See Observations of Plants Blooming With Locations for the very latest observations, since we try to update that page immediately after each SGM hike. In this page, at the end of each month, we summarize all our observations to produce our best estimates of which plants are blooming currently.
Latest observations: December 20, Big Dalton Canyon (various trails), December 14, Mt. Lowe (Sunset Ridge from Millard Canyon) Fire Road to Sierra Saddle return via Sunset Trail, December 13, Eaton Canyon
Plants in bloom in December:
Note that telegraph weed, tree tobacco and at least one of the species of sunflowers can be found in bloom nearly year-round.
- Beginning: white nightshade, California everlasting, two-tone everlasting, sugarbush (buds), hillside gooseberry, bay tree, chickweed, one miner's lettuce, hairy ceanothus (buds), white alder (buds), white-stem filaree, arroyo willow
- Full: red-stem filaree, long-stemmed buckwheat, beggar-ticks, felt-leaf everlasting, Mediterranean mustard, mule fat, cliff-aster, telegraph weed, wild cucumber, chaparral currant, twiggy wreath plant, rosemary, Russian thistle, sunflower, one hoaryleaf ceanothus, sow thistle, wild sweet pea, alyssum, smartweed, German ivy, tree tobacco,
- Ending: senecio, California fuchsia, California buckwheat, telegraph weed
- Fruit: toyon (red berries),
Plants in Bloom in Previous Months of This Year
For date and location of the observations, see:
- Observations of Plants Blooming With Locations
- Update log for this page
- Jane Strong's Seasons of the San Gabriels and San Gabriel Mountains Leaf Log (also contains more descriptions of blooming plants, along with many other natural observations)
To identify an unknown plant, use the 2000 Bloom Identification Guide or 1999 Bloom Identification Guide, each giving a month-by-month record of when plants bloomed in the SGM.
Plant List for San Gabriel Mountains Bloom Identification Pages: Sort by Common Name or Latin Name
For general places to look for wildflowers, see Jane Strong's Wildflower Locations in the San Gabriel Mountains.
An analysis of the Number of Plants Blooming By Month In 1999.
Plants blooming now outside the SGM
Plants Blooming In The San Gabriel Mountains - 1997 and 1998 Observations
Also see Relation Of Culinary Plants To SGM Plants
Plants Blooming In Previous Months Of This Year In The San Gabriel Mountains November observations: November 25, Chantry Flat to Mt. Zion
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: everlasting, white nightshade, bladder senna (plus many seed pods), hillside gooseberry, alder (buds), sugarbush (buds close to opening), manzanita (buds), hoaryleaf ceanothus (buds),
- Full: mustard, mule fat, cliff aster, twiggy wreath plant, chaparral currant, a single Indian pink
- Ending: California buckwheat, goldenrod
- Fruit: toyon (red berries), manzanita (red-brown berries), honeysuckle
- Seeds: bedstraw, goldenbush (Ericameria parishii)
October observations: October 25, San Gabriel Canyon Road, SR 39; October 22, Glendora Ridge Road; October 19, Angeles Crest Highway, La Cañada to Wrightwood
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: none
- Full: Kansas sunflower (Helianthus annuus), senecio, twiggy wreath plant, California fuchsia, shortpod mustard, long-stemmed buckwheat (Eriogonum elongatum), ragweed, brickellbush, California buckwheat, a buckwheat with pinkish flowers and wide-angled stems, one unknown yellow composite similar to telegraph weed but shorter and with different leaves (gray and wavy edged), morning glory, goldenbush, California aster, California buckwheat, telegraph weed
- Ending: none
- Leaf color: California walnut (yellow leaves), brilliant scarlet poison oak, bigleaf maple (golden leaves), sycamore (golden leaves), box elder (lemon-yellow leaves), willow (yellow leaves), Fremont cottonwood (yellow leaves), gooseberry and thimbleberry (light yellow leaves), bracken fern (golden brown), ash (yellow leaves), California black oak (golden leaves), squaw currant (yellow leaves), chokecherry (brownish-red leaves), Lombardy poplar (brilliant yellow leaves)
- Fruit: toyon (red berries), hollyleaf cherry (with an abundance of large red fruits)
September observations: September 21, Angeles Crest Highway (Charlton Flat) to Devil Peak; September 15, Angeles Crest Highway to Cortelyou Spring (just past Islip Saddle)
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: rabbitbrush
- Full: gray-green everlasting, nude buckwheat, California fuschia, senecio, telegraph weed, ragweed, cliff-aster, goldenbush, brickellbush, bristly bird's beak, tarragon, California aster, yellow vinegarweed, Great Basin sagebrush
- Ending: leafy aster, California aster, goldenrod, poodle-dog bush
- Leaf color: wand penstemon, spreading dogbane, bigleaf maple (some yellow leaves), poison oak, deerbrush (yellow leaves), Fremont cottonwood (a few yellow leaves), squaw bush (deep, dark red, beautiful!)
