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Page Revised: 3/14/08 |
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Available Site Reviews Circle X Ranch Lake Eleanor Open Space Castro Crest Area Cold Creek Preserve Rancho Sierra Vista Point Mugu State Park Upper Zuma/Trancas Cyns Rocky Oaks Leo Carrillo State Park |
Date of Review 3-14-08, 2-18-08, 2-10-08,
2-8-08. 3-10-08. 3-9-08, 3-8-08. 3-8-08. 3-2-08. 3-1-08. 2-23-08. 2-14-08. 2-2-08. |
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What's Blooming photo gallery: http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/bloom.htm |
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Circle X Ranch |
Mishe Mokwa trail |
Date: 3/14/08 |
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The last couple of weeks have made a
big difference in the number of flowers in bloom, both in terms of variety as
well as quantity. However, we still do not have the numbers that this trail
is capable of displaying. On the other hand signs are that things will get
quite a bit better soon. Some species, like the chaparral current and bigpod
ceanothus have already peaked and are on their way out. Others, like the
shooting star are very near their peak. Most species are still on their way
up the blooming curve. It is worth noting that this area has a good number of
different ferns, mosses, and liverworts as well. The view from Sandstone Peak
was quite good although not as clear as it has been. Flowering highlights
include large numbers of shooting stars, popcorn flowers, lotus, a few woolly
blue curls, evening primroses, skullcap, quite a few blue dick, a few black
sage, wooly lomatium, ceanothus oliganthus, purple sage, California
everlasting, California saxifrage, wild cucumber, coast goldfields, Eastwood manzanita,
wild sunflowers, miner’s lettuce, eucrypta, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry,
blue larkspur, quite a bit of winter cress in wet areas, prickly phlox, and
California peony. The deep blue hairy ceanothus might be quite good very soon.
We saw quite a few rosettes of the chocolate lily but it will be a while
before they begin to bloom. As usual, there were sections with poison oak
near the edge of the trail especially in the damp and shady areas. It can be
easily avoided but it might be considered a hazard if you are not familiar with
it. All told, better than fifty different species in bloom. |
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Rating: Fair |
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Lake Eleanor Open Space |
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Date: 3/10/08 |
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The Lake Eleanor Open Space Area is exploding
with wildflowers (in the hills
southeast of the intersection of Westlake Blvd. and Potrero Rd.). The bloom is
uneven and composed mostly of tiny flowers; but there are a lot of them --
such as angel's gilia, ground pink,
lace-pod, dobie-pod, goldfields,
goldentop, comb-bur, miner's lettuce, popcorn flower, slender phlox,
athysanus, shiny peppergrass, shooting stars (fading), tomcat clover,
small evening primrose, both collar and dove lupine, strigose
lotus, nest-straw, California plantain, fiddleneck, wild cucumber,
common bedstraw, blue dicks, and common groundsel. (Jay Sullivan) |
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Rating: Fair to Good
(depending on where you're standing) |
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Castro Crest Area |
Backbone Trail |
Date: 3/9/08 |
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This hike was the sixth of the
2007-2008 Backbone Trail NPS Series. We will be hiking the entire Backbone
Trail, one part each month and reporting on the flowers when they are
plentiful enough to be of interest. This hike covered a distance of about 7
miles. The weather was clear and quite windy, although most of our time was
in canyons sheltered from the wind.
Backbone Trail sections Including one half mile west of Kanan Road
(starting from the overflow parking) crossing Kanan Road, crossing Latigo
Road and Latigo Motorway to Corral Canyon Road. We recorded seeing 49 species in
bloom, with a couple additional ones in question. The rains of a few weeks ago have made all
the difference in seeing vastly more flowers than in the past two years. Milkmaids, Wild Cucumber, and Red
Stem Filaree dominated the display. There were perhaps a few California
Everlasting and many Two-Tone Everlasting. In the way of trees; Coast Live
Oak, Mountain Mahogany, and Arroyo Willow. Among the shrubs were the
Greenbark, Big-Pod, and Hoary Ceanothus, the Mule Fat, Fuchsia-Flowered
Gooseberry, Coyote Brush, Black and Purple Sage, Eastwood Manzanita and a
single Woolley Blue Curl. Just west of Kanan Road we saw a small cluster of
Blue Larkspur, then the usual Spanish Broom that lines Kanan Road in this
area. We noted quite a lot of Indian Paintbrush, Blue Dick, and Chaparral
Current in its second bloom. There were scattered Lupine, Hummingbird Sage,
Sunflower and Canyon Sunflower, Wild Peony and a few spectacular Prickly
Phlox. Among the small flowers were Miner’s Lettuce, Birdfoot Trefoil,
Wishbone Bush, Eucrypta, Bur Clover, a single Rock Rose and a single
Johnny-Jump-Up. The Tree Poppy, California Buckwheat, Narrow Leave Bedstraw,
and Woolly Lomatium are making a start. As we reached the section that burned
two years ago, about the last quarter mile of our hike, Morning Glory has
taken over. We also saw Popcorn Flower along side its minute sibling and a
few small Red Maids, and finally our first Golden Yarrow for this
season. (Burt Elliot) |
