Natural History Wanderings

DesertUSA reports on wildflowers in Napa and Solano counties

A drive on Sunday March 28 in Solano and Napa counties turned up a satisfying variety of roadside wildflowers, some in impressive patches, others as uncommon treasures–and all surrounded by wonderous spring greenery! Especially nice was Highway 128 from its intersection with Pleasants Valley Road (at Lake Solano County Park) to the dam at Lake Berryessa (where Hwy 128 crosses the Solano/Napa county line. If you continue further west on Hwy 128 into Napa county, you’ll go through chaparral with its unique plants, some blooming. The road has many places to pull over (but always lock your car if you wander from it, in the interest of theft prevention).

You can get there from Hwy I-80, exit 51B/Rivera Rd. (just west of Vacaville), which quickly takes you to Pleasants Valley Road, going north to Hwy 128.

Many areas had the lovely contrasts of orange-yellow California poppies and buttercups intermixed with the blue-purples of lupines (3 kinds), blue dicks, and purple vetch. Also were Chinese houses, Ithuriel’s spear, meadowfoam, baby blue eyes, few-flowered blue-eyed Mary, tomcat clover, common linanthus, mule ears, woodland star, and many more if you pull over and glance around (such fun sleuthing what’s tucked in together!). A north-facing rocky cliff across from the dam parking area had a few scarlet larkspur, out-dazzling still-lovely adjacent paintbrush. In the chaparral were sticky monkeyflower, clematis, white and purple ceanothus.

Also many butterflies were visiting the flowers, especially those wonderfully hefty, dark-cloaked Pipevine Swallowtails–which offer good viewing as they visit the plentiful blue dicks and sample every flower per stem.