwhile.

I did a short hike this morning a little ways up Mitchell Canyon with a Globe Lily Trail detour. First 1/3 of a mile or so you’re thinking I drove all the way out here for this*: nothing but buttercups, white nemophylla, some blue dicks and some anemic lupines. Also some yellow Asteraceae type deal. Gets a little better right after that: some nice stands of delphinium, nightshade, isolated woodland stars and Chinese houses.

On the Globe Lily Trail there’s paintbrush, black sage, yerba santa. Red Road just past the Globe Lily Trail there are some Mt. Diablo Globe Lilies (ironically, I didn’t see any on the Globe Lily Trail). More of them on Mitchell Canyon Road a little south of Red Road. Very early for these; see them now.

On the trail that parallels the road back of the parking lot/visitors’ center, Toxicodendron diversilobum was in full bloom. Worth taking a picture…from a distance.

Click Read more to see plant list of flowers in bloom

See more reports at Calphoto at : calphoto : Where to photograph in California (you must register to access site).

Top-of-my head list of stuff I identified:

Calochortus pulchellus

Castilleja sp

Clematis lasiantha

Delphinium sp

Dichelostemma capitatum

Dichelostemma congestum

Eriodictyon californicum

Erysimum capitatum

Lathyrus vestitus

Lithophragma affine

Lupinus sp

Nemophila heterophylla

Ranunculus californicus

Salvia mellifera

Solanum umbelliferum

Toxicoscordion fremontii