Hillside walk, 31 May 2018
This spring has been cool overall. Lately we've also had morning mist and drizzle on numerous occasions. Apart from making some of my hillside outings wet and less pleasant, the result appears to be that some blooms are lasting longer than they otherwise would. For example, dodder flowers for a long while have been remnants in just a few places on old plants. Dodder is an annual, and the new season's growth is bursting into life in many locations; but it's not yet ready to bloom. Last year's growth is black and withered, apparently dead. But today, with this week's morning drizzle, a small part of the old growth on the lower north hillside is alive again, and producing flowers.
This reminds me that a number of the species that I report as blooming are well beyond their season, with the flowers being what I call “remnants.” Here are some examples (in addition to the dodder): Four o'clock (Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia) is very much finished, but today I found one plant on the upper north hillside with a few blooms. Mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia) has completely finished flowering except that one plant growing along Lida Street has a few male blooms. Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) has had a small number of flowers throughout the year since the 2017 spring bloom. Now it's about to begin it's 2018 spring bloom.
Alas, the one specimen of chaparral yucca that was blooming in recent weeks along Lida Street is no more. Someone has sawn off the entire flower stalk.