- Fruit: bigberry manzanita, hollyleaf cherry (green berries)
- Seeds: mountain mahogany, California buckwheat (red seed), chamise (rust red seed), virgin's bower
August observations: August 30, Silver Moccasin Trail: Shortcut Saddle to Chilao; August 19, Kenyon De Vore Trail; August 3, Angeles Crest Highway to Vetter Mountain
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: goldenbush, pine goldenbush, rabbitbrush
- Full: California aster, leafy daisy, California buckwheat, chicory, California everlasting, California fuchsia, gilia, goldenrod, silvermat lotus, Bridge's penstemon, wand penstemon (red leaves, a few last flowers), senecio, sulphur buckwheat, yellow vinegar weed (Lessingia lemmonii)
- Ending: cliff-aster, bird's beak, San Gabriel beardtongue, Spanish broom, scarlet monkeyflower, mustang mint, Indian paintbrush, wand penstemon, white snapdragon, wallflower, woolstar, golden yarrow
- Leaf color: bracken fern (yellow leaves), heart-leaved penstemon (red and yellow leaves), poison oak (red leaves), squawbush (red leaves)
- Fruit: hollyleaf cherry (green berries), honeysuckle (red berries), manzanita (brown berries), poison oak (white berries)
- Seeds: bedstraw, mountain mahogany, virgin's bower
These are perhaps in full bloom, but we didn't observe them this month: toyon, mustard.
These have probably ended: blue-eyed grass, scarlet columbine, dodder, elderberry, flannelbush, horehound, lupine, orangebush monkeyflower, prickly phlox, Indian pink, popcorn flower, prickly poppy, white sage, laurel sumac, thistle, white yarrow, smoothleaf yerba santa, yucca.
Unknown bloom status: blazing star, cinquefoil, sneezeweed, tree poppy, poodle dog bush.
July observations: July 24, Angeles Crest Highway to Dawson Saddle; July 20, Angeles Crest Highway to Vetter Mountain; July 12, Angeles Crest Highway, Cloudburst Summit to Dorr Canyon (~6000 - 8000'); July 10, Upper Dark Canyon Trail to Grizzly Flats, Vasquez Creek (~3400') by Tom; July 10, Angeles Crest Highway, La Cañada to Three Points, Barley Flats Road, Sulfur Springs Road (3N17 and 5N04 plus hike to springs) all by Jane, except where noted.
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: toyon
- Full: California buckwheat, California everlasting, cliff-aster, elderberry, horehound, laurel sumac, mountain mahogany in seed, poison oak (leaf in color), prickly poppy, virgin's bower (in seed), white sage, white yarrow, smoothleaf yerba santa, yucca, popcorn flower, California fuchsia, dodder, Indian paintbrush, Indian pink, prickly phlox, scarlet monkeyflower, scarlet columbine, heart-leaved penstemon, wand penstemon, San Gabriel beardtongue, Bridge's penstemon, blazing star, cinquefoil, flannelbush, golden yarrow, mustard, senecio, sneezeweed, Spanish broom, silvermat lotus, sulfur buckwheat, tree poppy, wallflower, blue-eyed grass, leafy daisy, lupine, poodle dog bush, thistle, woolstar
- Ending: chamise, deerweed, orangebush monkeyflower, shooting star
June observations: June 22, Old Logging road to just beyond Buckhorn Spring by Tom and Jane; June 19, Angeles Crest Highway, Three Points to Lightning Ridge by Jane; June 10, 15, and 22, Angeles Crest Highway to Vetter Mountain by Jane
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: (all of these observations at the higher elevations) -- California buckwheat, sulfur buckwheat, Bridge's penstemon
- Full: Spanish broom, rock buckwheat, chamise, cinquefoil, white sweet clover, scarlet columbine, deerweed, elderberry, flannelbush, gilia sp., Indian paintbrush, silvermat lotus, lupine sp., broadleaf lupine, grape soda lupine, silky lupine, Fremont's bush mallow, apricot mallow, milkweed, orangebush monkeyflower, mustard, heart-leaved penstemon, scarlet bugler, Grinnell's penstemon, granite prickly phlox, prickly phlox, Phacelia curvipes, poodledog bush, tall popcorn flower, prickly poppy, pussy paws, laurel sumac, senecio, snowbush, snow plant, tauchsia, thimbleberry, wallflower, white sage, woolstar, golden yarrow, white yarrow, yerba santa, yucca
- Ending: imbricate phacelia
May observations: May 28, San Gabriel Canyon Road to South Mt. Hawkins by Jane; May 22, Big Tujunga Road, The Pines Picnic Area and Switzer's Picnic Area by Jane; May 17, Angeles Crest Highway to Three Points, Santa Clara Divide Road, Mt. Hillyer by Jane; May 15, Sunset Peak from the new trailhead by Tom and Jane; May 1, Angeles Forest Highway, Mt. Emma Road, Big Pines Highway by Jane
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: California buckwheat, granite prickly gilia, muilla, yucca, scarlet columbine, pumice hulsea, beardtongue (Grinnell's penstemon), poodledog bush.
