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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
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Clusters of small purple pea-like flowers.
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Leaves in 3, serrated, with short petioles connecting them to the stem.
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Grows erect. The pea pod twists into a coil.
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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
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Flowers dark brown with tan bristles.
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Flowers group in the joint of flat stems.
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Stands erect with noticeable brown flowers
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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
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Narrow leaves grow to about 5."
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Covering opens up at maturity.
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Pink blossoms in the spring - this tree is widely cultivated in the central valley.
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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
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Tiny flowers on leafless wispy stems about 2 feet tall.
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Leaves connect to the base of the plant on long stalks. They're fuzzy and roundish.
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Leaves form a thick basal cluster, with tiny flowers appearing to be suspended in air above them.
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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
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Purple pea-like flowers
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Alternate compound leaves.
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Vine grows to a foot long. One inch pea pods for fruit.
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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
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Small but bright flowers
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Lots of small compound leaflets.
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Long thin leaves and purple flowers make this a vetch.
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Annual June Grass, Bristly Koeleria
Koeleria gerardii
CA Bloom Apr - Jul
Not CA native
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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
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Leaves are hairy, dark green, have large teeth, and end in a point.
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Leaves are opposite. Veins make indentations in the leaves.
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Small green flowers look like little balls.
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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
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Look for radial leaflets that are wider near the tip. Their fleshy top feels rubbery.
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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.
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Stacks of whorled flowers have white banner spots that turn magenta with age.
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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.
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Leaves are about 5 inches long, smooth-sided and narrow. They're pale/hairy underneath, and wider near the tip than near the base.
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Classic pussies with yellow stamens. The buds are fused together (not overlapping) before they open.
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This willow has many trunks, sometimes growing as a tree, and sometimes as a tangled shrub.
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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
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Composite flowers group at the top of the stem. They have no "petals" ( ray flowers).
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Leaves clasp the stem, grow to about 6 inches, and are deeply lobed.
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Grows to 6 feet or so, with lots of flowers near the top of the stem.
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Beaked Hazelnut
Corylus cornuta
CA Bloom Feb - Mar
Tiny petals
Alternate leaves
Streambanks slopes
CA native
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Bearded Clover
Trifolium barbigerum
- Height to 1 ft.
- CA Bloom Feb - May
- Brown, pink, violet, white flower
- Irreg petals
- Alternate leaves
- CA native
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Bearded Sprangletop
Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis
CA Bloom Jun - Oct
CA native
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Beardless Wild Rye
Elymus triticoides
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This rye has 2-ranked spikelets that connect directly to the stem. There is space between each alternating spikelet.
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Hollow stems (like straws) connect at solid joints. Leaves are about 1/4" wide and a foot long.
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Prominent blue-green leaves are 4-12" long and grow away from the stem. Found in moist habitats with heavy soils.
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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
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This view of the flower from below shows two rounded petals on top, two side petals, and one folded out like a tongue.
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A square stem supports large, opposite, toothed leaves. This might make you think "Mint" but it's not.
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Bee Plant grows several feet high with opposite, narrow leaves sticking straight out. Flowers are on horizontal stalks near the top.
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Bermuda Grass
Cynodon dactylon
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Spikelets are tiny (<1/10") and purple. Tight colonies of plants are connected by rhizomes and stolons.
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Two rows of spikelets connect to one side of finger-like branches that all join at the top of the stem.
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The ligule is white and hairy. Leaf blades are short, flat and fleshy.
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Big Leaf Mistletoe
Phoradendron leucarpum ssp. macrophyllum
Shrub
Green flower
Tiny petals
Opposite leaves
CA native
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Big Scale Balsam Root
Balsamorhiza macrolepis
CA Bloom Mar - Jun
Yellow flower
Many petals
Basal leaves
Slopes
CA native Endangered (CNPS 1B)
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Big Tarweed
Blepharizonia plumosa
CA Bloom Jul - Oct
CA native Endangered (CNPS 1B)
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Big-Leaf Maple
Acer macrophyllum
- Height 50 - 100 ft.
- CA Bloom Apr - May
- You'll probably notice the maple leaves first; they're large and grow opposite each other.
- Leaves are green in the summer, yellow in the fall, and absent in the winter.