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Rating: Fair |
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Castro Crest Area |
Backbone Trail |
Date: 3/8/08 |
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Things are improving. We walked from Kanan to Castro. Great showings of peony and milk maids in
particular. Otherwise a complete listing follows: man-root, two-tone
everlasting, California everlasting, four o'clock, hoary-leafed ceanothus,
big-pod ceanothus, hairy-leafed ceanothus, coast live oak, mule fat, willow,
milk maids, miners lettuce, chaparral currant, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry,
purple larkspur, walnut, poison oak, purple nightshade, paint brush, crimson
pitcher sage canyon
sunflower, bush sunflower, tree poppy, slender sunflower, blue-eyed grass, peony,
purple sage, elderberry, California buckwheat, southern tauschia, black sage,
prickly phlox, blue dicks, mountain mahogany, big berry manzanita, wooly
lomatium, eucrypta, popcorn flower large-flowered, morning glory, golden
yarrow, small evening primrose. In full bud and could have burst open
by today: elder berry, California saxifrage, star lily, virgins bower. (Ralph Waycott) |
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Rating: NR |
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Cold Creek Preserve |
Stunt High Trail |
Date: 3/8/08 |
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The winter rains are paying
dividends. This is a lovely hike at
any time of year but especially wonderful in spring. On my hike I saw more milkmaids in the
riparian section than I ever recall seeing.
Wild cucumber is abundant, carpeting the ground in many places. There is also popcorn flower, eucrypta,
miner's lettuce and sweet pea.
Climbing up from the riparian area there are purple nightshade, big
pod and greenbark ceanothus, blue dicks, canyon sunflower, bush poppy and
fuchsia flowering gooseberry. (Dorothy
Steinicke) |
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Rating: NR |
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Satwiwa/Rancho Sierra
Vista |
Wendy Loop trail |
Date: 3/2/08 |
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Today, we hike a very windy Wendy
Loop at Satwiwa/Rancho Sierra Vista. We saw Johnny Jump
Up, blue dick, wild cucumber, California everlasting, Chaparral
currant, purple nightshade, peony, canyon sunflower, wild sweet pea,
wild radish, white sage, lots of
shooting star, filaree, California
poppy, bush lupine. At the visitor
center garden, the golden currant,
bladderpod, vervain and fuschia flowered gooseberry were in full
bloom. I'd rate this fair, compared to
last year. (Kathy Jonokuchi) |
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Rating: Fair |
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Point Mugu State Park |
Misc. Trails near Danielson |
Date: 3/1/08 |
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The Santa Monica Trails Council
performed trail maintenance in Point Mugu State Park. We began at Danielson Ranch in Sycamore
Canyon. There is a really nice meadow
right in the back of the campground that's full of henbit, shepherd's purse
and common fiddleneck. As we proceeded
up Blue Canyon we observed wild cucumber, morning glory, shooting stars,
canyon pea, black sage, and chaparral currant. After about 0.8 miles we turned to the
north up Old Boney Trail where we did most of our work and saw big pod and
green bark ceanothus, purple nightshade, popcorn flower, indian paintbrush,
wishbone bush, california everlasting, blue dicks, bush sunflower, and
turkish rugging. Very green, very wet,
very nice. It seems spring is about to
burst out all over. (Greg Sweel) |
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Rating: Fair |
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Upper Zuma/Trancas Cyns |
Backbone Trail Encinal to Kanan |
Date: 2/23/08 |
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Today, 2/23, the [NPS sponsored] BBT hike
took us between Encinal and Kanan (Tunnel #1), through the upper watersheds
of Trancas and Zuma canyons. We saw
the following in bloom: purple night shade, green bark ceanothus, chaparral
currant, big pod ceanothus, deer weed, California everlasting , cucumber,
wish bone, California buckwheat, morning glory, fuchsia flowering gooseberry,
telegraph weed, wooly aster, peony, willow, milk maids, mountain mahogany,
hummingbird sage, black sage, indian warrior. Enjoy. (Ralph Waycott) |
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Rating: NR |
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Circle X Ranch |
Mishe Mokwa, Grotto, and Canyon View
trails |
Date: 2/18/08 |
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Still few flowers to be seen but a
few more of Spring’s early bloomers are appearing. Of note is the appearance
of blue larkspur on the Grotto trail and blue dicks on the Canyon view.
Shooting stars are beginning to appear in better numbers on the Mishe Mokwa
trail, although the spectacular crop of plants on that trail have hardly even
begun to bloom yet. Others that we have been seeing for some time include the
chaparral current, wishbone bush, wild cucumber, purple nightshade, prickly
phlox, and bigpod ceanothus. (lists
submitted by Dorothy Steinicke) |
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Rating: NR |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. (Ralph Waycott) |
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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. (Greg Sweel) |
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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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