Tag Archives: redwood violets

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Many  native wildflowers are quite small. It's Mother Nature's way of seeing if you are paying attention! Amy Ruegg is definitely paying attention. Here are some of the beauties she found recently. The first is Hound's Tongue, Cynoglossum grande, a member of the Forget-me-not Family.

Redwood Violets, Viola sempervirens, are blooming now too.

The lovely Wild Ginger, Asarum caudatum, joins in the chorus.

And Amy also found Douglas Iris, Iris douglasiana, one of the coast's larger wildflowers.

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

Another warm day with no wind. It's easy to spot Gray Whale spouts on the ocean. Changes are afoot though, with cooler temps and the possibility of some wet stuff in a few days.

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Trilliums, Trillium ovatum, have been blooming for several weeks. When they are young the bloom is white. But when they age a bit the bloom begins to turns pink. I noticed a few pale pink blooms the other day.

 And Redwood Violets have begun to bloom in sunny spots on the forest's edge.

Violet is the flower, not the color, which is obviously bright yellow!

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On this morning's walk Rick and I noticed these two wildflowers blooming in a shaft of sunlight. The yellow one is a Redwood Violet. It is also called an Evergreen Violet. The purple one is Redwood Sorrel. The Native Americans ate the leaves of this plant but sparingly because they contain oxalic acid, hence their Latin name - Oxalis oregana. Two lovely wildflowers - the very essence of spring!

And the promised laugh. There is a Brush Rabbit living in bushes off our driveway. I have been trying to get a picture of this small rabbit to show you. Yesterday there he/she was, sitting in the sun. I got the camera ready, focused and got a picture of Huckleberry's behind. The rabbit was long gone. There was nothing to fear from this Golden Retriever.

Happy Spring, everyone! Jeanne Jackson, Gualala

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Wildflowers burst into bloom this week on the Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts with just a few days of warm sunny weather. On a drive down Highway One a few days ago, Rick and I saw the first Lupine in bloom. Wild Iris - Douglas Iris - caught our eyes with their brilliant splashes of blue. Bright orange Poppies, California's state flower, have joined in the party. The wildflowers in the forest are a bit more subtle but worth your attention too. The beautiful False Solomon Seal has just bloomed and the forest floor is carpeted with the yellow-faced Redwood Violets.