Page Revised: 3/20/09

 

Available Site Reviews

Point Mugu State Park

Cheeseboro Canyon

Triunfo Creek Park

Circle X Ranch

Newton Canyon

Backbone Trail

Cold Creek Preserve

Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa

Caballero Canyon

Malibu Creek State Park

Peter Strauss Ranch

Solstice Canyon

Trancas Canyon

Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space

Escondido Canyon

Backbone Trail

Date of Reviews

3/18.

3/15.

3/15.

3/14 & 3/12 & 3/7.

3/14.

3/7.

3/6 & 2/22.

3/3.

3/3.

3/1.

3/1.

3/1 & 2/28.

2/28.

2/27.

2/25.

2/14.

 

What's Blooming photo gallery: http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/bloom.htm
What's Blooming archive:
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/archive/index.htm
Calendar of Events:
http://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/outdooractivities.htm

 

        The beginning of March is often the true beginning of the wildflower season and this year seems to be no exception. A lot has popped out in the last week or so.  This is the time of year when the longer days and warmer weather rapidly increase the displays of flowers.  Up here at Circle X Ranch both of the blue chaparral lilacs (greenbark ceanothus and hairy-leaved ceanothus) and the white hoary-leaved ceanothus are beginning to bloom well now.  – ed.

 


 

 

Point Mugu State Park

Backbone Trail

            Date: 3/18

 

 

        Today our volunteer trail maintenance team worked on the section of the Backbone Trail known as Boney Trail between the Blue Canyon junction and the Chamberlain Trail junction. This is a report of the significant flowers seen along the route starting from Danielson Ranch Campground and up Blue Canyon to the beginning of the Chamberlain Trail. A medium sized Coast Live Oak along the trail was in bloom and covered with working bees. At first I thought their sound was a swarm and stopped to see what was going on. There is a special Chocolate Lily garden about 1/2 miles up the trail that did not disappoint. There must be over a hundred plants mixed in the grass with Shooting Stars, Indian Paintbrush and Snake Root. Further up the trail was a patch of Skullcap and still further Stinging Lupine, Spurge, Mustard Evening Primrose and Parry’s Phacelia on hillsides of decomposing shale. It is going to be a good year for Poison Oak and some is already in bloom. Back at Danielson there is a lot of Persian Speedwell, Henbit and Chickweed in the shade of the oak trees.   – B. Elliott.

 

Cheeseboro Canyon

Cheeseboro Canyon Trail

            Date: 3/15

 

 

        The Cheeseboro Canyon trail is 4.5 miles one way and travels essentially north/south from Coastal woodlands (the first 3 miles) into Chaparral (the last 1.5 mile).  Consequently you will see different flowers in each section.  It's always worth traveling to the top of the trail because that last 1.5 miles has greatest variety of flowers.  In fact, aside from some species with very tiny flowers, you won't see much blooming until you've traveled around 1.5 miles from the parking lot. 

        Bedstraw, Bedstraw narrow, Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Bird's-foot fern [Cliff brake], California plantain, Chickweed, Common groundsel, Fiddleneck (Common), Lace pod, Miner's lettuce, Pineapple weed, Popcorn flower, Purple nightshade, Red-stemmed filaree, Woolly paintbrush, Bird's-foot trefoil, Bull thistle, Bur clover, California Blackberry, California poppy, California suncup [Mustard evening primrose], Chaparral currant, Chia; Chia sage, Common eucrypta, Fuschia-flowered gooseberry, Hog fennel, Indian warrior, London rocket, Long-beaked filaree, Prickly phlox, Redmaids, Scarlet bugler, Shepherd's purse, Small-flowered popcorn flower, Sugar bush, Tree Poppy [Bush Poppy], Wild cucumber, Wishbone plant [Wishbone bush].   – S.L. Dickey.

