Big Break Regional Shoreline

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         (363 plants)
Thanks to the East Bay Regional Park District for this list.

    
Alaska Alkali Grass
Puccinellia nutkaensis




Alkali Bulrush
Bolboschoenus maritimus
  • CA Bloom Aug - Sep
  • Flat, narrow stems to about four feet tall.
  • Found near the edge of salt water.
  • Widespread in California and around the world.
  • CA native



Flowers dark brown with tan bristles.

Flowers group in the joint of flat stems.

Stands erect with noticeable brown flowers
Alkali Weed
Cressa truxillensis
  • CA Bloom May - Jun
  • White flower
  • Five petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • American Brooklime
    Veronica americana
    • Height to 1 ft.
    • CA Bloom Jul - Aug
    • Blue or violet 4-petaled flowers
    • Opposite leaves
    • Round stems
    • Grows in fresh-water wetlands, such as stream banks
    • Stem runs along the ground, up to 2 feet long.
    • CA native



    Look for 4 petals and opposite leaves with a round stem. Green center guides in pollinators.

    4 pale-blue petals with 4 green sepals behind them.

    Opposite leaves up to 3 inches long. Flowers in groups at the end of stalks.
    American Vetch
    Vicia americana ssp. americana
    • Height 1 - 2 ft.
    • CA Bloom May - Jun
    • Flowers with pink, violet and white parts.
    • Tendrils, modified leaves, allow the plant to climb on others.
    • The vine stem can grow to 4 feet long, but the plant is generally under 2 feet tall.
    • Alternate compound leaves.
    • Widespread understory plant.
    • CA native



    Small but bright flowers

    Lots of small compound leaflets.

    Long thin leaves and purple flowers make this a vetch.
    American Wild Mint
    Mentha arvensis
  • CA Bloom Mar - May
  • Pink, violet, white flower
  • Four, irreg, irreg, irreg petals
  • Opposite, simple leaves
  • CA native




  • Annual Beard Grass
    Polypogon monspeliensis

    Annual Beard Grass is topped by large, fluffy spikes. They're framed by flat, rough, green leaves to 8" long.

    Soft, dense spikelets are green until they mature. There are lots of spikelets in the spike, each producing 3 awns.

    Long awns let light through around the edge but the center is opaque.
    Annual June Grass, Bristly Koeleria
    Koeleria gerardii
  • CA Bloom Apr - Jul
  • Not CA native




  • Arroyo Willow
    Salix lasiolepis
    • Height 7 - 35 ft.
    • CA Bloom Feb - May
    • This is the most common willow in California.
    • It's deciduous and is found near water.
    • Look for narrow leaves that are wider near the tip than at the base.
    • CA native.



    Leaves are about 5 inches long, smooth-sided and narrow. They're pale/hairy underneath, and wider near the tip than near the base.

    Classic pussies with yellow stamens. The buds are fused together (not overlapping) before they open.

    This willow has many trunks, sometimes growing as a tree, and sometimes as a tangled shrub.
    Athel
    Tamarix aphylla
  • CA Bloom May - Nov
  • Pink flower
  • Five, no petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Disturbed
  • Not CA native
  • Somewhat Invasive




  • Australian Fireweed
    Senecio glomeratus
    • CA Bloom Apr - Sep
    • Yellow composite flowers group at the top of a branched 6 foot plant.
    • Leaves are alternate and deeply lobed.
    • Found in disturbed sites below 1,000 feet, generally near the coast.
    • Not CA native
    • Moderately Invasive


    Composite flowers group at the top of the stem. They have no "petals" ( ray flowers).

    Leaves clasp the stem, grow to about 6 inches, and are deeply lobed.

    Grows to 6 feet or so, with lots of flowers near the top of the stem.
    Barnyard Grass
    Echinochloa crus-galli
  • CA Bloom Jul - Oct
  • Not CA native




  • Bearded Clover
    Trifolium barbigerum
    • Height to 1 ft.
    • CA Bloom Feb - May
    • Brown, pink, violet, white flower
    • Irreg petals
    • Alternate leaves
    • CA native




    Bearded Sprangletop
    Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis
  • CA Bloom Jun - Oct
  • CA native




  • Beardless Wild Rye
    Elymus triticoides


    This rye has 2-ranked spikelets that connect directly to the stem. There is space between each alternating spikelet.

    Hollow stems (like straws) connect at solid joints. Leaves are about 1/4" wide and a foot long.

