May 9, 2016

NEW
– California honesuckle climbs on shrubs and oaks throughout Homestead.
– Sticky monkeyflower, this bright orange mimulus with its sticky leaves was used by the Coast Miwok to place on sores and burns.
– Wavyleaf soap plant puts up tall, dark purple flower stalks; look for graceful, bright white flowers.

Three Groves
– Bugle – starting – in Three Groves.
– Mock orange – starting – along the Stolte Grove entrance to Three Groves and smells heavenly!
– Orange azalea – fading – in the formal gardens of Three Groves. Spring has truly arrived when this beauty is in full flower.

Forest Edges
– Buckeye – starting – these deciduous trees are along the streets and in Three Groves. Pause and examine the beautiful flowers.
– Milkwort – starting – blooming along the Homestead Trail above the Madrone bench.
– Ocean spray – starting – on the Ridgewood Rock. Surprisingly to me, the bushes in the shadier areas are blooming first while the ones in full sun are still covered in buds. This shrub grows all around the Ridgewood Rock; without the broom, it should be spectacular when it’s all in bloom.
– Yerba buena – starting – the tastiest plant in the Land Trust is blooming.
– 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.
– Sticky cinquefoil – peaking – on Homestead Hill and below Amaranth.
– Spring Gold – fading – I have only found this lovely yellow flower blooming on the Ridgewood rock.
– Woodland strawberry – fading – is blooming at the edge of the forest.
– Wooly lomatium – fading – on the Ridgewood Rock.

Meadows
– Common catchfly – starting – 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 not native.
– Hairy wood sorrel – starting.
– Ithuriel’s spear, or Brodiaea – starting – at the entrance of the Ridgewood Rock and along the access fire road coming up from 361 Ridgewood.
– Silver bush lupine – starting – purple in the full sun up on the ridge.
– Owl clover – starting – lovely bright colored clover blooming in the California plantain and catchfly area on the ridge.
– Pearly everlasting – starting – this wonderfully scented flower is blooming near the Ridgewood Rock and in the meadow below the Madrone bench.
– Purple salsify – starting – a very showy, large flower up on the ridge. Also not native.
– Spiny buttercup – starting – a fleshy, lush non-native with pretty yellow flowers is blooming up on the ridge.
– Blue Dicks – peaking – a blue pop of color in the grasses.
– Buttercups – peaking – yellow in the meadows.
– California blackberry – peaking – all over the Land Trust in sunny places.
– California plantain – peaking – 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 – peaking – in the full sun on Kerouac Hill and on the ridge above 4-Corners.
– Checkerbloom – peaking – up on the ridge.
– Filaree – peaking – this non-native’s small pink flower is blooming all over Kerouac Hill.
– Flax – peaking – a delicate non-native, is blooming in full sun on the Homestead Trail.
– Mule’s Ears – peaking – on Kerouac hill and in a big patch on Homestead Hill.
– Sky lupine – peaking – this bright multicolored ground lupin is sprinkled in the grasses up on the ridge.
– 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.
– Cowparsnip – fading.
– Oakland Star Tulip – fading – in the meadows of Homestead.
– Sun cups – fading – on the ridge and in sunny meadows.
– Purple sanicle – fading – below Amaranth, along the Homestead Trail and on Kerouac Hill.
– Shepherd’s needle – fading – this non-native is lacy white beside the trail.
– Shortspur seablush – fading – another lovely native white flower blooming now on the Ridgewood Rock.
– Tomcat clover – fading – a native clover, has been blooming for a few weeks on the Ridgewood Rock but I only just identified it.

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

Forests
– Hellebore – starting – a non-native orchid that has done very well in our climate. Plant is small, flowers are very showy.
– Huckleberry – starting – 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.
– 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.
– White hawkweed – starting – along the Eagle Trail.
– Andrew’s Clinton – peaking – 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.
– Coralroot, the red orchid, – peaking – in the forest leaf litter.
– Cleavers – peaking – throughout the forests. It clings when you touch it. Also called bedstraw.
– Figwort – peaking – 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 – 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.
– Stinking iris – peaking – 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.
– Yellow coralroot – peaking – is blooming at the Indian warrior site.
– Fairy Bells – fading – Flower bells hang under the leaves and are usually impossible to see from our vantage, so turn over the leaves and peak underneath.
– Giant trillium – fading – in the woods.

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.
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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