Friday, March 24, 2006

The Payne Foundation will be conducting its annual Garden Tour at its site in Sun Valley on April 1^st and 2^nd. There are thirty-one gardens in all, and many native plants will be in bloom. Call (818) 768-1802 for more information.

The season is finally getting underway at the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve. We doubt we’ll see vast carpets of poppies this year due to lack of rain, but there’s still a lot of color to be found. In addition to the golden poppies (Eschscholzia californica) in bloom, some lupine are in flower and goldfields have begun to carpet the hillsides. Thanks to the recent rains the poppies are enjoying a second germination, so the show will be much better in two to three weeks.

With our local mountains mostly covered in snow, you need to stick to the lower elevations for wildflower viewing. The Ceanothus in Pacoima Canyon are still in spectacular display, with blue-flowered species now joining the white-flowered buckbrush in bloom. Along Angeles Crest and Angeles Forest Highways you’ll also find lots of manzanita, sticky monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus) and sugarbush (Rhus ovata) in flower.

Lots of flowers are in bloom at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Claremont. Among the many species in flower are blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), baby blue-eyes (Nemophila menziesii), California golden poppy, goldfields (Lasthenia californica), flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum), bush poppy, sticky monkeyflower and several species of ceanothus. The garden features outstanding examples of all four of California’s major botanical zones. Rancho Santa Ana is located off of Foothill Blvd. just east of Indian Hill in Claremont.

At El Dorado Park on Spring Street in Long Beach are baby blue-eyes, blue-eyed grass, Douglas’ iris (Iris douglasiana), Hooker’s evening primrose (Oenothera elata), prickly pear cacti (Opuntia erinecea) and woolly blue-curls (Trichostema lanatum) in bloom.

Many species are in bloom on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park. Among them are golden poppy, coastal wallflower (Erysimum ammophilum), wild hyacinth (Dicholostema capitatum), sharp-tooth sanicle (Sanicula arguta), chaparral zigadene (Zigadenus fremontii), caraway-leaf lomatium (Lomatium caruifolium), North Channel Islands morning glory (Calystegia macrostegia ssp. macrostegia), shooting stars (Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. insulare), Santa Rosa Island manzanita (Arctostaphylos confertiflora), island big-pod ceanothus (Ceanothus megacarpus ssp. insularis) and island ceanothus (Ceanothus arboreus). The park is home to dozens of plant species found nowhere else in the world.

The show is just getting started at Carrizo Plain National Monument west of Bakersfield. Don’t expect the vast carpets of flowers we had last year, but there will still be some nice displays when the flowers peak in the next couple of weeks. Among the species in bloom are goldfields, fiddleneck, lupine and baby blue-eyes.

In the Bakersfield area, along Highway 119 between Enos Lane and Tupman Road are some wonderful displays of alkasink goldfields (Lasthenia ferrisiae).

The flowers are coming out nicely in the Kern River Canyon above Lake Isabella. Along the roadway are white layia (Layia glandulosa), Acton’s encelia (Encelia actoni), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), golden poppy and California coreopsis (Coreopsis californica) in bloom.

Ali Sheehey will be hosting the Kern River/Southern Sierra Bioregions Festival on April 29 and April 30 – tour the eastern Kern River Valley and the Eastern Sierra on Saturday the 29^th, and visit the Southern High Sierra on Sunday the 30^th, from 7:00 A.M. until dark both days. “Nature Ali” is an expert on the flora, fauna and geology of the Kern River drainage. Check out her website at http://www.natureali.org. Cost is $45.00 for one day, $75.00 for both days. Email natureali@ixpres.com for information.

Deserts

At Death Valley National Park there is a nice variety of natives blooming along Highway 190 near the west entrance to the park. You should find gravel ghost (Atrichoseris platyphylla), Bigelow’s monkeyflower (Mimulus bigelovii), evening primrose and desert star (Monoptilon belliodes). There is still quite a bit of desert gold (Eschscholzia glyptosperma)in bloom near Ashford Mills, and the washes between here and Jubilee Pass feature Arizona lupine (Lupinus arizonicus), gravel ghost, Bigelow’s monkeyflower and notch-leaf phacelia.

At Joshua Tree National Park you will find scattered examples of chuperosa (Justicia californica), bladderpod (Isomeris arborea), brittlebush (Encelia californica), chia (Salvia columbariae) and brown-eyed evening primrose (Camissonia claviformis) near the South Entrance. Along Pinto Basin Road is a spectacular display of bladderpod. Upper elevations of the park received significant precipitation over the past couple of weeks, so expect a good bloom to occur by in these areas by the second week of April.

