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Page Revised: 5/18/05 |
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Available Sites Topanga
State Park |
Date of Review 5/15/05 & 5/11/05
& 5/1/05 |
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See the photo gallery of
What’s Blooming at: http://www.nps.gov/samo/bloom/bloom.htm |
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In the interest of keeping
this What’s Blooming page
brief, but simultaneously providing access to past reports, we have created
an archive of previous reports which can be found at www.nps.gov/samo/bloom/archive/index.htm |
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Many organizations are now
offering guided wildflower walks. You can check the Spring calendar of the
Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Outdoors, for more details. The on-line
version of this printed booklet can be found at http://www.nps.gov/samo/outdoors. |
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In addition to the Rec Area’s trails many of the roadsides are
displaying beautiful stands of flowers. Indeed, some flowers are encountered
almost exclusively on the roadsides. Some of my favorites include Mulholland
Highway, Westlake Boulevard, Deer Creek Road and Yerba Buena Road. Use
caution when driving and walking these roads for they are frequently very
winding and have little or no shoulder. Drivers on these roads can be fast
and aggressive, especially on the weekends. |
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It is rattlesnake season
so be careful of where you step or sit. The easiest way to avoid them is to
stay on the trail where visibility is good and you can see them with plenty
of warning. Like many shy creatures they will freeze to stillness in hope
that you will not see them and pass by, rattling and coiling only as a last
defense when they are most frightened. Give them a wide berth, or better yet,
allow them leave in their own time. Encountering one of these shy and elusive
creatures in the wild is always a treat for me. |
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Topanga State Park |
Temescal Ridge Trail / |
Date: 5/15/05 |
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The Temescal Ridge trail is kind of a
hot and dry hike but the reward is seeing Braunton's milk vetch, a lovely
plant that is quite uncommon. The
other blooming plants are California buckwheat, golden yarrow, deerweed,
yucca, sticky monkey flower, caterpillar phacelia, eucrypta, canyon
sunflower, purple nightshade and elder flower. There were lots of butterflies including
brilliant sulfers.
We saw one rattlesnake. Starting in the Dead Horse parking
lot off of Entrada Rd. This is a
fairly short but interesting trail that alternates between chaparral and woodland. At the start there is a lot of yellow:
Golden stars, golden yarrow and chaparral yucca. There are a few remaining butterfly
mariposa lilies and blue dicks. There
is California buckwheat, elegant clarkia, vervain, globe gilia, and caterpillar
phacelia. Heart leaf penstemon is
making its first appearance. There is
a gorgeous stand of hummingbird sage that is still blooming. Soon you come to a bridge that is high
above a flowing creek, a nice place to stop and rest. Continuing on there is morning glory,
California chicory, a little greenbark ceanothus, purple nightshade, woolly
blue curls, popcorn flower, black sage, sticky monkey flower chamise,
deerweed, canyon sunflower and fiesta flower.
I saw my first slender tarweed of the season. As you walk along a meadow watch for deer
and bobcats. There is spring vetch,
blue eyed grass, elder flower and California everlasting. The trail ends by the pond at Trippet
Ranch, a good place to launch onto further hikes or return as you came. I always see more things on the return
trip. (DS) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Zuma Canyon |
Backbone Trail |
Date: 5/12/05 |
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On 5/12/05 we hiked along the
Backbone Trail from the Newton Trailhead to the Upper Zuma Falls and
returned. A rating of very good is given for the variety (95) and quantity of
flowering species observed. Starting at the trailhead we immediately encountered
elderberry, hedge mustard, red stem filaree, bur clover, sour clover and sow
thistle, the usual suspects. Spanish broom provided lots of color as did
greenbark ceanothus, black sage, toyon, bush monkey flower and Italian
thistle. Bur chervil, slender bedstraw, chamise and windmill pinks were
abundantly present as were speckled Clarkia, miner's lettuce, deerweed,
Calif. buckwheat and minute flowered popcorn flower. The small of tomcat
clover to the tall of Chaparral yucca were present. Sticky Madia, Calif.
everlasting, lacepod, common bedstraw and eucrypta
were next encountered along the trail. Numerous fiesta flowers and rigid
hedge nettles provided more color along the way. Canyon sunflower, Calif.
figwort, two-toned everlasting, Calif. chicory, pineapple weed, silver puff,
London rocket, scarlet pimpernel and purple night shade were next observed.