- In spring, small greenish-yellow flowers hang in clusters below newly emerging leaves.
- Big Leaf Maples do well near water and in dappled shade.
- CA native
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Leaves are quite large, up to 12" wide, with deep indents. No other maple in the U.S. has leaves this big.
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Flower clusters droop from emerging leaves.
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Two winged fruits grow side by side, creating a helicopter-like lift when they're blown away on the wind.
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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
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Shiny papery phyllaries surround tiny yellow aster flowers.
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Many tiny brown fruits.
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Grows to 3 feet, sometimes woody at the base.
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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
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Leaves have smooth edges near the base, but become toothed about half way up. Rounded tips.
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Fruit shaped like a fuzzy twisted tail.
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Shrub grows 3 to 20 feet tall, on dry slopes.
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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
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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.
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Leaves are opposite. Flowers cluster at the top of the stem. The plant is often recumbent, lying along the ground.
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This beautiful plant is easy to overlook because of its small size, but a pleasure to find.
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Bird's Foot Lotus
Acmispon brachycarpus
- Height 6 in. - 1 ft.
- CA Bloom Mar - Jun
- Yellow flower
- Pea petals
- Alternate leaves
- CA native
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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
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Tiny pea flowers cluster at the end of the stem.
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Each plant is small. See fruit pods on the left, compound leaves in the middle, and a flower cluster on the right.
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Colonies of Bird's Foot Trefoil can be prominent in grasslands. It is sometimes vine-like, with prostrate stems up to 20 inches.
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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
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Leaf tops are glossy dark-green. Undersides are pale. Leaves are long and pointed, with small teeth on the edge.
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Alternating secondary veins connect to a central one.
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Grows near running water. Trunks get very large, and the tree height often exceeds 100 feet.
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Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
CA Bloom Mar - Jun
White flower
Pea petals
Alternate leaves
Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
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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
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White flat-topped clusters of flowers are easy to spot.
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Berries with a waxy covering makes them look powdery.
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Compound leaves with 5 - 9 toothed leaflets.
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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
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This bright flower is about 1" across, with a pale ring around a dark throat.
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Sepals are pointed and hairy, alternating bent forward and backward.
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Leaf stalks have wings on their sides and wrap around the stem. Leaves are long with lots of narrow lobes that stick out sideways.
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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
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Flower has many white stamens surrounding a central knob, and smells of honey.
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Mature leaves are narrow and curved, growing to a foot long. Woody fruits with 5 notches, grow to 1 inch across.
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Heavy trunks with bark that peals in large strips.
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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.
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Beautiful 1/2" wide flowers have blue to violet petals and a golden yellow center to guide pollinators in.
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Leaves are grass-like, narrow with parallel veins.
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The ovary is below the flower and, if pollinated, develops into a capsule-like fruit.
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Bog Yellowcress
Rorippa palustris ssp. palustris
CA Bloom Apr - Jun
Yellow flower
Four petals
Alternate leaves
CA native
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Box Elder
Acer negundo
- Height 25 - 66 ft.
- CA Bloom Feb - Mar
- Opposite leaves
- Streambanks
- CA native
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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
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Bracken Fern frond segments are long at the base and quite short near the top, creating an overall triangle shape.
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Segments have regular rounded lobes. The similar Sword Fern has a "thumb" near its midrib.
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New growth forms in a fiddlehead, and then opens up.
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Branched Indian Clover
Trifolium dichotomum
CA Bloom Mar - May
Black, brown, pink, white flower
Irreg petals
Alternate leaves
CA native
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Branching Phacelia
Phacelia ramosissima
CA Bloom May - Aug
Violet, white flower
Five petals
Alternate leaves
Coastal
CA native
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Brass Buttons
Cotula coronopifolia
CA Bloom May - Oct
Green, yellow flower
Tiny petals
Alternate leaves
Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
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Brewer's Ragwort
Packera breweri
CA Bloom Apr - May
Yellow flower
Many petals
Alternate, basal leaves
Slopes
CA native
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Brewer's Rock Cress
Boechera breweri
CA Bloom Feb - May
Violet flower
Four petals
Alternate, basal leaves
Slopes
CA native
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Brewer's Rockcress
Boechera breweri ssp. breweri
CA Bloom Feb - May
Violet flower
Four petals
Alternate, basal leaves
CA native
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Brewer's Saltbrush
Atriplex lentiformis
CA Bloom Jun - Jul
Yellow flower
Tiny petals
Alternate leaves
Coastal salt-marsh
CA native
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Bristly Linanthus
Leptosiphon aureus
CA Bloom Mar - Jun
Pink, white, yellow flower
Five petals
Opposite leaves
CA native Uncommon (CNPS 4)
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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
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Leaves have stiff bristles and bumps, giving it its name. Dandelion-like flowers top each branch.
