Natural History Wanderings

The Marin CNPS Facebook page Marin Native Plants  has a list of good wildflower hikes for March (and possibily April too).

Weekends:

1. Circuit of the outer lagoon at the Marin Headlands (Rodeo Lagoon), parking at the visitor center. Target species: Ribes divaricatum, coastal scrub plants.

2. Mt. Burdell, start at the end of Simmons Lane N. On the serpentine hills see Collinsia sparsiflora, Dichelostemma capitatum, Fritillaria liliacea, Monolopia major.

3. Old Lucas Valley Road. Park opposite minimart, go E. along paved road for willows, box-elder maple, common local spp. Cardamine californica, Delphinium patens, Lithophragma spp., 3 fern spp.

4. End of Fairway Drive in Ignacio. Best in mid-April for seeing grassland species. Go into the Big Rock hills. There is an unusual form of Streptanthus glandulosus, red berry, pipeline, Durango Root and oak woodland vegetation with lots of Douglas iris on trail to the waterfall.

5. Bull Point for rare Blennosperma nanum var. robustum, Erysimum franciscanum, and early sandy soil spp. like baby-blue eyes and Gilia millefoliata.

6. Nicasio reservoir area. Below the bridge at Laurel Canyon, go towards the dam for early flowers like the rare Dirca, Ca. Gooseberry, bleeding hearts, red larkspur.

7. Point Reyes Kehoe Beach trail towards the N. side bluffs. Also Abbotts Lagoon trail has many plants of interest on the way to the beach and ocean.

Weekdays, to avoid crowds:

• China Camp, Turtle Back hill area
• Big Rock serpentine trail towards Loma Alta
• San Andreas area Mt. Burdell
• Chimney Rock trail and Lighthouse, Pt. Reyes.