Reinhardt Redwood Serpentine Prairie

Login      
         (190 plants)
Thanks to the East Bay Regional Parks district for this list.

    
Alsike Clover
Trifolium hybridum
  • CA Bloom May - Jun
  • This clover has pink and white flowers, atop long stalks ( pedicels).
  • Leaves are in 3s, with no markings, and tiny serrations along the edge.
  • Found in disturbed areas below 5,000 feet.
  • Not CA native



A traditional spherical clover flower head, in pink and white, turning brown with age.

Leaves in 3s, with no markings. Tiny serrations along the edge.

Flowers are on long stalks ( pedicels). The plant can grow over 1 foot tall.
Argentinian Biddy Biddy
Acaena californica
  • CA Bloom Mar - May
  • Green, red flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate, basal leaves
  • CA native




  • Beardless Wild Rye
    Elymus triticoides


    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.
    Bermuda Grass
    Cynodon dactylon

    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.
    Bifid Sedge
    Carex serratodens


    The female pistil is protected by a hard, green perigynium. Male anthers form a separate cluster, above.

    The fruit develops inside the perigynium with the stigma lobes remaining, looking like 2 teeth - thus the name.

    Leaves and stem are blue-green. Always found near water.
    Big Squirrel Tail Grass
    Elymus multisetus


    Dense inflorescences with long, purplish awns resemble squirrel tails, especially when they mature.

    Here's a closeup of a squirrel tail. It's crowded with spikelets, each producing 8-22 awns!

    Leaves are narrow and long. Found in open, sandy or rocky areas.
    Bigflower Dandelion
    Agoseris grandiflora
    • CA Bloom Mar - May
    • Height 1-3', taller than other bare-stem dandelions.
    • The flower head (1.5") and pappus (2") are larger compared to other dandelions.
    • The stem is hairy and unbranched.
    • Basal leaves are long and narrow. They rise up from the ground.
    • Widespread and common on open hills.
    • CA native



    Many (over 100) ray flowers are densely packed. Stamen columns are often reddish brown.

    Several layers of red-purple rounded leaf-like phyllaries surround the flower. Note the white soft hair at the base.

    Seeds connect to a flat receptacle. Long white beaks end in tufts to form a big, fluffy sphere, reaching 2" in diameter.
    Bird's Foot Fern
    Pellaea mucronata
    • A fern, growing to 2 feet tall.
    • Fronds form a narrow triangle.
    • Leaflets often appear dented, have space between them, and curl under at the edges.
    • Found in rocky habits.
    • CA native



    Leaflets are separate from each other, and curled under along the edges.

    Underside of leaflet has brown sporangia.

    Frond is triangular in shape, with separate leaflets often looking dented from above.
    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
    • 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.
    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.
    Blow Wives
    Achyrachaena mollis
    • Height 2 in. - 2 ft.
    • CA 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.



    Here is the classic Blow Wives look. Flat, scaly pappus forms a wind parachute for each seed.

    Yellow or orange ray florets point straight up. Inside them, many disc florets grow without petal-like rays.

    Leaves are narrow and grow up to 6" long. They're erect and fuzzy.
    Blue Fescue
    Festuca idahoensis


    Found in dry, open or shady places, Blue Fescue may appear bluer than plants around it.

    Spikelets are about 1/2" long. There's enough room between spikelets to see wavy branches.

    Spikelets are flattish, with 2-ranked florets. They're held close to the stem until mature. Awns are thread-like.
    Blue Gum
    Eucalyptus globulus
    • Height to 200 ft.
    • CA Bloom Oct - Mar
    • Flower nestled between stem and leaf.
    • Leaves long, thin and dark green.
    • Common, found in disturbed areas.
    • Not CA native
    • Somewhat Invasive


    Flower has many white stamens surrounding a central knob, and smells of honey.

    Mature leaves are narrow and curved, growing to a foot long. Woody fruits with 5 notches, grow to 1 inch across.

    Heavy trunks with bark that peals in large strips.
    Blue-Eyed Grass
    Sisyrinchium bellum
    • Height 1 - 2 ft.
    • CA Bloom Mar - May
    • This is not a grass but an iris.
    • At the top of each stem are violet flowers with darker purple lines leading to a yellow center.
    • It's common in open, usually moist areas.
    • CA native. Endemic to the California Floristic Province.



    Beautiful 1/2" wide flowers have blue to violet petals and a golden yellow center to guide pollinators in.

