Hillside walk, 29 April 2019
With the maturing and end of the grass growing season, the hillsides are becoming much easier for walking. This morning before dawn we received about 3 mm of rain, which should assist in helping the old grass to rot away.
Flowers are changing as the spring season progresses. The most obvious are these:
- Black sgae (Salvia mellifera), it's simply everywhere.
- Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. caerulea), in full bloom wherever it grows, which is in many places.
- Bush monkey flower (Diplacus aurantiacus), close to full bloom, and such a refreshing sight with it's large, orange-colored flowers.
- Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum var. fasciculatum), not quite at full bloom, but located in many places, and will fade rapidly after reaching its peak in the coming days.
- Deerweed (Acmispon glaber var. glaber), not quite at its peak, but now abundant everywhere with its bright yellow flowers.
- Southern honeysuckle (Lonicera subspicata var. denudata), present in a number of places, and is very noticeable at a distance although it's just coming into full bloom.
- Cobweb thistle (Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale), widely spread and starting its full bloom.
Noteworthy is that the suncup (Camissoniopsis sp.) continues to bloom in Canyon 6, but is finished everywhere else. Along Lida Street, surprisingly, is a small amount of wild cucumber (Marah macrocarpa).
And the valley cholla (Cylindropuntia californica) is now in full bloom at its few locations on the south hillside.
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Deerweed |
Chamise |
Southern honeysuckle |
Bush monkey flower |
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Common muilla |
Cobweb thistle |
Valley cholla |
Blue elderberry |