July 8, 2016

NEW
– Kellogg yampah’s white umbels are blooming tall above the grasses in meadows. This was an important staple crop of Native Americans who ate the nut like root.
– Roughleaf aster is blooming in the forest along the Eagle Trail.
– Sweet fennel, native to the shores of the Mediterranean, is a very successful invasive in our area and is blooming in many places.
– Tansy ragwort native to northern Eurasia is growing in the gutter along LaVerne.

Forest Edges
Peaking
– Bigelow’s sneezeweed with its large pincushion disc floret and down facing rays, it’s blooming now on the Homestead trail.
– Clustered dock is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa.
– Nipplewort, with its yellow dandelion-like flower is native to Europe and southwestern Asia.
– Pennyroyal native to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
– Umbrella sedge
Fading
– Buckeye, these deciduous trees are along the streets and in Three Groves. Pause and examine the beautiful flowers up close.
– Featherweed with its dull flower is blooming up on the ridge and in the meadow part of the Homestead Trail.
– Lance leaf selfheal with its beautiful purple blooms is blooming on the ridge and along the Homestead Trail where it’s in the sun.
– Ocean spray, this shrub with its pretty white tassel flowers grows all around the Ridgewood Rock and in the forests of the Land Trust.
– Wavyleaf soap plant, puts up a tall, dark purple flower stalks; look for graceful, bright white flowers.
– Yerba buena, the tastiest plant in the Land Trust is blooming.

Meadows
Fading
– Bluff lettuce. This succulent is blooming yellow in the crags of the rock faces on the Ridgewood Rock.
– California everlasting, this wonderfully scented flower is blooming near the Ridgewood Rock and in the meadow below the Madrone bench.
– Common California aster.
– Coyote mint, found only in California is blooming in meadows.
– Euphorbia, a native of Eurasia, is blooming in Cowboy Rock meadow and along Pixie Trail.
– Fuller’s teasel, native to Eurasia and North Africa, is blooming up near Panoramic.
– Ithuriel’s spear, or Brodiaea, popping up all over! A banner year for this lovely flower.
– Naked buckwheat is blooming in the meadows and on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Pineappleweed, in the middle of Lattie Lane fire road.
– Poison hemlock, native to Europe and North Africa, infamous poison of choice of Socrates – condemned to death for impiety – is blooming below Cowboy Rock. In the carrot family, its blotchy red stem warns of its lethal toxicity.
– Sticky monkeyflower, this bright orange mimulus with its sticky leaves was used by the Coast Miwok to place on sores and burns.
– Yarrow, one of the great medicinal herbs for blood, is blooming in full sun.

Wet Places
Peaking
– Horsetail, these primeval silica based plants are growing creeksides.

Forests
Peaking
– American trailplant. This low green plant lines the forest trails. The arrow shaped leaves are white on the bottom. Flip over a leaf to point the way.
– California spikenard grows to a height of 3-9′ each spring after dying completely back at the end of the season. It can be found along shaded creek beds and its firework white flowers are blooming now.
– Hellebore, a non-native orchid that has done very well in our climate. Plant is small, flowers are very showy.
– Toyon trees are blooming with white flowers.

Key to map:
I haven’t located American trailplant, Fennel, California Blackberry, California honeysuckle, Bay, Chickweed, Cleavers, Hedge parsley, Manroots, Swordfern, French or Scotch Broom on the map as they are so prolific.
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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