Overview

The abnormally warm spring weather is bringing out the flowers in many popular areas such as the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve and Figueroa Mountain near Santa Barbara.  However, unseasonable temperatures in the 90’s are making the show in low desert areas such as Death Valley and the Coachella Valley memorable but short.  For desert wildflower viewing, the best bet for the next few weeks would be to visit the high desert areas.

This has been an extraordinary year for blooming shrubs.  In most areas of the Southern California mountains the ceanothus and manzanita are in full bloom.

High Desert

Near Lancaster, the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve  is showing signs of life.  Many small poppy plants (Eschscholzia californica) are ready to bloom, and along the roadsides are joined by fiddleneck, filaree, gilia and lupines.  On the reserve’s east side you can find poppies, blue dicks (Dichelostema capitatum) and pygmy lupine in bloom on south-facing slopes.  On the west side these flowers are accompanied by blooming bush lupines.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park still has a nice display of sand verbena (Abronia villosa), desert evening primrose (Oenthera primaveris), desert sunflowers and brown-eyed evening primrose (Camissonia claviformis) along Borrego Valley Road to Henderson Canyon Road.  The canyons are in full bloom; visit Smoketree Wash, Calcite Mine Canyon, Hawks Canyon and Palm Canyon for desert lavendar, orange and red chuperosa (Justicia californica), creosote (Larrea tridentata), white sage (Salvia apiana) and brittlebush (Encelia californica).  And throughout the park the ocotillo (Fouquieri  splendens) are in bright, red color.

From Interstate 10 to the south entrance to Joshua Tree National Park  you will see golden poppies, chia, brown-eyed evening primrose, wild heliotrope, bladderpod and desert stars (Monoptilon bellidiforme).  Throughout the park the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) and mojave yuccas (Yucca schidigera) continue to bloom.  The area around the south entrance is reporting a wonderful show right now, with dozens of species in bloom.

 A drive up Highway 74 north of Palm Springs reveals indigo bush, brittlebush, desert mallow and desert lavendar in bloom to 2000 feet elevation.  Below 4000 feet you can see desert rock pea, fremont pincusion, filaree, popcorn flower and California evening primrose.  Above 4000 feet the mountain mahogony, desert apricot and wild plum are in bloom.

San Joaquin Valley

The Keysville area has a nice carpet of goldfields (Lasthenia californica), with popcorn flowers mixed in.  Along the Kern River near Lake Isabella you will find rock cress and locoweed in bloom.  The Kern River Preserve has thistle sage, chia, popcorn flower, golden poppies, Bigelow’s coreopsis, red maids and cream cups in bloom.

Central Coast

Figueroa Mountain north of Santa Barbara is, with ample justification, a popular wildflower destination.  Although the stunning carpets of lupines and poppies are about two weeks away, there are a large variety of flowers in bloom right now.  Starting up Figueroa Mountain Road you will see golden poppies, Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla), hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea), shooting stars, blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), fiesta flowers, blue dicks and many other wildflower varieties all over the hills.  At higher elevations add goldfields to the list; in fact, there are several fields covered in them.  At Vista Point the short-lived chocolate lilies (Frilillaria biflora) are in bloom.  These lilies only bloom for about two weeks, so now is the time to see them.

When you reach the burned Cachuma Saddle Station turn right onto Happy Canyon Road.  In this area you will see hillsides of sky lupine, as well as prickly phlox (Leptodactylon californicum), purple nightshade (Solanum xanti), fiddlenecks, bush poppies (Dendremecon rigida) and shooting stars.  About two miles past Cachuma Campground there is a field of Catalina mariposa lilies (Calochortus catalinae) in bloom on the right.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is also a wonderful place to see native wildflowers in this area.  Currently blooming at the garden are baby blue eyes, blue-eyed grass, camissonia, coral bells, desert mallow, flannel bush, giant coreopsis, island bush snapdragon, meadowfoam, purple sage and several species of live-forever, iris, manzanita and California lilac.

