04-17-03 Update |
|||
|
First to the Antelope Valley, which continues to be
outstanding—although not quite as good as a week or two ago. The
Antelope Valley
California Poppy Reserve
west of Lancaster reports that the hills are still brilliantly green and
orange. Guided walks are held at the Reserve on Saturdays and Sundays at
11am and 1pm. Make sure to pick a sunny, relatively windless day to visit
so you can see the poppies with their petals fully unfurled. The Reserve’s
information line is (661) 724-1180. Peak bloom is now underway at Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area just south of Gorman off Interstate 5. There is a riot of yellow provided by spectacular displays of desert goldfields (Lasthenia chrysostoma), coreopsis (Coreopsis californica), desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), wild parsley (Lomatium mohavense), and Spencer primrose (Camissonia ignota). White and purple are added to the mix by broad-flowered gilia (Gilia latiflora), popcorn flower (Cryptantha sp.), and silver bush lupine (Lupinus excubitus). To reach Hungry Valley, call (661) 248-7007. Don’t forget to check out the roads around Hungry Valley, particularly the legendary Gorman Post Road, which are also bursting with wildflowers. Botanist Jim Andre tells the Hotline that the Mojave Desert is quietly experiencing, without great fanfare or press, a very good bloom. Color is peaking right now in the Mojave National Preserve north of Interstate 40. Also check out Highway 395 from Kramer’s Junction to the Owens Valley in the west Mojave, and Highway 14 from the town of Mojave northward. Flowering has also been spectacular along the Colorado River from Needles to Parker. Other Mojave locations are doing fairly well, if not better than average, with the exception of the Death Valley region and the Interstate 10 corridor from Blythe to Palm Springs, neither of which received abundant rain this year. Click here to read an article from the Inyo Valley Register about wildflower blooms in the Owens Valley As mentioned, Death Valley National Park is on the dry side this year. Still, a spring bloom is finally getting underway here and there. In his online update, ranger Charlie Callagan advises looking along Scotty’s Castle Road, Mud Canyon Road, and the southern end of Badwater Road for low-growing flowers. Cottonwood Canyon Road (which requires four-wheel drive) is also a colorful spot. In the southeast corner of the park, Ibex Spring Road from Highway 127 toward Saratoga Spring Road (a dirt road) is reported to be spectacular, with poppies, primroses, and clumps of desert five-spot (Eremalche rotundifolium) carpeting the hills on both sides. The Death Valley visitor information number is (760) 786-3200. Photographer Spencer Westbrook writes that, although the flowers in Cuyama Valley are now turning to seed, Cerro Noroeste Road (aka Mil Potrero Highway/Cuddy Road) along the Ventura/Kern county border is a beautiful drive. Klipstein Canyon Road, which intersects Cerro Noroeste Road, drops you down into a small canyon that is positively carpeted with cream cups (Platystemon californicus), poppies, and phacelia. Klipstein Canyon Road does not go through, so park and explore the flowers by foot. Be on the lookout for the deep orange wind poppies (Stylomecon heterophylla), which look more like Iceland poppies than our familiar California poppies. Another excellent spot is Highway 58 at Shell Creek Road (19 miles east of Santa Margarita, between San Luis Obispo to the south and Atascadero to the north). Here you will be treated to a vista of multicolored wildflowers spread beneath native oaks. There are at least twenty species of wildflowers in bloom here, including lupines, poppies, checkerbloom (Sidalcea malvaeflora), and blazing star (Mentzelia sp.). Continuing up to Monterey County, the fields of Fort Hunter Liggett (which is open to the public) are now sporting swathes of red, orange, yellow, and blue in the form of owl’s clover, poppies, goldfields, and lupines, especially outside the entry to the San Antonio Mission. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, meanwhile, is bursting with dozens of incredible bloomers, from show-stopping California lilacs, penstemons (Penstemon spectabilis, P. heterophyllus, P. centranthifolius, P. x parishii), Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri), and sages (Salvia columbariae, S. spathacea, S. brandegeei, S. leucophylla, S. mellifera, and cultivars) to graceful and delicate meadow rue (Thalictrum polycarpum fendleri), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), pink-flowered currant (Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum), and coral bells (Heuchera spp. and cultivars). Shrubs and trees lighting up the garden now include California buckeyes (Aesculus californica), western redbuds (Cercis occidentalis), flannel bushes (Fremontodendron spp. and cultivars), and various species of manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.) In and around the Garden’s meadow, look for farewell-to-spring (Clarkia spp.), California poppies, meadowfoam (Limnanthes douglasii), many-flowered linanthus (Linanthus floribundus nuttallii), arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus), baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii), and California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus), among many others. Don’t miss the Garden while it is at its peak. Now for our weekly check of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve courtesy of Tom Chester. Flowers have peaked for the season; the display of ground pinks and popcorn flowers is gone, and Johnny jump-ups (Viola pedunculata) are no longer at peak display. However, there is still plenty of color all over the Reserve. Visit the Vernal Pool Trail for (among others) blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) and western buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis), along with a lovely cluster of endangered thread-leaved brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia) next to the Main Vernal Pool. You can reach the Reserve at (909) 677-6951. Learn more about what’s blooming at the Reserve by clicking here.
There are no wildflower carpets at Eaton Canyon Natural Area at the foot of the San Gabriels, but it is still worth a visit. Naturalist Helen Wong says that it is beginning to look a lot like spring at the Canyon. There is a small but colorful collection of California lilacs (Ceanothus sp.) and showy penstemons (Penstemon spectabilis), and the oaks are especially lush and green. The buckwheats (Eriogonum fasciculatum) along the stream area are in bud and soon to be exploding with blooms, and the black sages (Salvia mellifera) look quite beautiful alongside their frequent companion, California bush sunflower (Encelia californica).
Heading for San Diego county, Cabrillo National Monument reports an abundance of yellow provided by golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), California bush sunflower, seaside coreopsis (Coreopsis maritima), goldfields (Lasthenia californica), bladderpod (Isomeris arborea), and slender tarweed (Hemizonia fasciculata). For orange, red, pink, and lavender, look for poppies, Indian paintbrush (Castilleja spp.), ground pinks (Linanthus dianthiflorus), black sage, and phacelia. If you need more information, call the Monument at (619) 557-5450.
Nearby, north of San Diego at Torrey Pines State Reserve, blooms are at their best along the Guy Fleming Trail and the Parry Grove Trail. Here you’ll find a ready supply of coreopsis, blue dicks, California bush sunflower, sand verbena (Abronia villosa), and red monkeyflower (Mimulus puniceus). Guided nature walks are held every weekend at 10am and 2pm. You can reach the Reserve at (858) 755-2063.
East of San Diego in Descanso, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park continues to boast a wide collection of blooms in all colors—baby blue eyes in pastel blue, checkerbloom (Sidalcea malvaeflora) and red maids (Calandrinia ciliata) in strong pink, Johnny jump-ups and goldfields in golden yellow, cream cups and Cuyamaca meadowfoam (Limnanthes gracilis var. parishii) in ivory white, owl’s clover in crimson, and miniature lupine (Lupinus bicolor) in blue and violet. Park information is available at (760) 765-0755. Last but not least, here at the Theodore Payne Foundation the plants in our nursery and on our grounds continue to blossom. Our glorious Matilija poppies (Romneya x coulteri) are fluttering into bloom early this year along with ultra-fragrant woolly blue curls (Trichostema lanatum), phacelia, poppies, chia, penstemons, sages, and more. Call us at (818) 768-1802 and visit us Tuesday through Saturday. |
