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Available Reviews
Zuma Canyon Las Virgenes View Park Circle X Ranch Triunfo Creek Park Malibu Creek State Park Point Mugu State Park Topanga State park |
Date of Review
4/17. 4/11. 3/28. 3/24, 3/22, 3/20. 3/23. 3/19. 2/17. |
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I hear the flower displays are quite good right now, perhaps the peak of the season, but things may be beginning to dry out.
This site performs a public service that anyone can participate in. Not very many reports have been submitted this year. Let us all know what you are seeing. In general, if you are submitting a report it is faster to use the gmail account 'SMMWildFlowers' rather than my nps.gov account. If you are new to submitting a report be sure and read How To Submit a Flower Report ‑ ed. |
| Zuma Canyon |
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4/17/16 |
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I took the Zuma Loop Trail in a clockwise direction.
Spring is in full bloom here. Bush sunflowers are the predominant flower present on this hike. There are masses of yellow flowers almost everywhere you turn. From the Zuma Canyon parking lot at the end of Bonsall Street, I could already see elderflower, deer weed, black sage and the ubiquitous bush sunflowers. Climbing the hillside there were cliff asters, fuchsia flowering gooseberry, Indian paintbrush, sticky monkey flower and wild morning glory. Traversing across the top of this chaparral section I came to the Catalina mariposas that always take my breath away. They were surrounded by yarrow, heart leaf penstemon, blue dicks and Indian pinks. Descending into the riparian section there was hedge nettle, purple nightshade, virgin's bower (in both flower and seedpod), and some very striking scarlet bugler. I wonderful hike. ‑ Dorothy Steinicke 
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| Las Virgenes View Park |
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4/11/16 |
Hiked the Las Virgenes View Trail (trailhead on the NE corner of Las Virgenes and Mullholand Hwy). Not a lot blooming the first 1/2 mile. Then there are some nice patches of Fiesta Flower and Chinese Houses. Further up the trail just before the ridge, there are a lot of Mariposa Lilies. Other flowers that I saw; Blue Eyed Grass, Blue Dicks, Fiddlenecks, Winter Vetch, Bush Sunflower, Morning Glory, Popcorn Flower, Sticky Phacelia, Caterpillar Phacelia, Wishbone Bush, Indian Paintbrush, Indian Warrior, Sticky Monkey Flower, and Black Sage.
‑ Jim Garafalo
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| Circle X Ranch |
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3/28/16 |
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The Mishe Makwa is incredibly rewarding as far as flowers right now. We hiked the loop, starting at the Mishe Makwa trailhead and going clockwise toward Sandstone Peak first.
Just immediately at the beginning of the trailhead we were greeted by the only Catalina mariposa lily that we would see on the entire hike. It was lovely and elegant and presaged beauty to come. There was also golden yarrow,blue dicks, wooly blue curls, bush lupine, twining snapdragon, shiny lomatium, small evening primroses, fiddleneck and yellow monkey flowers. When we approached Sandstone Peak there were sticky monkey flowers and, surprisingly, prickly phlox, a showy flower that usually blooms much earlier in the year. After visiting Sandstone Peak we made the long downhill to Split Rock and saw lots of virgin's blower, blue larkspur, padres shooting stars, yellow pincushion, collarless poppies, goldfields, owl's clover and popcorn flower. It was almost overwhelming. Just before Split Rock we encountered ground pinks, sweet peas and peonies. Heading up from Split Rock we saw milkmaids, flowers that usually bloom much earlier in the year, chia, parry's phacelia and chocolate lilies. It was a very special hike. ‑ Dorothy Steinicke 
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| Triunfo Creek Park |
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3/24/16 |
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I feel a bit late to the Triunfo Park bloom but it turns out a lot of species are in peak right now, with others still to come. The annual show of goldfields (L. gracilis) is as bright as usual. This year the show is, in places, intermingled with the fairly uncommon grasslands silverpuffs which provide a pale yellow speckling about midway along the trail. The other goldfields (L. coronaria) is also out, but solitary and rarely seen. Other plants well in bloom along this trail include purple owl's clover (near the start), purple nightshade, Indian warrior, Miner's lettuce, wide-throated monkeyflower, black sage, red-skinned onion (haven't seen this here before!), California saxifrage, longspur seablush, and fuchsia-flowered gooseberry. Shooting stars are in flower near the end of the trail, but most are long past their best.
PS. Don't overlook the dotseed plantain! This may be a grass, but its 5-petalled blooms are very unique. It is common all over. The hike itself is fair going but reasonably simple. There are some minor slopes but they can take your breath if you rush, and be careful not to trip because there are lots of rocks about. There is no parking or entry fee here. ‑ James Bailey |
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| Malibu Creek State Park |
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3/23/16 |
Walked the Phantom Trail in Malibu Creek State Park on 3/23/16. Many flowers are starting to bloom! I saw Filaree, Eucrypta,Morning Glories,Purple Nightshade,Bush Sunflower, Stick Phacelia, Popcorn Flower,Wishbone Bush,Indian Paintbrush,Owls' Clover, Fiddleheads, and Caterpillar Phacelia. Further up the trail there are California Golden poppy's and Red Maids. The signed trail is about a mile and a half west on the intersection of Mullholand Hwy and Las Virgenes Road on the North side of the street.
‑ Jim Garafalo
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| Malibu Creek State Park |
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3/22/16 |
Finally we are getting some nice wildflowers, mostly due to the rains we had two weeks ago. Reagan Ranch is looking good. Right now there are carpets of Fiddleheads with Filaree mixed in. I also saw Wild Radish, Gooseberry, Vetch, Johnny Jump-Ups, Blue Dicks, Wild Cucumber, Shepherd's Purse,Wild Pea, Purple Nightshade, Red Maids,Purple Larkspur, Pitcher Sage, Popcorn Flower, and unfortunately, the invasive Onionweed. The Reagan Ranch Trailhead is at the corner of Mullholand and Cornell Rd.
‑ Jim Garafalo
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| Triunfo Creek Park |
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3/20/16 |
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Verdant Green everywhere! And the wildflowers are starting to pop:
Goldfields, Linanthus (Ground Pink), Fiddlenecks, Popcorn Flowers, Chocolate Lilies, Yellow Pansies, Wild Cucumber. California Poppy, Blue Dicks ‑ Jeri Edwards |
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| Point Mugu State Park |
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3/19/16 |
| Along the sycamore canyon trail Pitcher Sage, Padre Shooting Stars (both pink and white), California poppies, Phacelia, Nightshade, Blue Dicks,Wishbone Bush, Bleeding Hearts, Monkey Flower,Elderberry is in bloom, Ceanothus is in bloom, poison hemlock, Indian Paintbrush, Morning Glories, Cliff Aster, Wild Sweet Pea, Wild Cucumber, California Poppy, Bush Sunflower. ‑ Jeri Edwards | ||
| Topanga State Park |
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2/17/16 |
Spring has arrived in Topanga Canyon. This week, for the first time, the live oaks are covered in their catkin flowers. On the Topanga Nature Trail flowers are starting to burst out. Things are just starting. There are a lot of wild cucumber flowers and even some soft young cucumbers. As you turn to walk out on the chaparral loop portion of the nature trail there is an impressive chaparral current bush. There is a little green bark ceanothus, some mule fat, bush sunflowers, California everlasting, California buckwheat, wild morning glory and purple nightshade on the Nature Trail. It is a beginning and hopefully there will be much more soon.
‑ 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: Tony[underscore]Valois@nps.gov Or, for faster response use the gmail account SMMWildFlowers |
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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"
