Natural History Wanderings

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve has just posted the current wildflower which was dated 3/23/14

There are no fields of poppies at the Reserve but there are nice patches throughout the park.  The Joshua tree to the west of the Visitor Center has one bloom.  The Beaver tail cacti are starting to form their flower buds.  The one to the east of the Visitor Center has a bloom.  There is a nice sized loco weed by the Viola Parr bench in front of the Visitor Center that is in bloom.  To the west of the benches there is a Jimson weed that has a bloom forming.

Picnic Trail There is a nice patch of poppies as you come into the parking lot.  As you go to the picnic table area there are poppies.  Filaree and fiddleneck are in bloom.  Tumble mustard is in bloom and the black mustard is still forming leaves with no flowers.  Cheat grasses are going to seed.  There are poppy plants that have their true leaves and have not started forming flower buds yet.   As you look up the hill to the west of the trail there are poppy plants that are starting to bloom and not just along the trail.  As you look toward the Antelope Trail North Loop there is a patch of poppies.

 

Lightning Bolt Trail At the junction of the Picnic Trail and Lightning Bolt Trail there are poppies to the west. There are a few goldfields, filaree, fiddleneck, and some poppies interspersed with the Western forget-me-nots.  East of the forget-me-nots the wishbone plants are starting to get their green leaves.  The bunch grasses have green blades.  To the northeast and about half way up to Kitanemuk Vista Point there is a nice patch of poppies.  I am also seeing young poppy plants that are about 2 to 3 cm and are just beginning to get their true leaves.  These may have germinated after the February/March rains.  As you approach the Kitanemuk Vista Point there are some Lacey Phacelia starting to bloom but not as much as past years.  There are bumblebees active on these plants.  There is one Acton Encelia in bloom; there are fiddleneck, forget-me-nots, filaree, a few goldfields, tumble mustard and a few poppies in bloom.  There are a few lupines in the area starting to get their flowers.

 

Crossover Trail There are filaree, fiddleneck, a few goldfields and a few of the lupine that area starting to form flowers.  There are poppy plants in this area that have not started forming their flower buds as yet.

Poppy Trail North Loop There is a nice patch of poppies in the area where the Poppy Trail North Loop trail junctions with the sidewalk.

There are the tiny forget-me-not plants in bloom along with pygmy-leaf lupine, slender keel fruit, sun cups, and found a Desert dandelion (with the red dot in the middle). Found a few silver puffs that were starting to produce their flowers.

There are some poppies along the trails and starting to appear in the fields.  There are just a few goldfields in bloom.  There were 100 or more Painted Lady Butterflies really working the fiddleneck and filaree.  Prior to the Baltic Rush there is a nice patch of poppies.

Tehachapi Vista Point Trail Ragweed is starting to produce the male flowers.  Some cheat grasses going to seed. There are Painted Lady Butterflies and honeybees on the fiddleneck and filaree.  The small midge flies that like to swarm in groups are out.   At the Turner and Ruffner benches there are some poppies interspersed with forget-me-nots, loco weed and a few lupine in bloom.  This has a wonderful view of the valley that is green.  There are a few goldfields in bloom.  There are quite a few poppy plants that have their true leaves but have not produced and flower buds as yet.  At the Godde Hill Tehachapi Vista point has goldfields, poppies, filaree, some forget-me-nots, slender keel fruit, and fiddleneck.  There are wishbone plants turning green.  The grape soda lupine plants are looking healthy with their gray-green leaves and they are just starting to form their flowers.

 

via Latest Poppy Reserve Research Field Notes and Observations.

Related articles

• Antelope Valley Wildflower Update 3/22/14 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
• Antelope Valley Wildflower Report 3/14/14 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)