    Prominent blue-green leaves are 4-12" long and grow away from the stem. Found in moist habitats with heavy soils.
    Bee Plant
    Scrophularia californica
    • Height 2 - 4 ft.
    • CA Bloom Feb - May
    • Bee plant is tall, with prominent triangular leaves and tiny brownish-red flowers.
    • Small flowers are less than 1/2" across and have a nectar disk to reward pollinating bees.
    • Opposite leaves have stalks that connect to the stem.
    • Found in moist places below 8,000 feet.
    • CA native



    This view of the flower from below shows two rounded petals on top, two side petals, and one folded out like a tongue.

    A square stem supports large, opposite, toothed leaves. This might make you think "Mint" but it's not.

    Bee Plant grows several feet high with opposite, narrow leaves sticking straight out. Flowers are on horizontal stalks near the top.
    Bermuda Grass
    Cynodon dactylon

    Spikelets are tiny (<1/10") and purple. Tight colonies of plants are connected by rhizomes and stolons.

    Two rows of spikelets connect to one side of finger-like branches that all join at the top of the stem.

    The ligule is white and hairy. Leaf blades are short, flat and fleshy.
    Big Leaf Mistletoe
    Phoradendron leucarpum ssp. macrophyllum
  • Shrub
  • Green flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • CA native




  • Big Scale Balsam Root
    Balsamorhiza macrolepis
  • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
  • Yellow flower
  • Many petals
  • Basal leaves
  • Slopes
  • CA native
  • Endangered (CNPS 1B)




  • Big Tarweed
    Blepharizonia plumosa
  • CA Bloom Jul - Oct
  • CA native
  • Endangered (CNPS 1B)




  • Bigelow's Sneezeweed
    Helenium bigelovii
  • CA Bloom Jun - Sep
  • Yellow flower
  • Many petals
  • Alternate, basal leaves
  • CA native




  • Bioletti Cudweed
    Pseudognaphalium biolettii
    • CA Bloom Jan - May
    • Flowers are white on the outside and yellow on the inside.
    • Alternate leaves are wide at the base and clasp the stem.
    • Leaves and stem are covered with short fine hair, not sticky but sharply scented.
    • Found in coastal chaparral and in mixed evergreens in the foothills.
    • CA native



    Shiny papery phyllaries surround tiny yellow aster flowers.

    Many tiny brown fruits.

    Grows to 3 feet, sometimes woody at the base.
    Bird's Foot Lotus
    Acmispon brachycarpus
    • Height 6 in. - 1 ft.
    • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
    • Yellow flower
    • Pea petals
    • Alternate leaves
    • CA native




    Bird's Foot Trefoil
    Lotus corniculatus
    • Height to 8 in.
    • CA Bloom May - Jul
    • Tiny fruit clusters look like a bird's foot.
    • Short, thin compound leaves make bundles along the stem.
    • Find it in open grasslands, wetlands, and compacted soil along roads and trails.
    • Other Trefoils
    • Not CA native



    Tiny pea flowers cluster at the end of the stem.

    Each plant is small. See fruit pods on the left, compound leaves in the middle, and a flower cluster on the right.

    Colonies of Bird's Foot Trefoil can be prominent in grasslands. It is sometimes vine-like, with prostrate stems up to 20 inches.
    Black Cottonwood
    Populus trichocarpa
    • CA Bloom Feb - Apr
    • A large riparian tree with alternate leaves
    • Leaf stems are round (Fremont Cottonwood's is flattened).
    • Widely distributed in California, except the central valley.
    • CA native



    Leaf tops are glossy dark-green. Undersides are pale. Leaves are long and pointed, with small teeth on the edge.

    Alternating secondary veins connect to a central one.

    Grows near running water. Trunks get very large, and the tree height often exceeds 100 feet.
    Black Locust
    Robinia pseudoacacia
  • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
  • White flower
  • Pea petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Not CA native
  • Somewhat Invasive




  • Black Nightshade
    Solanum nigrum
    • CA Bloom Mar - Oct
    • A nightshade, with 5-petaled flowers and a yellow center.
    • This tangled shrub can grow to 4 feet tall.
    • Alternate leaves grow to 3 inches long, with wavy or toothed edges.
    • Common, found in wooded areas and disturbed soil.
    • Not CA native



    Petals recurve back, highlighting the yellow center. This is a pattern for all nightshades.

    Flowers are in small groups, each at the end of its own stalk ( pedicel).

    These immature berries will turn red and then black as they mature.
    Blue Elderberry
    Sambucus mexicana
    • CA Bloom Mar - Jul
    • A large shrub with clusters of white flowers, plus compound leaves indicate an Elderberry.
    • Berries are black but appear blue because of a waxy covering.
    • Grey bark with vertical furrows.
    • Common on stream banks and open places in forests.
    • CA native



    White flat-topped clusters of flowers are easy to spot.

