Plant Guide to Sunset Ridge Trail / Mt. Lowe Fireroad, Altadena

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Plants in order beginning at gate across lower Sunset Ridge Fire Road
0.00	r	1		*orchid rockrose	Cistus Xpurpureus	/	2
0.00		2		*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum	/	16
0.00	r	3		*Spanish broom	Spartium junceum	99 / 9	5
0.00	r	4		*smilo grass	Piptatherum miliaceum	99 / 9	14
0.00	r	5		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica	99 / 9	30
0.00		6		poison oak	Toxicodendron diversilobum	99 / 9	28
0.00		7		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	/	34
0.00		8		*wall barley	Hordeum murinum ssp. murinum	/	1
0.00	r	9		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	35
0.00	l	10		*common chickweed	Stellaria media	99 / 9	15
0.00	l	11		*hedge mustard	Sisymbrium officinale	/	12
0.00	l	12		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia	/	29
0.00	b	13		*bur chervil	Anthriscus caucalis	99 / 1	6
0.00	l	14		*cheeseweed	Malva parviflora	/	11
0.00		15		common bedstraw	Galium aparine	/	19
0.00	l	16		bittercress	Cardamine oligosperma	99 / 2	5
0.00	r	17		*rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis	5 / 2	2
0.00	l	18		laurel sumac	Malosma laurina	/	26
0.00		19		branching phacelia	Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia	/	19
0.00	r	20		heartleaf penstemon	Keckiella cordifolia	/	18
0.00	l	21		*black locust	Robinia pseudoacacia	5 / 2	6
0.00		22		*horehound	Marrubium vulgare	/	17
0.00	l	23		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana	/	33
0.00		24		*greater periwinkle	Vinca major	1 / 1	5
0.00	r	25		toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia	/	34
0.00	r			(hoary-leaved ceanothus, Ceanothus crassifolius, on cliff above trail.)
0.01	r	26		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	/	37
0.01	l	27		*bladder senna	Colutea arborescens	2 / 2	2
0.01		28		California dodder	Cuscuta californica var. californica	/	12
0.01	r	29		coyote bush	Baccharis pilularis	2 / 2	17
0.01	l			(golden currant, Ribes aureum var. gracillimum)
0.01		30	ssp	*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	/	33
0.01		31		birch-leaf mountain-mahogany	Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides	2 / 2	12
0.01		32		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	5 / 5	22
0.01		33		*soft chess	Bromus hordeaceus	/	25
0.02	r	34		California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum	99 / 9	36
0.02	r	35		*rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros var. myuros	/	10
0.02	r	36		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	20 / 2	30
0.02	r	37		black sage	Salvia mellifera	99 / 9	27
0.02	r	38		*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	99 / 2	27
0.02	l	39		short-leaved cliff-aster	Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia	50 / 9	7
0.03	l	40		California suncup	Camissonia californica	99 / 5	12
	l	41		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	20 / 2	30
	l	42		hybrid scrub oak	Q. berberidifolia X Q. durata var. gabrielense X Quercus engelmannii	3 / 3	1
		43		wild-cucumber	Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus	9 / 9	30
	l	44		virgin's bower	Clematis lasiantha	2 / 2	4
	l	45		mule fat	Baccharis salicifolia	5 / 5	26
	l			(hillside gooseberry, Ribes californicum var. hesperium)
0.06	r	46		sugar bush	Rhus ovata	3 / 3	16
0.06	r	47		*Australian brass-buttons	Cotula australis	99 / 1	9
0.06	r	48		white everlasting	Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum	9 / 9	29
0.06	r	49	ssp	saw-toothed goldenbush	Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides	/	24
0.06				liverwort
0.06	r	50		*white-stemmed filaree	Erodium moschatum	5 / 1	10
0.06	r	51		*henbit	Lamium amplexicaule	5 / 1	7
0.06	r	52		*mouse-ear chickweed	Cerastium glomeratum	5 / 1	11
0.06	r	53		mugwort	Artemisia douglasiana	20 / 2	22
0.06	r	54		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	5 / 5	20
0.06	r	55		*golden wattle	Acacia longifolia	3 / 1	2
0.06		56		creeping snowberry	Symphoricarpos mollis	20 / 2	5
0.06		57		*tree tobacco	Nicotiana glauca	5 / 5	12
0.06		58		threadstem	Pterostegia drymarioides	2 / 2	13
0.06		59		*smooth cat's ear	Hypochaeris glabra	/	21
0.07	l	60		Coulter pine	Pinus coulteri	/	7
0.07		61		*hairy rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros var. hirsuta	/	9
0.07	r	62		*annual blue grass	Poa annua	/	6
0.07	r	63		miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata	99 / 3	12
0.07		64		*windmill pink	Silene gallica	/	19
0.08	l	65		knobcone pine	Pinus attenuata	/	3
	l	66		*white goosefoot	Chenopodium album	/	11
		67		*sow thistle	Sonchus oleraceus	/	20
	r	68	sp	*blue gum	Eucalyptus globulus	1 / 1	3
	l			Building protecting valves for several pipes
	r	69		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	/	19
0.10	l			Jct trail to Millard Campground.