Curly dock, blue dick were accompanied by elegant Clarkia, Parry's phacelia, chia,
bigpod ceanothus and several small stands of large flowered popcorn flower.
The aptly named caterpillar phacelia as well as wishbone bush, mountain
dandelion, fern leaf phacelia, horehound and several stands of Chinese
houses, one group containing several plants with pure white flowers were
seen. The bush lupines were in bloom and several groups of large flowered
phacelia were spotted. Sugar bush, scarlet pitcher sage, checker bloom, blue
larkspur, snow berry and holly leaf red berry were also exhibiting blossoms. It was especially exciting to find
numerous large patches of globe lily all along the trail. In the past we had
only spotted an occasional plant. We saw wild blackberry, golden yarrow,
purple Clarkia, bull thistle, blue-eyed grass, snake root, horkelia, morning glory, yellow monkey flower, small
evening primrose and Turkish rugging. A fair quantity of
wooly blue curls were in bloom as were the star lily. A few prickly
phlox, globe gilia, hillside penstemon and Catalina Mariposa lily were also
in bloom. A special treat to me was the discovery of a small bush of
speedwell in bloom, the first time I have seen it in the SM mountains. Slimy
monkey flower put in its appearance as well as golden star, Indian pink,
creek monkey flower, white pincushion, cliff aster and sticky phacelia. One
nice stand of owl's clover was passed, Spanish clover was present and vervain
made its appearance. The hike was concluded with the observation of tree
tobacco and slender sunflower. Grasses identified along the way included
golden top and soft brome. (RWM) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very Good |
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Topanga State Park |
Nature Trail |
Date: 5/11/05 |
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The trail leaves the picnic area by
the pond. Immediately there are lots
of fiesta flowers and miners lettuce along with quite a bit of poison
oak. Passing the nature center, the
woods have a bit of purple nightshade but not much else. But when you enter the chaparral portion
there are morning glories, sticky monkey flower, bush lupine, deer weed,
black sage, bush sunflower, California buckwheat and caterpillar phacelia
which is now completely unrolled. There is vervain, California everlasting,
chamise, white nightshade and golden yarrow.
Returning down the fire road there is a veritable wall of elegant
clarkia growing on the road cut.
Returning to the nature center there are still golden stars and
blue-eyed grass. I saw an entire
blooming meadow and stepped off the trail to investigate. Endless Chinese houses, really spectacular.
I also went a little way up the Musch Trail.
Not really enough to make a report but I went to the place where the
geophytes always grow. There is an
amazing amount of purple owl's clover and the farewell-to-spring has
started. (DS) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Circle X Ranch |
Backbone Trail below
Triunfo Peak |
Date: 5/9/05 |
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We began our hike at the Mishe Mokwa
trailhead and walked east until intersecting the Triunfo Peak access road. We
then took the access road toward the peak and then back down to the backbone
tail to retrace our steps until intersecting Yerba Buena Road at about mile
7.6. We completed the loop by taking Yerba Buena back to the Mishe Mokwa
trailhead, a total of about five miles. The trail has become quite grassy in
places and the foxtails are beginning to be annoying. We encountered about 95
species in bloom although the lack of dense stands of flowers prevents a
rating above good. Highlights include Woolly Blue Curls, Catalina Mariposa
Lily, Blue Dick, Yucca, California Buckwheat, Chamise, Purple Clarkia,
Willow-herb Clarkia, Black Sage, Scarlet Pimpernel, Golden Yarrow, Yellow
Monkey Flower, Bush Monkey Flower, Lance-leaf Live-forever, Coast Goldfields,
Golden Stars, Wild Morning Glory, Yellow Pincushion, White Pincushion,
Red-skinned Onion, Peninsular Onion, Purple Nightshade, Fiesta Flower,
