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Page Revised: 6/9/06 |
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Available Sites Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Cyns |
Date of Review 6/7/06. |
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What's Blooming photo gallery: www.nps.gov/samo/bloom/bloom.htm |
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Cheeseboro & Palo Comado Canyons |
Various north-end trails |
Date: 6/7/06 |
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We are now moving away from the dramatic displays
of the early Spring flowering season and into the more subdued displays of
Summer. Many of the flowers reported earlier are now on the way out but in
compensation we begin to see some of the very beautiful Summer flowers. Among
these are the clarkias, penstemons and lilies, several of which are now
showing up in the north end of Cheeseboro. Trails visited include the
Albertson Motorway, Palo Comado Canyon Trail, Sheep Corral Trail, Cheeseboro
Ridge Trail, Sulfur Springs Trail, and Cheeseboro Canyon Trail. Much of the
lower section of this unit is literally choked with non-native grasses and
weeds but if you get up to the Northern end you are rewarded with some very
nice wildflower displays. Some sections of some of the trails are quite good
right now, but overall the quality of the flower display was quite variable
from place to place. Be aware that much of this unit was burned in last
fall's fires and has not been fully reopened for visitor use. Be sure to read
all posted signs to avoid entering closed areas. Some of the burned areas are
especially fragile right now. The vicinity of the intersection of
Sheep Corral Trail and Palo Comado Trails was quite good at least until we
dropped back down into the depths of the burn. It is interesting to see how
some of the burned areas are coming back primarily as non-native weeds, but
in other areas the native wildflowers are holding their own. My own curiosity
will certainly keep me watching the burned areas as the year progresses.
Similarly, sections of the Albertson Motorway vary considerably, but none as
bad as the weed choked lower end of the unit. Right now the Sulfur Springs
Trail is doing fairly well but it too is showing signs of drying up. Many of
the species blooming earlier in the season have finished up for the year or
are only lightly represented now. Highlights include lupines, paintbrush, datura,
purple nightshade, blue dick, primroses, popcorn flowers, golden stars, heart-leaved
and hillside penstemons, scarlet bugler, Rein orchid, and phacelias. The
sages are doing very well now as are the mariposa lilies, clarkias, monkey
flowers, morning glory, sunflowers, pincushions, golden stars, hooked
navarretia, sapphire wool stars, yucca, snapdragons, yarrow and even a few
early scarlet larkspur. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Poor to Good |
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Topanga State Park |
Santa Ynez Trail |
Date: 6/5/06 |
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This cool dark canyon makes a great
summer hike and is also worth a look in spring. At the trail head there is sticky monkey
flower, lupine and deerweed. Once you
get to the creek there is hedge nettle and white hedge nettle, purple
nightshade, canyon sunflower, golden yarrow, black sage and elder
flower. There is some lovely scarlet
monkey flower, California buckwheat, sweet pea, white nightshade, wild rose,
caterpillar phacelia and heart leaf penstemon. The Humboldt lilies are just starting and
the ones in bloom all seem to be dangling above the trail. There is also cinquefoil and large flower
phacelia. Leaving the riparian area
the trail rises into the chaparral.
There you find chamise, owls clover, Turkish rugging and white and
yellow pin cushion. There is quite a
bit of white snapdragon and scarlet bugler with dudleya and golden stars
peeping through. There is one patch
each of fleabane aster and sapphire wool stars. The riparian area is always a good place to
look for butterflies and the chaparral to look for lizards and snakes. (DS) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Leo Carrillo State Park |
Nicholas Flat Trail |
Date: 6/2/06 |
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Leo Carrillo Campground to Nicholas
Flat. The hike begins with a series of switchbacks up to a ridge. Wild Rose
and Gumplant can be seen in the beginning followed by Deerweed, Mustard,
Monkey Flower, Purple Nightshade, Sow Thistle, California Everlasting and Ashy
Buckwheat. Large clusters of Purple and Black Sage line the trail
interspersed with Morning Glory, Mariposa Lily and Indian Paintbrush.