	l			(large old Engelmann scrub hybrid, Q. Engelmannii X Q. berberidifolia, near beginning of that trail on left)
0.13	l			Begin turnout on left; take it to see the sp in it and around its perimeter.
0.13	l	70		*Oriental mustard	Sisymbrium orientale	/	7
0.13	l	71		*four-leaf polycarp	Polycarpon tetraphyllum	/	6
0.13	l	72	~	prickly cryptantha	Cryptantha muricata+	/	13
0.13	l	73		*Mediterranean pygmy-weed	Crassula tillaea	99 / 2	4
0.13	l	74		pygmy-weed	Crassula connata	99 / 2	11
0.13	l	75		California filago	Filago californica	99 / 2	12
0.13	l	76		*goldentop	Lamarckia aurea	/	10
0.13	l	77		western redbud	Cercis occidentalis	1 / 1	4
0.13	l	78		*petty spurge	Euphorbia peplus	/	6
0.14	l	79		chaparral whitethorn	Ceanothus leucodermis+	1 / 1	9
0.15	l			End turnout on left
0.15	l	80		bicolored everlasting	Gnaphalium bicolor	5 / 5	17
	r	81		foothill needlegrass	Nassella lepida	20 / 1	13
	l	82		deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. scoparius	30 / 3	17
		83		dwarf lupine	Lupinus bicolor	10 / 1	17
		84		wild sweetpea	Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus	5 / 5	5
0.19	l			Stairwell-type rails over a pipe.
0.19		85		long-stemmed buckwheat	Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum	50 / 3	15
0.19		86		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	/	25
0.19	l	87		*crimson-spot rockrose	Cistus ladanifer	3 / 3	2
0.20				Road crosses saddle
0.20	l	88	sp	pit-seed goosefoot	Chenopodium berlandieri	1 / 1	1
0.20	r	89		lanceleaf dudleya	Dudleya lanceolata	30 / 5	16
0.20	r	90		bush monkeyflower	Mimulus aurantiacus	30 / 5	28
	r	91		chaparral yucca	Yucca whipplei	10 / 9	24
0.22	r	92		prickly phlox	Leptodactylon californicum	20 / 4	2
0.23	r	93		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. canum	10 / 1	10
0.23		94		*common groundsel	Senecio vulgaris	/	11
0.24	r	95		California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	20 / 2	20
0.27	r	96		eucrypta	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia	5 / 1	13
0.27	r	97		wild canterbury bells	Phacelia minor	30 / 2	12
0.27	r	98		small-flowered melica	Melica imperfecta	/	24
0.27		99	?	unk with cauline opp lvs with white stripe down middle.
	r	100		canyon dudleya	Dudleya cymosa ssp. pumila	/	1
		101		Martin's paintbrush	Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii	50 / 5	13
0.29		102		collar lupine	Lupinus truncatus	/	15
0.29		103		California chicory	Rafinesquia californica	10 / 5	14
0.29		104		California pellitory	Parietaria hespera var. californica	/	2
0.29		105		cobwebby thistle	Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale	/	4
0.32		106		erect goldenaster	Heterotheca sessiliflora ssp. fastigiata	/	3
0.32	l			Jct. with trail - take it.
0.33	l	107		southern honeysuckle	Lonicera subspicata var. denudata	20 / 5	28
0.33	r	108	?	unk plant with rosette of fleshy long leaves (two on trail; other just past mile 0.43)22
0.33	r	109		California bay	Umbellularia californica	/	7
0.33	l			Three "caution" posts due to erosion. Trail is perfectly safe as long as one is paying attention.
