Natural History Wanderings

Theodore Payne Foundation Wildflower Hotline has just posted a new detailed wildflower report. To see photos and download the full current or older reports go to: Theodore Payne Foundation Wildflower Hotline. Below are most of the highlights for areas that have not been recently covered on Natural History Wanderings

At Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, the native plants are decked out in their best spring colors. Stroll the garden trails and enjoy the displays in the wildflower meadow and on the mesa. Lupines (Lupinus spp.), tidy tips (Layia platyglossa), and clarkia (Clarkia spp.) are very nice. Showy penstemon (Penstemon spectabilis), poppies (Eschscholzia californica), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) and Pacific coast iris (Iris spp. and cultivars) line the garden’s trails. There are special displays of collected wild flowers from all over California set up in the main building.

This weekend there is also a California native wild flower show at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada-Flintridge. Walk through the entrance, now spectacular with California buckeye trees (Aesculus californica), and encounter colorful native wild flowers throughout the garden. The coral bells (Heuchera species and cultivars), showy penstemon (Penstemon spectabilis), Chineese houses (Collinsia heterophylla), hummingbird sage (Salvia spathaceae), foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus), baby blue-eyes (Nemophila menziesii), chia (Salvia columbariae), blue and lavender phacelias (Phacelia spp.) and elegant clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata) are among the many beauties.

If your weekend takes you to Wildrose Campground in the Panamint Mountains/Death Valley region, wild flowers can be found along Hwy 190 over Towne Pass, with good concentrations just east of the summit, where there were large numbers of golden evening primrose (Camissonia brevipes) and desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata) These were interspersed with Fremont phacelia (Phacelia fremontii), and caltha-leaved phacelia (Phacelia calthifolia).  There are good displays along most of Wildrose Rd. (Emigrant Canyon Rd.), and all the way up to the Charcoal Kilns.There are also good displays along the road to Aguereberry Point, where large patches on distant mountainsides were shaded pastel purple—most likely phacelia species, while desert mallows (Sphaeralcea ambigua) covered several hillsides along the road. Look for grape soda lupine (Lupinus excubitus), Booth’s primrose (Camissonia boothii), rock nettle (Eucnide urens), the very cute spiny-herb (Chorizanthe rigida), desert larkspur (Delphiniumparishii), Fremont’s dapplepod (Astragalus lentiginosus var. fremontii), Panamint plume (Stanleya elata) and royal Mojave lupine (Lupinus odoratus).  Many of the species still listed for the Mojave National Preserve (below) also appear in Death Valley’s mid-elevations (2000-5000 feet).

Driving south along Hwy 14 from Inyokern is a lengthy roadside display of orange desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua).  Near Little Lake look for the odd looking Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica), but you need to get out of the car to see and enjoy this plant.

If you want to take a pleasant hike at Stough Canyon Nature Center this weekend, look for the cheery yellow bush sunflower (Encelia californica), monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus), arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus), and pretty pink prickly phlox (Leptodactylon californicum).

The hills around the LA Zoo, Gene Autry Museum Griffith Park area are spotted with color here and there. Enjoy the California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Matilija poppies (Romenya coulteri), California buckeye (Aesculus californica), Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla), and in the swale on the Zoo side of the cross walk to the Autry, is the amazing toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) blooming early. Also find lupines (Lupinus sp.) bush sunflower (Encelia californica), Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii), and white sage (Salvia apiana),

At Hungry Valley SVRA, the Native Grasslands area have a few scattered poppies (Eschscholzia californica), as well as lupine (Lupinus spp.), but right now, if you really want to see something spectacular, get to the west boundary of Hungry Valley.  There are tidy tips (Layia glandulosa) galore along with fragrant grape soda lupine (Lupinus excubitus) and Davy’s gilia (Gilia latiflora ssp. davyi).  You’ll also see fiddlenecks (Amsinckia tessellata), Fremont’s pincushion (Chaenactis fremontii), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja sp), desert primrose (Oenothera sp), golden Mariposa lily (Calochortus sp.), and more.   These blooming gems will be gone before you know it, so get out to Hungry Valley. Best days for viewing are Monday-Thursday, as OHV traffic is light on those days.  Get to Gorman, follow the signs to Hungry Valley, North Entrance.  Ask for your free Wildflower Guide, then follow Gold Hill Road about 4.5 miles to the stop sign, turn right to Gold Hill Road and to the parking area at the entrance to Los Padres National Forest.

The best bloom along the Angeles Crest Hwy, Big and Little Tujunga Canyon Roads in the Angeles National Forest, is happening between 2,000 and 3,000 ft. Look for patches of lupine (Lupinus spp.) and Indian paintbrush (Castilleja sp.), bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida), and scarlet bugler (Penstemoncentranthifolius) along the roadsides and slopes. You need to pull out somewhere and get out of the car to seek out the smaller beauties like miner’s lettuce (Claytonia sp.) forget-me-nots (Cryptantha spp.), wild onion (Allium sp.) and the golden orange wallflower (Erysimum capitatum).

This week at Placerita Canyon Nature Center, hike the Ecology Trail and the Wilson Saddle Trail for the best blooms. Along the way, enjoy the fragrant hoary-leaf ceanothus (Ceanothus crassifolius), pine goldenbush (Ericameria linearis), scarlet bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius), chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), wild peony (Paeonia californica) and southern honeysuckle (Lonicera subspicata). Patches of lavender of phacelia (Phacelia distans) can be seen around along with a surprise sighting of Fremont’s star lily (Toxicoscordionfremontii).

