Page Revised: 5/16/08
Available Site Reviews Circle X Ranch Griffith Park Paramount Ranch Zuma Canyon Nicholas Flat Point Mugu State Park Saddle Peak area Palo Comado Peter Strauss Ranch	Date of Review 5/16/08, 4/19/08. 5/4/08. 4/23/08, 4/6/08. 4/20/08. 4/18/08. 4/16/08, 4/6/08. 4/13/08. 4/6/08. 4/5/08.
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

Circle X Ranch		Mishe Mokwa to split rock.	Date: 5/16/08
	The day was hot and sunny but this section of the Mishe Mokwa loop has enough shade on it that you get some respite from the heat. We spent more time in the cool air at Split Rock enjoying the shade and the trickle of water than we did a month ago. The flower have dried up quite a lot in the recent heat. Although the total numbers were significantly down compared to even just a few weeks ago the species count was still respectable at close to sixty, Many that we did see were holding on only in the more shady and sheltered areas so you will need to look carefully to see that many. On the other hand, some of the dramatic summer flowers, like the yellow mariposa lily, are beginning to show up, Flowering highlights included the yucca, Catalina mariposa lily, flax flowered linanthus, sapphire wool stars, golden yarrow, Turkish rugging, both white and yellow pincushions, soap plant, wooly blue curls, bush mallow, bird’s beak, golden stars, speckled clarkia, willow-herb clarkia, collarless California poppy, blue dicks, caterpillar phacelia, large-flowered phacelia, yellow and bush monkey flowers, lance-leaf dudleya, pitcher sage, star lily, heart-leaved penstemon, sticky cinquefoil, Chinese houses, peninsular onion, wild sweet pea, snowberry, blue larkspur, globe gilia, and the large fluffy seed heads of the virgins bower. –ed.
	Rating: Fair.

Griffith Park		Backbone and Turner Trails	Date: 5/4/08
	Large-Flowered Phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora) is proliferating in Griffith Park. The backbone trail, also called the hogback, has a nice display, as does Dante's View, the oasis that was destroyed by last year's fire. These particular flowers, while present each year in certain areas, do not bloom in abundance but this year is an exception. In addition, there is a fantastic display, that may never be seen again, of Large-Flowered Phacelia on the Charlie Turner trail. Park at the Observatory parking lot and take the Charlie Turner fire-road. Do not shortcut. The flowers are blooming in profusion. (Carol Brusha)
	Rating: Good

Paramount Ranch		Coyote Canyon Trail	Date: 4/23/08
	This short, easy trail behind the old train station is always a late-blooming surprise, generally packed with wildflowers from April through May. Though dominated at first by non-native mustards, oats, and grasses, trailside areas quickly become native as the canyon narrows and rocky outcrops appear. Look for about 30 wildflower species, including: Owl’s Clover, Dove Lupine, Purple Clarkia, Scarlet Bugler, Wild Celery, 2 Phacelias, CA Buckwheat, Woolly Blue Curls, Elderberry, Mariposa Lily, Golden Yarrow and the first Golden Stars, Chamise, Foothill Penstemon, Yellow Monkey Flower, Yucca, and Whispering Bells—a virtual rainbow, with many varieties of butterflies taking full advantage. (Jack Gillooly)
	Rating: Very Good

Zuma Canyon		Zuma Loop Trail.	Date: 4/20/08
	The lower and upper sections of this 2-mile trail were night and day for showy displays – the lower was sparse and the upper was amazing, with lots of Mariposa Lilies, Blue-eyed Grass, Purple Needlegrass, Bush Sunflower, Elderberry, Sticky Monkey Flower, Coast Paintbrush, and Golden Yarrow (along with an abundance of tall, non-native Black Mustard). There were also good numbers of Hedge Nettle, Purple Nightshade, Deerweed, Coast Figwort, Blue Dicks, Purple and Black Sages, Snowberry, Canyon Sunflower, Bush Lupine, some fading Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry, and just-starting California Buckwheat – with bushes of Phacelia ready to bust open. I noted about 35 native species and 10-15 non-natives. Both high and low areas may improve over the next few weeks, but won’t be sustained without rain – get it while you can. Note: weekend parking is tight at the Bonsall Trailhead, with many visitors diverted here from still-closed Solstice Canyon, until June 20. (Jack Gillooly)
	Rating: Fair to Very Good (by location)

