List

San Pedro Valley CP (NRDB.org)

(291 plants)

San Mateo County Park. Thanks to NRDB.org for this list.


Alum Root Heuchera micrantha CA Bloom May - June Erect, airy spikes of tiny white or pink flowers rise up from a bed of wide, green leaves. Tiny flowers have 5 separate petals and 5 long stamens. Alum Root does well in damp, shady areas. CA native	Alum root sends wispy stems in the air, supporting dozens of tiny flowers.	Fuzzy leaves are mitten-shaped. They connect to the base of the plant on long stalks.	Leaves form a thick basal cluster.
American Brooklime Veronica americana Height to 1 ft. CA Bloom Jul - Aug 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	Look for 4 petals and opposite leaves with a round stem. Green center guides in pollinators.	4 pale-blue petals with 4 green sepals behind them.	Opposite leaves up to 3 inches long. Flowers in groups at the end of stalks.
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.
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 Mercury Mercurialis annua CA Bloom Feb - Oct Disturbed Not CA native
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.
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 Brass Buttons Cotula australis CA Bloom Jan - May A small plant that grows low to the ground. Many tiny flowers form a yellow "Button". Flowers have no petals. Leaves are finely divided. Grows in disturbed places Not CA native	Small flower head is made up of many tiny petal-less flowers.	Leaves divide into many little lobes. Grows low to the ground.	Green phyllaries behind a yellow flower head.
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.
Baneberry Actaea rubra Height 8 in. - 3 ft. CA Bloom May - Jul Baneberry is a shrub that grows to about 3 feet tall. Leaves are coarsely toothed. Bright red or white berries are hard to miss, and warn animals that they're poisonous. White showy flower clusters. Found in shady, moist woodland. CA native	Leaves have deeply toothed margins. Poisonous berries are red or white, with a black dot.	White showy clusters of flowers stand out on their own stalks. Each flower has many long stamens.	Leaves are compound and sharply toothed. Leaves and flowers are on separate stalks.
Beach Strawberry Fragaria chiloensis CA Bloom Feb - Mar White flower with many yellow stamens. Shiny, leathery leaves in 3s. Densely hairy below. Strawberries carry their seeds outside the fruit! Found in sandy places along the coast. CA native	5-part white flower. 3-part leaves.	Grows prostrate - low to the ground.	Small strawberries.
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.
Bird's Eye Speedwell Veronica persica Height 4 in. - 1 ft. CA Bloom Feb - May This is a small, beautifully marked wildflower. Leaves are opposite and small, often with serrated edges. It's found in disturbed areas, often near agriculture. Not CA native	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.	Leaves are opposite. Flowers cluster at the top of the stem. The plant is often recumbent, lying along the ground.	This beautiful plant is easy to overlook because of its small size, but a pleasure to find.
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 Locust Robinia pseudoacacia CA Bloom Mar - Jun White flower Pea petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
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 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 Violet, Western Dog Violet Viola adunca ssp. adunca CA Bloom Apr - Aug Purple violet-shaped flower. Low to the ground with spade or heart shaped leaves. Found in meadows and forests through North America. CA native	Nodding flower with violet-shaped purple petals.	Lower petal has white base and purple veining. Side petals have white hairs near the center.	Leaves spade or heart shaped.
Blue Wild Rye Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus A tough and woody perennial bunch grass 12"-5 ft. Inflorescence a spike 2-8" 2-4 florets per spikelet Floret awns to 1.2" CA Bloom May - Jul Found at the margins of woods and in open areas. More about Elymus CA native	This grass can grow to 5 feet tall and has a tight spike of spikelets at the top of the stem.	Rye spikelets grow tight to the stem, about 1/4" apart, making a woven pattern. 2-4 straight awns come out of each spikelet.	Leaves are fairly wide, flat, soft, and blue-green. The blade has tiny "ears" (auricles) that wrap around the stem.
Blue Windflower Anemone grayi Height 4 in. - 1 ft. CA Bloom Feb - Jun This lovely flower, named for the wind, is a treat to find on the forest floor. It generally has 5 "petals" (actually they're sepals). Found in coastal areas in Northern California. CA native	The flower has 5 or 6 white or blue "petals" and tall stamens reaching above a cluster of green pistils.	Leaves are deeply divided and radiate sideways below the flower.	Found on moist shaded evergreen forest floors. A single flower sits atop a 12-inch stalk.
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.
Blueblossom Ceanothus thyrsiflorus CA Bloom Mar - May This shrub is covered with evergreen leaves and produces prodigious display of sweet-smelling flowers. Look for grooves running the length of the stem. It comes in a variety of sizes, up to 30 feet tall. Does well on poor soil. Found in a wide variety of settings. CA native	Hundreds of sweet-smelling tiny flowers form lavender balls of color accented with white or yellow.	Leaves have 3 parallel veins. The underside is dull, but the top is a shiny dark green.	Blueblossom is full of flowers when it blooms, March to May.
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.
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.
Branching Phacelia Phacelia ramosissima CA Bloom May - Aug Violet, white flower Five petals Alternate leaves Coastal 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.
Brittle Fern Cystopteris fragilis Fern CA native
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.
