Page Revised: 03/05/10
Available Site Reviews Circle X Ranch Scenic Drives in SAMO Malibu Creek State Park Cold Creek Preserve Triunfo Canyon Park Rancho Sierra Vista Cheeseboro Canyon Red Rock Canyon State Park Leo Carrillo State Beach Point Mugu State Park	Date of Reviews 3/5 & 3/1 2/17. 3/1 & 2/1. 2/25 & 2/22. 2/21. 2/21. 2/14. 2/13. 2/11. 2/8. 2/2.
Quick Links What's Blooming Now - Photo highlights of the current flower reports. Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains - Photos of over 700 species. Archive - Previous “What's Blooming” reports. Outdoors - The Calendar of Events for the Santa Monica Mountains NRA.

I’ve been tied up a lot this past month and so missed my mid-month wildflower newsletter. I wasn’t too worried about it because there is still not very much going on in the world of wildflowers. Hopefully now that things are picking up we can be more regular publishing updates. People are seeing more and more flowers all the time but we still have not hit the typical big displays of Spring. This is not too surprising since we would expect the cool rainy weather we have had to slow down the approach of Spring. At the same time all this moisture is setting things up for a good flower display later. The trails are covered in lush growth so once we get some consistent warm weather we could have a great flower year on our hands. As always, that also depends on getting consistent moisture during the coming warmer days. A few people have been sending me reports but they pretty much uniformly say there is nothing exceptional to look at yet. For the Ceanothus lovers in the crowd I should mention we are starting to see good quantities of both of the blue ceanothus up here at CXR (and elsewhere.) Another favorite that people have begun to see here and there are the chocolate lilies. While the flowers are still mostly waiting to get going the clear fresh air, cool weather and lush trailside greenery makes this my favorite time of year to go hiking. See you on the trails.

I’ve made several changes to the layout of the Wildflower website lately and one of them is a new search called What’s Blooming Now. I will try to keep this up to date with the highlights of the flower sightings people have reported here. BTW, this list may include many more flowers than are reported on below since I generally will include anything I’ve run across lately even if I felt it was not worth creating a full-blown report about it.

As always, if you want to contact me or submit a flower report my address is at the at the bottom of this page.

– ed.

Circle X Ranch		Mishe Mokwa Trail	Date: 3/5
	We hiked out to split rock and back thinking that this section of the trail would have the most flowers. In particular we wanted to check on the chocolate lilies since people have been seeing them elsewhere. Still not very many flowers in evidence, certainly less than we saw on the Canyon View Trail a few days earlier. Including those plants lightly represented by just a few individuals we counted about thirty species in bloom. We actually saw more species and better displays along Yerba Buena Rd on the way up to the trailhead. The best thing we saw was a pretty good display of hairy-leaved ceanothus (the deep-blue "California lilac") on a couple of sections of the trail. There were chocolate lilies, but only a few. There are a large number of plants visible but most have yet to begin blooming. Nearby the trailhead we saw a couple of dense stands of shooting stars. It might be well worthwhile to do at least a portion of the backbone trail going east from the Mishe Mokwa parking lot. There was some mud on the trail but nothing too deep. Highlights include Hairy-leaved ceanothus, a few chocolate lilies, a few shooting stars on the trail but many in open stands near the trailhead, deerweed, a couple of woolly blue curls, blue dicks, a localized population of small-flowered evening primrose, several wild sweet pea, a few early blue larkspur, california saxifrage, a couple of different popcorn flowers, only a few chaparral current since most are in fruit now, california peony, turkey pea, and one Parry's phacelia. We still need more warm weather before these sheltered trails are going to do much. – ed.

SAMO Scenic Drives		Date: 3/1
	Scenic driving through the mountains: The pale white blossoms that seem to frost the big pod ceanothus shrubs at all elevations are fading. More and more pale blue spikes of greenbark ceanothus are flowering and especially at the higher elevations, you’ll see the blue violet blossoms of hairy-leaved ceanothus. Goldfields cover the meadow by the main parking lot at Paramount Ranch. Canyon sunflowers (yellow petals, yellow centers) in shady places are everywhere along with lots more bush sunflowers (yellow petals, brown centers), especially on PCH. The yellow coreopsis daisy bouquets are all along PCH and especially striking in the Pt. Mugu State Park area. Lupines (shades of magenta, blue and purple) are popping up here and there (especially at Circle X). Scenic drives everywhere are progressing nicely. – Sheila Braden.

