List

Palo Alto Baylands Preserve (NRDB.org)

(133 plants)

City of Palo Alto Preserve. Thanks to NRDB.org for this list.


Alkali Heath Frankenia salina CA Bloom May - Oct Small pink 5-petaled trumpet flowers with pointed petals grow from leaf nodes. Opposite leaves Found in coastal salt-marsh, it can excrete salt through its leaves. CA native	Tiny 5-petaled white or pink flowers.	Leaves are opposite, have a strong central vein, smooth edges, and a pointed tip.	Can grow to 18 inches, often prostrate.
Andean Pampas Grass Cortaderia jubata Perennial Single-Stem Grass 7-23 ft. Inflorescence branched 12"-3 ft. 2-8 florets per spikelet No awns CA Bloom Sep - Feb (a winter bloomer) Showy tops start purple, and become cream-colored with age. Thin sharp-edged leaves. Each plant produces millions of seeds. Not CA native. Highly Invasive	Tall stems (up to 20 feet) and showy tops make this plant stand out.	Many stems join at the root.	Grass stem is hairy. Leaves connect to the stem in a sheath.
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 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.
Annual Yellow Sweetclover Melilotus indicus Height to 2 ft. CA Bloom Apr - Oct Spikes of tiny yellow pea flowers. Leaves in threes like clovers, but serrated. Compound leaves stand away from the stem on petioles. Wide ranging across the world, common in many areas. Not CA native	Yellow pea flowers in a thin spike.	3-part leaf, with serrations. Each compound leaf stands apart from the stem on a petiole.	A common sight by the side of the road, these yellow flowers are easy to spot.
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.
Australian Saltbush Atriplex semibaccata CA Bloom Apr - Dec Grows to 4 feet tall, with branches. Alternate leaves have strongly-marked veins and can excrete salt. Does well in salty environments, but doesn't tolerate being covered by salt water. Found both in wetlands and salty arid areas. Not CA native Moderately Invasive	Leaves are able to excrete salt, making it more tolerant of salty environments.	Red fruits nestle in leaf nodes.	Veins stick out from leaf. Leaf edges are generally smooth.
Baltic Rush Juncus balticus ssp. ater Perennial Rush 14"-4 ft. Inflorescence branched No awns CA Bloom May - Jun Grows in lines or loose arrangements from long, unbranched rhizomes. CA native	Flowers cluster at the top of the stem, with a stem-like bract extending above.	This closeup shows brown tepals, yellow anthers on short filaments, and pinkish stigmas over a superior ovary.	Found near streams and other moist locations.
Barnyard Grass Echinochloa crus-galli CA Bloom Jul - Oct Not CA native
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.
Bird's Foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus Height to 8 in. CA Bloom May - Jul Tiny fruit clusters look like a bird's foot. Short, thin compound leaves make bundles along the stem. Find it in open grasslands, wetlands, and compacted soil along roads and trails. Other Trefoils Not CA native	Tiny pea flowers cluster at the end of the stem.	Each plant is small. See fruit pods on the left, compound leaves in the middle, and a flower cluster on the right.	Colonies of Bird's Foot Trefoil can be prominent in grasslands. It is sometimes vine-like, with prostrate stems up to 20 inches.
Black Medick Medicago lupulina Height 6 in. - 2 ft. CA Bloom Jun - Aug 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	Leaves are grouped in 3s, with short petioles. Leaflets are toothed towards the tip and end in a short point.	Yellow pea-shaped flowers clustered like a clover.	Stem is quite thin, and grows along the ground when the plant is young. Fruit develops into a hard, black, oval pod.
Black Mustard Brassica nigra CA Bloom Apr - Jul Yellow flower Four petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Moderately Invasive
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.
Brass Buttons Cotula coronopifolia CA Bloom May - Oct Green, yellow flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
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.
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
California Aster Symphyotrichum chilense CA Bloom Jul - Aug Blue, pink, violet, white flower Many petals Alternate leaves CA native
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 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 Poppy Eschscholzia californica CA Bloom Feb - Sep Height to 18". 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.
California Seablite Suaeda californica CA Bloom Jul - Oct Tiny green spherical flowers against the stem. Covered in thin, pointed succulent leaves. Fallen leaves leave bumpy bases along woody stem. Limited distribution, primarily around Morro Bay. CA native - endangered. Fed Status: Endangered	Lots of succulent thin pointed leaves to 1.5 inches long.	Spherical green flowers at the base of the leaves.	Grows in a mound to two or three feet tall.
Canada Reedgrass Calamagrostis canadensis CA Bloom May - Jun CA native
Canada Thistle Cirsium arvense CA Bloom Jun - Sep Pink, violet flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Moderately Invasive
Cat Tail Typha latifolia Height 5 - 10 ft. CA Bloom May - Jun Leaves are stiff and grow about 1" wide. This cattail is found in salt and freshwater marshes and can grow in 2 feet of water. Compare to other Cattails CA native	Male flowers form a narrow, tan spike at the top of the stem. Female flowers form a wider, brown spike. The spikes are close to each other.	Seeds are borne on the wind, as with dandelions.	Cattails grow to 10 feet high, always in or near water. Leaves are about 1"
Cheeseweed Malva parviflora CA Bloom Mar - Oct Pink, violet, white flower Five petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native
Chicory Cichorium intybus CA Bloom Jul - Aug Tough grooved stem to 3 feet tall, with many flowers per stem. Alternate leaves are narrow and pointed. Found in disturbed areas Not CA native	Petals have the same flat tips and serrations as other dandelions, but are blue.	Long leaf-like bracts, widely spaced.	Dandelion-like leaves. Flowers emerge from along the stem as well as at the top.
Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens Coast Redwoods are huge, growing over 200 feet tall, with trunks over 20 feet in diameter. They thrive in foggy valleys with lots of moisture, where they form dense stands of straight-trunked trees. Redwoods are native to the coastal fog belt from Monterey to southern Oregon.	Interlocking roots create a strong foundation for these huge, columnar giants – the tallest living things on earth.	Needles form a flat surface, about 1" across. They taper to a point at the end of each year's growth.	Look for distinctive tan needles on the ground. Thick bark and vigorous sprouting help redwoods survive dozens of fires over their lives.
Coast Sedge Carex obnupta CA Bloom Apr - May Coastal CA native
Coastal Burnweed Senecio minimus CA Bloom Jun - Sep Small yellow or purple aster flowers cover this attractive but invasive bush. Toothed leaves are narrow and up to 8 inches long. Found in disturbed coastal areas Not CA native	One plant can develop over 100 aster-like flowers, shown here in seed. Grows to 7 feet tall.	When flowers mature the fruit develops a pappus to help it float away in the wind.	When the fruits blow away you can see the white receptacles where they sat, and the brown phyllaries that used to protect the flowers.
Coastal Heron's Bill Erodium cicutarium CA Bloom Feb - Jun Height to 1 ft. This is a common weed, sporting the typical geranium lavender color. Its red stem and twice-divided leaves distinguish it from similar geraniums. The leaves turn red after flowering, making it stand out from neighboring flowers. Like other Erodiums, its fruits have a pointed beak. Found in disturbed areas. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	The flower is small (1/2"), with 5 separate petals and 5 purple-tipped stamens. The stem is red. Both stem and leaves are hairy and sticky.	Leaves are twice-divided with rounded lobes. Leaves turn red after flowering.	Fruits grow a 2" pointed beak.
Coastal Willow Salix hookeriana CA Bloom Apr - Jun Tiny petals Alternate leaves Coastal CA native
Common Bog Rush Juncus effusus Perennial Rush to 4 ft. Stem cross section is round with grooves Inflorescence branched 1-2" No awns CA Bloom Jun - Aug This water-loving rush grows in tight clumps from stout rhizomes. Found in wetlands, along streams, and in marshes. CA native	Yellow-brown flowers appear at the top of the stem, with a stem-like bract proceeding above it. The stem is grooved, the bract is not.	Brown leaf sheaths grow at the base of stem, but create no leaf blades.	This rather tall rush is found on lake shores, wet pastures. Some subspecies are native, others weedy.
Common Horsetail Equisetum arvense CA Bloom Mar - May Streambanks CA native
Common Knotweed Persicaria lapathifolia CA Bloom Aug - Nov Pink, white flower Five, four, no petals Alternate leaves CA native
Common Mustard Brassica rapa CA Bloom Jan - Jun Yellow flower Four petals Alternate, basal leaves Disturbed Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
Common Plantain Plantago major CA Bloom Apr - Sep Green, yellow flower Tiny petals Basal leaves Disturbed Not CA native
Common Reed Phragmites australis Perennial Single-Stem Grass 7-13 ft. Inflorescence branched 6-20" 2-10 florets per spikelet CA Bloom Jun - Aug Found a margins of ponds and lakes and in marshes. CA native	Common Reed grows in dense stands from thick rhizomes. Phragmites is Greek for "fence", which seems appropriate.	Branched spikelets are small, about 1/2". Much longer silky hairs grow from the base of the spikelets, creating a plume effect.	Leaves can be up to 2" wide and 18" long, with rough margins.
Cordgrass Spartina foliosa CA Bloom Jun - Nov Found in coastal salt marshes and mud flats, especially on San Francisco Bay. Grows to 5 feet tall. Grows successfully in areas frequently covered by salt water tide, but needs to be out of the water in most low tides. This native plant fills the same niche as the non-native Salt Water Cord Grass (see below). CA native	Hollow stems grow to 5 feet long. Leaves grow to 2 feet long.	Flowers grow in a narrow, dense spike on one side of the stalk.	Widespread in salt marshes and mudflats, especially on San Francisco Bay.
Cornish Mallow Malva multiflora CA Bloom Apr - Jun Pink, violet flower Five petals Alternate leaves Not CA native
Coyote Brush Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanguinea CA Bloom Oct - Jan Coyote Brush is a bushy shrub with many brittle, woody stems supporting hundreds of round-tipped 1" leaves. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Coyote Brush is widespread in California's climate but grows natively nowhere else in the world! CA native	Coyote Brush is a leafy, woody shrub. It's quite common in grasslands, shrublands and the edges of woodlands.	Leaves are distinctive - leathery, oval-shaped, and with triangular teeth along the margins.	In late fall and winter, female bushes become very conspicuous with their clusters of bristly white seedheads.
Cranesbill Geranium molle CA Bloom Feb - July Pink or purple petals have two-lobed tips. The species name, molle, refers to soft hairs covering the leaves and stem. Leaves are distinctive - they're circular, with a series of rounded lobes along the margin. Found in meadows, oak woodlands and mixed evergreens. Not CA native	Five notched petals surround a pale center decorated with blueish anthers.	I suppose the round leaf with many indents reminded someone of a dove's foot. The leaves are incredibly soft and fun to touch.	You can distinguish this small geranium by its circular, round-lobed leaves, and the blue anthers at the center of the flower.
Crispate Leaved Pondweed Potamogeton crispus CA Bloom Apr - May Brown, green flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Moderately Invasive
Cudweed Pseudognaphalium stramineum CA Bloom May - Oct Tight bunch of flowers with yellow centers surrounded by straw-like bracts. Stramineum means straw-colored. Alternate, thin, woolly leaves to 3 inches clasp the stem. Not aromatic. Widespread in California grasslands and disturbed areas. CA native	Flowers with yellow center surrounded by layers of straw-colored phyllaries.	Flowers densly grouped at the end of the stem. Leaves woolly.	Erect plant to 2 feet tall.
Curly Dock Rumex crispus CA Bloom Jan - Dec Green, white flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
Curved Sicklegrass Parapholis incurva Annual Single-Stem Grass 1-14" Inflorescence a spike 1-6" 1 floret per spikelet No awns CA Bloom Apr-Jun Parapholis is Greek for "scales beside", describing how the spikelets line up on the side of the stem. CA not native	This grass has stems that branch at the base (unusual for a grass). Stems curve (incurva) like a sickle. Leaf blades are often inrolled and can grow to 4".	Tiny spikelets (<1/4") grow close to the stem, slightly overlapping. Stem nodes are often purple.	Curved Sicklegrass is found in well-drained soil above the high-tide mark of coastal salt marshes.
Cutleaf Geranium Geranium dissectum CA Bloom Mar - Oct Look for a small, lavender flower above deeply cut, roundish leaves. Leaves are hairy. Found in oak woodlands and mixed evergreens. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	Small lavender flowers grow about deeply cut leaves.	Each petal has a rounded notch in its end, and darker lines pointing to the center. Anthers are blue.	Fruits have beaks like other geraniums, but often with curly-cues near the end.
Ditch Grass Ruppia maritima CA Bloom Apr - May Green flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Coastal salt-marsh brackish marsh CA native
Dog Fennel Anthemis cotula CA Bloom May - Sep White flower Many petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native
Dogtail Grass Cynosurus echinatus Annual Single-Stem Grass 4-28" Inflorescence a spike to 2" (very short branches are hidden in the dense cluster) Floret awns to 0.3" CA Bloom May - Jul Found in open, disturbed areas. Not CA native Moderately Invasive	Dense, awned spikelets are generally packed on one side of the stem in a short cluster.	As spikelets mature, the awns point in all directions. Some spikelets have 1-5 fertile florets and others have 6-18 infertile florets.	Leaves are prominent and rough.
Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii These huge conifer trees can exceed 200 feet and live over 500 years. Their needles are short and grow in all directions. Cones have distinctive "mouse-tails" between the scales. Douglas Fir is common in the Northern California coastal ranges and Sierras. CA native.	Needles are about 1" long and grow in all directions.	The cone has "mouse tails" coming from under each scale.	Trunks grow straight and tall. Branches stick out like ladder rungs.
English Plantain Plantago lanceolata CA Bloom Mar - Aug Many tiny flowers form a cone shape at the top of the stem. Long, thin basal leaves have distinctive, parallel ribs. Common in disturbed soil. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	Many flowers radiate from the flower head. In this picture, lower flowers are mature while upper flowers have not yet formed.	Long, ribbed basal leaves are easy to spot.	Plantain flower heads are distinctive, siting on the top of longish stems.
Fiddle Dock Rumex pulcher CA Bloom May - Sep Green flower Tiny petals Alternate, basal leaves Disturbed Not CA native
Five Horn Bassia Bassia hyssopifolia CA Bloom Jun - Jul Green flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
Fleshy Jaumea Jaumea carnosa CA Bloom May - Jul Yellow flower Many, no petals Opposite leaves Coastal salt-marsh CA native
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea CA Bloom Jun - Aug Pink, violet flower Five petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
Foxtail Barley Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum Annual Single-Stem Grass 12"-4 ft. Inflorescence a spike 1-5" long and 1/2" wide. 1 floret per spikelet Floret awns to 1.6" CA Bloom Apr - Jul Leaves are hairy, grow to 10", and have "ears" where they wrap around the stem. Found in moist, disturbed areas. Not CA native Moderately Invasive	This common Barley has a dense spike of spikelets with long awns pointing in all directions.	Three spikelets attach at each node on the stem. The outer spikelets are longer and are male only.	This single-stem grass grows in large colonies, with showy spikes that turn purple with age.
Foxtail Barley, Squirreltail Barley Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum CA Bloom May - Jul CA native