NEW
– Fremont’s deathcamas is blooming white below Amaranth.
– Ground iris is blooming white below Amaranth.
– Spring gold is blooming yellow on the Ridgewood Rock.

Forests
Starting
– Indian warrior is coming up all over in the area – 15 right along the Homestead Trail – that we finished clearing a few months ago. A few blooms are showing their crimson colors but the scope of the patch will only become clear later in the season when the hillside blooms.
– Manroot, a native vine with large maple-shaped leaves is blooming white as it climbs.
– Milkmaids, a pretty white flower with arugula-tasting leaves is blooming in forests.
– Oso berry, our native plum, is just starting to bloom on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Trilium are bright white in their bed of three green leaves on the forest floor.
Peaking
– Fetid adder’s tongue, one of our most exotic blooms is blooming in large patches.
– Green wattle acacia tree native to Australia is starting to bloom with its bright yellow puff flowers.
– Scotch broom, native to Western Europe, one of the most aggressive invaders of our meadows is blooming with its yellow pea flowers. Pull it before it goes to seed if you can.
– Tasmanian blue gum, is blooming white high in the huge eucalyptus trees.
– Coast live oak blooms with pink tassels.
– California bay laurel, our most common native tree’s blooms have a delicate vanilla scent.

Forest edges
Starting
– Greene’s saxifrage’s small white flowers are opening on a moss covered shelf of the Ridgewood Rock.
– Pacific hounds tongue with its forget-me-not-looking flowers and large leaves is blooming now in oak meadows. There are also tons of emerging leaves promising a big year for this wildflower.
– Sourgrass*, native to South Africa, is blooming up on the ridge. Although fun to chew on for kids, this plant is a very successful non-native spreading in wet locations where natives might otherwise grow.
– Woodland strawberry blooms are starting now where there is sun, will persist for months in different habitats as they warm.

Key to map:
I haven’t located plants on on the map if they are very prolific. Find them by their habitat.

Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.

*Non-native

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NEW
– Greene’s saxifrage’s small white flowers are opening on a moss covered shelf of the Ridgewood Rock.
– Pacific hounds tongue with its forget-me-not-looking flowers and large leaves is blooming now in oak meadows. There are also tons of emerging leaves promising a big year for this wildflower.
– Sourgrass*, native to South Africa, is blooming up on the ridge. Although fun to chew on for kids, this plant is a very successful non-native spreading in wet locations where natives might otherwise grow.
– Woodland strawberry blooms are starting now where there is sun, will persist for months in different habitats as they warm.

Forests
Starting
– Fetid adder’s tongue, one of our most exotic blooms is showing its first flowers now.
– Green wattle acacia tree native to Australia is starting to bloom with its bright yellow puff flowers.
– Indian warrior is coming up all over in the area – 15 right along the Homestead Trail – that we finished clearing a few months ago. A few blooms are showing their crimson colors but the scope of the patch will only become clear later in the season when the hillside blooms.
– Scotch broom, native to Western Europe, one of the most aggressive invaders of our meadows is blooming with its yellow pea flowers. Pull it before it goes to seed if you can.
– Tasmanian blue gum, is blooming white high in the huge eucalyptus trees.
– Coast live oak blooms with pink tassels.
– California bay laurel, our most common native tree’s blooms have a delicate vanilla scent.

Key to map:
I haven’t located plants on on the map if they are very prolific. Find them by their habitat.

Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.

*Non-native

Share this:

NEW
– Fetid adder’s tongue, one of our most exotic blooms is showing its first flowers now.
– Green wattle acacia* tree native to Australia is starting to bloom with its bright yellow puff flowers.

Forests
Starting
– Scotch broom, native to Western Europe, one of the most aggressive invaders of our meadows is blooming with its yellow pea flowers. Pull it before it goes to seed if you can.
– Tasmanian blue gum, is blooming white high in the huge eucalyptus trees.
– Coast live oak blooms with pink tassels.
– California bay laurel, our most common native tree’s blooms have a delicate vanilla scent.

Key to map:
I haven’t located plants on on the map if they are very prolific. Find them by their habitat.

Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.

*Non-native

Share this:

NEW
– Coyote brush, dioecious with male and female flowers on different plants, is blooming now.
– California mugwort is blooming along the trail below Amaranth. This aromatic plant is an important medicinal around the world.

Forests
Fading
– Chasmanthe, native to South Africa, has orange flame flowers
– Old Man’s Beard is a nasty invasive vine, native to the UK, that will create bowers, overcoming native trees and shrubs. We’ve pulled it off redwood trees in Three Groves. Muir Woods has a much worse infestation climbing redwoods and elsewhere in the park.
– Rosilla with its tall yellow flower and backward facing petals is blooming beside the creek that pasess the Ridgewood Rock.
– Roughleaf aster is blooming in the forest along the Eagle Trail.

Forest Edges
Fading
– Coast piperia, an orchid, is blooming on the Homestead trail, just downhill from 12, visible above the trail in among the broom and plums.

Meadows
Peaking
– Kellogg yampah’s white umbels are blooming tall above the grasses in meadows. This was an important staple crop of Native Americans who ate the nut like root.
– Pennyroyal, native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East is blooming with lavender tufted flowers below Cowboy Rock. Crushed pennyroyal has a strong minty smell and is a traditional folk remedy, emmenagogue, abortifacient, and culinary herb.
Fading
– California everlasting is blooming with its paper-like white blooms up on the ridge.
– California poppy is showing its orange bell flower in the meadows.
– Hairy golden aster is a low blooming shrub with yellow flowers and fuzzy leaves up on Homestead Hill.
– Lance leaf selfheal with its purple velvet bottle brush flower is blooming on the Homestead Trail in the seep near 12.
– Pincusion flower, a garden escapee, native of Eurasia, is blooming in Cowboy Rock meadow.
– Wild radish, native to Asia, is blooming with purple flowers in the meadows on the ridge.
– Wild mustard, a Mediterranean native, is a tall yellow flower in meadows up on the ridge. The flowers are edible.

Key to map:
I haven’t located plants on on the map if they are very prolific. Find them by their habitat.

Flowers that are not currently blooming have been removed from the map and are greyed out in the map key.

Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.

*Non-native

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