In the Eastern Sierra, the best wildflower viewing right now is along Bowman Road, off of Highway 395 towards the town of Ridgecrest. Along this road you’ll find widow’s milkvetch (Astragalus layneae), desert sand verbena (Abronia villosa), cushion cats-eye (Cryptantha circumscissa), Panamint cats-eye (Cryptantha angustifolia) and desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata) among the many species in bloom.

Northern California

The flowers are coming out at Henry Coe State Park near San Jose. Among the many species in bloom are big-berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca), red maids (Calandrinia cilata), milk maids (Cardamine californica), miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), padre’s shooting star (Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. patalum), woodland shooting star (Dodecatheon hendersonii), golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica), goldfields (Lasthenia californica), Indian warrior (Pedicularis densiflora), California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus) and Johnny jump-up (Viola pedunculata). Henry Coe State Park is the largest in the state park system, with over 87,000 acres of wilderness. Incidentally, for wildflower lovers who also like to fish, Henry Coe features one of the few walk-in bass fishing destinations in California. To reach the park, exit the 101 Freeway at East Dunne Avenue in Morgan Hill and proceed east to the park.

Pacheco State Park still has some nice wildflower displays. Venture off the park’s trails to find shooting stars (Dodecatheon pulchellum), Johnny jump-ups (Viola pedunculata), fiddleneck, golden poppies, goldfields, butter and eggs (Linaria vulgaris), lomatium (Lomatium californicum), buttercups (Claytonia perfoliata) and miner’s lettuce. The park is located off of Highway 152 at Dinosaur Point Road between the towns of Los Banos and Gilroy.

Mt. Diablo State Park continues to have some nice displays of wildflowers. Look for wild cucumber (Marah fabaceus), golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja exserta), bluewitch (Solanum umbelliferum), blue dicks, California buttercup and shooting stars. To reach the park, exit Interstate 680 at Diablo Road and proceed three miles east to Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd.

Pinnacles National Monument isn’t seeing the profuse bloom of last year, but there are still a number of species in flower. Among them are bladder parsnip (Lomatium utriculatum), fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia), milk maids (Cardimine californica, Douglas’ wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), big-berried manzanita (Actostaphylos glauca), bush lupine (Lupinus albofrons) and bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida). Look for the peak bloom period to occur by the middle of April.

In the Southern Sierras, as you follow Highway 190 along the Tule River you’ll see a nice variety of wildflowers. Among them are red maids (Calandrinia ciliata), checker fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata), baby blue-eyes, popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys nothofulvus), sticky monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), bush lupine (Lupinus albifrons), wild lilac (Ceanothus ssp.) and western redbud (Cercis occidentalis).

Wildflower Walks and Events

Theodore Payne Foundation:

3^rd Annual Garden Tour – April 1 and April 2 – Tour all 31 gardens at the Payne Foundation in Sun Valley. Call (818) 768-1802 for more information.

Kern River/Southern Sierra:

Bioregions Festival – April 29 and April 30 – Tour the eastern Kern River Valley and the Eastern Sierra on Saturday the 29^th, and visit the Southern High Sierra on Sunday the 30^th. From 7:00 A.M. until dark. Cost is $45.00 for one day, $75.00 for both days. Email natureali@ixpres.com for information.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area:

Leo Carillo State Park – Adventure With a Ranger – Every Sunday at 9:00 A.M.

Pt. Mugu State Park – Adventure With a Ranger – Every Saturday at 9:00 A.M.

Coachella Valley:

The Living Desert sponsors wildflower walks to hotspots in the Coachella Valley each Wednesday through April 12. The cost is $35.00, and reservations are required. Call 760-346-5694, Ext. 2502 for details.

Placerita Canyon Nature Center:

Wildflower Walks – Saturday, April 9 and Saturday, May 14 – 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

Eaton Canyon Nature Center:

Field Trips In Nature – a two hour class for children 5 and up. Cost is $5.00 per child. Call 626-398-5420 for information.

El Dorado Nature Center:

Discovery Tours – two-hour guided tour. Cost is $4.00 per person. Call 562-570-1745 for reservations.

Henry Coe State Park:

Wildflower Walks – Sunday, March 26 at 11:00 A.M and 2:00 P.M.; Sunday, April 2 at 11:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M.