Crimson Columbine (Aquilegia formosa)
Although we spent last weekend riding around on bikes and sailboats, rather than out in the hills, we are reliably informed that crimson columbine is now coming into bloom. So we’re making it our Wildflower of the Week. A member of the Buttercup Family (the Ranunculaceae), this hummingbird favorite is native to western North America, from Alaska to Baja. Read the rest of this entry »
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Big Sur, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | 
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Posted by xasauan
Pacific Hound’s Tongue (Cynoglossum grande) Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | Big Sur, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Permalink
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The views of Pico Blanco and the ocean from Skinner Ridge are at their best in the winter, when the black oaks (Quercus kelloggii) are leafless. Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Big Sur, On Foot, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
As anyone who read our previous post could easily have predicted, Western Wakerobin (Trillium ovatum) is our Wildflower of the Week. T. ovatum flourishes, as indicated by the photo, in damp forests – which, around here, means redwood forests. They reach the southern end of their range, along with the redwoods, on Big Sur’s South Coast. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Big Sur, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Permalink
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More than 20 volunteers turn out for a Ventana Wilderness Alliance sponsored work day on the Little Sur Trail. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Big Sur, On Foot, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Permalink
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Coast Paintbrush (Castilleja affinis) in Garland Regional Park
Paintbrush, or Indian Paintbrush, is one of the most easily recognized wildflowers in California. It’s found pretty much everywhere and if you spend much time outdoors you probably know it when you see it. Yet determining the species (let alone subspecies) of a given plant can be challenging. While all paintbrush may look pretty much alike to the casual observer, botanists have recognized upwards of 200 individual species – and subspecies beyond counting. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Big Sur, Diablo Range, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
Checkerbloom (Sidalcea malviflora)
There isn’t a lot in flower out there yet, but one thing that quickly responded to the mid-January rain (at least along the coastal terraces) was checkerbloom. This member of the Mallow family generally prefers open meadows, but is also quite common in the pine forests of the Monterey Peninsula. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Big Sur, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Tagged: canada geese, Carmel Bay, East Molera, Little Sur, Pico Blanco, Pt. Lobos | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
A Saturday with no obligations! I head off to the Ventana Wilderness with no particular destination in mind …
The parking lot for the trailhead at Los Padres Dam is gated for some reason these days, so it’s necessary to park down the hill at the Forest Service Station. Read the rest of this entry »
7 Comments | Carmel River, Fungus, On Foot, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Tagged: Big Pines Trail, Cachagua, California newt, Cardamine californica, Carmel River Trail, Cynoglossum grande, Danish Creek, Gray squirrel, Helvella, Los Padres Dam, Los Padres National Forest, mountain lion, Ramaria, Rattlesnake Trail, tick, Ventana Wilderness | Permalink
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A shooting star (Dodecatheon clevelandii) near Garzas Creek in Garland Regional Park. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Permalink
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Trail under coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) on Big Sur’s East Molera Ridge. Quercus is derived from the Celtic quer cuez, meaning “fine tree.” Read the rest of this entry »
6 Comments | Big Sur, Fungus, History, Plants, Santa Lucias | Tagged: acorn, black oak, blue oak, coast live oak, lithocarpus, phytophthora ramorum, quercus, Sargenta-ruc, SOD, sudden oak death, tanbark oak, tanoak, valley oak, whispering oaks | Permalink
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