February 22, 2016

Spring is here in earnest. Flowers are blooming everywhere!

– Bay Laurel trees are blooming. These trees are everywhere around here. The blooms have a lovely vanilla scent.
– Checker Lily is blooming. I haven’t had a chance to check the other locations where it was budding but found blooms at the work site where we have been clearing broom, 9 on the map.
– Chickweed is blooming. This plant is native to Europe and has a long history in folk medicine.
– Shooting Stars can be found blooming right below the trail marker at the work site where we have been clearing broom. Come check out our work and enjoy this lovely flower.

– Death Camas is starting to bloom. The entire plant is poisonous, hence the name.
– Fairy Bells will bloom for months. The plants are up and fresh but only a few have blooms. Flower bells hang under the leaves and are usually impossible to see from our vantage, so turn over the leaves and peak underneath.
– Fetid Adder’s Tongue is blooming in force. The plants are small and the flowers delicate but they grow in clusters so when you find one there will be more nearby. They only bloom for a few weeks.
– Footsteps of Spring is blooming up on the ridge.
– Indian Warrior is blooming 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).
– Iris, still only blooming down low.
– Milkmaids are just starting. This is a member of the mustard/radish family (edible).
– Pacific Hound’s Tongue is up all over, just starting to bloom and will bloom for weeks to come.
– Saxifrage blooming now with lots of budding plants near by.
– Trilium is popping up all over

Key to map:
I haven’t located Bay or Chickweed on the map as they are everywhere. Trillium, Pacific Hound’s Tongue and Iris are also blooming in many more locations than are noted on the map.
a – Footsteps of spring (Sanicula arctopoides)
c – Checker lily (Fritillaria affinis)
d – Iris (Iris)
f – Fetid Adder’s Tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii)
g – Saxifrage (Micranthes californica)
h – Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon hendersonii)
i – Indian Warrior (Pedicularis densiflora)
m – Milkmaids (Cardamine californica)
p – Pacific Hound’s Tongue (Cynoglossum grande)
s – Fairy Bells (Prosartes hookeri)
t – Trillium (Trillium ovatum)
z – Death Camas (Toxicoscordion fremontii)

Gallery of wildflowers and plants found in Homestead.

Share this: