May 31, 2016

NEW
– Bluff lettuce. This succulent is blooming yellow in the crags of the rock faces on the Ridgewood Rock.
– 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.
– Hedge parsley, a native of Europe, an aggressive invasive here, has lacy leaves and white cluster flowers and is blooming all over.

Three Groves
Starting
– White ramping fumitory, native to Asia and North Africa, is an invasive pest here and in Australia. It has lovely, sort-of-like-Columbine foliage and black-tipped white flowers. I appreciated how invasive it could be when I saw it on Fulton near the deYoung overcoming other plants.
Peaking
– Mock orange, beside the Stolte Grove entrance and a tunnel over a path next to Montford, smells heavenly!
Fading
– Bugle.

Forest Edges
Starting
– Alum root. I found this along a dry creek, lovely delicate fronds with white lantern flowers growing from a bed of lush leaves.
– Featherweed with its dull flower is blooming up on the ridge and in the meadow part of the Homestead Trail.
– Herb robert, a European native geranium with a dark red stem and delicate leaves is blooming beside the creek below Cowboy Rock.
– Lance leaf selfheal with its beautiful purple blooms is blooming on the ridge and along the Homestead Trail where it’s in the sun.
– Milkwort, blooming along the Homestead Trail above the Madrone bench.
– Rose clover, native to Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa is blooming on the ridge and on the meadow part of the Homestead Trail.
– 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.
Peaking
– Buckeye, these deciduous trees are along the streets and in Three Groves. Pause and examine the beautiful flowers up close.
– Himalayan blackberry, a native of Armenia and Northern Iran, here it is a formidable invasive with big thorns. Make note of its location for berry picking later in the year.
– Ocean spray, this shrub with its pretty white tassel flowers grows all around the Ridgewood Rock and in the forests of the Land Trust.
Fading
– French and Scotch Broom, 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.

Meadows
Starting
– California acaena in the meadow up on the ridge.
– Chick lupine, a lovely low, annual lupine blooming now in Cowboy Rock meadow.
– Common California aster.
– Euphorbia, a native of Eurasia, is blooming in Cowboy Rock meadow and along Pixie Trail.
– Naked buckwheat is blooming in the meadows and on the Ridgewood Rock.
– 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.
– Purple sand spurry, native to Europe and Asia, is blooming on the ridge.
– Sticky monkeyflower, this bright orange mimulus with its sticky leaves was used by the Coast Miwok to place on sores and burns.
Peaking
– California blackberry, all over the Land Trust in sunny places.
– Common catchfly, with its little striped flower puffs, I find this flower so pretty. I saw it all over the place at Chimney Rock on Pt Reyes and was surprised to learn it is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
– Hairy wood sorrel.
– Ithuriel’s spear, or Brodiaea, popping up all over! A banner year for this lovely flower.
– Mule’s Ears, on Kerouac hill and in a big patch on Homestead Hill.
– Pearly everlasting, this wonderfully scented flower is blooming near the Ridgewood Rock and in the meadow below the Madrone bench.
– Pineappleweed, in the middle of Lattie Lane fire road.
– Yarrow, one of the great medicinal herbs for blood, is blooming in full sun.
Fading
– California plantain, up on the ridge. This tiny plant with its transparent disk flowers looks nothing like the non-native English plantain that is everywhere.
– California poppies, in the full sun on Kerouac Hill and on the ridge above 4-Corners.
– Filaree, this non-native’s small pink flower is blooming all over Kerouac Hill.
– Flax, a delicate non-native, is blooming in full sun on the Homestead Trail.
– Morning glory’s, white trumpet flower can be seen poking out of the grass in meadows and on Kerouac Hill.
– Oakland Star Tulip, in the meadows of Homestead.
– Owl clover, lovely bright colored clover blooming in the California plantain and catchfly area on the ridge.
– Purple salsify, a very showy, large flower up on the ridge. Also not native.
– Silver bush lupine, purple in the full sun up on the ridge.
– Spiny buttercup, a fleshy, lush non-native with pretty yellow flowers is blooming up on the ridge.

Wet Places
Peaking
– Horsetail, these primeval silica based plants are growing creeksides.
Fading
– Three cornered leek, native to the Mediterranean basin, is flowering in boggy places.
– Calla lily, large white blooms are in the wet places.
– Miner’s lettuce, with its little white flowers are blooming where it is wet.

Forests
Starting
– 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.
– Hellebore, a non-native orchid that has done very well in our climate. Plant is small, flowers are very showy.
– Huckleberry, not very common in Homestead. The bushes we have don’t bloom very often which means their fruit yield is low. A few are blooming now along the Madrone Park Circle trail.
– Woddland madia with its bright yellow flower is blooming in the woods on the Eagle Trail.
Fading
– Andrew’s Clinton, 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, throughout the forests. It clings when you touch it. Also called bedstraw.
– Coralroot, the red orchid, in the forest leaf litter.
– Fairy Bells, flower bells hang under the leaves and are usually impossible to see from our vantage, so turn over the leaves and peak underneath.
– Figwort, 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.
– Hazelnut bushes, are filled out with new growth and making nuts.
– Hedgenettle, a native mint with mauve blossoms is one of the most common plants in Homestead.
– Mountain Sweet Cicely, can be found blooming in the woods with small white flowers and long seeds. The fresh seed pods are sweet.
– Star flower, 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, on the Homestead Trail and near the creek below Amaranth.
– White hawkweed, along the Eagle Trail.
– Yellow coralroot, is blooming at the Indian warrior site.

Key to map:
I haven’t located American trailplant, 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.

Share this: