Available Sites  
Malibu Creek State Park
Rancho Sierra Vista/Point Mugu State Park
Point Mugu State Park/La Jolla Canyon
Paramount Ranch
Topanga State Park
 Revised: 6/06/04

 

Rancho Sierra Vista / Point Mugu State Park Upper Sycamore Canyon Trail Date Observed:5/30/04
The last spring blooms are fading fast, but early summer varieties have a good jump on the season. Most of the 30 flower species were seen in the canyon bottom, where lush undergrowth is nicely-shaded by large oaks and sycamores. Pitcher sage, sticky monkey flower, chicory, speckled clarkia, branching phacelia, 3 everlastings, and bush mallow were scattered among abundant heartleaf penstemon. Many of the spring bloomers have gone to berries including sugarbush, elderberry, redberry, and blackberry. A few other notables up top were collarless CA poppies, laurel sumac, soap lilies (in afternoon bloom), gumplant, bush sunflowers, plus ashy-leaf and California buckwheats. It’s still worth a look in the morning and late afternoon, but the waterfall is down to a trickle. (JG)
Naturalist's rating: Fair

 

Malibu Creek State Park Crags Road to the Mash Site Date Observed:6/02/04
This hike has a lot of shade and a fair to good display of flowers. Starting from the furthest parking lot, follow the signs for Backcountry Trails. Just beyond the new plantings of oak trees, Crags Road bears right at the sign saying 2.1 miles to the Mash Site. The road is lined with mustard and cliff aster, but if you watch carefully on the right you will see the first of many Foothill Penstemon and Datura. As you climb the only hill on the hike Purple Sage is dominant, with a scattering of Speckled and Elegant Clarkia. Gumplant, Slender Tarweed and Telegraph Weed add yellow to the colors. Beyond that is a small community of Wild Heliotrope. Beyond the bridge and the side trail to the Forest Trail, on the right is a large redwood tree planted by prior owners of the property. As you approach the Mash Site, think purple. Purple Foothill Penstemon, Common Vervain and Wooly Blue-Curls are scattered about the old jeep and on the old helicopter pad. Also note many of the unusual California Milkweed. It is worth the scramble up to the helicopter pad to see more of the same purple flowers and some Scarlet Buglers. Returning, if you are willing to add a mile to your hike, take the Forest Trail to the Century Lake dam and back. At the beginning of the trail, in the grassland on the left, are several large Datura in full bloom. Among more introduced redwoods, the trail takes you within feet of the lake and past some impressive rock outcroppings, ending at the dam. Return the 0.4 miles along the Forest Trail and turn right to the bridge to get back to the parking lot.  (BE)
Naturalist's rating: Fair to Good

 

Point Mugu State Park La Jolla Valley Loop   Trail Date Observed:5/28/04
We started off the PCH at the Chumash Trail. We were greeted at the trailhead by two deer who quickly disappeared into the brush. Some 55 different species (including the grasses and rushes) were found to be in bloom. For variety this gets a good rating and for quantity a fair rating. Of particular interest was a yellow flower growing in the water adjacent to some water cress, which was later identified as the genus Ranunculus, possibly R. auricomus. The white/cream color group had the largest number in flower and included Calif. Buckwheat, felt-leaf everlasting, Calif. Everlasting, ashy-leaved buckwheat, horehound, So. Calif. Locoweed (flowers and pods) and morning glory. Also seen was elderberry, narrow-leaved milkweed, laurel sumac, chamise, mulefat, cliff aster, yarrow, white nightshade and watercress.
With only one fewer than the white group, the yellow/golden group provided in addition to the Ranuncula: hedge mustard, deerweed, golden yarrow, slender tarweed, prickly pear, narcescent dudleya, bush monkeyflower, gum plant, black mustard, golden stars, yellow star thistle, prickly lettuce, sow thistle, and canyon sunflower. Seen in the lavender/purple/blue color group was bush mallow, black sage, purple sage, vervain, cardoon, red stem filaree, Italian thistle, bull thistle, blue-eyed grass, Calif. Figwort, and rigid hedge nettle. The pink and red group contributed coast paintbrush, Indian pink, wild rose, heart leaved penstemon, and scarlet pitcher sage.
Other sightings were stinging nettle, fountain grass, Harding grass, lemonade berry (unusually bright orange to red berries), giant bulrush ( Tule), iris-leaved rush, and Calif. blackberries (berries). It was noted that the pond near the two trail camps was down 4 or 5 feet and green with algae. (RWM)
Naturalist's rating: Fair to Good

 

Paramount Ranch Coyote Canyon Trail Date Observed:5/28/04
We started off the PCH at the Chumash Trail. We were greeted at the trailhead by two deer who quickly disappeared into the brush. Some 55 different species (including the grasses and rushes) were found to be in bloom. For variety this gets a good rating and for quantity a fair rating. Of particular interest was a yellow flower growing in the water adjacent to some water cress, which was later identified as the genus Ranunculus, possibly R. auricomus. The white/cream color group had the largest number in flower and included Calif. Buckwheat, felt-leaf everlasting, Calif. Everlasting, ashy-leaved buckwheat, horehound, So. Calif. Locoweed (flowers and pods) and morning glory. Also seen was elderberry, narrow-leaved milkweed, laurel sumac, chamise, mulefat, cliff aster, yarrow, white nightshade and watercress.
With only one fewer than the white group, the yellow/golden group provided in addition to the Ranuncula: hedge mustard, deerweed, golden yarrow, slender tarweed, prickly pear, narcescent dudleya, bush monkeyflower, gum plant, black mustard, golden stars, yellow star thistle, prickly lettuce, sow thistle, and canyon sunflower. Seen in the lavender/purple/blue color group was bush mallow, black sage, purple sage, vervain, cardoon, red stem filaree, Italian thistle, bull thistle, blue-eyed grass, Calif. Figwort, and rigid hedge nettle. The pink and red group contributed coast paintbrush, Indian pink, wild rose, heart leaved penstemon, and scarlet pitcher sage.
Other sightings were stinging nettle, fountain grass, Harding grass, lemonade berry (unusually bright orange to red berries), giant bulrush ( Tule), iris-leaved rush, and Calif. blackberries (berries). It was noted that the pond near the two trail camps was down 4 or 5 feet and green with algae. (RWM)
Naturalist's rating: Fair

 

Topanaga State Park Los Liones Trail Date Observed:5/12/04
This trail is accessed from Los Liones Drive, just a short distance up Sunset Blvd. from style='font-family: Arial;color:black'>Pacific Coast Highway, in the area of Will Rogers State Beach. We hiked up the trail about a mile and returned by the same route. Since the trail directly overlooks the ocean, it tends to get more moisture than most trails in the mountains. The additional moisture results in more flowers over a longer period of time. We saw the usual variety of 31 blooms. I was surprised to still see Ceanothus spinosus and Sugar Bush blooming. What is deplorable about this trail is the takeover of the non-native German Ivy on the lower sections, where it covers everything. Upon our return down the trail, not 10 minutes from where we had passed on the way up, there was a beautiful king snake on the trail. It apparently had come out of some animal’s hole and went back in as we approached. The skin was bright yellow and looked shiny and new, suggesting it had recently shed. (BE)
Naturalist's rating: Fair

 

Contact Information:

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
401 West Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Ph. 805-370-2301
web. www.nps.gov/samo

 Thank you for your contributions:

Jack Gillooly
Robert W. Maughmer
Burt Elliott 		If you would like to contribute to the wildflower report:


e-mail: sheila_braden@nps.gov
or phone her at
805-370-2394