Approaching the ridge we saw Scarlet Bugler and Southern Calif. Locoweed
which had finished blooming but had numerous seed pods. Along the ridge we
saw California Bay Laurel, Greenbark Ceanothus, Golden Yarrow, Bush
Sunflower, Parry's Phacelia and many Chaparral Yucca in full bloom. During a
second set of switchbacks which take you up to Nicholas Flat we encountered a
magnificent show of Purple Clarkia. On the final approach to the Flat we saw
Hedge Nettle, Crimson Pitcher Sage, Blue Eyed Grass, Yarrow, Red Stem
Filaree, Scarlet Pimpernel, Tomcat Clover, Wooly Blue Curl, Italian Thistle and
Common Vervain. Many of the plants
were in their last stages of flowering - we were on this trail four weeks ago
and while the show is diminished, it is still beautiful and worth the uphill
effort. Just beware of the heat - you are almost fully exposed to the sun for
the three miles up. You'll also have expansive views of the ocean and the
Boney Mountains on the way back down..
(R&AT) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Cold Creek Preserve
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Stunt High Trail & others |
Date: 6/1/06 |
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On the first day of June, 2006 we
hiked three trails which are accessed from trailheads on Stunt Rd, most in
the Cold Creek Preserve. Our objective was to check for Stream orchids first
in the Cold Creek Preserve then to check out the status of the chaparral peas
on Saddleback Peak area and finally to see if the brick red monkey flower
found last year on the trail to Topanga lookout was still extant. I am
pleased to report that all three objectives were met with outstanding
results. A large stand of Stream orchids, consisting of about two dozen
plants, all in full bloom were located along the creek about a quarter of a
mile above the lower gate to the trail. Up near the top of Saddleback Peak
dozens of profusely blooming chaparral peas were on display and finally the
brick red bush monkey flower was found in full bloom, but with smaller
flowers this year than last. Not only did we meet our objectives, but we also
recorded a total of 76 different species during the course of the hikes. The
flowers were abundant and in some cases, such as the Spanish broom, were
overpowering in color and fragrance. With almost no wind blowing the bouquet
from the broom was almost suffocating. Just walking from the parking area to
the gate (up the trail to the Stream orchids) we spotted heart-leaved
penstemon, golden yarrow, California everlasting, morning glory, greenbark
ceanothus, hedge mustard, red brome, sow thistle, Clarkia
(Farewell-to-spring?), mustard evening primrose, caterpillar phacelia, red
stem filaree, bush monkey flower, rip-gut brome, California buckwheat, coast
goosefoot, slender-leaf bedstraw, black mustard, sour clover, yellow star
thistle, canyon sunflower and cliff aster. Entering the gate we saw purple
sage, fern leaf phacelia, eucrypta, scarlet pimpernel, minute-flowered
popcorn flower, common bed straw, purple night shade, white nightshade,
fiesta flower, giant horsetail, wild blackberry, watercress and finally the
stream orchids Returning to the car we drove up to
the parking area near the intersection of Schueren Rd and Stunt Rd. Hiking up
toward Saddleback Peak we Saw Italian thistle, elderberry, deerweed, slender
oats, yellow Mariposa lily, chamise, black sage, blue dick, lance-leaf
live-forever, prickly phlox, Harding grass, hairy leaf ceanothus, Catalina
Mariposa lily, bush lupine, bigpod ceanothus, winter vetch and some escaped
African daisies. Also seen was fountain grass, foxtail barley, lots of
Spanish broom, wild oats, sticky madia, Chilean clover, wild sweet pea,
Indian pink and then the large quantities of chaparral pea. Continuing up
toward the top of the mountain we saw southern Tauschia, wooly blue curls,
Eastwood manzanita, blue larkspur, silver puff, large-flowered lotus, bur
clover, bush poppy, golden star and milk thistle.
We returned to the car and entered the trail to Topanga lookout.
Entering on the macadam road we noted holly-leaved redberry, virgin's bower,
chaparral honeysuckle, California filago, yucca and finally the brick red
bush monkey flower (UTM coordinates 49026E, 73046N at 2454 feet altitude). This hike rates an excellent on the
bloom-o-meter. (RWM) |
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Naturalist's rating: Excellent |
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Circle X Ranch |
Grotto Trail |
Date: 5/31/06 |
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We are now moving away from the
dramatic early Spring flowering season and into the more subdued displays of
Summer. As such, the shady area near the Grotto becomes a lot more attractive
as it gets hotter. The creek and falls still have a lot of water in them and
the tadpoles and newts are a delight for the young among us. When I was down
among the huge live oaks near the Grotto one of my favorites, the house wren,
was singing up a storm. Many of the flowers reported earlier are now on the
way out but in compensation we are beginning to see some of the very
beautiful flowers that appear later in the season. Among these are the
clarkias and lilies, several of which are now showing up on the Grotto Trail.
