Epipactis helleborine
Plantago erecta
Oxalis pilosa
Philadelphus coronarius
Amelanchier utahensis
Plectritis congesta s brachystemon
Lupinus nanus
Iris foetidissima
Trifolium willdenovii
Barbarea orthoceras
NEW
– California brome, a native grass, has yellow ‘blooms’.
– California plantain is up on the ridge. This tiny plant with its transparent disk flowers looks nothing like the non-native English plantain that is everywhere.
– Hairy wood sorrel.
– Hellebore is a non-native orchid that has done very well in our climate. Plant is small, flowers are very showy.
– Mock orange is blooming along the Stolte Grove entrance to Three Groves and smells heavenly!
– Service berry, a lovely native white flower blooming now on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Shortspur seablush, another lovely native white flower blooming now on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Sky lupine, this bright multicolored ground lupin is sprinkled in the grasses up on the ridge.
– Stinking iris, a non-native iris, is blooming in the redwoods below Amaranth. I will have to go back and smell it to see if it lives up to its name.
– Tomcat clover, a native clover, has been blooming for a few weeks on the Ridgewood Rock but I only just identified it.
– White hawkweed has started blooming along the Eagle Trail.
– Wintercress is blooming up on the ridge and along the Homestead trail.
Three Groves
– Bugle – starting – in Three Groves.
– Orange azalea – peaking – in the formal gardens of Three Groves. Spring has truly arrived when this beauty is in full flower.
Forest Edges
– Sticky cinquefoil – starting – on Homestead Hill and below Amaranth.
– Crimson columbine – peaking – along the trail below Amaranth, along the Homestead Trail and in the woods near 7a.
– French and Scotch Broom – peaking – are bright with their yellow flowers. These are some of the most aggressive invasives here. Pull it if you can, cut off the flowers so it can’t go to seed. Do whatever you can to combat its advance.
– Douglas Iris – fading – with white and various shades of purple blooms are popping up all over.
– False Solomon Seal – fading – all along the edge of the bay forest along the Homestead Trail.
– Fringe cup – fading – near the creek below Amaranth and just past the last house on LaVerne.
– Hawthorne, a non-native, – fading – covered in flowers on the Homestead Trail.
– Indian Warrior – fading – in a large patch on the Homestead Trail at 9j (we cleared this hill of broom last October so the flowers will be on display as never before this spring).
– Manroots or Wild Cucumber – fading – native vine with white flowers that is blooming all over.
– Milkmaids – fading. This is a member of the mustard/radish family (edible).
– Spring Gold – fading – I have only found blooming on the Ridgewood rock.
– Woodland strawberry – fading – is blooming at the edge of the forest.
– Wooly lomatium – fading – on the Ridgewood Rock.
Meadows
– California Blackberry – starting – all over the Land Trust in sunny places.
– California poppies – starting – in the full sun on Kerouac Hill and on the ridge above 4-Corners.
– Flax – starting – a delicate non-native, is blooming in full sun on the Homestead Trail.
– Lupine – starting – purple in the full sun up on the ridge.
– Shepherd’s needle – starting – this non-native is lacy white beside the trail.
– Blue Dicks – peaking – a blue pop of color in the grasses.
– Buttercups – peaking – yellow in the meadows.
– Checkerbloom – peaking – up on the ridge.
– Cowparsnip – peaking.
– Filaree – peaking – this non-native’s small pink flower is blooming all over Kerouac Hill.
– Mule’s Ears – peaking – on Kerouac hill and in a big patch on Homestead Hill.
– Yarrow – peaking – one of the great medicinal herbs for blood, is blooming in full sun.
– Morning glory’s – peaking – white trumpet flower can be seen poking out of the grass in meadows and on Kerouac Hill.
– Pineappleweed – peaking – in the middle of Lattie Lane fire road.
– Sun cups – peaking – on the ridge and in sunny meadows.
– Ground Iris – fading – with purple blooms.
– Oakland Star Tulip – fading – in the meadows of Homestead.
– Purple sanicle – fading – below Amaranth, along the Homestead Trail and on Kerouac Hill.
Wet Places
– Calla lily – peaking – large white blooms are in the wet places.
– Horsetail – peaking – these primeval silica based plants are growing creeksides.
– Three cornered leek – peaking, the invasive onion, is flowering in boggy places.
– Miner’s lettuce – fading – with its little white flowers are blooming where it is wet.
Forests
– Andrew’s Clinton – starting – in the Weedon Redwoods. With its large glossy leaves and rich pink flowers, this lily is the brightest ornament of the redwood understory. Look for it along the Eagle Trail or above LaVerne opposite Stolte Grove.
– Cleavers – starting – throughout the forests. It clings when you touch it. Also called bedstraw.
– Figwort – starting – I love this flower, it’s like nothing else. Find it along the paths in the woods. Foliage is like nettle but with a dark stalk. A friend to insects, it’s a host to butterfly larvae and a strong bee attractant.
– Star flower – starting – this lovely little pink flower hovers over its bed of leaves. Forest floors where you find Trillium, False Solomon’s seal and Wood rose are where you find Star flower.
– Thimbleberry – starting – on the Homestead Trail and near the creek below Amaranth.
– Coralroot, the red orchid, – peaking – in the forest leaf litter.
– Fairy Bells – peaking – will bloom for months. Flower bells hang under the leaves and are usually impossible to see from our vantage, so turn over the leaves and peak underneath.
– Hazelnut bushes – peaking – are filled out with new growth.
– Hedgenettle – peaking – a native mint with mauve blossoms is one of the most common plants in Homestead.
– Mountain Sweet Cicely – peaking – can be found blooming in the woods with small white flowers and long seeds. The fresh seed pods are sweet.
– Pacific sanicle – peaking – with its rich foliage and unspectacular little yellow flower is along trails through the forest, blooming on the spur trail up to 4-Corners.
– Canyon gooseberry – fading – has beautiful Chinese lantern flowers. It is blooming at the mouth of the Maverick trail within sight of the road.
– Giant trillium – fading – in the woods.
– Wood rose – fading – in the woods below the Ridgewood Rock and along the Eagle Trail.
Key to map:
I haven’t located Bay, Chickweed, California and Himalayan Blackberry, Manroots, Swordfern, Cleavers, French or Scotch Broom on the map as they are so prolific. Milkmaids and Iris are also blooming in many more locations than are noted on the map.
Flowers that are finished have been removed from the map and are greyed out in the map key.
Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.
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