Category Archives: cheeseboro

ahmanson ranch, cheeseboro, nature, photography, photography|wildflowers, southern california, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, weather, weather|southern california, wildflowers, wildflowers

Spring Wildflowers in December?

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Paintbrush blooming in mid-December in Cheeseboro Canyon in Southern California near Los Angeles
Paintbrush blooming in mid-December in Cheeseboro Canyon

The paintbrush above, and the following Spring-blooming wildflowers were photographed on December 14,2023, on a trail run from the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. With the exception of the black mustard, the wildflowers were found along a half-mile stretch of dirt road connecting upper Las Virgenes and Cheeseboro Canyons.

The false Spring was the result of rain from Tropical Storm Hilary in August, an extended period of wetter than normal weather, and somewhat warmer Fall temperatures. The Water Year that ended September 30, 2023 was the seventh wettest on record for Los Angeles and Calendar Year 2023 was the sixth wettest.

Some related posts:
– A Second Spring at Ahmanson Ranch
– Seventh Wettest Water Year in Los Angeles Results in Rarely Seen Trail Conditions
– Looking For Local Impacts of Tropical Storm Hilary

 

ahmanson ranch, cheeseboro, geology, nature, nature|wildflowers, photography, quirky, running, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, wildflowers, wildflowers

Modelo Mustard

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Mustard flowering in Cheeseboro Canyon reveals the underlying structure of a hill.

Mustard flowering in Cheeseboro Canyon reveals the underlying structure of a hill.

According to the Dibblee geologic map of the area, the strata are part of the Modelo Formation. And… the Modelo Trail passes directly over the top of the hill.

The photo was taken on a run from the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve to the Cheeseboro Ridge Trail and back.

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Form and Color: Wind Poppy

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Form and color of a wind poppy.

The wind poppy is one of several new wildflowers I’ve recently added to the slideshow in the post Weekday Wildflowers.

Only about the diameter of a dime, the flower of this uncommon poppy is easy to miss. A closer view reveals its striking combination of form and color.

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Weekday Wildflowers

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Goldfields along a trail in Upper Las VIrgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve

Many of my weekday runs are on the trails of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahmanson Ranch).

In the wake of the Woolsey Fire and our wet rain year, the hills of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve have been covered with a dense carpet of green that has recently transitioned into a sea of mustard yellow. The grasses have now gone to seed and the hills will soon turn a summery-blond.

At first glance, just about all you see at Ahmanson Ranch is the green and yellow. But if you look closer, intermixed with the black mustard and other introduced plants are a variety of wildflowers.

In a few areas of the Preserve, there are large patches of native wildflowers, but it is more common for the native flowers to have to battle introduced plants for growing space. Some species are more successful than others.

Here is a slideshow of the wildflowers I’ve been seeing on my weekday runs, along with some comments and the date the photo was taken. Some of my weekday runs extend into Cheeseboro Canyon, so wildflowers from that area are also included. Additional photos may be added as the season progresses.

The yellow flowers along the trail on which Lynn is running are goldfields. As of April 10, there were still patches of goldfields blooming in the Lasky Mesa area.

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Warrior’s Plume Along the Cheeseboro Canyon Trail

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Warrior's plume (Pedicularis densiflora) along the Cheeseboro Canyon Trail, one of the areas burned in the November 2018 Woolsey Fire.

Warrior’s plume (Pedicularis densiflora) along the Cheeseboro Canyon Trail, one of the areas burned in the November 2018 Woolsey Fire.

With this rain season’s abundant rainfall, displays of wildflowers will be more extensive than usual and of greater variety — both inside and outside the Woolsey Fire burn area.