Caterpillar Phacelia, Parry's Phacelia, Large-flowered Phacelia, Pitcher
Sage, Mustard Evening Primrose, Bleeding Heart, Fire Poppy, Hedge Nettle,
Canyon Sunflower, Chinese Houses, Star Lily, Sugar Bush, Rock Rose, Brewer's
Red Maids, Sticky False Gilia, Heart-leaved Penstemon, Slender Tarweed, Bush
Lupine, Blue-eyed Grass, Turkish Rugging, Birds Beak, Sticky Cinquefoil,
Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry and Heart-leaved Penstemon. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Malibu Creek State Park |
Crags Road / Bulldog Road |
Date: 5/3/05 |
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The hike into Malibu Creek State
Park from the west end (Crags Drive) to the MASH site and including the lower
3/4 mile of Bulldog Motorway is really lovely right now. As of 4/30 and 5/3, species blooming included
purple clarkia (Clarkia purpurea),
farewell-to-spring (Clarkia bottae), elegant
clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata), globe gilia (Gilia capitata), chaparral gilia (Gilia angelensis),
common linanthus (Linanthus parviflora), blue-eyed
grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), woolly morning glory (Calystegia malacophylla ssp. pedicellata), poison
hemlock (Conium maculatum), scarlet bugler
(Penstemon centranthifolius), foothill penstemon
(Penstemon heterophyllus), chinese houses (Collinsia heterophyllus),
California milkweed (Asclepias californica),
blue dicks (Dichelostemma capiatatum),
golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum),
owl's clover (Castilleja exserta),
blue larkspur (Delphinium parryi ssp. parryi),
spreading larkspur (Delphinium patens ssp. hepaticoideum), western vervain (Verbena lasiostachys var. lasiostachys),
black sage (Salvia mellifera), crimson pitcher sage
(Salvia spathacea), silver puffs (Uropappus lindleyi), smooth
cat's ear (Hypochaeris glabra),
creek monkeyflower (Mimulus
guttatus), sticky monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus), sticky madia (Madia gracilis), hareleaf (Lagophyllum ramosissimum), miniature lupine (Lupinus bicolor),
broad-leaved lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius), bush lupine (Lupinus longifolius),
scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), water
speedwell (Veronica anagallis-aquatica), slender
cottonweed (Micropus californicus),
golden stars (Bloomeria crocea),
spring vetch (Vicia sativa), purple nightshade (Solanum xanti), fiesta flower (Pholistoma auritum), California
chicory (Rafinesquia californica),
caterpillar phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria), rock
phacelia (Phacelia egena), Spanish broom (Spartium junceum), deerweed
(Lotus scoparius), yucca (Yucca whipplei),
woolly blue curls (Trichostema lanatum),
chamise (Adenostema fasciculatum),
prickly phlox (Leptodactylon californicum), fiddleneck (Amsinckia
menziesii), fairy lanterns (Calochortus albus), catalina mariposa
lilies (Calochortus catalinae),
chia (Salvia columbariae), wild rose (Rosa californica), yellow pincushion (Chaenactis
glabriuscula), canyon sunflower (Venegasia carpesioides), california everlasting (Gnaphalium
californicum), popcorn flower (Cryptantha intermedia),
bur-chervil (Anthriscus caucalis),
perennial peppergrass (Lepidium latifolium),
buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum),
and many other things that I can't remember off-hand. (MC) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very
Good |
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Lower Zuma Canyon |
Zuma Canyon Trail / Zuma Loop Trail |
Date: 5/3/05 |
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The lower section of Zuma Canyon has
a heavy burden of "weedy" non-native species. As you move out and
up you begin to see more native species and a greater overall diversity of
flowers. The Zuma Loop trail is better than the Zuma Canyon trail in this
respect. Altogether about 80 different species encountered. Highlights include Elderberry, Bull
Mallow, Milk Thistle, Nightshades, Coast Figwort, Sunflowers, Speedwell,
