Tag Archives: Trillium ovatum

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Amy Ruegg went out on a local trail last Sunday and while she found trees down because of the recent storms, she also found early wildflowers. Milkmaids, Cardamine californica, are blooming now. They are members of the Mustard family.

Amy also found Western Trilliums, Trillium ovatum.  This photo shows one covered in raindrops. The white blossom tells you it is freshly bloomed. The blossom will turn pink and then darker still in the days ahead as it "ages."

And lastly, Amy found Wild Ginger, Asarum caudatum.

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

It's a lovely day here on the Mendonoma Coast today, sunny with little breeze, and temps briefly hit 70 degrees!

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Mary Sue Ittner was on the Thursday Ramblers' hike last week. She found one of the first Western Trilliums, Trillium ovatum, up. It obviously had been raining!

She also found Slink Pod, Scoliopus bigelovii. I love looking for these tiny wildflowers. They are very hard to spot, so you look for the two leaves poking through the forest duff.

This morning I noticed the first Bracken Fern up and a few Huckleberry blossoms. Spring must be right around the corner! Thanks to Mary Sue for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

We have a lot of rain in our forecast, but there will be breaks to allow for nature walks on bluffs or along forest paths. Heed the siren call on Mother Nature!

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Milkmaids, Cardamine californica, are members of the Mustard Family. They are one of the earliest blooming wildflowers on the Mendonoma coast. Jinx McCombs recently found one in bloom.

Western Trilliums, Trillium ovatum, are up too! Rick and I found a half dozen today in the forest. Members of the Lily Family, they are sometimes called Wake Robin because their bloom can coincide with American Robins returning from their wintering grounds. Here is one just appearing on the forest floor.

Native wildflowers are a treat to find. Thanks to Jinx for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

We are having warm, dry weather. It doesn't feel like winter here on the Mendonoma coast today. No rain in the forecast for the next week. We may have to start planning for a rain dance.

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The dark of the forest is brightened with the sightings of Western Trilliums, Trillium ovatum. As I learn more, I pay attention more. I had noticed the red stems earlier this month with the leaves closed like hands praying - that's if one had three hands. As the days went by the leaves slowly opened to reveal the exquisite white flower. Here's a photo from our place in Anchor Bay that shows three stages of development.

You should never pick these wildflowers as it seriously sets the plant back. The leaf-like bracts by the flower provide food for the next year. Just enjoy their loveliness in their natural habitat.

We are having a wild and cold storm today on the Mendonoma Coast. The rain is very welcome. With the storm cells marching across the Pacific Ocean, there might be some wonderful sunset photos to share with you tomorrow. And I almost can't believe my eyes when I just now looked out the window and saw it was snowing! That's an extremely rare occurrence here.

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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!