Karen Tracy found the delicate-looking Milkmaids, Cardamine californica, blooming.
It is one of our earliest blooming wildflowers. Rick and I are seeing them begin to flower in our forest alongside the creek.
We are having wild, cold weather. Rain followed by sunshine that then turns to rain seems to be the order of the day. Some call it zany weather!
Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Margaret Lindgren leads hikes here on the Mendonoma Coast. On a hike last month she discovered a rare and endangered wildflower, Supple Daisy, Erigeron Supplex. She found it on The Sea Ranch and I understand there are more of these flowers on the Point Arena/Stornetta Lands.
I haven't seen this native wildflower yet but hope to see it next year.
Thanks to Margaret for allowing me to share her photos with you here. To learn about the various hikes Margaret offers, here is her website: www.unbeatenpath.weebly.com
False Solomon Seal, Maianthemum racemosum, began blooming this past week on the shady edges of our forest. "False" seems such a cruel description of this lovely wildflower.
It actually is edible when very young but shouldn't be harvested unless found in abundance. It certain does not grow in abundance on our property so I'll just enjoy its beauty. It also has medicinal qualities that native peoples utilized, including use as a cough remedy.
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.
