List

Don Castro Regional Recreation Area

(393 plants)

Thanks to East Bay Regional Parks for this list.


Alfalfa Medicago sativa Height 1 - 3 ft. CA Bloom Jun - Aug Like a clover but taller, and with serrated leaves. Purple pea-like flowers cluster in small groups at the end of multiple stems. Used in agriculture, you'll find Alfalfa in disturbed areas near farms. Not CA native	Clusters of small purple pea-like flowers.	Leaves in 3, serrated, with short petioles connecting them to the stem.	Grows erect. The pea pod twists into a coil.
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
Almond Prunus dulcis CA Bloom Feb - Mar White flowers cover the tree in a showy display in the spring. Grows to 15 feet with a rounded shape. Alternate leaves are deciduous. Not CA native	Narrow leaves grow to about 5."	Covering opens up at maturity.	Pink blossoms in the spring - this tree is widely cultivated in the central valley.
Alum Root Heuchera micrantha CA Bloom May - June Alum Root sends wispy stems two feet in the air, supporting dozens of tiny white or pink flowers. Leaves at the base of plant are shaped like mittens. Found in wet areas, often near moss. CA native	Tiny flowers on leafless wispy stems about 2 feet tall.	Leaves connect to the base of the plant on long stalks. They're fuzzy and roundish.	Leaves form a thick basal cluster, with tiny flowers appearing to be suspended in air above them.
American Vetch Vicia americana CA Bloom May - Jun Flowers with pink, violet and white parts. Tendrils, modified leaves, allow the plant to climb on other plants. Alternate compound leaves. A widespread understory plant. CA native	Purple pea-like flowers	Alternate compound leaves.	Vine grows to a foot long. One inch pea pods for fruit.
American Vetch (1) 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.
Annual June Grass, Bristly Koeleria Koeleria gerardii CA Bloom Apr - Jul Not CA native
Annual Stinging Nettle Urtica urens CA Bloom Jan - Apr Also called Dwarf Nettle, this plant grows to about 2 feet tall. Stinging nettles, in general, produce a stinging sensation when touched. However, EFlora says that this specie's sting is not very strong. Found in shady areas. Not CA native	Leaves are hairy, dark green, have large teeth, and end in a point.	Leaves are opposite. Veins make indentations in the leaves.	Small green flowers look like little balls.
Arroyo Lupine Lupinus succulentus Grows to 3 ft. on erect, sparsely hairy stems. CA Bloom Feb - May This annual flower produces 6" clusters of purple pea flowers. Wide-tipped leaflets grow on long (2-6") stalks. It is abundant in open or disturbed areas, and is often seeded on road banks. CA native	Look for radial leaflets that are wider near the tip. Their fleshy top feels rubbery.	Here's a closeup of the flower. The yellow pistil is just sticking out of the right-hand keel. The left part is the banner.	Stacks of whorled flowers have white banner spots that turn magenta with age.
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.
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.
Beaked Hazelnut Corylus cornuta CA Bloom Feb - Mar Tiny petals Alternate leaves Streambanks slopes 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 A tough and woody perennial bunch grass 18"-4 ft. Inflorescence a spike that is flat, 2-8" 3-7 florets per spikelet Floret awns to 0.1" CA Bloom Jun - Jul Stabilizes soil with extensive rhizomes, creating dense colonies. More on Elymus. CA native	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 Perennial Single-Stem Grass 4-16" Inflorescence branched 1-2" 1 floret per spikelet No awns CA Bloom Apr - May This rough lawn grass is weedy in disturbed areas. Not CA native Moderately Invasive	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)
Big-Leaf Maple Acer macrophyllum Height 50 - 100 ft. CA Bloom Apr - May This is the only California maple with big leaves. It has opposite leaves that turn yellow in the fall. In spring, small greenish-yellow flowers hang in clusters near the end of branches. It likes water and dappled shade. You'll find it near stream banks, in canyons and in open forests. CA native	Leaves are quite large, many over 8" wide, with deep indents. No other maple in California has these big leaves.	Flowers droop from branches in long clusters.	Groups of two-winged fruits (called Samoas) replace the flowers. The wings help carry the fruit in the wind.
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.
Birch Leaf Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides CA Bloom Mar - May Lots of small white flowers in clusters, with a mild scent. Five petals Alternate leaves are smooth at the base and toothed above, with distinct veins. CA native	Leaves have smooth edges near the base, but become toothed about half way up. Rounded tips.	Fruit shaped like a fuzzy twisted tail.	Shrub grows 3 to 20 feet tall, on dry slopes.
Bird's Eye Speedwell Veronica persica Height 4 in. - 1 ft. CA Bloom Feb - May This is a small, beautifully marked wildflower. Leaves are opposite and small, often with serrated edges. It's found in disturbed areas, often near agriculture. Not CA native	The small (1/4"), 4-petaled flower has darker blue, radiant stripes. Notice how the petal sizes vary. 2 purple-tipped stamens and a green tinged center invite pollinators to visit.	Leaves are opposite. Flowers cluster at the top of the stem. The plant is often recumbent, lying along the ground.	This beautiful plant is easy to overlook because of its small size, but a pleasure to find.
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 Height to 8", but often prostrate and lower. Yellow pea flowers. Fruit forms a tiny cluster of pods (hence Bird's Foot) Thin compound leaves along the stem. Found in open grasslands, wetlands, and commonly in compacted soil along roads and trails. Other Trefoils Not CA native	Pea flowers grouped at the end of the stem.	Tiny plant. Fruit pods on the left, compound leaves in the middle, and flower head on the right.	Often prominent in grasslands. Sometimes vine-like, with 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