    Leaves are grass-like, narrow with parallel veins.

    The ovary is below the flower and, if pollinated, develops into a capsule-like fruit.
    Boccone's Sand Spurry
    Spergularia bocconi
  • CA Bloom Apr - May
  • Pink, white flower
  • Five petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • Not CA native




  • 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.
    Broadleaf Dock
    Rumex obtusifolius
  • CA Bloom Jun - Dec
  • Brown, green, red flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate, basal leaves
  • Disturbed
  • Not CA native




  • Brome Fescue
    Festuca bromoides


    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.
    Brownie Thistle
    Cirsium quercetorum
    • CA Bloom May - July
    • Grasslands and brushy slopes near the coast.
    • Brown flower color.
    • Grows low to the ground.
    • Puckered, spiny leaves on the ground.
    • Found only in CA



    Brown flower color.

    Leaves puckered, with long spines

    Grows low to the ground.
    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.
    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 Brome Grass
    Bromus sitchensis var. carinatus


    Spikelets attach to the stem on branches. Glumes are short, revealing 5-10 florets above them.

    Florets form a flat, woven pattern, each with a 1/2" awn.

    Long leaves and inflorescences give this a classic bunch grass look.
    California Cottonrose
    Logfia filaginoides
  • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
  • Green flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • California Gilia
    Gilia achilleifolia
  • CA Bloom Feb - Apr
  • Blue, violet, white flower
  • Five petals
  • Alternate, basal leaves
  • Coastal
  • CA native




  • 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 Man-Root
    Marah fabacea
    • Height to 20 ft.
    • CA Bloom Mar - Apr
    • A vine, often climbing 15 or 20 feet, with curlicue tendrils for gripping.
    • The root, a tuber, is massive. It can be 5 feet long and weigh over 100 pounds.
    • It is widespread in California.
    • Similar to Coast Manroot.
    • CA native - found only in California.



    This is a vine with many small white-yellow flowers of 5 or 6 petals. Fruit is a sphere with prickles.

    Many tendrils off the stem make it a great climber.

    Fruit is large, about 2 inches across, with thin prickles.
    California Melic
    Melica californica


    California Melic is an erect plant with ascending, flat leaves. Spikelets lie close to the stem, making a narrow cylinder.

    Melica spikelets are oval and cylindrical, not flattened like most other grasses. Each spikelet has 2-5 florets. At maturity, anthers emerge to release pollen on the wind.

    Thin spikelet branches run along the stem. Glumes at the base of each spikelet are papery and become purple with time. There are no awns.
    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


    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
    • About 4" tall.
    • Tiny flowers are 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 Sagebrush
    Artemisia californica
    • Height 1 - 8 ft.
    • CA Bloom Apr - Oct
    • Strong spicy smell
    • Tiny pale blue-green leaves are threadlike and evergreen
    • Flowers are very tiny and yellow-green.
    • Widespread, including in very hot and dry places.
    • CA native. Endemic to the California Floristic Province.



    Leaves are very narrow and aromatic. Super tiny flowers cluster in a bowl of phyllaries.

    Sagebrush starts branching right at the ground, creating a thick dome shape.

    Sagebrush is often paler than the vegetation around it.
    Cardinal Catchfly
    Silene laciniata
  • CA Bloom Apr - Jul
  • Red flower
  • Five petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • Coastal
  • CA native




  • Checker Bloom
    Sidalcea malviflora
    • CA Bloom May - Aug
    • Flower petals pink, strongly veined, squared off at the end, 1/2" to 1" long each.
    • A perennial flower, often with a woody base.
    • Leaves vary greatly, with basal leaves fairly round and upper leaves deeply cut.
    • Found in grasslands, woodlands and scrub to 7,500 feet.
    • CA native



    Five pink petals with radiating lines on each petal.

    Basal leaves round and not deeply cut.

    Deeply cut leaves.
    Cheeseweed
    Malva parviflora
  • CA Bloom Mar - Oct
  • Pink, violet, white flower
  • Five petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Disturbed
  • Not CA native




  • Chick Lupine
    Lupinus microcarpus
  • CA Bloom May - Jun
  • Pink, violet, white, yellow flower
  • Pea petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • CA native




  • Chickweed
    Stellaria media
    • CA Bloom Feb - Sep
    • This low-lying plant forms green mats with distinctive white flowers.
    • Each petal is deeply divided, making a "mouse ears" effect.
    • Opposite leaves have obvious veins.
    • Found in disturbed areas in woodlands and meadows.
    • Not CA native



    5 deeply lobed white petals often look like 10. Green pointed sepals between the petals.