    Berries with a waxy covering makes them look powdery.

    Compound leaves with 5 - 9 toothed leaflets.
    Bog Yellowcress
    Rorippa palustris ssp. palustris
  • CA Bloom Apr - Jun
  • Yellow flower
  • Four petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • Box Elder
    Acer negundo
    • Height 25 - 66 ft.
    • CA Bloom Feb - Mar
    • Opposite leaves
    • Streambanks
    • CA native




    Branched Indian Clover
    Trifolium dichotomum
  • CA Bloom Mar - May
  • Black, brown, pink, white flower
  • Irreg petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • Branching Phacelia
    Phacelia ramosissima
  • CA Bloom May - Aug
  • Violet, white flower
  • Five petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Coastal
  • CA native




  • Brass Buttons
    Cotula coronopifolia
  • CA Bloom May - Oct
  • Green, yellow flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Not CA native
  • Somewhat Invasive




  • Brewer's Ragwort
    Packera breweri
  • CA Bloom Apr - May
  • Yellow flower
  • Many petals
  • Alternate, basal leaves
  • Slopes
  • CA native




  • Brewer's Rock Cress
    Boechera breweri
  • CA Bloom Feb - May
  • Violet flower
  • Four petals
  • Alternate, basal leaves
  • Slopes
  • CA native




  • Brewer's Rockcress
    Boechera breweri ssp. breweri
  • CA Bloom Feb - May
  • Violet flower
  • Four petals
  • Alternate, basal leaves
  • CA native




  • Brewer's Saltbrush
    Atriplex lentiformis
  • CA Bloom Jun - Jul
  • Yellow flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Coastal salt-marsh
  • CA native




  • Bristly Linanthus
    Leptosiphon aureus
  • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
  • Pink, white, yellow flower
  • Five petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • CA native
  • Uncommon (CNPS 4)




  • Bristly Ox-Tongue
    Helminthotheca echioides
    • Height to 7 ft.
    • CA Bloom Jun - Dec
    • A tall dandelion-like flower, covered in bristles.
    • Leaves have large bumps on them.
    • Lots of seed in the fall - you'll see it blowing in the air.
    • Not CA native.
    • Somewhat Invasive


    Leaves have stiff bristles and bumps, giving it its name. Dandelion-like flowers top each branch.

    Dandelion-like flowers are surrounded by distinctive, triangular, upward pointing, bristly green bracts.

    Plants are tall, with many branches.
    Brittle Leaf Manzanita
    Arctostaphylos crustacea ssp. crustacea
    • Height 3 - 10 ft.
    • CA Bloom Jan - Mar
    • Leaves stick out from the hairy stem.
    • Alternate leaves dark green above, and light green below.
    • Big bunches of tiny flowers, hanging down from stalk-like pedicels.
    • Fruit is red and spherical with flat spot. Not sticky.
    • CA native



    Leaves are relatively big (2" long). Flowers are tiny in large bunches.

    Early flower development shows red bracts. Leaves of ssp. crustacea have almost no hair on the bottom.

    Look for a prominent burl at the base of the plant.
    Broadfruit Bur Reed
    Sparganium eurycarpum
  • CA Bloom Jun - Jul
  • Black, brown, green, pink, white, yellow flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • Brome Fescue
    Festuca bromoides


    Brome Fescue is a short grass with small spikelets that turn a straw-like color as they age. Fescue is Latin for "straw".

    Each floret produces an awn about the length of the rest of the spikelet.

    The inflorescence is densely populated with spikelets on short stalks. Spikelets and awns point sideways as they mature, giving a tangled appearance.
    Brown Headed Rush
    Juncus phaeocephalus


    These rushes grow closely together on wet ground. Dark brown or purple flower heads grow near the top of flattened stems.

    Flower heads have clusters of dark-brown six-part flowers. Anthers (white) and stigmas (pink) stick out beyond the flowers for wind pollination.

    Leaves are flat and have ribs that grow part-way across them. They have pointed tips.
    Bugleweed
    Lycopus americanus
  • CA Bloom Jun - Jul
  • White flower
  • Four, irreg petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • CA native




  • Bulbous Blue Grass
    Poa bulbosa
    • Perennial 6-24"
    • Inflorescence branched 1-4"
    • No awns
    • CA Bloom May - Jun
    • Stems have a bulbous section at their base that can break off to form a new plant.
    • Some plants have bi-sexual florets. Others have aerial bulblets that are self pollinated.
    • Not CA native



    Most California plants have self-pollinated aerial bulblets with shoots already growing out of them.

    The base of the stem also has bulblets that divide to create new plants.