Popcorn Flowers, Lupines, Monkey Flowers, Henbit, Hedge Nettle, Fiesta
Flower, Blue Dick, California Buckwheat, Heart-leaved Penstemon, Red Bugler,
Yucca, Wild Morning Glory, Yarrows, Indian Pink, Chamise, Cutleaf Geranium,
Catalina Mariposa Lily, Indian Paintbrush, Blue-eyed Grass, Toyon, Purple
Sage, Slender Tarweed, Locoweed, and Wild Sweet Pea. (TV). |
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Naturalist's rating: Fair
to Good |
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Circle X Ranch |
Mishe Mokwa Loop |
Date: 5/2/05 |
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While the trail is beginning to dry
out there was still a decent display of flowers. Several of the early
bloomers are definitely on the wane but others are really busting out in
spectacular displays of blossoms. It will be interesting to see how the
recent rains affect the flowers. The section of the trail from the trailhead
to split rock is the most productive for flower with 94 different species
encountered. Adding in the entire rest of the loop brings the total up to
114. The back section of the trail often shows flowers in bloom long after
they are done elsewhere. For example, Chaparral Current and Wild cucumber are
still in bloom back there and the Star Lilies are only beginning to bloom.
The Sandstone Peak section is often the poorest of for flowers, however, the
dense display of ordinary (even weedy) flowers that grow on this section
combined to produce a very nice palette of colors this time out. The great
display of Bush Lupine is worth mentioning. Highlights include: Evening
Primroses, Monkey Flowers, Wild morning Glory, several Phacelias including
Parry's and Yellow-throated, California Buckwheat, Clarkias including Purple
and Speckled, Nightshades, Chamise, Chinese Houses, Blue Dick, Pincushions,
Collarless California Poppy, Globe Gilia, Our Lord's Candle, Woolly Blue
Curls, Star Lily, Catalina Mariposa Lily, Red-skinned Onion, Lupines, Purple
Owl's Clover, Bird's Beak, Fiesta Flower, Hollyleaf Cherry, Wild Sweet Pea,
Pitcher Sage, Blue Larkspur, Snowberry, Woodland Star, and Prickly
Phlox. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Topanga State Park |
Musch Trail |
Date: 5/1/05 |
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This is for the Musch Trail in TSP
from Trippet Ranch and about 3/4 way to the Eagle Rock fire road. There is a
lot of poison oak growing into the trail, but you can avoid it if you are
careful. The trail flowers are lovely as there is profusely blooming black
sage, chamise and deer weed which are a colorful backdrop for lots of canyon
sunflowers, purple nightshade, and emerging purple sage blooms. Flowers along
the way: spring vetch, bush monkey flower, owl's clover, California figwort,
sugar bush, notable penstemon, yellow (wide throat) monkey flower, black
mustard, golden stars, hedge nettle, star lily, golden yarrow, fiesta flower,
blue dicks, caterpillar phacelia, morning glory, mariposa lilies, California
everlasting, red stem filaree, and several species of lupine. (LH) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Circle X Ranch |
Canyon View Trail |
Date: 4/30/05 |
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While the trail is beginning to dry
out and grasses and thistles are becoming more prominent there was still a good
display of flowers. It will be interesting to see how the recent rains will
affect the flowers. Ninety two different species encountered although several
of the early bloomers are definitely on the wane. Highlights include: Evening
Primroses, Monkey Flowers, Wild morning Glory, several Phacelias including
Large-flowered and Parry's, Clarkias, Nightshades, Chamise, California Wild
Rose, Blue-eyed Grass, Chinese Houses, Blue Dick, Wishbone Bush, Pincushions,
Collarless California Poppy, Globe Gilia, Turkish Rugging, Our Lord's Candle,
Woolly Blue Curls, Star Lily, Catalina Mariposa Lily, Red-skinned Onion,
Annual Paintbrush, an early Bush Mallow, Lupines, Purple Snapdragon, Rock
Rose, Purple Owl's Clover, and Whispering Bells. We have been seeing a good number
