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Aaron's Beard
Hypericum calycinum
- EW Bloom Jun - Jul
- Bright yellow flower with lots of tall stamens, like St. John's Wort.
- Opposite leaves with the undersides blue-green and showing a network of veins
- Handling this plant can cause a skin rash.
- A garden escapee.
- Not CA native
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Yellow flower at the end of stems, 5 petals, with lots of long stamens
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Opposite leaves grow to 4 inches long.
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Low growing, under 3 feet tall, with lots of woody stems.
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Abrams' Eriastrum
Eriastrum abramsii
- Height to 6 in.
- EW Bloom Jun - Jul
- Five petals in an irregularly shaped trumpet
- Alternate leaves are thinly divided
- Low-growing (about 6 inches tall) often found in chaparral.
- Found in the coast ranges in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay
- CA native - endemic to California.
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Leaves are divided into thin lobes. Flower is small and irregular.
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Flower is surrounded by green bracts filled with a woolly fiber. It is a member of a group called Woollystars.
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Grows to about 6 inches tall, with flowers on the end of thin, divided stems.
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Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
- Height 1 - 3 ft.
- EW Bloom May - Jun
- 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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American Brooklime
Veronica americana
- Height to 1 ft.
- EW Bloom May - Oct
- 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
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Look for 4 petals and opposite leaves with a round stem. Green center guides in pollinators.
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4 pale-blue petals with 4 green sepals behind them.
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Opposite leaves up to 3 inches long. Flowers in groups at the end of stalks.
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American Stinging Nettle
Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis
- EW Bloom Apr - Sep
- This is one of several stinging nettles in California.
- This one stings less than some of the others because its hairs are shorter.
- Stalks full of tiny flowers droop down from where the leaf connects to the stem.
- Found in moist areas, often along streams.
- CA native
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Opposite leaves are serrated and are covered with stinging hairs. Thin strands of tiny green and white flowers droop down from leaf joints.
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Leaves grow to 8 inches long. They're deeply veined on top and fuzzy underneath.
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Nettle grows to 7 feet tall, in dense stands. Stems are generally not branched.
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American Trefoil
Acmispon americanus var. americanus
- Height 2 in. - 2 ft.
- EW Bloom May - Jun
- White flower
- Pea petals
- Alternate leaves
- Disturbed
- CA native
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American Vetch
Vicia americana ssp. americana
- Height 1 - 2 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - May
- 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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American Wintercress
Barbarea orthoceras
- Height 4 in. - 2 ft.
- EW Bloom Mar - Jul
- Yellow four-petaled flowers are small - about 1/4" across.
- Fruits are narrow, up to 2" long, and stand away from the stem, curving upwards.
- Common in moist areas.
- CA native
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Look for compound leaves with a large final leaflet, and bright yellow 4-petaled flowers.
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Flowers have the Mustard Family look - four separate petals that open to form a flat cross.
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Winter Cress stands erect, with large leaves at its base. Branches end in tight clusters of yellow flowers.
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Annual Agoseris
Agoseris heterophylla
- Height 2 in. - 2 ft.
- EW Bloom Jan - Jun
- A yellow dandelion head stands at the top of a leafless stalk.
- Look for purple markings underneath.
- Found in a variety of habitats at low elevations.
- CA native
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The flower head often has hundreds of yellow ligulate rays but no disc flowers. Stigmas in the center are sometimes orange.
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Basal leaves grow to 6" long and 1/2" wide. Edges are smooth but sometimes have lobes.
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Seedheads are pretty, about 1" across.
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Annual Blue Grass
Poa annua
- Annual Bunch Grass 1-8"
- 3-6 florets per spikelet
- No awns
- EW Bloom Feb - Sep
- 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
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Bright green or yellow-green leaves are soft, generally flat and come to a blunt point at the tips.
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Like all Bluegrasses, the inflorescence is open and spikelets have no awns. Florets are membranous.
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Annual Blue Grass grows quickly in disturbed areas. Plants are small but have many leaves.
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Annual Hairgrass
Deschampsia danthonioides
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This meadow grass has spreading spikelets with awns, giving it a fuzzy appearance, thus Hairgrass. Spikelets sometimes have purple tips.
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Hairgrass grows singly or in loose clumps. Spikelets grow on narrow, spreading, ascending branches.
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Two large bracts surround 1-3 florets. Each floret has a long awn that bends in the middle.
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Annual Moonwort
Lunaria annua
EW Bloom Mar - Apr
Pink, violet flower
Four petals
Alternate leaves
Not CA native
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Arroyo Lupine
Lupinus succulentus
- Grows to 3 ft. on erect, sparsely hairy stems.
- EW Bloom Apr - Jun
- 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.
- EW Bloom Feb - Apr
- 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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Bearded Clover
Trifolium barbigerum
- Height to 1 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - Jun
- Brown, pink, violet, white flower
- Irreg petals
- Alternate leaves
- CA native
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Bearded Iris
Iris germanica
EW Bloom Mar - May
Pink, violet, white flower
Six petals
Basal leaves
Not 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.
- EW Bloom Feb - Jul
- 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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Bellardia
Bellardia trixago
EW Bloom Apr - May
Pink, white flower
Irreg petals
Opposite leaves
Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
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Bermuda Buttercup
Oxalis pes-caprae
- CA Bloom all year - Jan - Dec
- Sourgrass is one of the most prolific bloomers in early spring.
- It does well in moist, acidic soil.
- Not CA native.
- Moderately Invasive
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5 bright-yellow petals overlap, showing a green center.
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3 heart-shaped leaflets are thin and taste acidic if you eat them.
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In early spring, Sourgrass and mustard make large patches of yellow in fields.
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Big Quaking Grass
Briza maxima
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This grass is easy to identify, with its nodding spikelets on long, thin stalks that wave in the breeze. They're oval, papery, and have no awns.
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Spikelets start pale green and become tan with age. They're wide, fairly flat, and appear woven, with 12-20 florets. They look and shake like the tail of a rattlesnake.
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Notice the purple shoulders ( glumes) on these developing spikelets. Leaves are flat and fairly wide.
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Big Squirrel Tail Grass
Elymus multisetus
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Dense inflorescences with long, purplish awns resemble squirrel tails, especially when they mature.
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Here's a closeup of a squirrel tail. It's crowded with spikelets, each producing 8-22 awns!
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Leaves are narrow and long. Found in open, sandy or rocky areas.
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Bird's Eye Speedwell
Veronica persica
- Height 4 in. - 1 ft.
- EW Bloom Mar - Sep
- 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 Trefoil
Lotus corniculatus
- Height to 8 in.
- EW Bloom Jun - 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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Bitter Dock
Rumex obtusifolius
EW Bloom May - Sep
Brown, green, red flower
Tiny petals
Alternate, basal leaves
Disturbed
Not CA native
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Bitterroot
Lewisia rediviva var. rediviva
- CA Bloom May - Jun
- This beautiful flower is made up of pink, violet and white.
- It has about 15 oblong petals, each over an inch long.
- Flowers are a combination of pink, violet and white.
- Bitterroot grows low to the ground, often in the mountains.
- It sometimes dies back after blooming in the spring (summer deciduous).
- CA native
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Many pink petals, paler in the center. Lots of yellow-tipped stamens and a pale pink pistil.
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Stems are short. Below the petals are 6-9 oval sepals.
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Basal leaves are bean shaped, and form a rosette under this low-growing plant.
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Black Creeper Sedge
Carex praegracilis
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The inflorescence is short and dense, with separate male and female florets in the same cluster.
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Male flowers protrude from their protective scales. Female flowers hide inside brown scales except at maturity.
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Leaves are long, narrow, and either flat or V-shaped. Praegracilis is Latin for "very slender".
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Black Medick
Medicago lupulina
- Height 6 in. - 2 ft.
- EW Bloom Jun - Jul
- Yellow clover-like flower
- Compound leaves in groups of 3s - hairy, with short petioles.
- Found in disturbed areas with good drainage. Widely distributed around the world.
- Not CA native
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Leaves are grouped in 3s, with short petioles. Leaflets are toothed towards the tip and end in a short point.
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Yellow pea-shaped flowers clustered like a clover.
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Stem is quite thin, and grows along the ground when the plant is young. Fruit develops into a hard, black, oval pod.
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Blackwood Acacia
Acacia melanoxylon
- Height 50 - 100 ft.
- EW 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
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Pale yellow spherical flowers show many stamens. These develop into reddish-brown pods.
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Mature leaves are generally wide but occasionally have divided fern-like tips. Young leaves are divided too.
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Blackwood Acacia grows to be a substantial tree.
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Blow Wives
Achyrachaena mollis
- Height 2 in. - 2 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - May
- This eye-catching bright-white flower is not a flower at all. As you look closer, you'll see that the "petals" are actually the flat scales of a seed head.
- A California endemic, this plant grows natively nowhere else in the world.
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Here is the classic Blow Wives look. Flat, scaly pappus forms a wind parachute for each seed.
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Yellow or orange ray florets point straight up. Inside them, many disc florets grow without petal-like rays.
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Leaves are narrow and grow up to 6" long. They're erect and fuzzy.
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Blue Dicks
Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus
- CA Bloom Feb - Apr
- Height to 2 ft.
- Flowers have 6 segments ( tepals)
- Basal leaves are long and narrow.
- Common in a wide variety of habitats.
- Compare to Ookow
- CA native
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6-part flowers bunch tightly together at the top of a long narrow stem.
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Often purple, this flower can also be pink or white. Notice the three forked, white filament sheaths forming a cylinder around the reproductive parts.
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Long narrow leaves grow from the base of the plant. Below, the roots connect to food-storing corms.
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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 Gum
Eucalyptus globulus
- Height to 200 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - Jun
- 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 Oak
Quercus douglasii
- Height 20 - 65 ft.
- EW 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.
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Leathery blue-green leaves often have shallow lobes. They have a short petiole (stalk) and are generally 2 - 3 inches long.
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Bark is pale and checkered by medium-size cracks. It reminds me of corn flakes.
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This moderately sized oak has a heavy trunk and branches. It's common in dry, hot places that have some water.
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Blue Toadflax
Nuttallanthus texanus
EW Bloom Feb - May
Blue, pink, violet flower
Five, irreg petals
Alternate, opposite leaves
Disturbed slopes
CA native
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Blue Wild Rye
Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus
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This grass can grow to 5 feet tall and has a tight spike of spikelets at the top of the stem.
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Rye spikelets grow tight to the stem, about 1/4" apart, making a woven pattern. 2-4 straight awns come out of each spikelet.
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Leaves are fairly wide, flat, soft, and blue-green. The blade has tiny "ears" (auricles) that wrap around the stem.
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Blue Witch
Solanum umbelliferum
- EW Bloom Jan - Sep
- 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
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Blue Witch flowers are lavender or blue, pentagon-shaped, and have a yellow center.
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Leaves are hairy and smooth edged. Flowers sport green spots at the base of their petals.
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Blue Witch is a small shrub that grows to 3 feet. Every part of it is poisonous to eat.
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Blue-Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium bellum
- Height 1 - 2 ft.
- EW 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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Bowlesia
Bowlesia incana
EW Bloom Mar - May
Green, white flower
Five petals
Opposite leaves
Slopes
CA native
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Brewer's Ragwort
Packera breweri
EW Bloom May - Jun
Yellow flower
Many petals
Alternate, basal leaves
Slopes
CA native
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Bristly Goldenaster
Heterotheca sessiliflora ssp. echioides
- EW Bloom Jun - Sep
- 10 to 30 inches tall.
- This is a late-summer blooming plant that thrives in California and Northern Mexico.
- It has two kinds of hairs that protect it from browsers and create a strong smell when touched.
- It's common in open areas in chaparral and grassland.
- CA native
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Here's a yellow-on-yellow aster with a dozen or so petal-like ray flowers and many tiny central disk flowers.
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Several layers of narrow, green phyllaries surround the flower head. All green parts are quite hairy.
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Bright yellow flower heads turn brown with pappus after pollination. Older leaves turn grey as their hairs become bristly.
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Bristly Ox-Tongue
Helminthotheca echioides
- Height to 7 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - 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.