Broad Leaf Lupine Lupinus latifolius This perennial has an erect stem up to 4 feet tall. CA Bloom Apr - May Blue and purple flowers have a white banner spot that ages to magenta. Found in dry rocky areas, this plant needs some shade and seasonal moisture. CA native	The inflorescence can get really tall - up to 2 feet long. Flowers have an open arrangement.	Broad Leaf Lupine has broad leaves. They feel rubbery on top and slick underneath.	Leaves (up to 4" for each finger on stalks up to 8" long) dwarf the individual 1/2" flowers.
Broadleaf Helleborine Epipactis helleborine CA Bloom Apr - Dec 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	Leaves are broad and ribbed. Showy nodding orchid flowers grow along an erect stem.	Upper orchid petals shelter the flower, with a lower labellum making a landing platform for pollinators.	Grows to 3 feet tall.
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.
Bulrush Scirpus microcarpus CA Bloom May - Jun CA native
Bur Chevril Anthriscus caucalis Height 2 - 3 ft. CA Bloom Mar - May White flower Five petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native
Burning Bush Euonymus occidentalis var. occidentalis CA Bloom Apr - Jun Brown, red flower Five petals Opposite leaves CA native	Streamside shrub with compound leaves, like Elderberry.	Tiny serrations.	Green stems.
Bush Morning Glory Calystegia occidentalis CA Bloom May - Jul Fairly big white or creamy yellow flowers. Fuzzy leaves and flower stems. Tiny leaves (bracts) about 1/4 inch below the flower. Found on dry slopes below 9,000 feet. Vine, often along the ground.	Round white flower with five fused petals.	Tiny green bracts about 1/4 inch below the flower.	A vine, often growing along the ground.
California Aster Symphyotrichum chilense CA Bloom Jul - Aug Blue, pink, violet, white flower Many petals Alternate leaves 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 Bedstraw Galium californicum CA Bloom Mar - Sep Yellow flower Four petals Whorled leaves CA native
California Bedstraw(1) Galium californicum ssp. californicum CA Bloom Mar - Sep Yellow flower Four petals Whorled 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 Brome Bromus sitchensis var. carinatus Perennial Bunch Grass 20"-3 ft. Inflorescence branched 6-16" 5-10 florets per spikelet Floret awns to 0.6" CA Bloom Apr - Aug CA native	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 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 and bud in early February.	Trees in the open form a dome shape, often growing 40 feet tall and 40 feet wide. They can live 250 years.
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 Buttercup Ranunculus californicus Height 6 in. - 2 ft. CA Bloom Feb - May This bright yellow flower is 1" across, with 7 to 22 shiny petals. Buttercups flower in early spring, and die back (including the leaves) in the summer. Found on coastal bluffs, grassland, woodland and moist meadows. CA native	The buttercup looks like butter, with 7 to 22 elliptic, overlapping, shiny yellow petals.	Each buttercup flower gets its own stalk. The center is a half sphere of packed green pistils, surrounded by dozens of yellow stamens.	Long-stalked basal leaves have 3 deeply- lobed leaflets. Leaves on the flower stems have narrow divisions.
California Chicory Rafinesquia californica CA Bloom Apr - Jul One of two chicories in California - this one is white and native. It often has many short branches at the top, each tipped with a flower head. It's an early bloomer after a fire, growing particularly well near burned wood. Found in open areas. CA native	About 20 rays form this white flower head which often shows a yellow center. When it goes to seed it forms an open, fluffy sphere.	Below the head, ray flowers are purple marked. Long, pointed phyllaries are surrounded by a calyculus of short triangular bracts.	Greyish green leaves have irregular lobes. A few smaller, clasping leaves decorate the stem, which branches to several single flower heads at the top.
California Everlasting 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 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 Horkelia Horkelia californica CA Bloom Apr - Jul White flower Five petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native
California Larkspur Delphinium californicum CA Bloom Apr - Jun Pink, white flower Five petals Alternate leaves CA native
California Phacelia Phacelia californica CA Bloom Mar - Aug Many small lavender flowers have long stamens, bunched in a coil at the end of stems. Found in central and northern CA. CA native	The flower is bell shaped, with 5 rounded lobes.	Leaves are fuzzy, strongly veined, and have smooth edges.	Flower clusters appear fuzzy and are often coiled, looking like a caterpillar.
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 Polypody Polypodium californicum Height to 2 ft. This distinctive fern has long, undivided, wavy fingers. It often grows directly on rocks, rather than in broken-up soil. Stems are light brown. Found in shaded woodlands and on north-facing slopes, generally near water. CA native. Found only in the western US.	Frond segments are wavy and slightly serrated. Unlike most ferns, one segment connects to the next near the midrib.	Oval sori, full of tiny spores, line up on the underside in two rows. Leaflet margins are slightly rough, or serrated.	Grows on moist, rocky, shady banks, often near water.
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 Sheepburr Acaena californica CA Bloom Mar - May Green, red flower Tiny petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native
Canyon Gooseberry Ribes menziesii CA Bloom Jan - Apr Gooseberries and Currants are small shrubs with beautiful flowers and berries. Canyon Gooseberry grows about 6 feet tall, with moderately-spaced thin stems full of prickles. Beautiful hanging flowers develop into purple gooseberries. CA Native	Leaves are hairy and soft, and remind me of small (less than 2" across) maple leaves.	The flower has purple sepals that fold backwards, short white petals that hang down, and stamens that stick out the bottom.	Thin prickles along the stem make this a Gooseberry. Currants look similar but don't have prickles.
Cape Ivy Delairea odorata CA Bloom Nov - Mar Yellow flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Not CA native Highly Invasive
Cape Weed Arctotheca calendula CA Bloom Mar - Aug Yellow flower Many petals Alternate, basal leaves Not CA native Moderately Invasive