In addition, right now we are getting a pretty amazing second bloom of the
greenbark ceanothus. Indeed, it rivals a first bloom of some previous years.
Including the flowers encountered on the dirt road leading down to the
campgrounds we saw a respectable seventy species in bloom. Highlights included
golden yarrow, sugar bush, several different monkey flowers, California
buckwheat. deerweed, yucca, black sage, sunflowers, chamise, white and purple
nightshades, a few early woolly asters, elegant and purple clarkias, wild
morning glory, California blackberry, blue-eyed grass, blue dicks, red
skinned onion, chinese houses, angels gilia, lance-leaf dudleya, elderberry,
Catalina mariposa lily, heart-leaved penstemon, and crimson pitcher
sage. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Upper Solstice Canyon |
Backbone Trail |
Date: 5/24/06 |
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Backbone Trail from Corral Canyon Rd.
toward Castro Crest This is a perfect hike to see
chaparral recovering from fire and to see flowers that are seldom seen except
after fires. The hillside is covered
with the blackened skeletons of burnt shrubs.
Underneath is a carpet of flowers.
Twining snapdragon, small evening primrose, fern leaf phacelia and the
impressive large flower phacelia spread for as far as the eye can see. There are also wild cucumber, eucrypta and
monkey flower. A bit further along the
trail these flowers are joined by whispering bells, Brewer's red maids and
globe gilia. There are a few
collarless poppies here and there. Also blue dicks, mariposa lilies and
mustard evening primrose. When you cross out of the burned area
you have an excellent opportunity to see what the flora would look like had
it not burned. Here there are
flowering yucca, California buckwheat, sticky monkey flower, purple
nightshade, golden yarrow, wild morning glory, bush sunflower, chamise,
popcorn flower and California everlasting.
There are also wooly blue curls, lots of rock rose, caterpillar
phacelia, purple clarkia and red skinned onion growing in a flowing creek. (DS) |
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Naturalist's rating: Excellent |
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Newton and Upper
Solstice Canyons |
Backbone Trail |
Date: 5/20/06 |
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Backbone Trail Sections including Kanan
Road to Latigo Canyon Road and crossing over Latigo Canyon Road and
continuing to the end of Corral Canyon Road through Upper Solstice Canyon. This hike was a make-up of the fifth
of the 2005-2006 Backbone Trail NPS Series.
The originally scheduled hike was rained out on March 11th and
rescheduled. For the wildflower
enthusiast, the rescheduled hike was a blessing in disguise as we encountered
at least 94 flowering plants. The
weather began overcast, but soon cleared to sunny conditions. The total hike distance was approximately
6.5 miles. Starting at the overflow parking area
just north of the main Kanan Road trailhead we went down to the main Backbone
Trail junction and proceeded south towards the Newton Canyon waterfalls. From the parking area we noticed black
mustard, Spanish broom, sticky monkey flower, deer weed, yucca, tree tobacco,
yellow sweet clover, milk thistle, big pod ceanothus, chicory, black sage,
chamise, and red-stemmed filaree. Once
on the trail we spotted caterpillar phacelia, purple nightshade, popcorn
flower, scarlet pimpernel, greenbark ceanothus, wishbone bush, windmill pink,
eucrypta, heart leafed penstemon, sugar bush, California everlasting, parry's
phacelia, wild cucumber, figwort, miner's lettuce, fiesta flower, hedge
nettle, canyon sunflower, bur-chervil, snowberry, holly leafed cherry,
willow-herb clarkia, purple clarkia, blue larkspur, horehound, and golden
yarrow. As the trail emerged from Newton
Canyon we continued up and over the tunnel and east towards Latigo Canyon
Road. Along the way we identified
mountain mahogany, cobweb thistle, Indian paintbrush, elderberry, California
buckwheat, coulter's lupine, vervain, chinese houses, bedstraw, chia, bush lupine,
sticky cinquefoil, scarlet pitcher sage, blue-eyed grass, wild hyacinth,
canyon pea, mariposa lily, purple sage, dove lupine, coast live oak, coffee
berry, California black walnut, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, morning glory,
woodland stars, slender sunflower, globe gilia, and foothill penstemon. Crossing Latigo Canyon Road we noted
bush poppy, Indian pink, milkmaids, elegant clarkia, stinging lupine, poison
oak, wooly blue curls, yellow monkey flower, rock rose, long-beaked filaree,
common groundsel, and fern-leaved phacelia.
