submitted by Helen Tarbet Recreation Technician Los Padres National Forest
Figueroa Mountain Wildflower Update April 12, 2017
The different varieties of wildflowers continue to bloom throughout Figueroa Mountain, however, so are the grasses. The flowers that grow on bushes, vines, tall varieties or those growing in disturbed soil where they are not competing with the grasses are doing great and looking lovely. Some of the late spring variety are starting to come out, yet others aren’t. Will the wildflowers stay with us longer this year because of all the rain or will the grasses take over the late field varieties as well? Only time will tell, but for now, let’s see what beautiful Figueroa Mountain has in store for us.
A friendly reminder before we begin. When you stop to look and take pictures of all the beauties, please make sure that you park on the shoulder of the road and not on the road itself. If there isn’t a place to stop, find a turn-out and walk back to the area. Please do not block the road at any time as this will be enforced.
Shall we begin?
Starting at the first cattle guard and continuing to the canopy area, shiny buttercups, fiesta flowers, blue dicks, fiddlenecks, Johnny jump-ups, fillaree, miner’s lettuce, a couple of royal lupine, charming Chinese houses, beautiful hummingbird sage and silly blow wives are still in bloom, but there are fewer and fewer every day. Keep in mind, the wildflowers bloom early in the lower elevation and are also the first to retire for the season, however, exquisite wine cup clarkia are starting to bloom. Within the canopy area, miniature lupine, blue dicks, fiesta flowers, Johnny jump-ups, buttercups and miner’s lettuce can still be found, but are rapidly being covered by the tall grasses.
Natural History Wanderings 