- EW Bloom Feb - Apr
- 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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Broad-Leaved Forget-Me-Not
Myosotis latifolia
- EW Bloom Mar - Mayy
- This beautiful but invasive plant can cover large areas of forest floor.
- Found in moist, shaded, disturbed areas.
- Not CA native.
- Somewhat Invasive
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5 blue petals overlap each other in a pinwheel. Notice the yellow center with white markings around it.
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Flowers are small (less than 1/2 inch across) and hairy. They form a cluster along the top of the stem, which can be straight or coiled.
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Leaves clasp the stem, are fairly wide, and are several inches long.
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Broad-Leaved Helleborine
Epipactis helleborine
- EW Bloom May - Aug
- Leaves are distinctive, with indented parallel veins.
- Orchid flowers are a variety of pinks and browns.
- Found in shady woods, on dry banks.
- Not CA native
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Leaves are broad and ribbed. Showy nodding orchid flowers grow along an erect stem.
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Upper orchid petals shelter the flower, with a lower labellum making a landing platform for pollinators.
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Grows to 3 feet tall.
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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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Brown Dogwood
Cornus glabrata
EW Bloom Mar - Jun
White flower
Four petals
Opposite leaves
CA native
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Brown Headed Rush
Juncus phaeocephalus var. phaeocephalus
- Perennial Rush 4-20"
- Stem cross section is flat
- No awns
- CA Bloom Apr - Jun
- This variety has a few, many-flowered heads. Other varieties have more heads.
- Found in wet meadows, dune hollows and marsh edges near the coast.
- CA native
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These rushes grow closely together on wet ground. Dark brown or purple flower heads grow near the top of flattened stems.
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Flower heads have many dark-brown six-part flowers. Anthers (white) and stigmas (pink) stick out beyond the flowers to aid wind pollination.
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Leaves are flat and have ribs that grow part-way across them. They have pointed tips.
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Buckbrush
Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus
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Opposite leaves are short, thick and rounded. Twigs point directly away from the stem.
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Flowers, in five parts, are cream color. The green dots at the base of the pistil are nectaries - a sugar bonus for pollinators.
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Aromatic flowers cluster in tight balls close to the stem.
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Bugle Hedge Nettle
Stachys ajugoides
- Along West Creek
- CA Bloom Feb - Apr
- Square stem
- Whorls of pink and white flowers, with some space between the whorls.
- Hairy but not spiny
- Opposite hairy leaves, somewhat aromatic when rubbed.
- CA native
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Pink whorls of flowers mature from the bottom up.
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A mint flower, with two upper lips and a tongue-like lower lip.
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Whorls of flowers near the top. Opposite leaves below.
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Bull Clover
Trifolium fucatum
- EW Bloom Mar - May
- Height to 1 ft.
- Flowers and leaves are as you would expect in a clover, but larger.
- Short pea pods.
- Found in grasslands.
- CA native
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White or yellow clover flowers bunch together in a round ball. Leaves are formed from 3 separate leaflets.
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The base of each flower expands as its fruit develops. Note the green pointed bracts below the flower head.
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These large clovers often grow in colonies.
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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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Bur Chervil
Anthriscus caucalis
- Height 2 - 3 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - Jun
- White flower
- Five petals
- Alternate leaves
- Disturbed
- Not CA native
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Burclover
Medicago polymorpha
- EW Bloom Mar - Jul
- 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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California Aster
Symphyotrichum chilense
EW Bloom Jul - Dec
Blue, pink, violet, white flower
Many petals
Alternate leaves
CA native
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California Bay
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 Bedstraw
Galium californicum ssp. californicum
EW Bloom May - Jul
Yellow flower
Four petals
Whorled leaves
CA native
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California Blackberry
Rubus ursinus
- Height 3 - 6 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - Jun
- 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 Brome
Bromus sitchensis var. carinatus
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Spikelets attach to the stem on branches. Glumes are short, revealing 5-10 florets above them.
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Florets form a flat, woven pattern, each with a 1/2" awn.
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Long leaves and inflorescences give this a classic bunch grass look.
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California Buckeye
Aesculus californica
- Height 12 - 40 ft.
- EW Bloom Apr - Jun
- 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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