 

Triunfo Creek Park

Pentachaeta Trail

            Date: 3/15

 

 

        The Pentachaeta Trail is known for great flower displays. This report includes flowers seen along that trail and an unofficial trail that goes up and along the high ridge above the Pentachaeta Trail. The trail is located at the south end of Lindero Canyon Road in Westlake Village. There is a kiosk at the trailhead picturing the flowers you might see. Today we started up the trail, keeping left at the first fork and climbing a short hill. Just before the trail starts down there is a very steep trail to the left which climbs to the ridge above. After topping out on the ridge we kept left at each of two trail junctions and eventually descended near the far end of the Pentachaeta Trail. The flower display as you gain height is stunning with at least 48 species in bloom over the 4 mile loop. Dominating were Fiddleneck, Coast Goldfields, Angles Gilia, Shooting Stars, and Popcorn Flower. Especially striking were patches of Blue Larkspur and a large grouping of Chocolate Lilies. On otherwise bare ground under Ceanothus were quite a few Indian Warriors. Star Lily, Yellow Pincushion, Virgin’s Bower, several species of Lupine, Wooly Blue-Curl, and Collarless Poppy are in the early stages of blooming. I would rate the display very good.  NOTE: The trail to the ridge and along the ridge is very steep and loose in places and should not be attempted unless you are comfortable with these trail conditions.   – B. Elliott.

 

Circle X Ranch

Mishe Mokwa Trail

            Date: 3/14

 

 

        Thanks to direction from a park volunteer I located two patches of Chocolate lilies on the Mishe Mokwa trail.  One patch was located .4 miles from the Backbone/Mishe Mokwa trailhead marker [on the north side of Yerba Buena, east of the parking lot for Sandstone Peak.]  The second was .5 miles further down the Mishe Mokwa trail.  In addition to the lilies I saw:  Bur clover, Coffee fern, Deerweed, Goldback fern, Sugar bush, Wild cucumber, Bird's-foot fern [Cliff brake], Chalk live-forever, Coastal Wood Fern [California wood fern], Collarless California poppy, Hairy-leaved ceanothus, Skullcap, Woolly lomatium.   – S.L. Dickey.

 

Circle X Ranch

Grotto Trail

            Date: 3/14

 

 

        Bedstraw, Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Bindweed, Bird's-foot trefoil, California buckwheat, California Maiden-hair fern, California suncup [Mustard evening primrose], California sunflower; Bush sunflower, Canyon sunflower, Ceanothus (species ??), Miner's lettuce, Red-stemmed filaree, Southern tauschia, Blue Larkspur, Virgin's bower, White nightshade [Douglas' Nightshade], Wishbone plant [Wishbone bush], Greenbark ceanothus, Lace pod, Purple nightshade, Bur clover, Coffee fern, Deerweed, Goldback fern, Sugar bush, Wild cucumber.   – S.L. Dickey.

 

Circle X Ranch

Backbone Trail

            Date: 3/14

 

 

        This trail starts at the parking area on the south side of Yerba Buena, across the street from the trailhead for Mishe Mokwa.  I walked only about the first half mile of this trail but it's well worth it for the abundant Shooting Stars on the slopes about one quarter mile down the trail.  There is a tiny spring that starts near the trail and drips along a  rock stripe in the meadow.  Along it I found Red-skinned onion and Stream monkeyflowers.  Also seen along this trail:  small-flowered popcorn flower,  Wild radish, Woolly blue curls, Lace pod, Purple nightshade, Blue Dicks, Popcorn flower, California plantain, Goldfields, [Shiny] Peppergrass.   – S.L. Dickey.

 

Newton Canyon

Backbone Trail

            Date: 3/14

 

 

        Today’s hike was the sixth of the NPS sponsored Backbone Trail hikes in the 2008 – 2009 series. We are hiking west to east, one section of the Backbone Trail each month. The weather was overcast and cool.

        The walk began where we concluded the last hike, at the overflow parking for the trailhead at Kanan’s southern most tunnel.  One is quickly transported into a more primordial environment as the trail hugs the north-facing slope of Newton Canyon, passing in and out of a series of serene oak woodlands.  The first interruption is Latigo Canyon Road from which one climbs to Newton Canyon Motorway beneath Castro Peak.  Lunch was enjoyed here and straddling the saddle between Newton and Solstice Canyons we had vistas of our morning’s efforts to the west and our imminent meanderings through upper Solstice Canyon to the east.  The many potential water crossings through Newton and Solstice proved on the dry side, but the flowers were improving.

