Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Logo

Updated Feb 19th, 2017
Available Reviews
Santa Susana Mountain Park
Circle X Ranch
Point Dume Nature Preserve
Solstice Canyon
Rocky Oaks
Castro Crest
Date of Review
2/18/17.
2/9/17.
1/24/17.
1/17/17.
1/14/17.
12/28/16.

Quick Links:
How To Submit a Flower Report - Anyone can participate!
Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains - Photos of 1000 SMM plants.
Archive - Previous “What's Blooming” reports.
Outdoors - The Calendar of Events for the Santa Monica Mountains NRA.
SMM WildFlowers - The Park's popular wildflower app for the iPhone.
New! SMM WildFlowers - The Park's popular wildflower app for Android smartphones (Pre-Release Beta Version).

This time of year be on the watch for perennials, especially woody shrubs, vines and trees. They can respond quickly to the first rains of the year. Also, be prepared for trail issues after the recent rains. Please respect closures, they are for your safety. If you see anything hazardous let the Park know!

This site performs a public service that anyone can participate in. Let us all know what you are seeing.
In general, if you are submitting a report I will get it faster if you use the gmail account 'SMMWildFlowers' rather than my nps.gov account.
If you are new to submitting a report (or maybe even an old hand at it) be sure and read How To Submit a Flower Report
  — ed.





Santa Susana Mountain Park
2/18/17
         Hills are bursting with life from all the rain on Friday - wild cucumber, mustard, blue dicks, fiddleneck, wishbone plant, California everlasting, white ceanothus, yellow oxalis and one sticky monkey flower in dark orange opened. chamise looks to open in the next few days, and lupines are getting ready. I entered the park through the entrance on Andora just west of Lassen. Water is flowing everywhere, so please wear good hiking shoes or boots. If one turns left about a mile in, the waterfalls are incredible but possibly short-lived - also there's a vernal pond at the top of the stagecoach trail or devil's slide which may be accessed from Lilac Lane off of Santa Susana Pass Road.   — Adam Lieberman


Circle X Ranch
Mishe Mokwa and Backbone Trails
2/9/17
         Shooting Stars are now in full bloom along the Mishe Mokwa and Backbone Trails in the valley between Sandstone Peak and Tri Peaks. They are most easily found directly on the Backbone Tail right by the intersection with the Mishe Mokwa Trail. It is easiest to park at the Sandstone Peak Trailhead and take either the trail up to Sandstone Peak or connect with the feeder to the Mishe Mokwa Trail (my preferred route).   — Steven Friedman
  Contributer Supplied Photo   Contributer Supplied Photo  


Point Dume Natural Preserve
1/24/17
         The Point Dume Natural Preserve is a fun place to explore where you can enjoy a lot of native wildflowers in an uncommonly found coastal scrub ecosystem and, at the same time enjoy views of the ocean and possible sightings of marine mammals. The park can be accessed from Cliffside Drive where there are a dozen 2 hour free parking spaces or from Westward Beach, where you pay to park. From the southernmost part of Westward Beach climb the well marked trail to the top of Point Dume. The giant rock is covered in giant coreopsis that have just started blooming. These plants look like they should be in a Dr. Suess book, they look like stumpy tropical trees that are covered in what look like yellow daisies. Also currently in bloom are wild cucumber, lemonade berry, coast golden bush and, to my great surprise, a lot of California poppies.   — Dorothy Steinicke
  Contributer Supplied Photo   Contributer Supplied Photo   Contributer Supplied Photo  


Solstice Canyon
Solstice Canyon walk
1/17/17
         NPS site - Solstice Canyon (PCH & Corral Canyon Rd.) There is a 76 gas station on the corner where you turn and the entrance to the park is at the first bend in the road. This is a very popular site with a small parking lot so try to visit on a weekday.
         As you start the one mile Solstice Canyon walk on the old driveway from the main parking lot, you'll see catkins on the Alder trees. Just past the nice view of the creek from the bridge, the old driveway goes right and soon you'll see a few flowers of white nightshade blooming, then you'll start to see clumps of wild cucumber blooms. The white flowers on long stalks are the male flowers, some of the female flowers close to the main vine have already formed the small spiky pods that enclose the plant's seeds. The best thing about this site is the California bay laurel trees starting to bloom. These sweet smelling clusters of small yellow flowers are clearly visible against the dark green long and slender bay leaves of these large trees. After enjoying the one mile walk up to Tropical Terrace you can return the way you came. Rating is promising.   — Sheila Braden


Rocky Oaks
Rocky Oaks loop trail
1/14/17
         NPS site - Rocky Oaks (Mulholland Hwy west of Kanan Rd.) The short Rocky Oaks loop trail is muddy in spots. The path over the dam is dry. The pond has shrunk to a three foot wide mud puddle. On the slope the white pinkish flowers of big berry manzanita are just starting to bloom. What makes this site interesting are the lichens. Three types of the crusty growths are clearly visible on the leafless branches: green shield lichen (gray green), candle flame lichen (yellow), and firedot lichen (bright orange). Rating is promising.   — Sheila Braden


Castro Crest
Backbone Trail between Corral Canyon and Latigo Canyon
12/28/16
         The rain that has fallen has started to perk things up and it is clear that there will be flowers this year. This trail crosses creeks with water six or seven times. The flowers have not really started but they are close. The wild cucumber is pushing up and we saw a few blooming stalks. There are some milk maids blooming near the creek. We saw one blooming California everlasting and some big berry manzanita that was just about to open.   — Dorothy Steinicke




Contact Information:

Santa Monica Mountains NRA
401 West Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
805-370-2301
www.nps.gov/samo

If you would like to contribute a wildflower
report you can e-mail the editor at:
Tony_Valois@nps.gov
Or, for faster response use the
gmail account SMMWildFlowers@gmail.com


What's Blooming
on the web at
www.smmflowers.org/whatsblooming

or go to

www.nps.gov/samo
click on
"Plan Your Visit" >> "Things to Do" >> "Look for Wildflowers"


experience your America

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