Natural History Wanderings

Homestead Valley has a new wildflower update. See photos Homestead Valley May 4 NEW – Black elderberry, a large shrub with clusters of white flowers is blooming near Panoramic below the fire road. – Bluff lettuce, a succulent, is blooming with yellow flowers on red stalks. – California everlasting has clusters of tight white flowers and blooms in meadows. – California huckleberry blooms with small white bells on the Red Plum Trail. A blueberry cousin, the berries once black are edible. – Common catchfly*, native of Eurasia, blooms white on a reddish stalk in meadows. – Hedgenettle, a mint, blooms in purple rounds up a stalk in forests. – Naked buckwheat blooms in pink clusters on rock outcrops in meadows. – Narrow leaved clover*, native of Eurasia is blooming pink tipped on the ridge. – Striped coralroot, an orchid, is a spectacular find under the bays near 6d. – Tocalote*, native of the Mediterranean region is an invasive weed found in meadows another unfortunate byproduct of ranching. – Wavyleaf soap plant blooms with open white stars on long stalks. Pollinated by moths, the flowers open late in the day. – Woodland madia’s bright yellow flowers bloom in forests. – Yerba buena, a bright green ground hugging trailing plant is blooming with small white flowers. Leaves aromatic. Edible. Forests – Alum root, with frothy white bell flowers and geranium-looking foliage, blooms in cool seeps. – Andrews clinton, a lily of the redwood understory blooms bright pink on long stalks out of waxy bright leaves. A roadside wildflower, see it on the bank of Laverne above Stolte Grove. – Canyon nemophila blooms small and white in cool seeps. – Douglas iris is blooming white in the forests. – Fairy bells’ cream flowers bloom under their ladder of leaves so you have to look under to see the bells. – False lily of the valley carpets the forest with its white star flowers. – Forget-me-not*, native of Europe, is one of the most invasive plants of the Homestead forest. Its seeds form small burrs that animals spread deep into wild areas. Please, pull forget-me-nots wherever you see them; if they have seeds, carry out and dispose. – Pacific bleeding heart with its heart-shaped pink flowers and delicate foliage is blooming under the redwood trees next to 435 Laverne. – Pacific pea, one of our native pea vines, blooms with delicate blush flowers in forests. – Pacific sanicle’s dark, glossy, lobed leaves line the forest trails and their tall flower spikes are blooming now with mustard clusters. – Pacific star flower’s delicate pink flower floats over low oval leaves in and is carpeting open areas in the forest. – Poison oak blooms with small white star flowers. One of the most common plants in the forest understory, its oil causes itchy allergic reactions in many people. – Redwood sorrel has a cream bell flower and is blooming under the redwood near 435 Laverne. – Spotted coralroot, our most common orchid, blooms white throated on a red stem under oaks, sometimes in great profusion. – Stinking iris*, native of Europe, blooms with khaki and purple flowers at a few spots along forest trails. – Thimbleberry, a shrub with velvety maple leaf shaped leaves is blooming with large white flowers. – White hawkweed blooms at the end of long stalks with white flowers. – Wood rose, our native rose, is starting to bloom in the woods. – Wood sweet-cicely, found throughout the forests of Homestead blooms with small white flowers. Forest edges – American vetch, one of our native pea vines is blooming purple. – Buckeye trees are starting to bloom with large clusters of white flowers. Lining our roads, they make a beautiful display when fully blooming. – California blackberry, blooms white, its vines distinctive from the non-native by its low creeping vine. – Calla lily*, native to Southern Africa, has naturalized into wet seeps and is blooming white. – Common snowberry’s little pink flowers are blooming on this small bush at forest edges. – Cowparsnip with its large white umbels is blooming at the forest edge. – Crimson columbine with its bright red and yellow flowers is blooming below the trail near 11a and below Amaranth, down slope before the first creek after 7a. – Figwort blooms with a distinctive shaped rust red flower on a nettles-looking plant. Another roadside wildflower, look for it along wooded road cuts down at the start of Reed and throughout the forests. An important plant for bees and butterflies. – Fringe cups blooms in forests along streams on tall stalks with pale green flowers with distinctive fringe edges that turn pink when fading. – Latin American fleabane*, native of Central America, has colonized a small area below Amaranth. – Manroot, the wild cucumber vine is blooming white. – Miner’s lettuce with its white flowers at the center of an edible circular leaf is blooming in wet seeps. – Small flowered nemophila, a low ground cover, blooms with small white flowers. – Sticky cinquefoil, a tall, creamy yellow looking strawberry is blooming with columbine at the bridge near 12. – White flowered onion*, native of the Mediterranean basin, is blooming in wet areas – edible. – Woodland strawberry is blooming white up on the ridge below Homestead Hill. Meadows – Blue dicks is blooming with purple clusters in meadows. – Blue eyed grass is blooming with glossy purple flowers in meadows. – California buttercup, bright yellow and glossy is blooming in meadows. – California plantain’s blooms with minute translucent petals. – California poppy, orange and bright, it’s starting to bloom now and will continue late into the summer. – Common yarrow with its tight white umbel is blooming in full sun on the ridge. – Cowbag clover with its purple blooms that look like balloons is blooming in a wildflower meadow off the Homestead Fire Road. – English plantain*, native of Eurasia, tall stalk is blooming with a white corolla. – Field madder*, native of the Mediterranean, is blooming in meadows with little pink star flowers. – Hill lotus, blooms small with blush colored pea flowers. – Ithuriel spear, open clusters of purple flowers on a tall stalk, are starting to bloom in meadows. – Mule’s ear with its bright yellow sunflowers is blooming in the ridge meadow. – Narrow-leaf bird’s foot trefoil*, native of Europe, is blooming bright yellow on the ridge of Homestead Hill. – Narrowleaf cottonrose*, a naturalized native of the Mediterranean region is blooming on the ridge of Homestead Hill. – Ookow, taller with larger clusters than the more common, blue dicks, is blooming on the ridge of Homestead Hill. – Pineapple weed grows on Homestead Fire Road, releasing its chamomile scent as you crush it underfoot. – Purple western morning glory, a vine with pink to cream trumpet flowers is blooming on the ridge of Homestead Hill. – Shamrock clover*, native of Europe is blooming with yellow dome flowers on the ridge of Homestead Hill. – Oakland star tulip is blooming with its whiteish, mariposa lily-shaped flower in meadows and on the Homestead Trail. – Owl’s clover’s pink tufts have yellow and white details and is blooming on the knoll near the Panoramic gate. – Poison hemlock*, native of Europe has a delicate white umbel and mottled red stems. Poisonous, use gloves when weeding. – Purple sanicle with purple puff flowers is blooming in meadows. – Pigmy weed, a small succulent, is blooming with microscopic red flowers on the Ridgewood Rock. – Red elderberry large shrub blooms with white clusters on the trail to Homestead Hill. – Redstem filaree*, native of Eurasia, is blooming with its pretty pink flowers in full sun. – Rosy sandcrocus*, native of South Africa, has a lovely pink flower and grows in meadows. – Shortspur seablush, a white flower cluster is blooming white on the Ridgewood Rock. – Silver lupine blooms purple on large silver leaved bushes up on the ridge. – Sky lupine, bright blue with white grows in sun on Pixie and Homestead Hill. – Sticky monkeyflower with its orange flower blooms in sunny spots and will bloom all summer. – Subterranean clover*, native of Europe, is blooming along Homestead Fire Road on the ridge of Homestead Hill. – Tomcat clover is blooming purple on the Ridgewood Rock.