The hills above Ojai are alive with spectacular California lilacs (Ceanothus sp.).  A drive up Matilija Road reveals broad swaths of pale blues and whites across the hillsides.  A walk up Matilija Creek at the end of the road leads us to some stunning specimens over twenty feet tall and in full bloom.  There are also some nice shows of lupine in the area.

Los Angeles

The local mountains are beginning to show a lot of color.  Along Big and Little Tujunga, Arroyo Seco and Chantry Flats Roads between 4,000 and 5,000 feet in elevation the California lilacs are enjoying one of their best blooms in recent years, as are various manzanita species.  At lower elevations you will find mountain mahogony, mule fat, honeysuckle and filaree in bloom.

Catalina Island continues its nice spring show with silver lupine, arroyo lupine, Johnny jump-up, bush poppies and golden poppies in bloom, along with some Indian paintbrush, wishbone, bladderpod and Catalina cherry.

Orange County

In the Santa Ana Mountains of Orange County, a drive along Ortega Highway or Wildamar Road reveals both white and blue California lilacs in full bloom, along with gilia, deer weed, bush monkeyflowers, phlox, Indian paintbrush and wild cucumber.

Riley Regional Wilderness Park in Orange County has a nice showing of flowers, both in the Butterfly Garden and in the area’s trails.  In the garden you can find bladderpod, blue-eyed grass, several species of ceanothus, fiddleneck, pink chaparral currant, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, Douglas’ iris, giant lupine, several species of sage, and wooly blue curls in bloom.  On the Oak Canyon trail you can see Mexican elderberry (Sambucus mexicana), bush monkey flowers, purple vetch and windmill pink.

Low Desert

Record high temperatures are beginning to short-circuit the wildflower bloom on the floor of Death Valley, but higher elevations are still putting on a nice show.  In particular, the south end of Badwater road, both east and west of Salsberry Pass, has beautiful fields of desert dandelion, chicory, Fremont pincusion, Fremont phacelia, golden evening primrose and gravel ghost.  People with four-wheel drive should check out Echo Canyon and Warm Springs Canyon.

Northern California

The north state is just beginning to swing into wildflower season.  A great place to visit now is Pinnacles National Monument.  The best viewing is in the High Peaks area and Balconies Cliffs.  Currently in bloom are baby blue-eyes (Nemophilia menziesii), black sage (Salvia mellifera), bladder parsnip (Lomatium utriculatum), blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum), bush lupine (Lupinus albifrons), golden poppies, Douglas’ wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), Fremont’s star lily (Zigadenus fremontii), hedge nettle (Stachys bullata), Indian warrior (Pedicularis densiflora), padre’s shooting stars (Dodecatheon clevelandii), and sticky monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus) as well as yellow monkey flower (mimulus guttatus).

In the Clear Lake area the western redbuds are in full bloom.  In the Bear Valley area the redbuds are joined by lupine, narroleaf goldnebush and filaree.

Along Route 198 to Kings Canyon the western redbuds are out in full force.  Also in the area you can see miner’s lettuce, Johnny jump-ups and goldfields in bloom.

Henry Coe State Park near San Jose is almost in full swing.  Here you will see common fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia), red maids (Calandrinia ciliata), milkmaids (Cardamine californica), hill sun cup (Camissonia graciliflora),, blue dicks, California poppy, bird’s eye gilia (Gilia tricolor), ground iris (Iris macrosiphon), goldfields, miniature lupine (Lupinus bicolor), white baby blue-eyes (Nemophilia menziesii ssp. atomaria), slender phlox (Phlox gracilis), blue-eyed grass, serrated onion (Allium serra), scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), Indian paintbrush, wooly Indian paintbrush (Castilleja foliolosa), pipestems (clematis lasiantha) and dozens of other species.

...And don't forget, an excellent way to see California Native Plants in bloom is on the Theodore Payne Native Garden Tour on Sunday, March 28th. Gardens on the tour are reporting that ceanothus, penstemon, ribes, mimulus, heuchera and many wildflowers will be in full bloom for the tour.