        Approximately 45 or twice as many native species were in bloom than we found in the last section.  Several: virgin’s bower, wishbone, milkmaids, paintbrush, hummingbird sage, peony, and ceanothus (hoary-leafed and greenbark) were dazzling.  Accompanying the ceanothus were other flowering trees and shrubs: oak, walnut, holly-leafed red berry, willow, tree poppy, sugar bush, elderberry, mule fat and laurel.  More than enough reason to lift our gaze from the trail tread.  Many of the prolific species of past hikes were still ablaze, but we were also treated to: carpets of minors lettuce, drapery of wild cucumber, eucrypta, popcorn, vetch, chocolate lily, morning glory, bedstraw, lupine (var. species) snake root, purple larkspur, California saxifrage, fiddleneck, blue dick, prickly phlox and Eastwood manzanita.  Rating: good.   – R. Waycott.

 

Circle X Ranch

Rancho Sierra Vista

Point Mugu State Park

Backbone and other misc. Trails

           Date: 3/13

 

 

        We started at Rancho Sierra Vista and hiked a series of trails through Rancho Sierra Vista and Point Mugu State Park until we ended up at the CXR contact station on Yerba Buena Road.  On the way we passed through the Tri-Peaks area and the popular Sandstone Peak area.  Ironically, some of the best flower displays of the day were seen along the shoulder of Yerba Buena Road.  This is not so surprising since most of these trails pass through dense chaparral which is not noted for grand flower displays (unless some of the chaparral shrubs are themselves in bloom.)  In addition, the shoulder of Yerba Buena Road gets a lot of warmth from the sun so things are farther along than they are on the trails of the north-facing slopes of the range.  We did encounter both hairy-leaved ceanothus and hoary-leaved ceanothus in bloom at the top, but neither are at their peak yet.  Some of the open rocky areas on the Mishe Mokwa Trail are still thick with shooting stars – another indication of how late our blooming season is this year.  If you are looking for flowers the lower elevations and open south facing areas will probably be a better choice until the season moves along a bit more.  For example, people often overlook the Canyon View Trail at CXR, probably because it does not have the sweeping vistas and exotic appeal of Sandstone Peak, or the beautiful riparian areas and waterfalls of the Grotto Trail.  Yet the Canyon View Trail usually offers the flower watcher a lot more in the way of species diversity than either of these other better known trails.      – ed.

 

Circle X Ranch

Canyon View Trail

              Date: 3/7

 

 

        While not as dramatic as the Grotto Trail or the Sandstone Peak Trail, the Canyon View Trail is often one of the best flower trails at CXR. The cool sunny weather and lush greens of the new growth made for pleasant hiking. There are a large number of young plants suggesting that if the remainder of the Spring weather cooperates we should have a very good bloom this year. About forty five species in bloom, although most are not appearing in great numbers yet. Highlights include greenbark ceanothus, both white and purple nightshades, blue dicks, fiddleneck, eucrypta, a couple of blue larkspur (with many plants in evidence), a few wishbone bush, several California collarless poppy, a good crop of lace pod, a couple of different lotus, some lupines (doing best along the shoulders of the roads where it has been the warmest), several different plants in the celery family all displaying their umbellate clusters of very tiny flowers, skullcap, one owl's clover, pygmy weed, California peony, shooting stars still doing well, henbit, and virgins bower. I would give this display a "Fair" rating with expectations that it will rise quickly.   – ed.

 

 

Backbone Trail between Piuma Rd. & Stunt Rd

              Date: 3/7

 

 

        Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Bird's-foot fern, Blue dicks, Buck brush, Bur clover, Tree Poppy [Bush Poppy], California Maiden-hair fern, California polypody, California poppy, Catalina mariposa lily (only one), Chickweed, Coastal wood fern [California wood fern], Coffee fern, Common eucrypta, Eastwood manzanita, Greenbark ceanothus, Big pod ceanothus?, Indian warrior, Miner's lettuce, Popcorn flower, Prickly phlox, Purple nightshade, Red-stemmed filaree, Snakeroot ?, Southern tauschia, Sugar bush, Wild cucumber, Wild sweet pea, Wishbone bush, Lupines (not identified), Brewer's red maids ?  I'd be happy to share photos and have any mis-identifications corrected:  socalwildflowers@earthlink.net.  – S.L. Dickey.