of unusual color variations this year and on this hike we saw a few Scarlet Pimpernel
that were blue. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very
Good |
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Cold Creek Preserve |
Stunt High Trail |
Date: 4/27/05 |
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Parking for this trailhead is on
Stunt Road about one mile in from Mulholland Highway. Across the street is
the entrance to the Calabasas Fire Road. We parked here and then walked up
the trail, about two miles, crossing Stunt Road once before reaching the top
trailhead, also on Stunt Road near mile marker three. The two mile trail
ascends through the Stunt Ranch property along the creek and then turns left
to continue up the hill. Over eighty flowers were found in the lower section
with its passage through several different habitats. The top section, which
is mostly chaparral, added another half dozen or so bringing the total count
to about ninety. The lower section could be given a Very Good designation but
the upper section is only Fair. Highlights include Purple Sage, Wild Morning
Glory, much Chamise, Monkey Flowers, Blue-eyed Grass, many Golden Stars,
Fiesta Flower, Baby Blue-eyes, many Bush Poppy, Globe Lily, Large-flowered
Lotus, dense spreads of Chinese Houses, Blue Larkspur, Purple Owl's Clover,
Carolina Geranium, California Wild Rose, a few Red Maids, Star Lily, Woolly
Blue Curls, and Rock Rose. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Triunfo Creek Park |
Pentachaeta Trail |
Date: 4/26/05 |
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This park, tucked away in a corner of
Westlake Village at the end of Lindero Canyon Road, is most famous for the
very rare Lyons Pentachaeta which blooms here in profusion. The main
attraction is the easy, one-mile Pentachaeta Trail which is currently
experiencing an explosion of flowers. An afternoon hike here netted an
impressive 120 species in bloom some of which carpet the hillsides with
spectacular displays of flowers. Highlights include impressive displays of
the afore mentioned Lyons Pentachaeta, fields of Coast Goldfields, California
Poppy, Purple Owl's Clover, large and very dense stands of Chinese Houses,
plentiful and many-blossomed Blue Larkspur (including an unusual pink
variation), Ground-pink, frequent Purple, Speckled, Elegant, and Willow-herb
Clarkias, Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry, Sticky Cinquefoil, Indian Pink,
profuse Chamise, Ceanothus, both Yarrow and Golden Yarrow, Carolina Geranium,
Annual Coreopsis, several different Lupines, several different Monkey
Flowers, Checker Bloom, Blow Wives, Elderberry, both White and Yellow
Pincushions, a good stand of Foothill Penstemon, Curly Dock, Blue-eyed Grass,
Woolly Blue Curls, Purple Sage, Wild Morning Glory, California Wild Rose,
Common Vervain, Caterpillar Phacelia, Fiesta Flower, Angel's Gilia, Golden
Stars, Star Lily, Catalina Mariposa Lily, and even an early Yellow Mariposa
Lily. If you go to the park to see the Pentachaeta
you might want to look up the difference between this and the Coast Goldfield as they are
similar and in places growing together.
(TV) |
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Naturalist's rating:
Excellent |
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Paramount Ranch |
Several Trails |
Date: 4/22/05 |
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Although Paramount Ranch is best known
for its Western Town, the trails in the hills behind are easy, fun to
explore, and great for wildflowers. And for a short, half-mile trail, Coyote
Canyon has to be one of the best-bangs-for-bucks in the Santa Monica
Mountains. Starting just behind the “train station,” it
doesn’t look like much–mostly non-natives–but quickly
enters the “native and profuse” category as the trail follows a
chattering brook. Owl’s clover, dove lupine, golden yarrow, blue dicks,
elderberry, and caterpillar phacelia all vie for attention—until you
find the volcanic outcrops that add yucca and showy penstemon to the mix.
