Tag Archives: Mendocino County

• 2 Comments

•

On a walk along the Gualala River last Saturday with friends, we can across a rare wildflower blooming in the forest. It is the Fringed Corn Lily, Veratrum fimbriatum. It is only found in Sonoma and Mendocino counties so it is a treat to see. You will see in the photo that the lovely flower attracted a lot of interest from photographer Nan Brichetto and Karen Tracy!

The leaves are quite handsome but are long gone in the autumn. Here's a link to see what the leaves looked like in spring. http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/04/08/fringed-corn-lily-leaves-a-rare-mendonoma-plant/
We had a lot of rain from yesterday's storm, three inches recorded at our house. I don't think it will be long before the Gualala River opens to the Pacific Ocean. Stay tuned!

• 2 Comments

•

With the recent rains, the Gualala River is full. Since the river is still closed to the Pacific Ocean, the lagoon has expanded into the floodplains. It's a lovely sight to see. On a walk yesterday I took several photos of this wild river. When we receive enough rain, the river will break through the sandbar. And waiting for the river to open are Steelhead!

To see an albino Steelhead spotted in the Gualala River in July, click on this link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/07/14/albino-steelhead-found-in-the-gualala-river/

And to learn more about this beautiful river, the web site of Friends of the Gualala River has it all. http://www.gualalariver.org/

• 1 Comment

•

It is a bit of a walk but, oh, is it worth it! There is a beautiful waterfall on the Stornetta Public Lands. The best way to find it is to drive down Lighthouse Road. That's the way to the Point Arena Lighthouse, another great outing. Access the Stornetta Lands off of this road and walk south. Enjoy the beautiful scenery but take a jacket as it is often windy as you will see by the photo of me. Walk for perhaps 30 minutes. You will come to a stream, walk down, cross the stream, walk up and then look back. There you will see the waterfall to your right and in the distance the gleaming white Lighthouse. What a beautiful sight - a hidden treasure for you to find on the Mendocino Coast!

• 2 Comments

•

A Coast Lily - Lilium maritimum - one of the most beautiful of our spring wildflowers has just bloomed on our road near the hamlet of Anchor Bay. It's a perennial herb and now only grows on the North Coast, particularly in Mendocino County. It grows nowhere else in the world. It grows on a tall stalk over a foot tall, sometimes reaching as high as three feet. It is pollinated by Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds and by Bumblebees. Our weather may be saying "Winter!" but this Coast Lily is saying "Spring!"

•

The first Pussy Ears I've seen this year is blooming amidst a sea of pine needles on the edge of a dirt road here in Mendocino County. Such a delicate little flower with a single, slender green leaf. It is a treat to find this native California wildflower. It's a perennial herb and is a member of the Lily family. Want to impress family and friends with its Latin name? Be my guest! It is Calochortus tolmiei. Say it fast three times.