Aesculus californica
Heracleum maximum
Cornus sericea
Tellima grandiflora
Holodiscus discolor
Crassula connata
Micropus californicus
Plectritis congesta s brachystemon
Drymocallis glandulosa
Trifolium willdenovii
Anthoxanthum occidentale
Rosa gymnocarpa
NEW
– Buckeye (Aesculus californica), a deciduous tree has leafed out and is just starting to bloom with white clusters.
– Cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum) is blooming white in meadows with large umbrella flowers.
– Creek dogwood (Cornus sericea) is blooming with white clusters beside the bridge in Three Groves.
– Fringe cups (Tellima grandiflora) is blooming in forests with fringed cream cups that turn pink when they’re pollinated.
– Ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor), a shrub, is blooming with white sprays in forests.
– Pigmy weed (Crassula connata), a small succulent, is blooming red in sun on rocks.
– Q-tips (Micropus californicus) is blooming small, white and furry on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Shortspur seablush (Plectritis congesta s brachystemon) with its domes of pink flowers is blooming in meadows.
– Sticky cinquefoil (Drymocallis glandulosa) is blooming butter yellow at forest edge.
– Tomcat clover (Trifolium willdenovii) is blooming purple on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Vanilla grass (Anthoxanthum occidentale) common on Mt Tam, rare in Homestead. Find it blooming above Three Groves.
– Wood rose (Rosa gymnocarpa) is blooming bright pink in forests.
Forests
– Broadleaf hellebore* (Epipactis helleborine), an orchid native to Eurasia, is blooming green and pink in forests.
– Checker lily (Fritillaria affinis) with its yellow spotted chocolate bells is blooming in meadows at forest edge.
– Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) is blooming white in forests.
– Feathery false lily of the valley (Maianthemum racemosum), very fragrant, with white flowers is blooming in forests.
– Giant trillium (Trillium chloropetalum) is blooming in forests.
– Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) blooms with small white flowers. Unusual in Homestead, find it blooming in the forest understory below 14.
– Indian warrior (Pedicularis densiflora) blooms in large colonies making it one of the most showy flowers in Homestead. A hillside of it is blooming now with burgundy plumes at the unmarked junction 15 on the Homestead Trail.
– Manroot (Marah fabaceus), a wild cucumber is blooming white on fresh green vines in forests.
– Meadow rue (Thalictrum fendleri v. polycarpum) with delicate white or pink tassels is blooming in forests.
– Pacific star flower (Lysimachia latifolia) is blooming with pink star flowers in forests.
– Pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) with its heart-shaped pink flowers is blooming under redwoods.
– Pacific sanicle (Sanicula crassicaulis) blooms with dark mustard flowers in forests.
– Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) is blooming with small white flowers in forests.
– Spotted coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata) is blooming with white flowers on red stalks in forests.
– Starry false lily of the valley (Maianthemum stellatum) is blooming white in forests.
– Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) is just leafing out for the season and is blooming white in forests.
– Wood sweet-cicely (Osmorhiza berteroi) is blooming in forests with small white flowers.
Forest Edge
– Blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) is blooming blue at forest’s edge.
– California blackberry (Rubus ursinus) is blooming white climbing over brush on Homestead Hill.
– California plantain (Plantago erecta), small and delicate, see it blooming in rocky margins of meadows.
– Canyon nemophila (Nemophila heterophylla), a delicate white flower is blooming at forest edge.
– Crimson Columbine (Aquilegia formosa) is blooming with its distinctive red and yellow flowers at forest edge.
– Figwort (Scrophularia californica) blooms with its uniquely shaped russet flower blooms at forest edge.
– Hedgenettle (Stachys rigida quercetorum) with purple flower towers is blooming at forest edge.
– Starry false lily of the valley (Maianthemum stellatum) is blooming white in forests.
– Fairy bells (Prosartes hookeri) is hard to spot as its bell flower hangs below the leaves of this small forest plant seen blooming near 11a.
– Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is blooming with small white flowers over fleshy disks in wet places.
– Pacific pea (Lathyrus vestitus var vestitus) is blooming pink at forest edge.
– Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), a large shrub, is blooming with white clusters.
– Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is blooming white on Homestead Hill.
Meadow
– Barberry (Berberis pinnata), a small shrub, is blooming with yellow, fragrant flowers in meadows on Homestead Hill.
– Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) is blooming blue in meadows.
– California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus) is blooming shiny yellow in meadows.
– California goldfields (Lasthenia californica) can be a carpet of yellow but is mostly scattered yellow in meadows this year.
– California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) with its bright orange bell blooms in meadows.
– Dwarf checkerbloom (Sidalcea malviflora ssp. malviflora) is blooming pink with its first blooms of the season on Homestead Hill.
– Field madder* (Sherardia arvensis), native to the Mediterranean, is blooming with small pink flowers in meadows.
– Ground Iris (Iris macrosiphon) is blooming deep purple on Homestead Hill.
– California blackberry (Rubus ursinus) is blooming white climbing over brush on Homestead Hill.
– Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) is blooming with small white flowers over fleshy disks in wet places.
– Oakland star tulip (Calochortus umbellatus) is blooming with pale blooms near the ground on the trail below 4-Corners.
– Owl’s clover (Castilleja densiflora) is blooming pink and yellow in meadows.
– Pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea) blooming yellow in meadows.
– Purple sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida) is blooming with burgundy balls in meadows.
– Purple western morning glory (Calystegia purpurata s. purpurata) is blooming in meadows.
– Shepherd’s needle* (Scandix pecten-veneris), native to Eurasia, is blooming white in meadows.
– Silver lupine (Lupinus albifrons) is blooming with large purple flowers in meadows.
– Sky lupin (Lupinus nanus) is blooming blue near the ground on Homestead Hill.
– Spring gold (Lomatium utriculatum) is blooming with ground hugging yellow clusters on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Sun cup (Taraxia ovata) with its bright yellow flowers is blooming on Homestead Hill.
*non-native
Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.
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