Further up, as the trail winds into mixed chaparral, globe lilies, mariposas,
and golden stars appear in the tall grasses, with lots of chia and wooly blue
curls, lotus, and yellow monkey flowers just beyond. Near its finish (at 45 species), you
might turn left on the Hacienda Trail and add purple clarkia, Chinese houses,
Johnny-Jump-Ups, silver puffs and gumweed to your list—along with a
hillside of deep blue phacelia. After a quarter-mile, another left puts you
on the Medicine Woman Trail and bearing left at the junction of Backdrop
Trail, get set for the densest stretch of wildflowers you may see this year.
It’s a one-way up-and-back trail to the park’s western boundary,
and there were tons of popcorn flower, Parry’s phacelia, white
pincushion, yellow monkey flower, two different evening primroses, black
sage, chia, sticky monkey flower and a dozen others—along the first
quarter mile. This one, and parts of Coyote Canyon, earned the
“Excellent” rating. Returning to the Backdrop Trail and
following it around to the Bwana Trail, again, the rolling grass-fields
wouldn’t seem to add anything until you cross a few tiny
creeks—still with water—and pick up patches of cinquefoil, globe
gilia, California poppies, elegant clarkia, Indian pinks, and blue larkspur,
among many of the previous varieties. The whole 4-5 mile circuit produced
about eighty species plus a good number of spring birds: blue and
black-headed grosbeaks, lazuli buntings, ash-throated flycatchers, yellow
warblers, and orioles. This area should be good until we get a few heat waves
— just be sure to pick up a map at the entry kiosk. (JG) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very Good to Excellent |
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Topanga State Park |
Nature Trail / Musch Trail |
Date: 4/22/05 |
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I got out early this A.M. and of course
at 6:30 some of the flowers are still closed, but I got a pretty good list
from a walk on the Nature Trail and on the Musch Trail from Trippet Ranch to
the Hillside Dr. cutoff. Canyon sunflower, caterpillar phacelia, black sage,
chemise, black mustard, popcorn flower, deer weed, vervain, golden yarrow,
buckwheat brush, silver puffs, California everlasting, a lot of bush monkey
flower, purple nightshade, white nightshade, twining snapdragon, Turkish
rugging, blue dicks, a lot of fiesta flower, California buttercup,
hummingbird sage, blue eyed grass, red stem filaree, Catalina mariposa lily,
spring vetch, wild radish, owl's clover, bush and other lupine, miner's
lettuce, golden stars, morning glory, bush sunflower, scarlet pimpernel,
wishbone bush, white nightshade, Chinese houses, Carolina geranium and
foothill penstemon. My assessment: a very good display with a lot of mustard,
sunflowers, and bush
monkey flower. (LH) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very Good |
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Zuma Canyon area |
Miscellaneous Trails |
Date: 4/21/05 |
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On 4/21/05 we hiked the three trails
in the Zuma Canyon area and found 98 species blooming, one of which we could
not identify. We would give this a very good rating only because many of the
blooms were of alien species which some would classify as noxious weeds. The
trails are all well rutted by the recent rains and require care to maintain
one's footing. We first went up to the end of the Zuma Canyon Trail and
returned to pick up the Canyon View Trail and returned to the parking area
via the Ocean View Trail. The flowers are reported as they were first
encountered along the hike. Departing from the trail head at the
end of Bonsall Rd. we encounter elderberry, black mustard, prickly sow thistle,
scarlet pimpernel, hare barley, rupgut brome and
milk thistle. Both cheese weed and a single bull mallow along with Italian
thistle, vervain, deerweed, black sage, bush
sunflower and wild radish were abundant. Soft brome, western ragweed, Calif.
