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Available Reviews
Malibu Creek State Park Topanga State Park Corral Canyon Park |
Date of Review
2/21. 2/8. 1/25. |
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Many of you know quite a bit of the Santa Monica Mountains was burned this past fall in the Woolsey Fire and consequently it is important to make sure the place you want to hike is actually open for hiking. When in doubt it probably would be wise to check in with the park unit you wish to visit. With all of the rain a lot of people are expecting this to be a great flower year. I usually think of March 1 as the start of the flower season. How about you?
This site performs a public service that anyone can participate in. Let us all know what you are seeing! 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. |
| Malibu Creek State Park |
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2/21/2019 |
| Malibu Creek State Park is again open to the public. It is very clear that the Woolsey Fire came through but most of the landscape is now green, albeit with non-native grasses. The grasslands are punctuated with big oak trees that are mostly blackened or at least scorched, but most look like they are going to survive. I went looking for flowers and found very few. I saw some wild cucumber and a few patches of California poppy and a single blue dick. So, not a hike for flowers yet, but still a worthwhile hike for dramatic panoramas and the reassurance that the land is healing. I think there will be a lot of flowers next month. — Dorothy Steinicke | ||
| Topanga State Park |
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2/8/2019 |
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From the Trippet Ranch parking lot, follow the paved trail up the hill, at the top a dirt trail leads off to the right. This trail wanders its way uphill and then you can make a loop by returning on the fire road. About 3 miles.
The Woolsey Fire did not reach Topanga State Park so this is a place where you can just enjoy the chaparral and not learn fire ecology. The big pod ceanothus are in bloom and they are everywhere. The mountainsides look as though they are dusted in snow. There is a faint scent of honey everywhere. There are a few other flowers in bloom; wild cucumber, Eastwood manzanita, chaparral current, and purple nightshade, but this hike is all about the ceanothus. It is breathtaking. — Dorothy Steinicke 
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| Corral Canyon Park |
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1/25/2019 |
Access this trail from the paid parking lot by Malibu Seafood. Or park for free on the shoulder of PCH. Look for the trail leaving from the southeast corner of the parking lot. This was the first time I have walked this trail since the Woolsey Fire. The hillsides are now at least as green as they are black. Unfortunately a lot of that green consists of invasive mustard plants. But the wild cucumber is giving the mustards a good competition and many are already in bloom. Usually this is a plant that climbs over other plants but since the other plants are gone the wild cucumber is sprawled across the ground. I saw a few patches of blooming blue dicks. I recognized a fair number of other flowering species that are starting to grow. I have high hopes for this trail come spring.
— Dorothy Steinicke
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Contact Information:
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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: SMMWildFlowers@gmail.com |
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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"
