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Page Revised: 2/17/08 |
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Available Site Reviews Rocky Oaks Circle X Ranch Leo Carrillo State Park Topanga State Park |
Date of Review 2-14-08. 2-10-08, 2-8-08. 2-2-08. 1-23-08. |
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What's Blooming photo gallery: http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/bloom.htm |
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Now that the
winter rains have brought green plants to the trails we are getting more
questions about flowers. While a few of the early Spring flowers have begun
to show, in reality there are probably fewer flowers blooming now than two
months ago. One of our wildflower watchers who frequently submits flower
reports took a long hike recently and saw only six flowers. This meager
number included the even the weedy sorts like mustard and clover and sparse
holdovers from last year like fuchsia and telegraph weed. There are signs of
many flowers sprouting but it is going to take some warm weather and time for
them to really get going. Things you might look for include wild cucumber,
chaparral currant, wishbone bush and buckwheat, perhaps some nightshade or
prickly phlox. Lately
I’ve been seeing quite a few bigpod ceanothus starting to bloom but
mostly just in the warmer, sheltered areas. I’ve even seen a few
greenbark ceanothus starting to bloom. Once we get some protracted warmer
weather the ceanothus could burst out in a hurry. However, it’s really
still too early to know if the serious drought we had last year has hurt the
ceanothus blooming season this year. Other gifts of
the recent rains are fresh clear air and the area's creeks and waterfalls
full of lively waters. On the other hand you might run into a bit of rock,
mud or even water on the trails so choose your footwear accordingly. Always
feel free to call the park office if you have questions about trail
conditions or closures. |
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Rocky Oaks |
Miscellaneous Trails |
Date: 2/14/08 |
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A quick survey of several of the
trails turned up very little. In fact, overall, fewer flowers than we might
expect to see in the heat of the summer. The good news is that we saw many
small plants sprouting, in places quite thickly. Hopefully Spring is merely
late this year and a good bloom is still on the way. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Poor, but hopeful |
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Circle X Ranch |
Mishe Mokwa and Grotto Trails |
Date: 2/10/08 |
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A quick hike of both the Mishe Mokwa
and Grotto trails was a big disappointment, especially given what these trails
can display this time of year. Very, very few spring flowers yet. In fact,
overall, fewer flowers than we might expect to see in the heat of the summer.
Spring seems to be slow to get going this year. We did see some nice
chaparral current, a few wild cucumbers and a scattering of shooting stars on
the Mishe Mokwa. The good news is that we saw many small plants sprouting, in
places quite thickly. For example, I saw literally thousands of the small rosettes
of the shooting star. Hopefully Spring is merely late this year and a good
bloom is still on the way. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Poor, but hopeful |
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Circle X Ranch and West |
Backbone Trail |
Date: 2/8/08 |
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Saturday, 2/8, the BBT hike walked
the new sections between Encinal, Mulholland and Etz Meloy Motorway. We saw the following blooms: Purple night shade,
Green bark ceanothus, chaparral currant, big pod ceanothus, deer weed, mule
fat, two-tone everlasting , cucumber, wish bone, California buckwheat,
morning glory, cliff aster, California fuchsia, slender sunflower, telegraph
weed, toyon. (RW) |
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Naturalist's rating: NR |
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Leo Carrillo State Park |
Nicholas Flat Trail |
Date: 2/2/08 |
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On Saturday (February 2) the Santa
Monica Mountains Trail Council and Sierra Club Trail Crew were doing a joint
project at Leo Carrillo State Park.
Most people worked the Willow Creek Trail. A few of us went up the Nichols Flat trail
from the campground up to the upper ridge and I noted the following blooming
plants: wild rose, bladder pod, mule fat, sugar bush, wild cucumber, deer
weed, cud-weed aster, morning glory, white nightshade, chaparral currant,
black sage, chamise, wishbone bush, and possibly a big-gum plant. All in all, spring is right around the
corner and it looks to be a promising wildflower year. (GS) |
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Naturalist's rating: NR |
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Topanga Canyon State
Park |
Musch Trail |
Date: 1/23/08 |
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From the Trippet Ranch parking lot.
Walk up the paved road. The pond that
had been completely dry for 18 months has been brimming with water for the
past two weeks. Several dozen mallards
are making use of it. Turn onto the
signed dirt trail at the top of the hill.
The rains have started to wake up the plants. While there are no extravagant floral
displays the flowers are starting to come out. On this hike I saw chaparral current, wild
cucumber, fuchsia flowering gooseberry, California everlasting, California
buckwheat, golden yarrow, sticky monkey flower, telegraph weed, purple and
white nightshade, California fuchsia, black sage, big pod ceanothus, cudweed
aster, and prickly phlox. Not bad for
January. (DS) |
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Naturalist's rating: NR |
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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 West
Hillcrest Drive 805-370-2301 |
Thank
you for your
contributions: Bob Sweet |
If you
would like to contribute to the wildflower report: e-mail: or phone
Tony at 310-457-6408 |
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