0.33	r	110		*Arizona cypress	Cupressus arizonica ssp. glabra	/	3
0.33	r	111		scarlet larkspur	Delphinium cardinale	99 / 9	3
0.33	r	112		southern Indian pink	Silene laciniata ssp. major	/	11
0.33	l	113		wild tarragon	Artemisia dracunculus	3 / 1	20
0.33		114		Tejon cryptantha	Cryptantha microstachys	/	1
0.33		115		*Italian rye-grass	Lolium multiflorum	/	8
0.33	r	116		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	/	36
0.33	r	117		goldback fern	Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis	/	11
0.34	r			(bigcone spruce, Pseudotsuga macrocarpa, above trail.)
0.35	r	118		coffee fern	Pellaea andromedifolia	20 / 5	16
0.40		119		yellow pincushion	Chaenactis glabriuscula var. glabriuscula	/	10
0.35		120		stinging lupine	Lupinus hirsutissimus	1 / 1	10
0.36	l			Pipe vent
0.36	r	121		chamise	Adenostoma fasciculatum	/	25
0.40		122		Bigelow's spike-moss	Selaginella bigelovii	20 / 5	12
0.40	l	123		juvenile prickly pear	Opuntia sp.+	1 / 1
0.40		124	?	unk with single flat prostrate leaf, 85 cm x 18 mm102
0.40	r	125		bird's-foot fern	Pellaea mucronata var. mucronata	2 / 2	18
0.40	r	126		hoaryleaf ceanothus	Ceanothus crassifolius	/	10
0.41	r	127		white sage	Salvia apiana	/	26
0.41	l	128		hollyleaf cherry	Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia	1 / 1	8
0.41	l	129		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	/	29
0.43	l			Jct. steep use trail on left
0.43	r			(some unusual wild honeysuckles, Lonicera subspicata var. denudata, with some branches with leaves in whorls of 3, after being cut back)
				Check for columbine near here.
0.43	r	130		muilla	Muilla maritima	/	5
0.44	r	131		southern miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana	/	13
0.44	r	132		California wood fern	Dryopteris arguta	99 / 9	7
0.44		133		one-sided bluegrass	Poa secunda ssp. secunda	/	19
0.44	r	134		leafy daisy	Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus	/	28
0.44	r	135		Dudley's clarkia	Clarkia dudleyana	99 / 2	1
0.44	r	136		California polypody	Polypodium californicum	20 / 3	11
		137		giant needlegrass	Achnatherum coronatum	20 / 5	16
	r			a large number of the unknown single prostrate-leaf plants here, 33-40 cm x 11-13 mm.
	r	138		chicory-leaved stephanomeria	Stephanomeria cichoriacea	99 / 9	5
	l	139		lace-pod	Thysanocarpus laciniatus	30 / 1	4
	r	140		baby blue eyes	Nemophila menziesii var. menziesii	99 / 4	8
0.48	r	141		hillside gooseberry	Ribes californicum var. hesperium	30 / 9	3
0.49	r	142		Chinese houses	Collinsia heterophylla	5 / 1	10
0.49	l			(canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis)
0.51	l	143		half-hairy ceanothus	Ceanothus oliganthus var. sorediatus	1 / 1	1
0.51		144	ssp	arched elegant rock-cress	Arabis sparsiflora var. arcuata	/	5
0.51	r	145		spreading larkspur	Delphinium patens ssp. hepaticoideum	20 / 3	1
0.51	r	146		bitter gooseberry	Ribes amarum	30 / 9	1
0.53	r	147		California sweet-cicely	Osmorhiza brachypoda	20 / 1	4
	r	148		woodland star	Lithophragma affine	/	3
0.55	r	149		bigleaf maple	Acer macrophyllum	1 / 1	5
0.55				Cross drainage
0.55	r	150		hairy ceanothus	Ceanothus oliganthus var. oliganthus	1 / 1	2
0.56	l	151		canyon live oak	Quercus chrysolepis	20 / 9	18
0.58	r	152		creek senecio	Senecio flaccidus var. douglasii	5 / 2	8
0.61	r			prickly cryptantha	Cryptantha muricata+	/
0.61	b	153		thick-leaved yerba santa	Eriodictyon crassifolium var. crassifolium	20 / 1	3
0.61		154	?	small-flowered evening-primrose?	Camissonia micrantha?	/
0.61	r	155	ssp	globe gilia	Gilia capitata ssp. abrotanifolia	20 / 1	3
0.69				Trail splits: go right
0.70		156		white nightshade	Solanum douglasii	1 / 1	11
0.70	r	157		Bolander's woodland star	Lithophragma bolanderi	/	2
0.71				Switchback to right
0.71	l	158		Jepson's blue wildrye	Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii	/	7
0.72				Switchback to left
0.73				baby blue eyes with dark spots between petals; 7 lobed lf
