Spring 2011, the first wildflower report (dated March 4th) is now available
online at Theodore Payne's Wildflower Hotline Website. In this first report is the write up on the expected wildflower outlook this year and why.
4/18/2011: Well, I'm not finding as many wildflowers as usual this year. Technically
this is an odd weather year, a La Nina (usually a drought year) with above average rainfall. I agree cold weather snaps
have affected this years bloom, late and not as thick as previous years. Below a few nice wildflowers I found in the
Antelope Valley area. Compared to my photos of the same areas in 2008, wow where did the flowers go? Click here to see more of my pics at Arthur B. Ripley Woodland State Park and also click here to see my native plant photo gallery which includes some wildflowers in other areas this spring. You can find some nice flowers out there, I suggest to
follow Theodore Payne's reports.
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| Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, 4/17/11 |
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| Goldfields with a patch of Purple Owl's Clover, notice the absence of poppies... |
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| Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, 4/17/11 |
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| Fiddlenecks, many on this day were buds that had not opened yet |
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| Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park |
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| A type of Purple Sage, 4/17/11 |
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| Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park |
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| Linear-leafed Goldenbush, 4/17/11 |
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| Gorman Post Road, 4/17/11 |
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| A Lupine. Usually this same spot has a thick variety and the hills are mult-colored (not this year) |
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| Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, 4/17/11 |
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| Looking toward the Tehachapi mountain range, compare to older AV pics further down this page |
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Spring 2010 Wildflowers:
Hopefully
with all the rain we've had this season wildflowers will be better this year, leaving the previous year's wildflower
finds below as reference to what we could have--if the unusually hot weather we are having in week 3 of March doesn't
kill it this year! The Malibu area already has the giant coreopsis blooms among others (Solstice Canyon, Magu Pt State Park, some at Malibu Lagoon, Corral Canyon), you will find some lupines along Laguna Canyon
Road and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park in Orange County along with other wildflowers. Irvine Open Space Preserve,
Quail Loop Trail we found a number of wildflowers starting to bloom. I've heard Anza Borrega State Park is blooming
nice this year. Check the Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline page for more info!
4/4/2010: In the past few days we've done some hiking and found Torrey Pines was
extremely nice, many wildflowers to be found on Parry Grove Trail, Guy Fleming Trail was nice too. In Laguna Woods,
Woods End Wilderness Preserve had some nice blooms on Edison Trail. In Orange, Santigo Oaks had a few blooms, but many invasives there. At
both Santiago Oaks and Woods End we had very large Red Diamondback Rattlesnakes crawl across the trail in front of us, beware
rattlesnakes are very active right now any time of the day.
4/17/2010: Dunes in bloom at McGrath SB and Santa Clara Rivermouth Beach.
5/31/2010: Maple Springs Rd (at the end of Silverado Cyn in Orange County), quite a few flowering plants in bloom. Sticky Monkey Flower, White
Sage, Black Sage, Deerweed and many others.
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| Maple Springs Rd, 5/31/10 |
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| Monkey Flower, Maple Springs Rd, 5/31/10 |
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| Maple Springs Rd, 5/31/10 |
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| Torrey Pines, Parry Grove Trail 4-2-2010 |
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| Torrey Pines, Parry Grove Trail, 4-2-2010 |
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| Torrey Pines, Guy Fleming Trail, 4-2-2010 |
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| Woods End Wilderness Preserve, 4-3-2010 |
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| Woods End Wilderness Preserve, 4-3-2010 |
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| Woods End Wilderness Preserve, Red Diamondback Rattlesnake on Edison Trail, 4-3-2010 |
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| Red Diamondback Rattlesnake, Santiago Oaks, 4-3-2010 (1:21pm) |
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| Santiago Oaks, Bobcat Meadow Trail, 4-3-2010 |
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| Santiago Oaks, Bobcat Meadow Trail, 4-3-2010 |
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| Santa Clara Rivermouth Beach, Ventura, 4-17-10 |
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| Santa Clara Rivermouth Beach, Ventura, 4-17-10 |
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| Dunes in bloom, McGrath State Beach, 4-17-10 |
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Spring 2009 Wildflowers
Hiking is the best
in the spring when everything is green and the wildflowers are in bloom. Although we did get some good rain and snow
this year, seems maybe an unusally hot January didn't do the wildflowers well this year. Many areas I photographed
in '08 didn't have much this year, although we did find some wildflowers in the Gorman area. For areas
not on this site check with the wildflower reports & hotlines.
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| 4-16-09, Goldhill Rd, Hungry Valley SRVA (click to enlarge) |
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| 4-16-09, Goldhill Rd, Hungry Valley SRVA (click to enlarge) |
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| 3/15/09, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve (Bolsa Chica Wetlands). Click picture to enlarge. |
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| 4-16-09 Gorman Post Rd, Gorman CA (click to enlarge) |
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| 4-16-09 Wildflowers on Goldhill Road, Hungry Valley SRVA, Gorman, CA |
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Spring 2008 Wildflowers:
Throughout this site you will find dated wildflower pictures and California native plant pictures. Below
are a few pages that had good bloom in 2008.
4/5/08: Laguna Canyon, wildflowers in the Laguna Green Belt wilderness
parks and all along Hwy 133, Crystal Cove State Beach and El Morro Canyon.
4/12/08,
Gorman area along the I5 Fwy, the hills surrounding Gorman covered
in oranges, yellows and purples. Gold Hill Road, Wheatfield Trail & Powerline Road trails in Hungry Valley SRVA all
good wildflower viewing.
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| Goldfields, Gorman Post Rd., Gorman CA |
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| Indian Paintbrush, Goldhill Road, near Gorman CA |
| 8 miles of trails through wildflower fields |
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| Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, 4-12-08 |
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| Spring 2008, Lupines, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park near Laguna Canyon Rd. |
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