    Opposite leaves are oval and come to a point.

    Grows to a foot or so. Lies along the ground in dense mats.
    Chilean Trefoil
    Acmispon wrangelianus
    • CA Bloom Mar - Apr
    • This pea plant is decumbent (growing along the ground) and short (less than 1 foot long)
    • Pea pods are small - less than 3/4" long.
    • They're abundant on coastal bluffs, chaparral, and disturbed areas.
    • Other Trefoils
    • CA native



    Single yellow pea flowers are small, less than 1/2" long. Leaves and stems have soft hairs.

    Leaflets are in asymmetrical groups of four. Pea pods have a curved beak at their tips.

    The stem branches near its base. Single flowers and pea pods grow from leaf axils.
    Climbing Bedstraw
    Galium porrigens
    • Height to 5 ft.
    • CA Bloom Feb - Apr
    • Climbing Bedstraw loves to climb, using prickly hairs along its stem and leaves.
    • It has whorls of four leaves, regularly spaced along the stem.
    • Bedstraw grows from a woody base, creating new vine-like stems each season.
    • Found among shrubs in chaparral and forest.
    • CA native. Found only in California and nearby.



    Look for whorled leaves in groups of 4, small yellow flowers with 4 petals, a square stem, and white berries.

    Petals are only 1/2" long, but flowers are even smaller, about 1/10" across.

    Flowers are tiny but showy, with red and yellow parts.
    Clustered Clover
    Trifolium glomeratum
  • CA Bloom Mar - Jun
  • Pink, white flower
  • Irreg petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Not CA native




  • Coast Dandelion
    Agoseris apargioides var. apargioides
    • Height 4 in. - 2 ft.
    • CA Bloom May - Aug
    • Yellow flower heads grow atop a bare stalk with no leaves or branches.
    • Leaves grow only at the base of the plant.
    • This plant is found on dunes and sandhills.
    • CA native



    The flower head is of medium size, about 3/4". Many yellow rays often have purple markings underneath.

    Basal leaves lie flat against the ground in a rosette. They're often hairy.

    Unlike many dandelions, fruits do not grow beaks, so the pappus lies close to the seeds.
    Coast Live Oak
    Quercus agrifolia
    • CA Bloom Feb - Mar
    • Live Oaks are heavy-limbed trees.
    • Leaf edges may be toothed or totally smooth.
    • Trunks are sliver grey and fairly reflective. Even craggy bark shows some silver surfaces.
    • Commonly found near the coast from Mendocino county to Baja California.
    • CA Native



    When unrestricted, these oaks grow wide and tall, with a thick canopy of evergreen, leathery leaves.

    Leaves typically have spiny edges, although some have smooth edges.

    Male flowers are pale green. Female flowers are small, forming at the base of new leaves.
    Coast Range Melic
    Melica imperfecta


    This bunch grass has flat leaves that come from the base. Spikelet clusters are dense and spike-like until maturity, when they open up and show their branches.

    Glumes at the base of spikelets are papery and translucent.

    Spikelets are short (< 1/3") with one or two florets and no awns.
    Coastal Wood Fern
    Dryopteris arguta
    • Height 1 - 3 ft.
    • Wood Fern fronds feel tough. Leaflets often have toothed, bristly tips.
    • Fronds are widest at the base, each making a long triangular shape.
    • Segments often turn slightly, so the overall frond is not flat.
    • Found in well-drained woodlands, primarily along the coast.
    • CA native



    Fronds are widest at the base. Leathery segments often twist.

    Underneath the leaflets you'll find horseshoe-shaped sori.

    This evergreen fern grows year round, but will drop its leaves in drought conditions.
    Coffeeberry
    Frangula californica
    • CA Bloom Jun - Aug
    • Yellow-green flowers in clusters at the base of leaves.
    • Leaves long and pointed, with small serrations on the edges.
    • Stems often red.
    • Canyons coastal slopes
    • CA native



    Flowers 5 petals, white or greenish.

    Leaves are long and pointed, with a strong central vein.

    Berries go through several colors and end up red or black.
    Common Bedstraw
    Galium aparine
    • Height to 3 ft.
    • CA Bloom Apr - May
    • 6 to 8 narrow leaves make whorls around the stem.
    • Flowers are tiny, white and 4-petaled.
    • This plant is covered with hooked hairs.
    • CA native



    Bedstraw has whorled leave and tiny white flowers. It is covered with hairs that stick to passers by.