For the past few weeks, I’ve been telling you about the fire poppies (Papaver californicum) in the Cleveland National Forest, Santa Ana Mountains. Those who have taken me up on the suggestion to visit the site have not been disappointed. Fire poppies are NOT common and they are absolutely stunning! They are visible on South Main Divide Road about two miles south of Ortega Highway (Hwy 74) in Riverside County.Other flowers include short-lobed phacelia (Phacelia brachyloba), Coulter’s Snapdragon (Antirrhinum coulterianum), hairy sun cups (Camissoniopsis hirtella), San Diego jewel flower (Caulanthus heterophyllus var pseudosimulans), white pincushion (Chaenactis artemisifolia), Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum), whispering bells (Emmenanthe penduliflora var penduliflora), common eucrypta (Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia) California suncup (Eulobus californicus), Chaparral gilia (Gilia angelensis), strigose lotus (Lotus strigosus), stinging lupine (Lupinus hirsutissiumus) and chia (Salvia columbariae). These are mixed with pockets of three species of forget-me-nots (Cryptantha spp.), red maids (Calandrinia ciliata), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and small flowered stickleaf (Mentzelia micrantha), California popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys collinus). You may even find a few of the rare Brewer’s maids (Calandrinia brewerii) or Parry’s collinsia (Collinsia parryi). The list goes on and on. When you are on South Main Divde Road, drive 2-3 miles and park at the Morgan Trail trailhead (Adventure Pass required).Walk up the old dirt road to the north. When you reach the elbow in the dirt road, walk up the hill and over the ridge; you will then be on the north-facing slope of the hill. Fire poppies abound! Go see! Enjoy! But please don’t trample the flowers.

The west Mojave has good sightings of wild flowers as well. The region around Hwy. 138, east of Palmdale, to the Hwy 18 junction and including Saddleback Butte State Park to the north, are very nice. Look for many of those species listed above as well as the hairy goldenhead (Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus), tansy-leaf phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia), two colored phacelia (Phacelia bicolor var. bicolor), Mojave sand verbena (Abronia pogonantha), Fremont’s mimulus (Mimulus fremontii), Great Basin wooly star (Eriastrum sparsiflorum), rosy gilia (Gilia sinuata), goldfields (Lasthenia sp.), desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), Mohave sun-cups (Camissonia campestris), Parry’s linanthus (Linanthus parryae) are among the commonest.  Also showy are, fiddlenecks (Amsinckia tessellata), phacelias (Phacelia spp.), broad-leaf gilia (Gilia latifolia), several species of popcorn flower and/or forget-me-nots (Plagiobothrys spp.), (Cryptantha spp.), and Bigelow’s coreopsis (Leptosyne bigelovii).

If you are staying around town for the weekend, try to visit the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach. Enjoy the golden yellow of flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum) and Mexican flannel bush (Fremontodendron mexicannum). The California buckeye (Aesculus californica), sages (Salvia spp.) are scenting the air along with their cousin woolly blue-curls (Trichostema lanatum). Visit the Channel Islands section and check out the Island snapdragon (Galvesia speciosa), Island mallow (Lavatera assurgentiflora), and Island bush poppy (Dendromecon harfordii), all very colorful. Also the cheery California encelia (Encelia californica), arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus), showy penstemon (Penstemon spectabilis), and various buckwheat’s (Eriogonum spp.) are looking very pretty.

The gardens at Elizabeth Learning Center in Cudahy are at their peak bloom. In the DesertHabitat Garden enjoy:  Goldfields (Lasthenia sp), Owls Clover (Castilleja sp.), Chia (Salvia columbariae), thistle sage (Salvia carduacea),Canterbury Bells (Phacelia campanularia), Desert Blue Bells

(Phacelia minor), Mojave Lupine (Lupinus ordoratus), California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Desert Gold Poppy (Eschscholzia parishii), Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), Desert Chicory (Rafinesquia neomexicana), Desert Dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), forget-me-nots (Cryptantha spp.), Desert Pincushion (Chaenactis sp.), Brittle Bush (Encelia farinosa), Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi), chuparosa, yellow flower (Justicia californica) and Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea). White-stem blazing star (Mentzelia sp.) Spanish needles (Palafoxia linearis) and desert candle (Caulanthus inflatus).

The Chaparral/Sage Scrub Habitat Garden has the rare Santa Rosa Island white-felted Indian paintbrush (Castilleja lanata hololeuca), woolly Indian paintbrush (Castilleja foliolosa), black sage (Salvia mellifera), tansy-leaf phacelia (Phacelia tantacetifolia), calico monkeyflower (Mimulus pictus) and woolly blue curls (Trichostema lanatum)San Diego sunflower (Hulsea californica), Santa Barbara Island giant coreopsis (Leptosyne gigantia), Island bush poppy (Dendromeconharfordii), prickly poppy (Argemone sp.), tidy-tips (Layia glandulosa) and arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus).

I received several short posts about California poppies covering the hillsides along the I-5 Grapevine, Gorman (Tejon Pass) region. Look for the golden hillsides. If you haven’t seen reports yet this year from your favorite places (like Carrizo Plain or Anza Borrego), it’s because there are few if any wild flower blooms due to continued drought. The few exceptions are the areas we’ve been reporting on recently, especially in the Mojave Desert. That doesn’t however, mean that you shouldn’t visit these glorious sites, because they are natural treasures with or without wildflowers!