Continuing down into Upper Solstice Canyon we observed tomcat clover,
scarlet bugler, blackberry, collarless poppy, red-skinned onion, globe lily,
twining snapdragon, star lily, skullcap, Turkish rugging. Just before the end of the trail at the top
of Corral Canyon Road we entered a recently burned area covered with large
flowered phacelia, coastal lotus, red maids, and small evening primrose. (GS) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Point Mugu State park |
Various south-west corner trails |
Date: 5/19/06 |
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We started at the Chumash trailhead
and hiked up the steep hill to the Mugu Peak trail and then to the La Jolla
Valley Loop trail and finally down to the coast on the La Jolla Canyon trail.
We had a friend drop us off at the Chumash trailhead so that we could walk
back to the car we left at the La Jolla Trailhead. This avoids the two mile
hike along PCH between these two trailheads. In paces we ran into both wood
ticks and mosquitoes so protective clothing and perhaps repellent might be a
good idea. These trails are narrow and poison
oak is right along the edge of the trail in several places. If you are
not familiar with it you might want to bring a friend who is. As with most
trails that pass through multiple ecosystems there was a good variety of
flowers, almost a hundred different in bloom, some in good quantities.
Highlights include wild morning glory, giant coreopsis, canyon sunflower,
Indian paintbrush, bush monkey flower, creek monkey flower, scarlet monkey
flower, deerweed, bush mallow, black sage, purple sage, scarlet pitcher sage,
yarrow, golden yarrow, cliff aster, Catalina mariposa lily, blue-eyed grass,
yucca, oxalis, lance-leaf live-forever, wishbone bush, blue dicks, Southern
California locoweed, Parry's phacelia, caterpillar phacelia, both bigpod
ceanothus and greenbark ceanothus in a second bloom, bladderpod, Coulter's
lupine, bush lupine, purple and white nightshade, chinese houses, golden stars,
blue larkspur, Indian pink, hedge nettle, elderberry, Carolina geranium,
snowberry, California blackberry, sticky cinquefoil, California figwort,
gumplant, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, willow-herb clarkia,
farewell-to-spring, and California loosestrife. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Rancho Sierra Vista |
Satwiwa Garden |
Date: 5/14/06 |
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There is a nice display of
wildflowers at the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa Native Plant Garden. You can see
creek monkey flower (yellow with red spots), sticky monkey flower, onions,
golden currant (berries), fuchsia flowered gooseberry (berries), all three
sages (black, purple and white) and hummingbird sage too. Lots of native
grasses are in the fenced area which protects them from the native rabbits.
At the beginning of the garden path are bladderpod, both yellow and white
yarrow and lots of prickly pear cactus (both flowers and fruits). The little garden path has a lot of flowers
to see, plus (on weekends) you can visit the beautiful artwork display at the
Satwiwa Culture Center. Of course, on any day you can come and walk around
the area or walk onto the Satwiwa loop trail and see fields of non native
mustard (yellow) and radish (pink, white and rose) as well as the flowers of
purple vetch sticking up among them.
(SB) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Topanga State Park |
Hondo Canyon & Topanga Meadows |
Date: 5/11/06 |
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The creek runs right alongside Old
Topanga Rd. Find rocks to scramble
across on and the trail takes you up to a meadow that is filled with blue
eyed grass interspersed with mariposa lilies and buttercups, rigid hedge
nettle stands at the edge of the woods.
The trail climbs through the meadow and enters the woods where there
are deerweed, canyon sunflower and sticky monkey flower. There is an area that is completely covered
in hummingbird sage. Just beautiful. (DS) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Santa
Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 West
Hillcrest Drive 805-370-2301 |
Thank
you for your
contributions: Burt
Elliot |
If you
would like to contribute to the wildflower report: e-mail: or phone
Tony at 310-457-6408 |
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