 

Calabasas Peak

 

              Date: 3/6

 

 

        California sunflower [Bush sunflower] ??, Golden yarrow ??, Succulent lupine [Arroyo Lupine]?, Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Blue dicks, Bur clover, Common eucrypta, Popcorn flower, Prickly phlox, Red-stemmed filaree, Sugar bush, Wild cucumber, Wishbone bush, Bindweed, Black sage, Bush monkeyflower, California buckwheat, Chia sage, Collarless California poppy, Coulter's lupine [Mohave Lupine]  Fiddleneck (Common), Fiesta flower, Greenbark ceanothus?, Stinging lupine, Woolly paintbrush.  –S.L. Dickey.

 

Cold Creek Preserve

 

              Date: 3/6

 

 

        White chaparral currant ??, Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Bur clover, Common eucrypta, Sugar bush, Wild cucumber, Greenbark ceanothus ?, Buck brush, Tree Poppy [Bush Poppy], California Maiden-hair fern, California polypody, Coastal wood fern [California wood fern], Coffee fern, Eastwood manzanita, Purple nightshade, Southern tauschia, Giant chain fern, Giant horsetail (sterile stem), Milkmaids.   – S.L. Dickey.

 

Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa

  

              Date: 3/3

 

 

        The Overflow parking area is a pretty good area to see wildflowers right now. There are lots of Shooting Stars, especially in broad patches on the north side of the road. There was also a fair quality of red-stem filaree.  If you walk along the small path towards the ravine, there is a fairly good cluster of Indian Paintbrush that is just about to reach peak bloom. In this area there are a lot of John Jump-ups throughout. Most can be found next to other large plants and not as much in the open grasslands. The popcorn flower population is fair but can be easily missed because it is in only small patches. We even found a California Poppy in bloom and two Chocolate Lilly flowers with full and partial blooms. Along the road there was plenty of mustard weed and some telegraph weed. Quite a bit of soap root was seen (not in bloom at this time but gives hope to later on.)   – M. Theune, L. Okazaki, & R. Cromwell

 

Caballero Canyon

Woodland and Main Canyon Trail

              Date: 3/3

 

 

        Moderate rise, 800 foot elevation gain, interior canyon, view of coastline of Palos Verdes and Catalina from top of Mulholland, great view of S.F. Valley; early bloomers of shrubs and trees, few annuals and perennials yet.  Salvia columbariae -  Chia, Encelia californica - CA Encelia, Bush Sunflower, Amsinckia menziesii - Common Fiddleneck (also seen walking in the main canyon), Ceanothus spinosus - Greenbark C., C. megacarpus - Bigpod C., Marah macrocarpus - Wild Cucumber, Chillicothe, Cryptantha sp. and Plagiobothrys sp. - Popcorn Flowers, Ribes sp R. aureum -, R.  malvaceum, R.  indecorum (?) it's the white-flowering one, Golden Currant, pink Chaparral Currant, White-flowering Currant, Dichelostemma capitatum - Blue Dicks.   – H. Mason.

 

Malibu Creek State Park

   Misc. West-end Trails

              Date: 3/1

 

 

        We parked at Cornell & Mulholland and then hiked past the Regan Ranch Ranger Station.  Yearling Trail : Buck brush, Cheeseweed, Fiddleneck (Common), Henbit, Lupines (soon -- 10 days?), Miner's lettuce, Peppergrass, Red-stemmed filaree, Redmaids, Wild radish (white & Pink), Winter vetch ?? (the meadow areas were crammed with what will be either Winter vetch or Spring vetch -- no blooms yet but there will be soon - perhaps 10 days or so ??)  Deer Leg Trail : Chickweed, Fennel, Wild cucumber, Wild sweet pea (soon - 10 days?).  – S.L. Dickey.

