Latest observations reported here: 15 March 2008 from Kay Madore
This Bloom Report is incomplete and is based solely on personal observations from hikes done February 2 - March 14, 2008. Since the big vernal pool has been spectacular this year, I have spent most of my volunteer hours helping visitors view the fabulous fairy shrimp "stars" and other pool denizens. I have only been able to hike several of the trails so far this spring.
Several showy species can be found on many of the trails: Red Maids (big patches of them near Fault/Monument Hill Roads) Ground Pinks, Popcorn Flower, Goldfields, Blue Dicks, Shooting Stars, Johnny Jump-ups, and Blue-eyed Grass. There may be good bloom displays elsewhere on the Reserve. I did not include grasses or sub-species and only common names are given.
- Vernal Pool Trail to S. Los Santos Trail: deerweed (next to road) ground pinks, red maids, filaree, popcorn flower, California burclover, blue dicks, muilla, yellow carpet, goldfields, common lomatium, sharp-toothed sanicle, angel's gilia, shortpod mustard, mouse-eared chickweed
- S. Los Santos Trail, from Vernal Pool Trail to Hidden Valley Spur Road: johnny jump-up, common bedstraw, southern miner's lettuce, blue dicks, western buttercup, purple sanicle, yellow sanicle, red maids, blue-eyed grass, chocolate lily, milk maids, California oxalis, wild-cucumber, bush lupine, popcorn flower, ground pinks, shining peppergrass
- Hidden Valley Spur Road and Hidden Valley Road, from S. Los Santos Trail to S. Trans Preserve Trail & Vernal Pool Trail: small-flowered fiddleneck, blue-eyed grass, bush lupine, Johnny jump-up, blue dicks, red maids
- S. Trans Preserve Trail, from Vernal Pool Trail to Hidden Valley Road: Johnny jump up, wild-cucumber, purple sanicle, sharp-toothed sanicle, western buttercup, chocolate lily, milkmaids
- Vernal Pool Trail to Vernal Pool Boardwalk: filaree, red maids, ground pinks, popcorn flower, blue dicks, yellow carpet, muilla, purple sanicle, goldfields, mouse-eared chickweed, common lomatium, sharp-toothed sanicle, johnny jump-up, shooting stars, California poppy, western buttercup, California burclover
- Vernal Pool Trail boardwalk to Adobes: goldfields, ground pinks, owl's clover, popcorn flower, blue dicks, bush lupine, California poppy, shooting stars, crete weed morning-glory, common bedstraw, miner's lettuce, wild-cucumber, California everlasting, chocolate lily, western buttercup
- Waterline Rd from Visitors Center to N. Vista Grande to Waterline Rd to Monument Hill Rd to S. Vista Grande / Waterline Rd to Visitors Center: filaree, shortpod mustard, blue dicks, Johnny jump-up, checkerbloom, common bedstraw, wild-cucumber, baby blue-eyes, angel's gilia, milk maids, California peony, miner's lettuce, popcorn flower, common chickweed, red maids, Pomona locoweed, chocolate lily, ground pinks, goldfields, shepherd's purse, common fiddleneck, small-flowered fiddleneck
- Tovashal / Torino Trail Loop: popcorn flower, climbing bedstraw, blue dicks, strigose lotus, chickweed, johnny jump-up, common bedstraw, miner's lettuce (all 3 taxa), baby blue eyes, goldfields, ground pinks, checkerbloom, common fiddleneck, hoaryleaf ceanothus, California burclover, shepherd's purse, California peony, sharp-toothed sanicle, Pomona locoweed, filaree
For older bloom observations, see Plants Blooming By Trail in 2006: Archival Records.
For older list of species in bloom, see Archived Lists of Species in Bloom in 2006.
To identify an unknown plant, use:
- Jane Strong's and Tom's Santa Rosa Plateau Bloom Identification Guide,
- Gordon House's Historical Record of Plants Blooming in the Santa Rosa Plateau, or
- Jane Strong's and Tom's San Gabriel Mountains Bloom Identification Guides for 2000, or 1999, giving a month-by-month record of when plants bloomed, organized by bloom color.
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Copyright © 2000-2008 by Tom Chester and Kay Madore.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to us at this source:
http://tchester.org/srp/plants/blooms/blooms.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 17 March 2008.