Available Reviews
Triunfo Creek Park Circle X Ranch Malibu Creek State Park Point Mugu State Park Zuma/Trancas Canyons Topanga Canyon State Park Leo Carrillo State Park Paramount Ranch Las Virgenes View Park Will Rogers State Park Cold Creek Preserve Corral Canyon Park |
Date of Review
4/22 & 3/10. 4/20 & 4/12. 4/19 & 4/15 & 3/18 & 3/7 & 3/4 & 2/21. 4/18. 4/17. 3/27 & 2/8. 3/25. 3/18 & 3/11. 3/18 & 3/7. 3/8. 2/26. 1/25. |
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First of all, an apology for the long delay in getting this update out. I was out of town for three weeks and have only now managed to get back to this newsletter. I am consoled by the fact that flower reports have been much in the popular media lately, and also that almost anywhere you go there are wonderful displays of flowers. In a year like this little guidance is needed to be successful in a hunt for flowers. Added to that is the drama and beauty of the recovering burned landscapes. All in all this is a flower season not to be missed. That said, here are the reports submitted over the last few weeks by our dedicated flower reporter volunteers.
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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4/19 |
The Mesa Peak Motorway section of the Backbone trail (from Malibu Canyon Rd. up west to the ridge line) wasn't seriously affected by the Woolsey fire, so it's flora isn't a whole lot different from previous years. But at 90+ species in bloom it's definitely worth the hike. I did see a few fire followers -- Fire poppy (Papaver californicum), Violet snapdragon (Antirrhinum nuttallianum), and tons of Large-flowered phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora). Also on display were Large-flowered lotus (Acmispon grandiflorus), a species I rarely run across elsewhere, and the bloomingest flower of the day, Fiesta flower (Pholistoma auritum).
— Jay Sullivan |
Zuma/Trancas Canyons |
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4/13 |
Trail – Backbone trail from Encinal to Etz Maloy Motorway. Below Mulholland is a spectacular show of Phacelias. Including what my fellow hikers were calling Giant Phacelia – perhaps Phacelia grandiflora. Above Mulholland the Phacelias continued and some large groups of Mariposa Lily. Puffball mushrooms were also off the trail. Twining Snapdragon and Star Lily – plus a few Fire poppies.
— Vicki Wilson |
Circle-X Ranch |
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4/12 |
The post-fire Canyon View Trail is a garden currently with over 40 species in bloom, including such rarely seen fire-followers as Large-flowered phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora), Fire poppy (Papaver californicum), Wild parsley (Apiastrum angustifolium), Stickleaf (Mentzelia micrantha), and Many-nerved catchfly (Silene coniflora). The masses of yellow flowers adorning the Circle-X hills are Collarless California poppies (Eschscholzia caespitosa).
— Jay Sullivan |
Zuma Canyon |
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3/29 |
The post-fire Backbone Trail through upper Zuma Canyon is especially floriferous these days. Although I only saw 40 species in bloom, they were putting on quite a show. Of particular interest were the uncommon "fire-followers" -- Brewer's Milk Maids (Calandrinia breweri), Twining Snapdragon (Antirrhinum kelloggii), Star Lily (Toxicoscordion fremontii), California Mustard (Caulanthus lasiophyllus), Skullcap (Scutellaria tuberosa), Whipering Bells (Emmenanthe penduliflora), Coastal Lotus (Acmispon maritimus), Shiny lomatium (Lomatium lucidum), and Common Eucrypta (Eucrypta chrysamthemifolia), the latter convering entire hillsides.
From the intersection of Mulholland Highway and Encinal Canyon Road, take Encinal Canyon Road 0.7 miles to the Zuma Ridge Mwy. trailhead and park at a road pullout. From there it's about 1/3 mile walk along the Zuma Ridge Mwy. to the Backbone Trail. — Jay Sullivan |
Topanga Canyon State Park |
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3/27 |
Things are really coming into bloom all across the Santa Monica Mountains. From Trippet Ranch, Topanga Canyon State Park offers a 1 mile Nature Trail loop. From the parking lot take the dirt road up to the Visitors Center. If it is Sunday it will be open. From the front of the Visitor's Center go up the stairs and onto the uphill trail.
This part is woodland and there are currently canyon sunflowers and hummingbird sage in bloom here. Continue uphill and cross the fire road to where the trail continues. Now you will be seeing greenback ceanothus as well as a spectacular ocean view. As the trail goes out into the chaparral the flowers are really spectacular. There are wishbone bush, encrypta, wild cucumber and some lovely masses of arroyo lupine and blue dicks. — Dorothy Steinicke |
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 |
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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