From a run this week on the Secret Trail in Calabasas, California.
Category Archives: photography|wildflowers
Fiesta Flower
Fiesta flower (Pholistoma auritum) near Big Cone Camp in Santa Paula Canyon.
Sweet Smell of… Poison Oak
This time of year if you’re running in Southern California’s canyons and notice a subtle, pleasantly pungent, and slightly sweet fragrance wafting about the area, look around, poison oak is probably near.
The small, greenish, five-petaled blossoms generally hide under the “leaves of three” and are easy to miss.
From today’s run in the Simi Hills.
Related post: Poison Oak
Paintbrush Red
From today’s run in the Malibu Hills.
California Peony
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.
From Saturday’s trail run in Malibu Creek State Park.
Miner’s Lettuce Along the Garapito Trail
In the lower elevations of Southern California, miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) usually sprouts in mid Winter. It is typically found in shady areas of the chaparral understory. It grows in nearly every county of California, and probably occurs in all but the most arid parts of the western U.S.
Miner’s Lettuce was reportedly eaten by Gold Rush miners to help prevent scurvy.
From today’s run on the Garapito Trail, in the Santa Monica Mountains, near Los Angeles.