Southern CA - Wildflower Reports - Page 1

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Wildflower and Plant Descriptions with Photos

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2020 Southern Ca. Wildflower Reports

May 21, 2020 Kathy reports: I visited the Cistern Trail at the Malibu Creek State Park.  They have lifted some restrictions to parking and access to Malibu Creek.  Great views from the trail to the rest of the park which is covered in morning glory and dodder now.  Take the trail down into the canyon and it connects to the Lookout trail.  I took the left fork towards Century Lake, which is closed.  You don't have to go all the way down to see a great variety of species at every turn, but not in huge numbers like last year. At the top are matilija poppies, white snapdragon, popcorn flower, purple sage, deerweed, succulent lupine, golden stars, chenactis, whispering bells, California poppy, owl's clover and red-stemmed filaree.  About a third of the way down are sticky monkey flower, elegant clarkia, indian paintbrush, fringed pink, scarlet bugler, bush mallow, golden yarrow, farewell-to-spring, Catalina Mariposa lily, cliff aster, thistle, wooly blue curls, yucca, wishbone bush and caterpillar phacelia.  The trailhead is marked with a small sign on Mulholland between Cornell Rd. and Las Virgenes Canyon Rd.  The trail is mostly single track with some steep areas.  No portapotty. 

May 3, 2020 Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve reports: This week's heat has rapidly diminished the bloom, and almost all of the poppies have gone to seed. It looks like the April rains weren't enough to get the bloom through to May 

May 1, 2020 Glenn reports: While driving back from a project site in Bakersfield, I decided to take the long way home and take the Route 138 east from the I-5 where I came upon some beautiful fields of wildflowers. All attached pictures were are taken off of dirt roads from Route 138 between 265th Street and 3 Points Road. The pic with the poppies and white flowers were off of 3 Points road may 3-4 miles north of Route 38. The other 2 pics were taken off of 265th Street roughly 1.5 to 2 miles south of Route 38. All pictures were taken on April 30, 2020.

 

May 1, 2020 Steven reports: Santa Barbara Canyon, Santa Barbara County - Rare to see this Canyon in full bloom Photo 4/25/20

April 28, 2020 Lacy reports: Bakersfield, on Granite Rd just south of hwy 155. These rolling green hills spotted with granite boulders and oak trees are now blooming with generous patches of tiny white flowers with splashes of yellow, pink and purples; a very handsome look for this special landscape making for a rather serene day drive. Most of the land is private property but has lots of safe pullouts for quick ganders. 

More from Lacy photos 04/20— Antelope Valley, off Lancaster Rd just east of the California Poppy Reserve. The great annual orange carpets are rolling out in just about every direction along Lancaster Rd to hwy 138 and into the Gorman hills. Arguably BETTER than the recent super blooms as this year the poppies are spoiled with peace. Undisturbed by crowds, the delicate inflorescence seizes this truly special opportunity to show off their abounding natural elegance; a delightful gift where everyone wins!

April 24, 2020 Larry reports: Wildflower look great along I-5 from at the Tejon Pass.  Basically North of route 138 to the Grapevine.

April 24, 2020 Sam reports: Couple pictures from 4/22/20 in Palmdale near the aqueduct on Johnson Road/110th St W.  Great view of the poppy fields from there.  Lots of places to pull over on the shoulders to take pictures on this road.

April 24, 2020 Charles reports: Here’s the hillside facing south. We were driving north on Bouquet Canyon Rd. It intersects with Lake Elizabeth Rd. just ahead.

April 24, 2020 Kathy reports: These beautiful flowers were found in the hills just south of Rancho Vista (West Palmdale) on April 22. You can see Owl’s Clover, Silver Puffs (still yellow), Goldfields, and Mustard-like Primrose. The hills are filled with grassy meadows and large patches of poppies.

April 23, 2020 Brain reports: Very nice viewing around the Poppy Reserve Monday April 20. They appear to be at their peak.

April 23, 2020 Don reports: Antelope Valley and the surrounding area is this year's Carrizo Plain!  While the overwhelming color is orange, as broad poppy fields stretch along the valley from west to east, especially when viewed from the aqueduct lookout on Munz Ranch Road, there are many other flowers to find.  Here's a psychedelic hillside of bright yellow monolopia and brilliant orange poppies on Ash Tree Dr. just above Lake Elizabeth.  Shorter blooms of lupine, tansy leafed phacelia, popcorn flower and goldfields hide under the showy taller flowers.  And many more fiddleneck than usual carpet wide swaths of the valley, particularly to the west

April 20, 2020 Robert reports: In the El Paso mountain area near ridgecrest photo 4/18/2020

April 19, 2020 Paul reports: Lots of wildflowers at Ireteba Peaks.  Picts 4/17/2020.

April 18, 2020 Margaret reports: Kern River Canyon

April 18, 2020 Patrick reports: Algodones Dunes North side of Ben Hulse Highway. Verbs for miles.

April 17, 2020 DesertUSA reports: Below is video from Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve about the wildflowers this year, the first part is about the parks status, then they present some great wildflower information.

They also have live park camera. Click Here for live camera view of the park.

April 17, 2020 Harold reports: Drove out to the Arvin, CA area on 4/15.  The flowers are not as plentiful as the last couple of years, but the hills and fields are full of dark yellow flowers.  And when you first make the turn left from the 58, there is a nice field of lupine.

April 17, 2020 Don reports: Antelope Valley perked up our wildflower peeping yesterday (4/15), which had been disappointed by a less than stellar run through Carrizo Plain a couple of days ago.

The Poppy Valley is in full bloom and really spectacular in the sun!  While not a Super year, it's certainly Very Good.  Poppies are in most of the usual places, but they seem to extend further west than in the past.  There are also enough other types of flowers to warrant a number of "stop and stoop"s.  The Poppy Preserve is closed to cars, but not to walking.  Parking is discouraged along the main paved roads, but many dirt roads go right out into the blooms and are passable for most cars unless there's been a recent significant rain.

April 16, 2020 Larry reports: Of course I have been staying at home, social distancing and sheltering in place so I have no idea of what the poppy situation is at the Antelope Poppy Reserve.  But, I hear it is very good.

April 14, 2020 Scott reports: Last weekend in Panamint Valley! Also Darwin Falls.

April 8, 2020 Jim reports: Lots of Filaree Storksbill in the fields near Escondido.

April 2, 2020 Rena reports: There are lots of poppies to be seen on Avenue I and Avenue D going towards the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve.

March 27, 2020 Jim reports: Flowers in Julian CA. Most businesses are closed due to COVID-19.

March 25, 2020 Kathy reports: Owl Canyon campground, Rainbow Basin, Barstow Ca.

 

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