Tag Archives: California native

•

The rains of this week have brought several wildflowers into bloom. One is the delicate Windflower, Anemone oregana. It is also called Western Wood Anemone or Oregon Anemone. It is a California native, though it is also found in a few other western states, including Oregon. It's a perennial herb. The juice from Windflowers can cause skin rashes. Who knew such a lovely little wildflower had a bite?

The petals are so delicate that if you touch them they might fall away. So now we know to look but don't touch. These wildflowers just bloomed on our property in Anchor Bay. They are quite small, perhaps two inches tall, and are on the forest floor near Quinliven Creek.

•

Since Rick and I found Trilliums blooming recently it shouldn't be surprising to also find the first Milkmaids, Cardamine californica. They belong to the mustard family. Cardamine means "strengthen the heart" from its reputed medicinal qualities. The flowers are said to be edible, with a peppery taste. But why pick these delicate beauties when we can enjoy them for weeks in the forest? These wildflowers are California natives, just like me.

 Huckleberry, our golden retriever, must have been checking out this wildflower as his paw is in the photo below. This plant is unusual in that it has two types of leaves - the oval one, which appears first and then the flower stalk with the slender long leaves. The oval leaf is a short distance from the flower stalk. You can see this in the bottom right-hand corner of the photo below. The flowers are just about ready to open.

•

Everything seems early this season so why should I be surprised to find the first Fetid Adder's Tongue, Scoliopus bigelovii, blooming on the forest floor? It's a treat to see these little brown orchid-like flowers. The leaves of this California native are just peeking up from the ground. Most people never see the flowers as they bloom in the winter, deep in the forest. However the leaves that follow are large, mottled and last for several months.

Greet the New Year and welcome the first wildflower too!

Happy New Year! Jeanne Jackson, Gualala

•

Peter Baye found this beauty in Mendocino County, specifically at the back of the beach at Alder Creek. It's Orobanche californica and its rather awful common name is California Broomrape. The color of the flower Peter found is unusual. Because of its extreme environment - salt spray from the Pacific Ocean and marshy sand - it has this lovely purple coloring.

Yes, it's a California native. And if you are a regular reader here you might not be surprised to learn it has medicinal qualities. A decoction of it can be used to treat colds and pneumonia.

 Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share this photo here.

• 2 Comments

•

An oh-so-lovely blue wildflower was recently photographed by Craig Tooley. Its name is Gentiana affinis var. ovata. Due to its rarity, Craig is keeping the exact location secret. But I can safely say it was photographed on the Sonoma Coast. It is a California native; a perennial herb. I thank Craig for allowing me to show it to you, in all its glory, here!

To see more of Craig's work, here's a link to his web site:http://web.me.com/theruffians1