Mar 282024
 

The rain continues and the flowers too. Early spring flowers like milkmaids, fritillaria and hounds tongue are still blooming. Iris, buttercups, starry false lily of the valley and our mariposa lily, Oakland star tulip, are peaking.

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– American speedwell (Veronica americana) is blooming with delicate blue flowers in seeps.

– California goldfields (Lasthenia californica) grows in yellow carpets of small yellow flowers in meadows.

– California plantain (Plantago erecta) a very small plant with charming translucent flowers plays a large role in various insect’s lifecycles.

– Canyon nemophila (Nemophila heterophylla), also a small flower, grows in a spreading mat in wet areas.

– Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) our magnificent local oak is leafing out and blooming with tassels.

– Cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum) a large plant with dinnerplate-sized umbrellas of white flowers is blooming in meadows.

– Feathery false lily of the valley (Maianthemum racemosum) is blooming in forests with very fragrant white flowers.

– Field madder* (Sherardia arvensis), native to the Mediterranean basin, is blooming with small pink star flowers in meadows.

– Fringe cups (Tellima grandiflora) grows near creeks. Its distinctive fringeed flower turns from whitish green to pink when pollinated.

– Hill lotus (Acmispon parviflorus), a delicate plant with small pea flowers is blooming in meadows.

– Pacific sanicle (Sanicula crassicaulis) blooms with mustard-colored clusters over waxy maple leaf-shaped leaves.

– Pacific pea (Lathyrus vestitus var vestitus) blooms pale pink on vines that climb shrubs in the forest.

– Pigmy weed (Crassula connata) a very small succulent is blooming on rock faces.

– Shepherd’s needle* (Scandix pecten-veneris) native to Eurasia is blooming white in meadows.

– Shortspur seablush (Plectritis congesta s brachystemon) blooms blush pink with a clustered dome of flowers in meadows.

– Tomcat clover (Trifolium willdenovii) blooms purple in meadows.

– Wintercress (Barbarea orthoceras) with its yellow flowers is blooming at meadow’s edge.

* non-native

Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.

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