List

Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area

(372 plants)

Thanks to the East Bay Regional Park District for this list.


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.
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.
Annual Beard Grass Polypogon monspeliensis Annual Single-Stem Grass 8"-3 ft. Inflorescence a spike to 7" 1 floret per spikelet Floret awns to 0.2" Glume awns to 0.4" CA Bloom May - Jun Found in wetlands and disturbed areas. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	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 Blue Grass Poa annua Annual Bunch Grass 1-8" 3-6 florets per spikelet No awns CA Bloom Apr - May Poa is an ancient Greek word for "fodder". This sweet grass is grazed by farm animals. Seeds are distributed 8 months a year. Not CA native	Bright green or yellow-green leaves are soft, generally flat and come to a blunt point at the tips.	Like all Bluegrasses, the inflorescence is open and spikelets have no awns. Florets are membranous.	Annual Blue Grass grows quickly in disturbed areas. Plants are small but have many leaves.
Annual June Grass, Bristly Koeleria Koeleria gerardii CA Bloom Apr - Jul Not CA native
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.
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.
Biennial Sagewort Artemisia biennis CA Bloom Sep - Nov Yellow flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native
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)
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 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 Mustard Brassica nigra CA Bloom Apr - Jul Yellow flower Four petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Moderately Invasive
Blackwood Acacia Acacia melanoxylon Height 50 - 100 ft. CA Bloom Feb - Mar This acacia tree has twisted reddish-brown pods. The trunk has high levels of tannin, which causes dark stains when people handle it (thus Blackwood). Generally found in coastal disturbed areas. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	Pale yellow spherical flowers show many stamens. These develop into reddish-brown pods.	Mature leaves are generally wide but occasionally have divided fern-like tips. Young leaves are divided too.	Blackwood Acacia grows to be a substantial tree.
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 Oak Quercus douglasii Height 20 - 65 ft. CA Bloom Mar - May Blue-green leaves with wavy edges, plus corn flake bark, are quick way to identify this oak. Leaves are relatively small and sparse, allowing it to tolerate more sun and dryer places than other California deciduous oaks. CA native. Found only in California.	Leathery blue-green leaves often have shallow lobes. They have a short petiole (stalk) and are generally 2 - 3 inches long.	Bark is pale and checkered by medium-size cracks. It reminds me of corn flakes.	This moderately sized oak has a heavy trunk and branches. It's common in dry, hot places that have some water.
Blue Witch Solanum umbelliferum CA Bloom Jan - Jun Look for a pentagon-shaped flower with a bright yellow center. Branches and leaves are quite hairy. Green fruits turn purple when ripe. This distinctive shrub is widespread in chaparral and oak woodlands. CA native	Blue Witch flowers are lavender or blue, pentagon-shaped, and have a yellow center.	Leaves are hairy and smooth edged. Flowers sport green spots at the base of their petals.	Blue Witch is a small shrub that grows to 3 feet. Every part of it is poisonous to eat.
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
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 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.
Brown Headed Rush Juncus phaeocephalus Perennial Rush 4-20" Stem cross section is flat Inflorescence branched 1-4" No awns CA Bloom Apr - Jun Found in wet meadows, dune hollows and marsh edges near the coast. CA native	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.
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.
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.
California Cottonrose Logfia filaginoides CA Bloom Mar - Jun Green flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves CA native
California Cudweed Pseudognaphalium californicum Height 1 - 4 ft. CA Bloom Jan - Jul Flower heads are tiny (about 1/4" across). Alternate leaves are gray-green, woolly and aromatic. Found on dry slopes and coastal chaparral. CA native. Endemic to the California Floristic Province.	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 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 Perennial Bunch Grass 12"-4 ft. Inflorescence branched 1-2" Floret awns to 0.5", bent. CA Bloom Feb - Mar Grows slowly and is long lived. California Oatgrass is an important component in native grasslands, and is a dominant grass in coastal prairie. It grows in a variety of soils, including serpentine. CA native	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.
California Plantain Plantago erecta CA Bloom Mar - Apr Flowers are very beautiful when viewed with a magnifying glass. A basal rosette of very narrow leaves grows up to 5 inches long. The entire plant is hairy. Found in open or gravelly areas, often on serpentine. CA native	This plant is smaller than other plantains, perhaps 4 inches tall. It has long, narrow erect leaves.	Tiny 4-petaled flowers form a tight cluster at the top of the stem.	California Plantain can grow in dense patches.
California Poppy Eschscholzia californica CA Bloom Feb - Sep Height to 18 inches tall. Flowers have four large overlapping petals. They're orange most places, but usually yellow with an orange center along the coast. CA native, and the state flower	Thin orange petals overlap each other. Notice the sheath covering the young bud. Petals close at night and open in the morning.	Leaves are grey-green and are much divided. The round flat base just below the petals is distinctive and edged in rose-pink.	Across the state, California Poppies fill grassy areas with an orange display from April to July.