Acmispon parviflorus
Lysimachia latifolia
Crassula connata
Scandix pecten-veneris
Plectritis congesta s brachystemon
Lupinus nanus
Hypochaeris glabra
Rubus parviflorus
Trifolium willdenovii
NEW
– Hill lotus, small with blush colored pea flowers is blooming in meadows.
– Pacific star flower with its delicate pink flower floats over low oval leaves in forests. It’s just starting now but the plants are carpeting open areas in the forest so look for lots of flowers soon.
– Pigmy weed, a small succulent, is blooming with microscopic red flowers on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Shepherd’s needle*, native of Eurasia, has white flowers and lacy, carroty leaves and is blooming in full sun on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Shortspur seablush, a white flower cluster is blooming white on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Sky lupine, bright blue with white grows in sun on Pixie and Homestead Hill.
– Smooth cat’s ear*, native to Europe is a carpet of dandelion-like rosettes that are now blooming yellow on the Ridgewood Rock. With a small crochet hook, sit on the rock and admire the view of Mt Tam while uprooting this invasive plant.
– Thimbleberry, a shrub with velvety maple leaf shaped leaves is blooming with large white flowers throughout the forests.
– Tomcat clover is blooming purple on the Ridgewood Rock.
Forests
– California nutmeg, this conifer’s male pollen cones are blooming white.
– Coast live oak, another of our common trees, blooms with tassel flowers.
– Douglas iris is blooming white in the forests.
– Fairy bells’ cream flowers bloom under their ladder of leaves so you have to look under to see the bells.
– False lily of the valley is carpeting the forest with its white star flowers.
– Forget-me-not*, native of Europe, is one of the most invasive plants of the Homestead forest. Its seeds form small burrs that animals spread deep into wild areas. Please, pull forget-me-nots wherever you see them; if they have seeds, carry out and dispose.
– Giant trillium is taller with larger leaves than the more common Pacific trillium, has vertical cream or purple flowers and is blooming beyond in the forest.
– Milkmaid’s white flowers are blooming throughout the forest.
– Pacific bleeding heart with its heart-shaped pink flowers and delicate foliage is blooming under the redwood trees next to 435 Laverne.
– Pacific pea, one of our native pea vines, blooms with delicate blush flowers in forests.
– Pacific sanicle’s dark, glossy, lobed leaves line the forest trails and their tall flower spikes are blooming now with mustard clusters.
– Poison oak blooms with small white star flowers. One of the most common plants in the forest understory, its oil causes itchy allergic reactions in many people.
– Redwood sorrel has a bream bell flower and is blooming under the redwood near 435 Laverne.
– Spotted coralroot, our most common orchid, blooms white throated on a red stem under oaks, sometimes in great profusion.
– Wood rose, our native rose, is starting to bloom in the woods.
– Wood sweet-cicely, found throughout the forests of Homestead blooms with small white flowers.
Forest edges
– American vetch, one of our native pea vines is blooming purple.
– California blackberry, is blooming white up on the ridge.
– Calla lily*, native to Southern Africa, has naturalized into wet seeps and is blooming white.
– Cape ivy*, native of South Africa, is a noxious weed in California. It blankets shrubs, trees and ground, suppressing any other growth, is toxic to animals that eat it and to fish if it trails in the water.
– Chickweed*, native to Europe, a low weed with white flowers is a traditional edible and medicinal plant.
– Cowparsnip with its large white umbels is blooming at the forest edge.
– Crimson columbine with its bright red and yellow flowers is blooming below the trail near 11a and below Amaranth, down slope before the first creek after 7a.
– Fringe cups blooms in forests along streams on tall stalks with pale green flowers with distinctive fringe edges.
– Latin American fleabane*, native of Central America, has colonized a small area below Amaranth.
– Manroot, the wild cucumber vine is blooming white.
– Milkflower cotoneaster*, native to China, is blooming with white clusters on the ridge.
– Miner’s lettuce with its white flowers at the center of an edible circular leaf is blooming in wet seeps.
– Pacific hound’s tongue’s tall blue flowers are almost finished blooming at the forest edge.
– Sourgrass*, native to South Africa, is a noxious weed here. Bright yellow flower, sour stem sucking.
– White flowered onion*, native of the Mediterranean basin, is blooming in wet areas – edible.
– Woodland strawberry is blooming white up on the ridge below Homestead Hill.
Meadows
– Barberry, this small, spiky-leaved shrub is blooming with scented yellow flowers.
– Blue dicks is blooming with purple clusters in meadows.
– Blue eyed grass is blooming with glossy purple flowers in meadows.
– California buttercup, bright yellow and glossy is blooming in meadows.
– California goldfields blooms in colonies, carpeting meadows brilliant yellow.
– California plantain’s blooms with minute translucent petals.
– California poppy, orange and bright, it’s starting to bloom now and will continue late into the summer.
– Checkerbloom is blooming pink up on the ridge.
– Checker lily’s yellow-spotted chocolate bell is blooming on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Death camus, a white star lily is almost finished blooming in meadows.
– English plantain*, native of Eurasia, tall stalk is blooming with a white corolla.
– Field madder*, native of the Mediterranean, is blooming in meadows with little pink star flowers.
– Footsteps of spring’s chartreuse clusters brighten the ground up on the ridge.
– Ground iris is blooming purple in meadows and forests.
– Indian warrior’s tall burgundy spikes are blooming all up and down the hillside under the oaks at 15 on the Homestead trail.
– Mule’s ear with its bright yellow sunflowers is blooming in the ridge meadow.
– Oakland star tulip is blooming with its whiteish, mariposa lily-shaped flower in meadows and on the Homestead Trail.
– Owl’s clover’s pink tufts have yellow and white details and is blooming on the knoll near the Panoramic gate.
– Poison hemlock*, native of Europe has a delicate white umbel and mottled red stems. Poisonous, use gloves when weeding.
– Purple sanicle with purple puff flowers is blooming in meadows.
– Red elderberry large shrub blooms with white clusters on the trail to Homestead Hill.
– Redstem filaree*, native of Eurasia, is blooming with its pretty pink flowers in full sun.
– Rosy sandcrocus*, native of South Africa, has a lovely pink flower and grows in meadows.
– Silver lupine blooms purple on large silver leaved bushes up on the ridge.
– Spring gold, a bright yellow ground hugging lomatium is blooming on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Sticky monkeyflower with its orange flower blooms in sunny spots and will bloom all summer.
– Suncups, bright yellow and ground hugging is blooming in meadows.
– Winter cress with its small yellow flowers is blooming below Homestead Hill.
– Woodland star’s dainty white flowers are blooming at the bottom of the Ridgewood Rock.
– Wooly lomatium is blooming with its champagne froth clusters near its bright yellow cousin, spring gold, on the Ridgewood Rock.
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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