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.
Blue Fiesta Flower Pholistoma auritum var. auritum CA Bloom Mar - May This vine is covered with recurved stiff hairs that stick to passersby. The stem breaks easily. Leaves are opposite near the base and alternate higher up the vine. It's common in coastal and Sierra foothills, primarily south of the Bay Area. CA native	This bright flower is about 1" across, with a pale ring around a dark throat.	Sepals are pointed and hairy, alternating bent forward and backward.	Leaf stalks have wings on their sides and wrap around the stem. Leaves are long with lots of narrow lobes that stick out sideways.
Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus Height to 200 ft. CA Bloom Oct - Mar Flower nestled between stem and leaf. Leaves long, thin and dark green. Common, found in disturbed areas. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	Flower has many white stamens surrounding a central knob, and smells of honey.	Mature leaves are narrow and curved, growing to a foot long. Woody fruits with 5 notches, grow to 1 inch across.	Heavy trunks with bark that peals in large strips.
Blue-Eyed Grass Sisyrinchium bellum Height 1 - 2 ft. CA Bloom Mar - May This is not a grass but an iris. At the top of each stem are violet flowers with darker purple lines leading to a yellow center. It's common in open, usually moist areas. CA native. Endemic to the California Floristic Province.	Beautiful 1/2" wide flowers have blue to violet petals and a golden yellow center to guide pollinators in.	Leaves are grass-like, narrow with parallel veins.	The ovary is below the flower and, if pollinated, develops into a capsule-like fruit.
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
Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens Bracken Fern's overall shape is a large triangle, which is easy to spot. It's green in the spring and brown in the fall and winter. It grows to four feet tall. Widespread and common, it's found in shaded forest and on open hillsides. CA native	Bracken Fern frond segments are long at the base and quite short near the top, creating an overall triangle shape.	Segments have regular rounded lobes. The similar Sword Fern has a "thumb" near its midrib.	New growth forms in a fiddlehead, and then opens up.
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 var. eurycarpum CA Bloom Jun - Jul Black, brown, green, pink, white, yellow flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves CA native
Brome Fescue Festuca bromoides Single-Stem Grass to 20" Inflorescence branched 1-6" 4-7 florets per spikelet Floret awns to 0.5" CA Bloom Apr - Jun Like other fescues, the leaf sheath is open and the collar is hairless. This uncommon grass is found in dry, disturbed places. Not CA native	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.
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 Mallow Malva nicaeensis CA Bloom Mar - May Pink, violet, white flower Five petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native
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.
Bulrush Scirpus microcarpus CA Bloom May - Jun CA native
Bur Chevril Anthriscus caucalis Height 2 - 3 ft. CA Bloom Mar - May White flower Five petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not 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 Bay Laurel Umbellularia californica CA Bloom Nov - May Height to 60 feet. The foliage of this classic California tree smells like bay leaves. Clusters of small flowers grow at the end of branches where new leaves emerge. Flowers turn into a plump 1 inch fruit resembling avocados, to which the tree is related. CA Native - endemic to the California Floristic Province.	Leaves are fairly narrow, with a central vein and smooth edges, ending in a point. They have a leathery feel, and a spicy smell when crushed.	Green fruit turns purple when mature. Leathery skin covers oily flesh that surrounds a pit (similar to avocado).	Bay Laurels can grow to be substantial trees, thickly covered with their spicy-smelling leaves.
California Blackberry Rubus ursinus Height 3 - 6 ft. CA Bloom Feb - May This shrub forms an impenetrable thicket of branches, full of narrow prickles. You'll notice bright white flowers with many stamens. Found in canyons, coastal stream banks and disturbed areas CA native	Separate petals, with green leafy sepals in between. This male flower has many stamens.	Prickles are short, narrow, and plentiful. Himalayan Blackberry has wider, longer, and less densely-packed prickles.	Red fruit turns black with maturity. Leaves in 3s, coarsely toothed, are hairy and have spines. Veins are indented on the leaves.
California Buckeye Aesculus californica Height 12 - 40 ft. CA Bloom May - Jul Buckeye trees are conspicuous from afar; pale green leaves in early spring, full of flowers in early summer, and bare-branched well before other trees lose their leaves in the fall. Each aromatic flower has 4 pink or white petals and long stamens. The fruit resembles a buck's eye - brown and about 2 inches across. CA native	Buckeye trees become covered with columns of sweet-smelling flowers.	5-part compound leaves are palmate (shaped like a hand). Leaf edges are finely-toothed. Leaves bud in early February, well before flowering.	Trees in the open form a dome shape, often growing 40 feet tall and 40 feet wide. They can live 250 years.
California Bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus CA Bloom May - Jun Freshwater-marsh CA native
California Burclover Medicago polymorpha CA Bloom Feb - Jun This is not a true clover but rather a close relative of Alfalfa, in the Medicago genus. Look for slender-toothed stipules that encircle the stem where stalks meet it. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	3 or 4 yellow pea flowers cluster at the end of a long stalk. Leaflets have serrated edges.	Burclover tends to run along the ground. The 3 clover-like leaflets are separate from one another. Flowers, fruits and leaves are on stalks.	Pollinated ovules enlarge into tightly coiled pea pods with burs that stick out. The burs catch on passing animals, distributing the seeds to new areas.