    This weedy bluegrass can dominate roadsides, overgrazed pastures and other disturbed areas.
    Bull Thistle
    Cirsium vulgare
    • CA Bloom June - Sept
    • This thistle has spiny everything.
    • A pear-shaped spiny base supports a 2-inch-tall purple flower.
    • Dead flowers with many spines stay on the plant for a long time.
    • Bull Thistle is common in disturbed areas.
    • Not CA native.
    • Moderately Invasive


    A fairly thin pear-shaped spiny bulge below flower is a good way to distinguish this species.

    Bull Thistle has big spines all the way up the stem, on the leaves, and around the flower.

    Here is a basal rosette of thick, toothed leaves.
    Bur Marigold
    Bidens laevis
  • CA Bloom Aug - Sep
  • Yellow flower
  • Many petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • Freshwater-marsh
  • CA native




  • Bur Reed
    Sparganium eurycarpum var. greenei
  • CA Bloom Jun - Jul
  • Black, brown, green, pink, white, yellow flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • California Aster
    Symphyotrichum chilense
  • CA Bloom Jul - Aug
  • Blue, pink, violet, white flower
  • Many petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • California Aster (1)
    Corethrogyne filaginifolia
  • CA Bloom Jun - Oct
  • Pink, violet, white flower
  • Many petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Dunes coastal
  • CA native




  • California Bulrush
    Schoenoplectus californicus
  • CA Bloom May - Jun
  • Freshwater-marsh
  • CA native




  • California Cottonrose
    Logfia filaginoides
  • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
  • Green flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • California Cudweed
    Pseudognaphalium californicum


    Each tiny pineapple-shaped flower head is wrapped in white papery phyllaries and contains over 100 minute yellow flowers.

    Leaves are narrow and pointed, growing to 4 inches long. They're smaller higher on the stem.

    Branching stems grow erect, each topped with whitish flower heads.
    California Four O'clock
    Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia
  • CA Bloom Dec - Jun
  • Pink, white flower
  • Five petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • CA native




  • California Goldenrod
    Solidago velutina ssp. californica
  • CA Bloom Jul - Oct
  • Yellow flower
  • Many petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • California Hazelnut
    Corylus cornuta ssp. californica
    • CA Bloom Jan - Mar
    • This shrub has open branching, and grows to 10 feet.
    • Leaves are soft, alternate, and deeply veined.
    • The stem changes direction at each leaf node.
    • Found on stream banks and slopes
    • CA native



    Soft fuzzy leaves have toothed edges. Veins are indented. Leaves fall off in the winter.

    The flower matures to a hazelnut, protected by a hard shell and fuzzy sheath.

    Male catkins form in the fall and last until spring.
    California Hemp
    Hoita macrostachya
    • CA Bloom Jun - Jul
    • California Hemp is an erect shrub topped by bunches of purple pea flowers.
    • This hairy plant has widely-spaced three-part leaves.
    • The fruit is a hairy brown pod.
    • Found in a variety of moist areas.
    • CA native



    Pea-like flowers bunch tightly together on sturdy stalks.

    Compound leaves are on long stalks, leaving a lot of space around them.

    Grows to 6 feet tall, shown here in a stream bed where it can get plenty of water.
    California Honeysuckle
    Lonicera hispidula
    • CA Bloom Apr - Jul
    • This is a woody vine that can climb 30 feet into trees. You'll notice them hanging down from branches.
    • Vines end in pink trumpet flowers whose lips fold back to reveal long stamens.
    • Common in canyons, stream sides and woodlands, especially near the coast.
    • CA native. Endemic to the California Floristic Province.



    Vines end in pink flowers, full of nectar (thus, Honeysuckle). Hummingbird and bees pollinate the flowers in their search for the nectar.

    Pollinated flowers turn into bright-red translucent berries.

    Leaves near the flower wrap around the stem. Leaves further down are opposite.
    California Mustard
    Caulanthus lasiophyllus
    • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
    • Flowers with 4 widely-separated petals mark this as a Mustard Family plant.
    • It's smaller in stature than our vigorous non-native mustards.
    • CA native



    Compared to our non-native mustards, California Mustard has fewer, smaller, generally white flowers.

    Seed pods are quite narrow and long.

    The whole plant gives a linear apearance.
    California Oatgrass
    Danthonia californica


    This bunch grass has flat leaves, about 8" long. Flowering stems arch outwards from the plant center.

    Only 3-6 spikelets in a short inflorescence (about 2"). Branches are flexible and longer than the spikelets.

    Mature spikelets open up, with glumes longer than individual florets. There are 3-8 florets per spikelet.