Mar 172021
 


NEW
– Canyon gooseberry is blooming with its red and white Chinese lantern flowers in forests.
– Giant trillium is blooming white, purple and maroon in the forest along the Homestead Trail.
– Pacific bleeding heart is blooming with its heart-shaped pink flowers around the redwoods near 435 Laverne.
– Redwood sorrel is blooming under the redwoods near 435 Laverne.
– Vanilla grass is blooming around the redwoods near 435 Laverne and in the road cut without ivy above Three Groves on Laverne.
– Wintercress is blooming yellow on the ridge below Homestead Hill.

Forests
– Bay laurel, one of the most common trees on Homestead’s north facing slopes, is blooming now with small yellow clusters that smell sweetly of vanilla.
– California blackberry is blooming white in forests.
– Fairy bells are blooming with white bell flowers in forests. The flowers hang below the leaves so look below to see them.
– Fetid adder’s tongue, a lily, is blooming with small brownish flowers on the uphill slope beside the Homestead Trail at 5 and between 14 and 13. Its leaves are still clustered around the blooms making them harder to spot. If you do see one, look around for more as they grow in colonies.
– Forget-me-not*, native of North Africa, is blooming with its pretty blue flowers beside trails. A very aggressive invasive plant, please pull.
– Indian warrior is blooming with maroon flowers above and below the Homestead Trail at 15.
– Manroot vine is blooming white.
– Milkmaid, white and tall, this edible member of the mustard family is blooming now in forests.
– Oso berry, or Indian plum’s white flower tassels are blooming near seeps in forests.
– Starry false lily of the valley is blooming with white star flowers on its bright green ladder in forests.
– Trillium with its white flower floating in the center of three leaves is blooming in the ravine at 6e.
– Wood sweet-cicely is blooming with small white flowers in forests.

Forest edge
– Chickweed*, an edible native of Europe, is blooming white.
– Fremont’s death camas is blooming with clusters of white flowers in meadows.
– French broom*, native of Europe, is blooming with bright yellow pea flowers at forest edges. One of the earliest to bloom in the spring, it’s one of our most aggressive invasive plants taking over meadow habitat. Please pull.
– Greene’s saxifrage’s small white flowers are blooming on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Miner’s lettuce blooms white in the middle of a fleshy disk. Edible.
– Pacific hound’s tongue with its large furry leaves is blooming with blue flowers at forest edges.
– Scotch broom*, native of Europe, is one of our most aggressive invasive plants. Occupying what would otherwise be meadows, it grows in dense thickets and is blooming now with yellow pea flowers.
– Woodland strawberry is blooming white at forest edges.

Meadows
– Barberry, a low shrub with spiky leaves is blooming bright yellow with fragrant flowers.
– Blue dick’s tall clusters of blue flowers are blooming in the meadows of Homestead Hill.
– Blue eyed grass, blue flowers on tufts in meadows.
– California buttercup’s shiny yellow flowers are blooming in meadows.
– Cow parsnip with its large white umbrella flowers is blooming in meadows.
– California poppy’s orange flowers are blooming in meadows.
– Checkerbloom’s pink flowers are blooming in meadows.
– Checker lily, tall with mottled chocolate bell flowers is blooming in meadows.
– Footsteps of spring blooms flat in meadows up on Homestead Hill with bright yellow centers.
– Ground iris’s deep purple flowers are blooming in meadows.
– Marin checker lily is blooming with chocolate bell flowers in the meadow below Amaranth.
– Oakland star tulip, one of Homestead’s rare wildflowers, is blooming delicate and pink in meadows.
– Red maid’s glossy magenta flowers are blooming close to the ground on Homestead Hill.
– Suncups is blooming yellow in meadows.
– Shooting star with its distinctive pink shooting star flower is blooming in meadows.
– Spring gold’s bright yellow clusters are blooming in meadows.
– Wooly lomatium is blooming with furry disk flowers and frilly carrot foliage in meadows.

*Non-native

Key to map:
Plants are not located on the map if they are very prolific. Find them by their habitat.
HVLT Trail Map 022315 v28w

Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.

Share this:
Facebook