everlasting, red stem filaree, fuchsia flowered gooseberry, blue dick and
bush monkey flower were spotted in that order. White nightshade, horehound,
Calif. buckwheat, eucrypta, windmill pink and sugar bush added to the
collection. Long beaked filaree, fiesta flower, golden top, creek monkey
flower, microseris, succulent lupine, yellow sun cup and heart leaf penstemon
added their colors to the trailside. Canyon sunflower, snakeroot, cobwebby
thistle, annual bedstraw, curly dock and giant rye were identified in
passing. Toyon was starting to bloom and the sycamores were finishing with
many catkins hanging from the trees. The hillsides revealed a few yuccas and
the spurge called Chinese caps were also found. Calif. figwort could hardly
compete with the sticky phacelia and Parry's phacelia for display. Golden
yarrow, silver puff, slender bedstraw, big pod ceanothus, and a good quantity
of rigid hedge nettle were blooming. The trail edges were sprinkled with
sticky popcorn flower and large flowered popcorn flower. Scarlet bugler added
to the color diversity and mule fat and snowberry made their
own contributions. Cliff aster, wishbone bush, wooly aster, small
evening primrose, bajada lupine and the red dotted creek monkey flower were
on display. Telegraph weed, slender oats, bush mallow, bush lupine, mustard
evening primrose and wild sweet pea were encountered as we continued up the
trail. The usual morning glory made its appearance accompanied by the coast
paintbrush, Catalina Mariposa lily, red brome, chamise, Calif. sagebrush,
hedge mustard and fern leaf phacelia. A few Indian pinks brightened the path
along with Chilean lotus, caterpillar phacelia, minute flowered popcorn
flower, Turkish rugging and western locoweed. Blue eyed grass, Calif. poppy,
American vetch, common yarrow, golden star, gumplant and English plantain as
well as coffee berry and pineapple weed concluded the floral display for the
day. (RWM) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very Good |
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Saddle Peak Area |
Miscellaneous Trails |
Date: 4/18/05 |
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On 4/18/05 we hiked two adjacent
trails; one to the top of Saddle Peak and the other to the Topanga lookout.
These are both accessed from the parking area near the Stunt Rd and Schueren
Rd intersection. This hike yielded the floral promise we have been expecting
all spring. About 70 species were found in bloom, many of which were in large
quantities. We had selected the Saddle Peak area on the chance that we would
see some early blooming chaparral pea, and we were not disappointed. The
masses of Spanish broom near the summit of the trail provided a splendid
display of brilliant yellow accompanied by the sweet bouquet of its blossoms.
This is one alien plant I do not regret seeing in our hills. Another bonus
was several fair sized stands of silver lotus, which I especially appreciated
since I had never spotted it before. Another surprise we had was the sight of
apparently a mutant bush monkey flower exhibiting red and gold blossoms. A
single Matilija poppy was blooming at the lookout site amid a large stand of
the plants. Reporting on the sightings in color
groups, we found the yellow/gold was the largest with only one fewer in the
white/cream group. The former group included black mustard, deerweed, golden
yarrow, silver puff, bush monkey flower, mustard evening primrose, and both
bur and sour clover. The silver lotus, southern tauschia, slender bedstraw,
common groundsel, brown microseris and Spanish broom were all plentiful.
Prickly sow thistle, large flowered lotus and canyon sunflower were also present A fair
quantity of bush poppy was in bloom as was a few Calif. poppies and telegraph
weed. The white/cream group provided flowers from the elderberry, Calif.
buckwheat, chamise, and three of the popcorn flower species. Several Catalina
Mariposa lilies and a couple of star lilies were also seen. The big pod
ceanothus was still blooming up here and a good stand of red skinned onions
were present. Eucrypta, velvet leaf everlasting, morning glory, Calif.