 

Peter Strauss Ranch

  

              Date: 3/1

 

 

        Buck brush, California Maiden-hair fern, Canyon sunflower (soon - 2 wks?), Chickweed, Coastal wood-fern, [California wood fern], Fiddleneck (Common), Henbit, Milkmaids, Miner's lettuce, Wild sweet pea (soon - 2 wks?), Wild cucumber.  – S.L. Dickey.

 

Solstice Canyon

Sunrise Trail

              Date: 3/1

 

 

        1600 foot elevation gain, fairly strenuous but good trail.  Gorgeous

coastal views.  Rich Canyon history.  Good showing of flowering plants. Clematis ligusticifolia - Virgin Bower, Castilleja affinis - Indian Paintbrush, Phacelia cicutaria - Caterpillar Phacelia, P. distans - Common P., P. parryi  - Parry's P., Dichelostemma capitatum - Blue Dicks, Wild Hyacinth, Popcorn flower, Lupinus longifolius - Bush Lupine, L. succulentus - Succulent L., Vicia sativa -  Spring Vetch   – H. Mason.

 

Solstice Canyon

   Misc. Trails

            Date: 2/28

 

 

        Since I hiked three trails in the park I tried to keep track of where I saw what. If a flower name is followed by the abbreviation of a specific trail then I saw it on that trail only. Rising Sun Trail (RS), Solstice Canyon Trail (SC), Dry Canyon Trail (DC.) Bermuda buttercup, Bicolored everlasting, [Two-toned everlasting], Bindweed, Blue dicks (RS), Bur clover, California sunflower, [ Bush sunflower] (RS), California poppy (SC), California Blackberry, Canyon sunflower (DC, SC), Castor bean, [Castor plant] -- right at Tropical Terrace, Common eucrypta, Deerweed, Giant horsetail (sterile stem), Greenbark ceanothus (RS), Henbit (SC), London rocket (SC), Parry's phacelia, Periwinkle, Popcorn flower (RS), Purple nightshade, Red-stemmed filaree, Sticky phacelia, Stinging lupine (RS), Succulent lupine ?, Terracina Spurge (SC) Virgin's bower (RS), White nightshade, Wild cucumber (RS) (DC), Wild sweet pea, Woolly paintbrush (RS)  – S.L. Dickey.

 

Trancas Canyon

   Backbone Trail

            Date: 2/28

 

 

        Today’s hike was the fifth of the NPS sponsored Backbone Trail hikes in the 2008 – 2009 series. We are hiking west to east, one section of the Backbone Trail each month. The weather was again partly cloudy and cool.

        We started from the same location as our previous hike, and headed east into Trancas Canyon.  The NPS has elected to keep the Trancas Canyon watershed “quiet”.  This is the only official trail in the area, hence the plants and animals have a less disturbed habitat.  Dropping quickly into Trancas we paused to consider the riparian environment and specifically the Coast Live Oak species, (Quercus agrifolia).  The climb out of Trancas to Zuma Motorway was eased by alluring vistas and varying plant communities.  We were pleased to first hear, and then see (from a distance), the waterfall near the motorway.  It was a harbinger of a tranquil creek side lunch at the bridge.  This section concludes at the overflow parking for the trailhead at Kanan’s western most tunnel.

        At least 24 native species were in flower.  As usual the wild cucumber, ceanothus (greenbark, hoary-leafed and big-pod), purple nightshade, two-toned everlasting, deer weed, and morning glory were in abundance.  There were a number of species at the end of their bloom, while others were the first of the season.  Examples include: chaparral currant, willow, milkmaids, wishbone, Parry's phacelia, sun-cup, small-flowering popcorn, collarless poppy, blue dick, minor’s lettuce, peone, prickly phlox and Indian warrior to name a few. Rating: better.   – R. Waycott.

 

Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space

  

            Date: 2/27

 

 

        Bicolor everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Bindweed, Buck brush, Bur clover, California sunflower [Bush sunflower], Chia sage, London rocket, Fiddleneck, Miner's lettuce, Mule fat, Peppergrass, Popcorn flower, Purple nightshade, Red-stemmed filaree, Wild cucumber, Wishbone bush.  – S.L. Dickey.

