The weather has calmed in Southern California. Medium range models are forecasting a break of about a week in what has turned out to be a very busy rain season. Over the last 90 days a precipitation pattern typical of El Niño has emerged in the western U.S. This is reflected in rainfall total for Downtown Los Angeles (USC), which is now at 13.2 inches for the water year — 4.78 inches above normal.
The dry weather could not have come at a better time for those affected, or threatened, by mudslides and debris flows. This small slump along a road at Ahmanson Ranch is indicative of the instability that can develop when soil becomes saturated. Had our recent wet pattern been more persistent, mudslides and debris flows might have been much more widespread and devastating.
California peony is fairly common in the Santa Monica Mountains and other lower elevation, open space areas of Southern California. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral.
It is a perennial, and has adapted to our demanding climate by dieing back when conditions become hot and dry. Its leaf growth tends to parallel that of annual grasses, and as these grasses become long, lush and green following early Winter rains, you’ll usually find flowering peonies somewhere in the area.