    Leaves are typically in groups of 6, wider at the end than at the stem.

    Tiny, four-petal flowers form clusters above the whorls.
    Common Bog Rush
    Juncus effusus


    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 Verbena
    Verbena lasiostachys
  • CA Bloom Apr - Sep
  • Pink, violet flower
  • Five petals
  • Opposite leaves
  • CA native




  • Cootamundra Wattle
    Acacia baileyana
  • CA Bloom Feb - Apr
  • Yellow flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate, opposite leaves
  • Not CA native




  • Coulter Pine
    Pinus coulteri
    • CA Bloom May - Jun
    • Needles in 3s, 6 to 12 inches long.
    • Heavy pine cones grow at the top of the tree.
    • Primarily found on slopes of southern California coastal ranges, with a scattering in East Bay parks near San Francisco.
    • CA native



    Long, thick gray-green needles (6 - 12 inches) in groups of 3.

    Cone is the heaviest of any pine, growing to 16 inches and weighing up to 11 pounds!

    A heavily-trunked tree, growing to 40 feet with uplifted branches.
    Cow Parsnip
    Heracleum maximum
    • CA Bloom Jun - Jul
    • Flowers cluster in an umbrella shape ( umbel), from 6 to 10" across.
    • Leaves are big - up to 12 inches across.
    • Flowers turn to sunflower-like seeds in August
    • Found in open moist places.
    • CA native



    White flowers form a cluster that looks like a flat-topped umbrella (called an umbel). Notice the odd-looking sheath at the base of the flower stalk.

    Individual tiny flowers are grouped in tiny balls (a second umbel).

    Stems are hollow on this 12-foot-tall plant. It is named Heracleum because of all its large parts.
    Coyote Brush
    Baccharis pilularis
    • CA Bloom Sep - Jan
    • Coyote Brush, a common evergreen shrub, is often the tallest plant in its neighborhood.
    • Its leaves are distinctive, sort of rectangular and with bumpy sides.
    • Male flowers grow on separate plants from female.
    • CA native



    Coyote Brush has many 1-inch green leaves growing on a thicket of brittle, woody branches.

    1-inch leaves are leathery and stay wide until the very end. Their margins show triangular bumps.

    In the winter, pollinated flowers develop seeds that float away on the wind.
    Coyote Mint
    Monardella villosa
    • CA Bloom Jun - Aug
    • The scientific name villosa is Latin for "roughly hairy".
    • Hairs have glands at their end which have oily cells that emit a minty smell.
    • This mint is widespread in Oregon and California. It varies by location, and has several subspecies.
    • CA native



    Many narrow-petaled flowers form a cluster about 1 inch across.

    Each flower has its base covered with 5 mostly-fused sepals. The flower cluster has a couple of layers of leaf-like bracts below it.

    Bees and butterflies love this plant which provides generous amounts of nectar.
    Curly Dock
    Rumex crispus
  • CA Bloom Jan - Dec
  • Green, white flower
  • Tiny petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Disturbed
  • Not CA native
  • Somewhat Invasive




  • Cut Leaved 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.
    Deerweed
    Acmispon glaber
  • CA Bloom Mar - Aug
  • Orange, yellow flower
  • Pea petals
  • Alternate leaves
  • Coastal slopes
  • CA native




  • Deerweed (1)
    Acmispon glaber var. glaber


    Small yellow and orange pea flowers radiate off a slender-but-stiff green stem.

    Leaflets are generally in threes, and are a favorite with deer. Stems are green.

    Lots of branches create a bushy look, full of green, yellow and orange.
    Dense Flower Owl's Clover
    Castilleja densiflora
    • CA Bloom Mar - May
    • Owl's Clover is not a clover at all, but a paintbrush.
    • Flowers and colorful bracts form a dense, round-topped cluster.
    • Leaves are alternate, narrow, and sometimes forked.
    • Found on grassy hillsides, this plant is a larval food for the federally threatened Bay Checkerspot Butterfly.
    • Compare to Purple Owl's Clover
    • CA native



    Note white pouches with purple "owl's eyes" on them. Leaves are narrow.

    Flowers have a narrow beak above the white spotted pouches.

    Found on grassy hillsides, it does well in serpentine soils.
    Dogtail Grass
    Cynosurus echinatus

    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.