Circle X Ranch		Mishe Mokwa to split rock.	Date: 4/19/08
	On overcast and cool day we hiked out to split rock from the Mishe Mokwa trailhead and then turned around and came back. This hike often has some of the nicest flower displays here at CXR. Today we could hear the distinctive call of the state bird, the California quail. Sharp eyes can often pick out their location since they frequently roost in the tops of the chaparral. This is also the best trail to get a good view of balanced rock. The chamise is in full bloom right now with some hillsides showing quite a bit of white. Flower highlights included chocolate lily, Catalina mariposa lily, blue dicks, black sage, golden yarrow, deerweed, woolly blue curls, yucca, yellow monkey flower, bush monkey flower, caterpillar phacelia, Parry’s phacelia, several different plants in the celery family, good numbers of star lily, chia, mustard evening primrose, collarless California poppy, virgin’s bower, blue larkspur, canyon sunflower, chinese houses, eucrypta, peninsular onion, and popcorn flower. (Linda Valois)
	Rating: Good

Nicholas Flat (Leo Carrillo SP)		misc. trails	Date: 4/18/08
	We did a quick flower survey in yesterday’s beautiful sunshine and reasonably clear air. This area tends to be rather “weedy” because of the old homestead. Despite this there always seems to be some interesting flowers scattered about and you can’t complain about the sweeping views from the various vantage points. It boasts a small pond (also a holdover of the homestead era) which attracts redwing blackbirds with their distinctive melodic call. The large grassy fields remind me of cultivated Midwestern oat fields but have numerous flowers scattered in. Add the oak forest over the creek bed and the shear diversity of ecosystems close at hand always seems to provide something worth the trip. Do watch your step if you get off the trail as there is plenty of poison oak and the area has something of a reputation as a rattlesnake hangout. Highlights included crimson pitcher sage, blue dicks, tidy tips, woodland star, a couple of different lupines, wild sweet pea, American vetch, canyon sunflower, Catalina mariposa lily, yucca, greenbark ceanothus, Indian paintbrush, phacelia, deerweed, scarlet pimpernel, fuchsia flowered gooseberry, bush monkey flower, purple nightshade, golden yarrow, and chamise. -ed.
	Rating: NR

Point Mugu State Park		Guadalasca Trail	Date: 4/16/08
	You won't see many wildflower enthusiasts on this trail. It's a long way from any parking lot, and on weekends you need to be alert for high-speed mountain bikes. But you will see a lot of flowers -- including Catalina Mariposa, Cobweb Thistle, Blue-eyed Grass, Blue Dicks, Wild Carrot, Hedge Nettle, Wild Pea, both Caterpillar and Sticky Phacelia, Snakeroot, Silver Puffs, Wishbone Plant, Bush Lupine and three other Lupines. Nothing particularly unusual, but for the avid hiker it's worth a visit. (Jay Sullivan)
	Rating: NR

Saddle Peak area		Backbone Trail	Dates: 4/12 & 4/13
	Backbone Trail Section from the junction of Saddle Peak, Schueren, and Stunt Roads to Malibu Canyon Road. These hikes were of the eighth segment 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. The same hike was done by two different groups on Saturday and Sunday. Distance was about 7.5 miles. This list of flowers combines those seen on both hikes. The combined flower list includes elderberry, wild cucumber, blue dick, deer weed, red-stem filaree, long-beaked filaree, yellow sweet clover, common groundsel, black sage, Calif. buckwheat, golden yarrow, winter vetch, southern tauschia and/or shiny lomatium, and silver lotus on the large rock outcrop above the trail. An examination of the leaves on the blue/purple blooming ceanothus shows that hairy-leaf ceanothus dominates for the first half of this hike, and then the paler blue greenback ceanothus predominates at lower altitude. Some red-skinned onion was seen down the slope from the large rock outcrop. We saw lots of caterpillar phacelia along the entire trail and large and minute popcorn flower, Calif. and two-tone everlasting, purple nightshade, mustard evening primrose, sticky monkey flower, Spanish broom, bush lupine, and tomcat clover. A single white chaparral currant was a surprise. There was considerable virgins' bower, eucrypta, fuchsia flowered gooseberry, and canyon pea aka wild sweet pea. We saw a few chaparral pea at the top of trail, then Eastwood manzanita, bush poppy, mountain mahogany, prickly phlox, sugar bush at the base of rock outcrops. Lower was scrub oak, wooly blue curl, cudweed aster, canyon sunflower, chamise, willow herb clarkia, slim aster, poison oak, holly leaf cherry. Halfway down from Saddle Peak star lilies finally began to bloom and there were yellow monkey flower, twinning snapdragon, snake root, scarlet pimpernel in the dry areas. Lots of globe gilia began to appear along with, yucca, purple sage, chia, succulent lupine, dove lupine, Catalina mariposa lily, whispering bells, morning glory, fiesta flower, Calif. poppy, and a few golden stars. Approaching the cool and shady Dark Canyon we saw large numbers of Chinese houses, wishbone bush, and stinging lupine. It was disappointing not to find the rein orchid that we have seen on the climb out of Dark Canyon in prior good flower years, but maybe there is still hope. We saw yellow pincushion, bur-clover, miner's lettuce, baby blue eyes, annual bedstraw, and narrow leaf bedstraw. After crossing Piuma Road, pineapple weed, bur-chervil, owl’s clover, blue larkspur, blackberry, hedge nettle, blue eyed grass, Indian warrior, and woodland star did not disappoint. The vinca is all over the lower part of the trail. Cottonwood and willow are creating snow along Piuma Road. (Greg Sweel and Burt Elliott)
	Rating: Very Good