Circle X Ranch		Canyon View Trail	Date: 3/1
	This trail is often one of the best early trails at CXR because it possesses sheltered south-facing slopes passing through several different ecosystems. Of the sixty or so different flowers I saw many are nowhere near full bloom yet and just represented by scattered individuals. When doing this trail I always make a quick detour and cross the creek to look at the mossy north-facing rocky slope near the waterfalls on the Grotto Trail. It’s always worth the couple hundred yards spent to see some additional flowers and get a good view of the waterfalls (now almost completely exposed by the leafless sycamores) Highlights include popcorn flower, both greenbark and hairy-leaved ceanothus (although most of the hairy-leaved is at higher elevations,) a couple of mostly faded bigpod ceanothus, blue dicks, fiddleneck, both white and purple nightshades, globe gilia, California buckwheat, a couple of different lupines, bush monkey flower, a couple of different sunflowers, a couple of different evening primroses, two different everlastings, wild cucumber – many now with large spiny fruits showing, lace pod, some hold-out cudweed aster, a few of our different celeries, wishbone bush, a few shooting stars (but you have to look carefully to find them – again, look higher up to find the big dramatic fields full of these,) golden yarrow, skullcap, owl’s clover, California peony, Parry’s phacelia, a couple of different small lotuses as well as the shrubby deerweed (which is also a lotus,) holly-leaved cherry, and finally, the bedstraws with their tiny yellow-green flowers. If you are interest in small green flowers you could pay attention to some of our trees and shrubs, many of which are in bloom now. By the way, this is the best time of year to visit Sandstone Peak if you want to see the islands. I’ve seen the distant San Nicolas and even San Clemente a number of times recently. – ed.

Malibu Creek State Park		Backbone Trail	Date: 2/25
	Spring has sprung, at least along the Mesa Peak Motorway section of the Backbone Trail. You won't see carpets of wildflowers; but from the Malibu Canyon Rd. trailhead up to the ridgeline, there were well over 50 different species in bloom. Among them: 5 kinds of Lupine, 2 Ceanothus, Milk Maids, Hummingbird Sage, Wild Sweet Pea, Prickly Phlox, and the uncommon non-native Corn Spurry (Spergula arvensis). – Jay Sullivan.

Malibu Creek State Park		Grasslands Trail / Crags Road	Date: 2/22
	[Shiny] Peppergrass, Blue dicks, Bur clover, California Maiden-hair fern, Canyon sunflower, Chickweed, Coastal wood fern [California wood fern], Common groundsel, Fiddleneck (Common), Ceanothus, (Hairy-leaved ceanothus?), Henbit, London rocket, Lupines (not identified), Milkmaids, Miner's lettuce, Periwinkle, Poison hemlock, Purple nightshade, Red stemmed filaree, Shepherd's purse, Southern tauschia, Wild radish (white,yellow), Wild sweet pea – Sarah Dickey.

Cold Creek Preserve		Stunt High Trail	Date: 2/21
	Baby blue eyes, Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Blue dicks, California lace fern, California Maiden-hair fern, California polypody, Canyon sunflower, Coastal wood fern [California wood fern], Coffee fern, Fiddleneck (Common), Goldback fern, Ceanothus, (Greenbark and Hoary leaved ?), Lupines (variety not ID'd), Milkmaids, Miner's lettuce, Popcorn Flower (variant not ID'd), Purple nightshade, Shepherd's purse, Wild cucumber, Wild sweet pea. – Sarah Dickey.

Triunfo Canyon Park		Pentachaeta Trail	Date: 2/21
	Ground Pink, White Thorn, Bigpod Ceanothus, Prickly Phlox, Miner’s Lettuce, Indian Warrior, Wild Cucumber, Blue Larkspur, Popcorn Flower, Shooting Stars, Peony, Gold Fields, Fuchsia Flowered Gooseberry, Woolly Blue Curls, Lace Pod, and Blue Dicks – Fred Nuesca.

Circle X Ranch		Grotto Trail	Date: 2/17
	Still not too much to get excited about, although I do have a soft spot for the native larkspurs. The meager highlights include wild cucumber, deerweed, both greenbark and bigpod ceanothus, both white and purple nightshade, blue larkspur, and wild sweet pea. BTW, the high water levels make for dramatic waterfalls but also difficult stream crossings. If you want to get all the way to the Grotto you may have to get wet feet or do some substantial rock climbing. – ed.

Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa		Misc. trails	Date: 2/14
	Spring blooms starting at various locations at Rancho Sierra Vista: Purple nightshade, hummingbird sage, bigpod ceanothus, Manzanita, fuschia-flowered gooseberry, bladder pod, bush sunflower, filaree, shooting star, chocolate lily, deerweed, fiddleneck, – As reported to the rangers by visitors.

Cheeseboro Canyon		Cheeseboro Canyon Trail	Date: 2/13
	Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Black sage, Blue dicks, California Blackberry, California buckwheat, California peony, California Prickly phlox, Caterpillar phacelia [Phacelia cicutaria var hubbyi ], Cliff aster [White Aster], Common groundsel, Fiddleneck (Common), Golden yarrow, Ceanothus, (Hoary leaved ?), Lupines (variety not identified), [Shiny] Peppergrass, Popcorn Flower (variant not identified), Purple nightshade [Solanum xanti], Red stemmed filaree, Redmaids, Scarlet bugler, Shepherd's purse, Snake Root, White chaparral currant, White sweet clover, Wild cucumber, Wishbone plant [Wishbone bush] – Sarah Dickey.

Red Rock Canyon State Park		Calabasas Peak Motorway	Date: 2/11
	Calabasas Peak Motorway - Red Rock [fire] Rd. Mustard (Mediterranean?); Cliff aster [White Aster]; Crimson Pitcher Sage [Hummingbird sage]; Dwarf chaparral broom [coyote brush]; Purple nightshade; Red-stemmed filaree; White chaparral currant; Wild cucumber; Wild sweet pea; California peony; Canyon dodder; Downy indian paintbrush; Mule fat; California Prickly phlox; Slender sunflower; Southern tauschia; Sweet alyssum; Popcorn Flower (variety ?); Wishbone plant [Wishbone bush]; Woolly indian paintbrush – Sarah Dickey.

Leo Carrillo State Beach		Nicholas Flat to Willow Creek Loop	Date: 2/8
	On a fresh, crisp day after a light rain, this 2-mile trail looked like a groomed botanic garden – but the blooms were just getting started on the 30 species seen. Notable were Parry’s phacelia, wishbone bush, chia sage, scarlet bugler, Indian pink, coastal paintbrush, redberry, and locoweed. The only lupine – in an area with many varieties – was Coulter’s lupine, with just a few flowers seen. The cool and rainy weather has set the stage, but the show is still waiting in the wings – give it a few weeks and you’ll double the variety. The trail provides good elevation gain with varied slopes and micro-habitats. Especially interesting are patches of native bunch grass among the taller sage-scrub, providing a nice contrast of structure and species. – Jack Gillooly.

Point Mugu State Park		Hidden Pond Trail	Date: 2/2
	Not much to report yet. Highlights include Bigpod Ceanothus, Wild Sweet Pea, Bush Sunflower, Wild Cucumber, Purple Nightshade and Prickly Phlox. – Fred Nuesca.

SAMO Scenic Drives		Date: early Feb
	Scenic driving through the mountains: Kanan Road, Malibu Canyon Rd and Mulholland Highway -- The frosted shrubs you see everywhere, especially at higher elevations or near the coast, are predominately the white flowers of big pod ceanothus, just occasionally you’ll see a pale blue greenback ceanothus. Along Pacific Coast Highway and near the coast on the other roads are lots of bush sunflower (yellow flowers with dark centers), in shaded areas you’ll see canyon sunflowers (yellow flowers with gold centers). Also on Pacific Coast Highway, the first Coreopsis (bouquets of yellow daisies with the stalk seeming to grow out of the cliffs or right out of rocky areas) are in bloom from Zuma Beach to Sycamore Canyon campground. From the campground to Mugu Rock blooms grow sparser. From Mugu Rock to Las Posas road, coreopsis stalks and leaves are showing, but no flowers yet. Bloom rating for the higher elevations is very good for number of blooms, but just starting for number of species, for PCH bloom is good, but just starting. – Sheila Braden.

Contact Information: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 West Hillcrest Drive Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 805-370-2301 www.nps.gov/samo	If you would like to contribute to the wildflower report: e-mail: Tony_Valois@partner.nps.gov or phone Tony at 310-457-6408
What’s Blooming on the web at www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom or go to www.nps.gov/samo and click on “What’s Blooming”