I've been watching a group of these small plants, waiting and waiting to see what the bloom might be. My patience has finally been rewarded. If you haven't met, let me introduce you to Little Prince's Pine - Chimaphila menziesii. Thanks go to Peter Baye to for the ID. It's a perennial wildflower in the Heath family and it's a California native, just like me!
Self Heal, Prunella vulgaris, is blooming in sunny spots on the Mendonoma Coast. There are several of these interesting wildflowers growing on our property in Anchor Bay. Last year Frank Drouillard took a very close up photo of one and was startled to see what looks like an alien face. It startled me too!
Self Heal has amazing qualities. First, its leaves are edible. They are mildly bitter greens. But its medicinal qualities set it apart from other wildflowers who might be considered "just pretty faces." It is an antiseptic and has an antibacterial effect. It's believed to be effective in cases of food poisoning. Native peoples used it to treat cuts and inflammation. It's a wonder plant!
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.
The late rains have given the Mendonoma Coast a fantastic wildflower season. Wild rhododendrons and azaleas continue to bloom in abundance though today's wind won't be kind to them. Salt Point State Park is in Sonoma County is one of my favorite parks. It spans many miles on both sides of Highway One. (Note to our elected leaders: To have this or any state park closed is a travesty.) John Sperry kindly allowed me to share his photo of the wildflowers now blooming on the bluffs.
