Hillside walk, 09 July 2018
The past week has seen severe hear. It's Monday, and the warmest recent day was last Friday, which produced a maximum temperature of 114F. Subsequent days have been hot, too, but not at that extreme. The impact of the heat is visible everywhere on the hillsides. Perhaps most noticeable are the many specimens of scrub oak (Quercus sp.) with whole sections of these trees looking virtually dry and dead. What a contrast from the green of last week! This is presumably the result of burning by severe heat.
Numerous other species also have dry, withered sections. Even many of the coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) have burned leaves.
Flowers are this week in noticeable decline. For example, suddenly the bright faces of morning glory (Calystegia macrostegia) are completely absent. And along the entire walk today, I saw only one solitary monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus), in a shaded section of Canyon 6.
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Chaparral yucca |
Scrub oak |
Blue elderberry |
Leafy California buckwheat |
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Southern honeysuckle |
Scrub oak |
Scrub oak |
Sacapellote |
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California everlasting |