Natural History Wanderings

Santa Monica Mts. National Recreation Area reports

things are really drying out and that the SoCal drought continues. In that case the true flower connoisseur must begin using their craft to find the treasure. It is out there every month of the year.

there are some great flower displays along the road cuts in the mountains, as in this shot of her’s along Mulholland Drive.

Cold Creek Preserve Stunt High Trail 06/02/15

I thought this would be a good hike due to the riparian area at the start of the trail. To my surprise that was not the area with a lot of flowers. It was nice there. It is always wonderful to walk alongside flowing water and there delicate milkwort and stream orchids in bloom. But entering the chaparral portion was where I was rewarded with flowers. The trail is lined with bright yellow flowers. This seems to be a banner year for slender tarweed. There was also golden yarrow, sticky gum plant and golden star lilies mixed with the tarweed and the yellow was punctuated by bursts of pink and purple with patches of clarkia; elegant, purple and farewell-to-spring in abundance. There was also perezia and large flowered phacelia as well as some lovely dudleya and blossoming yucca

See photos and older reports at What’s Blooming.