everlasting and miner's lettuce all contributed to the show. Even bur chervil
was found displaying its tiny white flower. Some wild cucumber, hollyleaf
cherry, virgin's bower, sugarbush and the
aforementioned Matilija poppy conclude this list. In the pink/red group we found large
areas covered with Chilean clover and windmill pinks. Along with the
chaparral pea there was also one fuchsia flowered gooseberry and one
lingering chaparral current and several groupings of sweet pea. The
lavender/blue/purple colorings were evidenced in the stands of black sage,
dove lupine, hairy leaf ceanothus and bush lupine. Also found were redstem filaree, Italian thistle, blue dick, prickly
phlox, fern leaf phacelia, purple nightshade and cheeseweed. A beautiful
group of notable penstemon was seen and what was tentatively identified as
Bajada lupine as well. A colorful group of fiesta flower concludes this
group. It should be noted that amongst the usually bright blue dove lupines
were several plants with all white flowers on them. Amongst the grasses still in bloom
were golden top, slender oats, rescue grass, hare barley, rip-gut brome,
fountain grass, wild oats, soft brome, red brome and some 4 or 5 others
unidentified. The impact of the quantities and
reasonably large number of species warrants an outstanding rating on ye olde bloom-ometer. (RWM) |
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Naturalist's rating:
Outstanding |
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Upper Zuma Canyon |
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Date: 4/18/05 |
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Today we hiked Upper Zuma Canyon and
the wildflower display was very good to excellent. There were big stands of
bush lupine, black sage, Spanish broom, fiesta flower, deerweed, wishbone
bush, sticky monkey flower and canyon sunflower. Other finds were star lily, globe lily,
clematis, blue larkspur, Parry's phacelia, caterpillar phacelia, large flower
phacelia, hedge nettle, meadow rue, and prickly phlox. Some of the streams
are now dried up and the remaining streams are easily crossed. (KJ) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very Good to Excellent |
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Circle X Ranch |
Grotto Trail |
Date: 4/11/05 |
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This easy-to-moderate trail goes
downhill about 1.5 miles through riparian, grassland, and chaparral habitats,
in shade and sun, with dramatic views of Boney Ridge and a couple of
waterfalls. We counted seventy four species in bloom, not counting a few that
we did not recognize. The Grotto remains a bit more challenging to get to
since the winter's rains because of the high water levels. We get frequent
questions from children regarding the California Newt seen in the stream and
pools near the Grotto. Flower highlights include Evening Primroses, Lilies,
Phacelias, a grassy field full of Vetches, a huge
crop of Chinese Houses, Blue Larkspur, Blue Dicks, Crimson Pitcher Sage, and
Nightshades. The appearance of Clarkias (including Purple Clarkia on the
Canyon View Trail), and seed heads of the Silver Puffs remind us that Spring
is well along now. The complete list includes Deerweed,
Red-stem Filaree, Black Sage, California Buckwheat, California Filago, Black
Mustard, Yellow Monkey flower, Creek Monkey Flower, Bush Monkey flower,
Yellow Sweet Clover, Mustard Evening Primrose, Small Evening Primrose, Bush
Sunflower, Canyon Sunflower, Bur Clover, Morning Glory, Pineapple Weed,
California Everlasting, Two-tone Everlasting, Common Chickweed, Pacific
Sanicle, Windmill Pink, Mule Fat, Annual Bedstraw, Climbing Bedstraw,
Narrow-leaved Bedstraw, Spring Vetch, Winter Vetch, Blue Dick, Purple
Nightshade, White Nightshade, Black Walnut, Silver Puffs, Caterpillar
Phacelia, Parry's Phacelia, Fiesta Flower, Blue Larkspur, Chinese Houses,
Popcorn Flower, Eucrypta, Miner's Lettuce, Chamise, Scarlet Pimpernel,
Blue-eyed Grass, Golden Yarrow, Catalina Mariposa Lily, Star Lily, Bigpod
Ceanothus, Greenbark Ceanothus, Wishbone Bush, Hollyleaf Cherry, Hollyleaf
Redberry, Strigose Lotus, Coastal Lotus, Yucca, Rattlesnake Weed (Daucus Pusillus), Cliff Aster,
Stinging Lupine, California Blackberry, Thread Stem, Common Groundsel,
Twining Snapdragon, Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry, Crimson Pitcher Sage, Hedge
Nettle, Elderberry, Willow-herb Clarkia, Sugar Bush, Curly Dock, Coffeeberry,
Wild Sweet Pea, Sow Thistle, Prickly Sow Thistle, Annual Cat's Ear. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Very
Good |
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Santa
Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 West
Hillcrest Drive Ph.
805-370-2301 web. www.nps.gov/samo |
Thank
you for your
contributions: Sheila
Braden |
If you
would like to contribute to the wildflower report: e-mail: or phone
Tony at 310-457-6408 |
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