 

Escondido Canyon Natural Area

   Escondido Falls Trail

            Date: 2/25

 

 

        Bermuda buttercup, Bicolored everlasting [Two-toned everlasting], Blue dicks, Bur clover, California buckwheat, California Maiden-hair fern, Canyon sunflower, Castor bean [Castor plant], Coastal wood-fern [California wood fern], Coffee fern, Common sunflower, Fennel, Fleabane aster, Greenbark ceanothus, Hummingbird sage, Periwinkle, Popcorn flower, Red-stemmed filaree, Succulent lupine [Arroyo Lupine] ?, Sugar bush, Terracina Spurge, Weedy oxalis, White nightshade, Wild sweet pea, Wild morning glory, Wild radish, Wild cucumber, Wishbone plant [Wishbone bush], Woolly paintbrush.  – S.L. Dickey.

 

Cold Creek Preserve

Stunt High Trail

    Dates: 2/15, 18, & 22

 

 

        Greetings flower lovers!  It's a great time to explore the local creeks and waterfalls before the outburst of spring foliage makes them nearly impassable.  I'm guessing that the Cold Creek Valley Preserve, (located below Stunt Road) is one of the few places in the Agoura / Calabasas area which is always open to the public and where you can see a nice display of ferns along the creek bed.  (Note Cold Creek Preserve -- above Stunt Road -- is open to the public during docent tours and by reservation.)  Here's what I saw about 10 days ago: Blue dicks, Buck brush, California peony, California everlasting, California polypody, California buckwheat, California Maiden-hair fern, Chalk live-forever, Chaparral currant, Cliff aster, Coastal wood-fern [California wood fern], Coffee fern, Greenbark ceanothus, Lupines (Arroyo ?), Milkmaids, Miner's lettuce, Periwinkle, Prickly phlox, Purple nightshade, Red-stemmed filaree, Sugar bush, Tree tobacco, Wild cucumber.  – S.L. Dickey.

 

Backbone Trail

 

            Date: 2/14

 

 

        Today’s hike is the fourth of the NPS sponsored Backbone Trail hikes in the 2008 – 2009 series. We will be hiking west to east, one section of the Backbone Trail each month. The weather was partly cloudy and cool.

        We started our hike where the Backbone Trail crosses Encinal Canyon Road. We hiked the trail to the west (really pretty much a northerly direction for this section), crossing Mulholland Highway within 1.2 miles and continuing another 2.6 miles to the Etz Meloy Motorway. This section of trail is entirely on NPS property and the property ends about a half mile up the Etz Meloy Motorway, at which point we have to turn around because NPS has not yet acquired the necessary property to continue. The trail was moist from recent rains and views from the top were spectacular, enhanced by snow topped mountains to the north and east.

        Most of the flower activity was just beginning. There were some left-over Chaparral Current, Wild Cucumber and Big Pod Ceanothus. Last year we had a second bloom of the Big Pod and I expect that will happen this year as well. We had to check the veins in the leaves to be sure the purple flowering Ceanothus was the Greenbark species. Mule Fat, California Everlasting, Two-Tone Everlasting, Deerweed, Wishbone Bush, Tree Tobacco and Morning Glory were scattered along the trail. Counting the “weeds’ like Black Mustard we counted 19 species in bloom. The section of trail above Mulholland was constructed fairly recently and many of the flowers that like disturbed soil are beginning to appear. We saw a single Parry’s Phacelia and young Bleeding Heart plants. Young Cliff Asters are wide spread. We had two sunflower examples close enough to compare differences between the Slim Sunflower and Canyon Sunflower.  A couple California Fuschia, covered with newly forming galls looked very strange.  Rating: poor.  – B. Elliott & R. Waycott

 


 

Contact Information:

 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

 

401 West Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

 

805-370-2301

 

 

 

If you would like to contribute to the wildflower report:

 

e-mail:
Tony_Valois@partner.nps.gov

 

or phone Tony at 310-457-6408