- Full: chamise, popcorn flower, cliff aster, white sage, white sweet clover, white yerba santa, Phacelia brachyloba, white rockrose, woodland star,morning glory, miner's lettuce, squawbush, desert ceanothus (C. greggii), bush monkeyflower, prickly phlox, Indian paintbrush, snowplant, dodder, California poppy, alumroot (coralbells), mustard, annual (Kansas-type) sunflower, golden yarrow, deerweed, Spanish broom, tree poppy,suncups, mountain dandelion (Agoseris grandiflora), silverleaf lotus, wallflower, pine goldenbush, giant-flowered phacelia, wild canterbury or California bells, common phacelia, foothill penstemon, western thistle, grape soda lupine,punchbowl clarkia, purple nightshade, purplish-pink rockrose, California thistle, rock cress, Chinese houses, baby blue eyes, dark blue larkspur, yerba santa, Phacelia curvipes, chia, desert sage (Salvia dorri), blue-eyed mary, showy penstemon, wild oats (everywhere)
- Ending: bigberry manzanita, golden violet, chaparral whitethorn, fiddleneck.
April observations: April 27, Monrovia Canyon by Jane; April 25, Millard Canyon Waterfall Trail, April 25, Mt. Wilson Trail both by Tom; April 23, Angeles Crest Highway by Jane; April 19, Mt. Wilson Toll Road by Jane, 11 April, Mt. Wilson Trail by Tom; 10 April, Eaton Canyon, 7 April, SR2 to Islip Saddle both by Jane
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: mountain dandelion, pineapple weed, golden violet, coffeeberry, cinquefoil, wallflower, black sage, yerba santa, woodland star, black locust, windmill pink, white rockrose, hollyleaf cherry, elderberry, horehound, morning glory, poison hemlock, bedstraw, popcorn flower, white nightshade, chaparral whitethorn, manzanita sp. (a small, pinkish-white flower at high elevations), mountain mahogany, sugar bush, Fremont cottonwood, deerweed, suncups, Indian paintbrush, dodder, Spanish broom, black walnut, California poppy, wild oats, purple nightshade.
- Full: Bermuda buttercup, black mustard, beggar tick, rockcress, wild Canterbury bells, chia, sweet alyssum, chickweed, wild cucumber, miner's lettuce, white sweet pea, rattlesnake weed, eupatory, gray-leaf everlasting, hoaryleaf ceanothus, hillside gooseberry, bigberry manzanita, mule fat, poison oak, tree tobacco, tree poppy, arroyo willow, bigleaf maple, California bay tree, chaparral currant, wishbone bush (California four o'clock), red maids, castor bean, red-stem filaree, lupine sp., baby blue eyes, blue dicks, hairy ceanothus.
- Ending: golden currant
March observations: 16 Mar, Mt. Lowe East Trail, Mt. Lowe Fireroad, Sunset Ridge Trail, SR2, by Tom and Jane; 13 Mar, Eaton Canyon; 9 Mar, CCC Ridge off SR2; by Jane
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: sweet alyssum, castor bean, common chickweed, wild cucumber, everlasting, bigleaf maple, white nightshade, white sweet pea, hoaryleaf ceanothus, sugar bush, hillside gooseberry, black mustard, tree poppy, California bay tree, red-stem filaree, lupine sp.
- Full: bigberry manzanita, mule fat, beggar-ticks, golden currant, tree tobacco, arroyo willow, chaparral currant
February observations: 26 Feb, Arroyo Seco to Niño, Jane; 24 Feb, Sam Merrill Trail, Jane; 22 Feb, Sunset Ridge Trail, Jane; 9 February, Arroyo Seco / El Prieto Canyon, Jane; 7 February, Big Tujunga Creek, Tom and Jane
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: sweet alyssum, common chickweed, wild cucumber, everlasting, white nightshade, white sweet pea, hoaryleaf ceanothus, sugar bush, hillside gooseberry, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, black mustard, California bay tree
- Full: mule fat, beggar-ticks, tree tobacco, arroyo willow, white alder, chaparral currant
January observations: 4 January, Eaton Canyon, Jane
Plants in bloom:
- Beginning: everlasting sp., castor bean, black mustard
- Full: cliff-aster, mule fat, tree tobacco
- Ending: senecio, scale-broom, ashy-leaved buckwheat
- Berries: toyon
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Copyright © 1997-2001 by Tom Chester and Jane Strong.
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Updated 10 March 2003.