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Dandelion-like flowers are surrounded by distinctive, triangular, upward pointing, bristly green bracts.
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Plants are tall, with many branches.
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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
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Leaves are relatively big (2" long). Flowers are tiny in large bunches.
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Early flower development shows red bracts. Leaves of ssp. crustacea have almost no hair on the bottom.
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Look for a prominent burl at the base of the plant.
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Broadfruit Bur Reed
Sparganium eurycarpum var. eurycarpum
CA Bloom Jun - Jul
Black, brown, green, pink, white, yellow flower
Tiny petals
Alternate leaves
CA native
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Brome Fescue
Festuca bromoides
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Brome Fescue is a short grass with small spikelets that turn a straw-like color as they age. Fescue is Latin for "straw".
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Each floret produces an awn about the length of the rest of the spikelet.
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The inflorescence is densely populated with spikelets on short stalks. Spikelets and awns point sideways as they mature, giving a tangled appearance.
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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
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Most California plants have self-pollinated aerial bulblets with shoots already growing out of them.
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The base of the stem also has bulblets that divide to create new plants.
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This weedy bluegrass can dominate roadsides, overgrazed pastures and other disturbed areas.
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Bull Mallow
Malva nicaeensis
CA Bloom Mar - May
Pink, violet, white flower
Five petals
Alternate leaves
Disturbed
Not CA native
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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
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A fairly thin pear-shaped spiny bulge below flower is a good way to distinguish this species.
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Bull Thistle has big spines all the way up the stem, on the leaves, and around the flower.
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Here is a basal rosette of thick, toothed leaves.
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Bulrush
Scirpus microcarpus
CA Bloom May - Jun
CA native
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Bur Chevril
Anthriscus caucalis
- Height 2 - 3 ft.
- CA Bloom Mar - May
- White flower
- Five petals
- Alternate leaves
- Disturbed
- Not CA native
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Bur Reed
Sparganium eurycarpum var. greenei
CA Bloom Jun - Jul
Black, brown, green, pink, white, yellow flower
Tiny petals
Alternate leaves
CA native
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California Aster
Symphyotrichum chilense
CA Bloom Jul - Aug
Blue, pink, violet, white flower
Many petals
Alternate leaves
CA native
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California Aster (1)
Corethrogyne filaginifolia
CA Bloom Jun - Oct
Pink, violet, white flower
Many petals
Alternate leaves
Dunes coastal
CA native
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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.
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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.
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Green fruit turns purple when mature. Leathery skin covers oily flesh that surrounds a pit (similar to avocado).
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Bay Laurels can grow to be substantial trees, thickly covered with their spicy-smelling leaves.
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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
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Separate petals, with green leafy sepals in between. This male flower has many stamens.
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Prickles are short, narrow, and plentiful. Himalayan Blackberry has wider, longer, and less densely-packed prickles.
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Red fruit turns black with maturity. Leaves in 3s, coarsely toothed, are hairy and have spines. Veins are indented on the leaves.
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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
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Buckeye trees become covered with columns of sweet-smelling flowers.
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5-part compound leaves are palmate (shaped like a hand). Leaf edges are finely-toothed and bud in early February.
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Trees in the open form a dome shape, often growing 40 feet tall and 40 feet wide. They can live 250 years.
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California Bulrush
Schoenoplectus californicus
CA Bloom May - Jun
Freshwater-marsh
CA native
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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
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3 or 4 yellow pea flowers cluster at the end of a long stalk. Leaflets have serrated edges.
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Burclover tends to run along the ground. The 3 clover-like leaflets are separate from one another. Flowers, fruits and leaves are on stalks.
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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.
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