Natural History Wanderings

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve SNR reports on March 10, 2016

While hiking you can see small fields of light purple filaree and small fields of goldfields are starting to show. The poppies are starting to make their showing and you can see small patches of orange.

The Joshua tree to the west of the visitor center has three buds. On the Tehachapi Vista Point Trail, the grape soda lupine plants are blooming.

We are expecting a moderate bloom this year, but rains forecasted for next week will likely improve things. Bloom peak and duration is as unpredictable as Mother Nature, but generally late March to mid-April is the best bloom.

and from the Antelope Valley Latest Poppy Reserve Researcher Field Notes

Flowers in bloom at the reserve are: filaree, slender keel fruit, fiddleneck, goldfields, mustard, forget-me-nots, grape soda lupine, wild cucumber, blue dick, red maids, sun cups, wild parsley and pygmy-leaved lupine.
While hiking you can see small fields of a light purple that are filaree and then the small fields of gold are starting to show that are the goldfields. The poppies are starting to make their showing and you can see small patches of orange.

Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland and areas throughout the valley have Joshua trees forming buds and flowers.

OTHER WILDFLOWER SIGHTINGS
170th Street West between Lancaster Road and Avenue D (Hwy 138) – there are starting to be fields of goldfields and some poppies.
Godde Hill Road—spotted poppies, lacy phacelia, forget-me-nots, mustard, coreopsis, chia, hairy lotus, fiddleneck, lupine, whispering bells, jewel flower and little gold poppy.
little gold poppy whispering bells
Elizabeth Lake Road and Munz Ranch Road – If you go to the Elizabeth Lake Road Day Use area that is by the lake look to the north at the hillsides of coreopsis and poppies. At the intersection of Munz Ranch Road and Elizabeth Lake road the hillsides are coming alive with the yellow of the coreopsis and orange of the poppies. As you go down Munz Ranch Road you will see the recovery of the area from the Power House Fire and the October 2016 rain erosion—coreopsis is making a nice showing. Further down the road you will start seeing the perennial poppy bouquets starting to bloom.