Palo Comado Canyon		China Flat Trail	Date: 4/6/08
	Hikers can reach China flat either from the east, following the trail up Palo Comado canyon or from the west, following trails heading north from Oak Canyon Park in Oak Park. This report is for the western approach. On the 6th I saw Purple Sage, Bush Lupine, Catalina Mariposa Lilies, Yellow Pincushion, Yellow Monkey Flowers, Bush Sunflowers, Purple Owl's Clover, White Forget-me-not, White Sage, Scarlet Bugler, Scarlet Pimpernel, Purple Nightshade, Bush Monkey Flower, Mule Fat, Chia, Caterpillar Phacelia, Two-tone Everlasting, Collar Lupine, Stinging Lupine, Blue Dicks, Twining Snapdragon, Woolly Blue curl, Prickly Phlox, Spring Vetch, Chamise, and Wishbone Bush. (Sarah Dickey)
	Rating: NR

Point Mugu State Park		Waterfall Trail	Date: 4/6/08
	Point Mugu State Park shares it's northern border with Rancho Sierra Vista and you can enter Point Mugu from Rancho Sierra Vista to get to the Waterfall Trail. There was nice display of Hummingbird or Crimson Pitcher Sage along the trail as well as: Collarless Poppies, (on the trail connector from Rancho Sierra Vista leading down to the waterfall trail), Fiesta Flowers, Virgin's Bower, Wild Sweet Peas, Hedge Nettle, California Blackberry, and a variety of nice ferns along the waterfall itself. (Sarah Dickey)
	Rating: NR

Paramount Ranch		Misc. Trails	Date: 4/6/08
	The meadow areas were full of Winter Vetch -- it was everywhere. I also saw Checker Bloom, Blue-eyed Grass, California Poppies, Blue Dicks, Lupine, Ground Pink, Scarlet Pimpernels, Western Vervain, Chinese Houses, Johnny Jump-up, Common Fiddleneck, Deerweed, Catalina Mariposa Lilies, Wild Radishes, (I saw all white, pink & white and cream & pink blossoms -- they were everywhere!), California Everlasting, Parry's Phacelia. There were a few Shooting Stars left but it looks like their season has past. (Sarah Dickey)
	Rating: NR

Peter Strauss Ranch		Peter Strauss Trail	Date: 4/5/08
	2-3 Chocolate Lily plants are still blooming on the west side of the Peter Strauss Trail as well as a single Globe Lily plant. Wild Sweet Peas are growing throughout the trail along with Fiesta Flowers, Milkmaids, Virgin's Bower, Miner's Lettuce, and a variety of ferns. Also, some of the cacti in the small cactus garden are blooming,. (Sarah Dickey)
	Rating: NR

Contact Information: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 West Hillcrest Drive Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 805-370-2301 www.nps.gov/samo	If you would like to contribute to the wildflower report: e-mail: Tony_Valois@partner.nps.gov or phone Tony at 310-457-6408