I really needed a change of pace, from the problems of overuse, to something much more beautiful, so I suspected you did too. This is the Calochortus venustus, or Mariposa Lily. My favorite.
Category: Wildflowers
May Wildflowers on Plaskett Ridge
Here are just a few of the wildflowers I photographed on the way down Saturday.
And then there were – what used to be the exceedingly rare, but much more prolific in the last few years – Charmin flowers.
Foto Friday, March Wildflowers Part 2
No reader photos this week, so here are a few more Wildflowers. Lupines, Indian Paint brush, wild onion.
Foto Friday, 8
Calchortus venustus
March Wildflowers
Indian Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush patch
Hound’s Tongue
Vetch
Milk Maid
Chocolate or Mission Bells.
All these flowers were found on my way down Plaskett this morning. What a gift!
A Lupine Spring
Lupine have been heralding Spring for a while now. This was taken recently.
Wildflowers
I know … I promised yet even MORE road pics, and I have a bunch … Rocky Creek, Alder Creek, Pitkins Curve, Rain Rocks … there is so much going on, it is hard to know where to start, but I decided I need a break from them, so today, it is wildflowers. All of these were taken yesterday.
Thanks Tzila for sending me the name of this one!
And on another note, I don’t know how many of you read the article in the Herald about the French tourists who got lost on the South Coast Ridge Rd. and had to be rescued. They did not speak or read English and got to the closure and turned around, headed up Nacimiento-Fergusson, but then turned right on South Coast Ridge Rd. and drove out a couple hours. I can only imagine what that was like for them.
Today, I had my own version. I left the gate open last night – just being lazy. Today this SUV went whizzing by my place. I knew the back gate would stop him, but I didn’t want him doing anything stupid – like busting through, so I gave chase. I caught him just after he’d turned around. He was a young man, by himself, who spoke little English. He was French. His GPS sent him up Plaskett.
I got him to come back to my place so I could show him a map and draw him one on how to get back, down, over, and headed toward LA again. He was funny. Said he “liked new things” – adventure, said I. And so, he took my photo standing in front of the incredible view in my Jade Festival T-shirt with ranch hat on. What an adventure he had!
A challenge
Do you remember this photograph I posted of the yellow hills of Big Sur?
Well, I ran into Joe Burnett, biologist for the VWS’s Condor reintroduction program, last night and he suggested a challenge. If Jeff Norman were still around (we miss you Jeff!) this challenge would not be necessary.
This is the challenge – hike into Mt. Manual, and take close-up photographs of the various yellow flowers contributing to this unusual phenomena, and send them to me at kwnovoa@mac.com I will post them on my blog. If you know what they are, include that information. But even if you do NOT know what they are, send them in, and hopefully, someone can help us identify them. We will also see how much of what we are seeing is native or introduced.
Here is a close-up of one flower that is making the hills yellow, at least close to the highway. Is it also on Mt. Manual? I originally thought it was a tansy, but I believe that may be incorrect, and would love for someone to identify it for me. It is all over right now, in more abundance than I have ever seen – both in areas touched by the Basin Fire, and those untouched.
Do you know what this is? Barbara Woyt does. It is Eriophyllum staechadifolium or lizard tail, also known as Seaside Woolly Sunflower. Is it part of the display on Mt. Manuel? Get out there soon, as this display won’t last long in this hot weather! And send those photos in! Let’s all find out what is causing this unusual display! Thanks, Joe, for the challenge. Now let’s see if my readers are up for it!
(Note, this photo was not taken for the challenge, or it would be a closer shot. Here, I wanted the hills and ocean in the background, but a good photo for this challenge would clearly show the flowers AND the leaves for identification purposes as close-up as your camera would allow.)
The Yellow HIlls of Big Sur
Many people, local and out-of-towners, have been commenting on our yellow hills. Dan Danbom sent me this photo of the phenomena today. It depicts the event beautifully.
I noted this “event” on my way home the other night, and slowed enough to identify four flowers that are contributing to this spectacular show, but there might be others. Currently in bloom are native sticky monkey flower, a native tansy, the padre-introduced mustard, and a amaranth-type flower that I have seen, but don’t know if it is native or not. Whatever the flowers, the show is outstanding right now. Enjoy!
Wildflower Mania, Part II
This morning, my dear friend Barbara Woyt sent me some photos of wildflowers she had taken. We share a passion. She’s also an awesome birder – me, not so much. Some, you will recognize. She didn’t send me the identifications, and while I could guess, I won’t. I’ll just let you enjoy her photographs.
Well, good … no flogging is imminent! Whew! This is what she had to say about what they are (of course, the first one, pink, is a clarkia, and two of them, the Calochortus, you recognize from yesterday, but here is her take on the others:
“the yellow is a singular looking of a usually more many flowered annual that we see after fires – Emmenanthe penduliflora – this was my first one after the Basin fire but I have not seen it in the abundance I remember after other fires … perhaps it is where I am looking but I have seen it sparsely on Partington and down near the coast even in back burn set from the road
…. the creamy white is a Zigadenus fremontii an early perennial and the blue is the brodiaea jolonensis that grows near Jolon but this one is a little different in a way that makes me wonder if that is its exact name. Maybe the plant pro’s will respond & I will find out for sure.” Thanks, Barbara!
It’s hard NOT to get excited when there are beauties like this to find and photograph – or even look at. Join the mania, and see what you can find!
Okay, so I forgot a couple of the captions, BUT, they are ALL by Barbara Woyt! Thanks Barbara, and I know, I know, I didn’t wait for your permission – as you are so very rarely on line. You can flog me later! LOL.
But hold on, it doesn’t end here. You can see more wildflowers from bigsurwoman (Avis Latone) here:
and XT has included some in his bicycle tour down the coast, over N-F Rd. and beyond here
I’m sure there are others who are busy blogging about Big Sur Wildflowers right now, and if I find them, I will include links!