0.75	l	159		oceanspray	Holodiscus discolor	2 / 2	1
0.76	r	160		tower mustard	Arabis glabra var. glabra	20 / 2	1
0.78		161	~	*poverty brome	Bromus sterilis	/	1
0.78				baby blue eyes with lots of small spots, missing the big spot
0.79				Two closely-separated switchbacks
0.81				Cross drainage; trail turns 90 degrees left
0.84				Switchback to right
0.87	r	162		bigcone spruce	Pseudotsuga macrocarpa	1 / 1	4
0.87				Switchback to left
0.90				Trail turns 90 degrees right
0.90	r	163		chaparral currant	Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium	1 / 1	2
0.90		164		purple nightshade	Solanum xanti	/	10
1.00				Switchback (90 degrees right)
1.03				Switchback to left
1.06	l	165		interior live oak	Quercus wislizenii var. frutescens	1 / 1	7
1.07				Switchback to right
1.09	l	166		canyon silktassel	Garrya veatchii	1 / 1	4
1.12				Switchback to left
1.17				Two short posts
1.20				Two short posts
1.21	r	167		southern tauschia	Tauschia arguta	1 / 1	3
1.30				Switchback to right
1.34				Jct shortcut trail to Fire Road, on right; if you take this shortcut and take the road down, go to mile 3.28 below
1.34				Continue up on trail to left
1.39				Jct. ridge trail on right (lower jct); switchback to left
1.43				Two short posts
1.46				Switchback to right
1.49				Trail curves left
1.49				Jct. ridge trail on right (upper jct)
1.52				Jct. very steep ridge scramble up
1.54	l	168		bigberry manzanita	Arctostaphylos glauca	1 / 1	7
1.65				Single short post (downslope one washed away?)
1.69				Jct. Camp Sierra. continue on trail to left of road
1.70				Sign: "Sunset Ridge Trail 12W18. Millard Campground 2 (left). Echo Mountain 1.5 (right). Mt. Lowe Campground: 3.5 (right)"
1.73				Jct. cut switchback (lower jct); switchback to right
1.74				Switchback to left
1.75				Jct. cut switchback (upper jct)
1.79		169		*rose clover	Trifolium hirtum	99 / 9	4
1.79				single short post (downslope one washed away?)
1.91				Switchback to right
1.94		170		*common dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	5 / 1	3
1.96				Switchback to left7
2.08				Switchback to right
2.23				Switchback to left; path to right
2.41		171	sp	planted Sycamore sp?11
2.41				Jct. top of trail at Sunset Ridge / Mt. Lowe Fire Road. Go right, downhill
2.46		172	?	tufted annual grass - sample
2.68		173	?	unk bush - garrya with new growth?
2.98	r	174		San Gabriel Mts. manzanita	Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glaucomollis	1 / 1	1
3.01		175	?	mentzelia sp?
3.06				Jct. gate without a gate (swinging arm) any more
3.08	r	176		short-winged deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. brevialatus	5 / 5	12
3.11		177		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	/	20
3.19	r	178		California poppy	Eschscholzia californica	/	19
3.25	r			Jct. road to north for Camp Sierra
3.28	r			Jct shortcut trail to Sunset Ridge Trail. If you didn't go to the top of the Trail and instead have come to this point using the shortcut trail, your species numbers below are 11 smaller, and your mileages are 1.91 miles smaller.
3.28				(first occurrence of Lotus scoparius var. scoparius going down Sunset Ridge Fire Road.)
3.28		179		*Aleppo pine	Pinus halapensis	/	3
		180	ssp	California elegant rock-cress	Arabis sparsiflora var. californica	/	1
3.37		181		*moth mullein	Verbascum blattaria	5 / 1	1
3.74		182		*downy brome	Bromus tectorum	10 / 1	18
3.89				(the two ssp of deerweed, Lotus scoparius var. scoparius and var. brevialatus, grow side by side here. This appears to be the lowest brevialatus plant.)
4.09		183		twiggy wreath plant	Stephanomeria virgata ssp. virgata	10 / 1	5
4.11		184		*common mullein	Verbascum thapsus	1 / 1	2
4.51	r			Jct. Sunset Ridge Trail.
4.35	l			(hoaryleaf ceanothus with flat leaves - Ceanothus crassifolius var. planus?)
4.86				End guide back at bottom gate

http://tchester.org/sgm/plants/guides/sunset_ridge.html
Updated 7 December 2003.