Diogenes' Lantern (Calochortus amabilis) at Camp Royeneh near Cazadero, California.

Like most other fairy lanterns (Calochortus), this plant spends most of the year as a dormant bulb. Late winter rains cause it to grow a few grasslike leaves during early spring, which wither and are replaced by lovely yellow flowers in late spring. They generally bloom in late April and early May. By june they usually develop seed pods which drop seeds late in the month, and the plant goes back to dormancy the rest of the year.

Fairy lanterns grow all over the state, with at least 48 species represented. They have historically been used as food, managed by indigenous agriculture.

This species is endemic to the North Coast Ranges.

#CaliforniaNativePlants #Nativeplants #PlantsoftheBayArea #PlantsofSonomaCounty #WildlifePhotography #PlantPhotography #Mosstodon #bloomscrolling #wildflowers #SonomaCounty #SonomaCountyBotany #Cazadero #CampRoyaneh #Calochortusamabilis
#Calochortus #DiogenesLantern
#FairyLantern #NorCalBotany

Bearberry manzanita (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) at Point Reyes National Seashore!

This low-growing species is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but is rare in California. In Eastern Canada and USA it's known as kinnikinnick, and is a part of some traditional smoking mixtures.

In California it tends to inhabit coastal bluffs at a few locations from Monterey County North. There is also a small population on San Bruno Mountain. I have only seen it a handful of times, it seems not to be able to handle much grazing by cattle. At this location it only survived at very edge of the bluff!

#CaliforniaNativePlants #Nativeplants #PlantsoftheBayArea #PlantsofMarinCounty #PlantsofPointReyes #WildlifePhotography #PlantPhotography #Mosstodon #bloomscrolling #wildflowers #MarinCounty #MarinCountyBotany #PointReyesNationalSeashore #PointReyes #Arctostaphylosuvaursi
#Arctostaphylos
#manzanitas #bearberry #kinnikinnick #FireEcology

Alameda Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos pallida) are flowering in El Sobrante!

One of my favorite rare native species. They are found in just a few groves in the hills between Oakland and Pinole.

#CaliforniaNativePlants #Nativeplants #PlantsoftheBayArea #PlantsofAlamedaCounty #PlantsofOakland #wildlifephotography #plantphotography #Mosstodon #bloomscrolling #wildflowers #AlamedaCounty #ElSobrante #Arctostaphylospallida
#Arctostaphylos
#manzanitas

Clarkia rubicunda - Ruby Chalice Clarkia

Photographed July 13, 2024 at McNee Ranch State Park just north of Montara

#CaliforniaNativePlants #plantsofthebayarea #plantsofsanmateocounty #montara #wildlifephotography #plantphotography #Mosstodon #bloomscrolling #nativeplants #clarkiarubicunda #clarkia #wildflowers #Plantsofsanfrancisco #SanMateoCounty

Blazing Stars in Niles Canyon!

#CaliforniaNativePlants #plantsoftheBayArea #plantsofAlamedaCounty #Fremont #NilesCanyon #Sunol #Mentzelia #blazingstars #bloomscrolling #Mosstodon #wildlifephotography #botany #nativeplants

It's manzanita season! Celebrating with the population of common manzanita at China Camp State Park. The hummingbirds definitely got the invitation.

#CaliforniaNativePlants #arctostaphylosmanzanitamanzanita #arctostaphylosmanzanita #arctostaphylos #manzanita #plantsofthebayarea #marincounty #ChinaCampStatePark #bloomscrolling #botany #marincountybotany #wildlifephotography #PlantsofMarinCounty #Mosstodon

Madia elegans - The Common Madia

Found in meadows and at the edge of oak woodlands from Baja California del Norte to Washington state.

It has a long blooming season, from early spring to to early fall, and provides one of the few sources of pollen for insects in the dry, hot California summer. The stems and leaves are covered in resinous glands with a sweet pine-sap smell.

Photographed at North Crestview Park in San Carlos, California.

#bloomscrolling #plantstodon #CaliforniaNativePlants #madiaelegans #madia #nativeplants #wildlifephotography #botany #sanmateocounty #plantsofthebayarea #plantsofsanfrancisco

*Calochortus luteus* - Yellow Mariposa Lily, found in heavy clay soils in the Bay Area, Sierra foothills, and the inner coast ranges of Central California.

The plant dies back to a dormant bulb during the hottest part of the year, only to re-emerge when the winter rains come. The plant takes 2-4 years of growth before it actually flowers.

The bulbs are edible, and are frequently eaten by invasive pigs and other grazing animals. The best places to see them are in open grasslands without a recent history of grazing. These photos were taken at Edgewood Preserve in San Mateo County.

Bulbs are seasonally available from native nurseries, and are easy to grow if you have the patience.

#bloomscrolling #botany #CaliforniaNativePlants #Calochortus #calochortusluteus
#wildflowers #Plantsofsanfrancisco #plantsofthebayarea #sanmateocounty #edgewoodpreserve

*Monardella villosa ssp. villosa* - Common Coyote Mint. This form is relatively common in the coast ranges from Southern Monterey County north to Sonoma County, and is also present (but fairly rare) in the Sierra Nevada Foothills.

It smells delightful, and tastes like peppermint with a tiny hint of epazote. You can find it blooming in late summer, typically at the margins of grasslands and in rocky, exposed, but still somewhat mesic areas.

These photos are from Eagle Rock in Santa Cruz Co.
#bloomscrolling #CaliforniaNativePlants #botany #bayarea #nativeplants #monardellavillosvillosa #monardellavillosa #monardella #Plantsofsanfrancisco #florespondence #mint #santacruzcounty #plantsofthebayarea

*Dudleya abramsii setchellii* - The Santa Clara Valley Liveforever

A beautiful native succulent, this rare and threatened subspecies is only found on serpentine rock exposures in Santa Clara County. Several populations have already been extirpated due to development, including a large former population at Communications Hill. Thankfully, most of the remaining plants are on protected lands. #CaliforniaNativePlants #dudleya #SantaClaraCounty #liveforever #serpentine #PlantsofSanJose #PlantsoftheBayArea #succulents #raresucculents #dudleyaabramsiisetchellii #dudleyaabramsii

Spent the day in San Francisco with family, made a quick detour to check in with a local celebrity: the Presidio Manzanita (Arctostaphylos montana ssp. ravenii). Historically restricted to serpentine outcrops in the city, development has nearly driven this plant to extinction. Since the 50s, only one known specimen survives in the wild. And so friendly in person!
#CaliforniaNativePlants #arctostaphylosmontanaravenii #arctostaphylos #manzanitas #sanfranciscobotany #botany #wildlifephotography #Plantsofsanfrancisco #plantsofthebayarea #bloomscrolling

Visited this Montara Mountain manzanita on Monday morning. This beautiful species (*Arctostaphylos montaraensis*) can be encountered on sandstone ridges on Montara Mountain near Pacifica, as well as one grove on San Bruno Mountain.
I can't wait to come back in a month to see them flowering. Like most manzanitas they are pollinated by bumblebees and hummingbirds.
#botany #CaliforniaNativePlants #manzanitas #arctostaphylosmontaraensis #arctostaphylos #sanmateocountybotany #montaramountain #plantsofsanmateocounty #plantsofthebayarea #bloomscrolling #wildflowers #montaramountain #Montara