Natural History Wanderings

Homestead Valley has a new wildflower update. See photos and maps at July 17, 2020 NEW – Coast tarweed, one of the resinous madias is blooming yellow in meadows. – Old man’s beard*, native of Europe, is an invasive vine that blooms in forests with fragrant white flowers. – Roughleaf aster is blooming with pale flowers in meadows. Forests – American trailplant is blooming with white flowers on a stalk above arrow-shaped leaves. – Broadleaf hellebore*, native of Eurasia, is an orchid blooming pinkish green in forests. – California coffeeberry, one of the most common shrubs of the forest understory, is blooming with clusters of flowers. – California honeysuckle, a vine, blooms with pink blooms. – California spikenard dies back completely each year and grows 6-7′ in a season. It is blooming now with white dandelion-shaped flowers in the creek bed on the Maverick Trail up from the Ridgewood u-bend. – Common snowberry bush is blooming with small white bell flowers in forests. – Forget me nots*, this non-native invasive with pretty blue flowers is starting to bloom now in forests. – Ocean spray bush is blooming with white frothy flowers in forests. – Purple cestrum*, native of Mexico, is blooming with red flowers next to the bridge at Stolte Grove. – Toyon is blooming with white flowers in forests. – White hawkweed with its white flowers on tall stalks is blooming in forests. Forest edge – Alum root, with its small white bell flowers, is blooming at forest edge. – American speedwell is blooming with blue flowers in a seep below Amaranth. – Creeping snowberry is blooming at forest edge with pink bell flowers. – Featherweed blooms with brown tufts at forest edge. – Figwort, one of our great plants for insects is blooming with its irregular flowers at the forest edge. – Hedgenettle, in the mint family, is blooming with mauve flowers at forest edges. – Spicebush is blooming with red frilly flowers by the creek in Three Groves. – Yerba buena, an aromatic creeping mint with white flowers, is blooming at forest edge. Meadows – Black elderberry is blooming below Homestead Hill. – Blue-eyed grass, a member of the iris family, is blooming with a bright blue flower on Homestead Hill. – Bluff lettuce, a succulent, is blooming yellow on rock outcrops. – California blackberry’s white flowers are blooming. – California everlasting is blooming in the meadows of Homestead Hill. – California mugwort is blooming with yellow tufts in meadows. – California poppy’s bright orange flowers are blooming in meadows. – Common yarrow with white flower clusters and distinctive lacy foliage is blooming on Homestead Hill. – Coyote mint is blooming purple in meadows. – Lance leaf self heal is blooming velvety purple in seeps on the Homestead Trail near 12. – Naked buckwheat is blooming in meadows below Homestead Hill. – Pincushion flower*, native of Europe, is blooming purple, pink and burgundy in the meadows of Cowboy Rock. – Purple western morning glory is blooming with pink veined white trumpet flowers in meadows. – Sticky monkeyflower is blooming orange in meadows. – Common yarrow with white flower clusters and distinctive lacy foliage is blooming on Homestead Hill. – Wavyleaf soap plant is blooming with sprays of white flowers that bloom in late afternoon. *Non-native