When To Expect The Blooms?

Find out what is blooming now, and where.

Note: The flowers on these pages are arranged in order of their first month of bloom.

 

Milkmaids (Cardamine californica)

• Bloom period: January - May
• Habitat: Found in moist wooded areas; one of the first spring wildflowers.
• Description: 4-petaled flowers can be white to pink and grow on stalks 4-15 inches tall. Leaves have a rounded outline and resemble a duck's foot.

 

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

• Bloom period: February - September
• Habitat: Widespread and common in grassy areas up to 7,000 feet in elevation.
• Description: This flower, so abundant it was designated the state flower, can grow as a spreading shrub or tall stalk, reaching 2 feet in height with yellow or orange flowers.

 

Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana)

• Bloom period: February - September
• Habitat: Widespread on the dark, moist forest floor.
• Description: Often mistaken for clover, this small (1 - 3 inch tall) herb is very shade tolerant and thrives well beneath the redwood canopy.

 

Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus)

• Bloom period: February - May
• Habitat: Common on grassy, moist slopes.
• Description: Silky yellow petals grow on a thin, flexible stem with linear leaves around the base.

 

Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum)

• Bloom period: February - September
• Habitat: Very common in moist coastal areas and grassy slopes.
• Description: Stalks grow 4 - 5 feet and heads of clustered white flowers can reach 10 inches across.

 

Giant Trillium (Trillium chloropetalum)

• Bloom period: February - May
• Habitat: Uncommon on moist wooded slopes.
• Description: 3 dark, upright petals sit upon 3 mottled round leaves. Not to be confused with the western trillium, which blooms later and has plain leaves.

 

Redwood Violet (Viola sempervirens)

• Bloom period: February - June
• Habitat: Abundant in moist creek valleys and in wooded and forested areas.
• Description: Small, yellow, 5-petaled flowers on round to heart-shaped leaves.

 

Mission Bells (Fritillaria affinis)

• Bloom period: February - June
• Habitat: Common in wooded and open grassy areas below 5,000 feet in elevation.
• Description: Purple and yellow 6-petaled flower sits on a 1 - 3 foot tall stem with narrow, linear leaves.

 

Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sylvatica)

• Bloom period: February - August
• Habitat: Common in moist, shady areas
• Description: Tiny, blue 5-petaled flowers grow on stems 0.5 - 2 feet tall.

 

bob mize

Henderson's Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii)

• Bloom period: February - May
• Habitat: Found on open slopes and in damp wooded areas
• Description: Distinctive fuschia or pink flowers grow on tall, slender stems above a rounded basal leaves.

 

Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrichium bellum)

• Bloom period: February - May
• Habitat: Common in meadows
• Description: An upright, blue to purple, 6-petaled flower sits on a short stalk with grass-like leaves.

 

Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

• Bloom period: February - June
• Habitat: Found in open meadows
• Description: A tight cluster of white, pink, or brown flowers sits on a woody stalk above spreading stems with small, needlelike leaves.

 

Nine Spot, or Salt and Pepper (Nemophila menziesii var. atomaria)

• Bloom period: March - May
• Habitat: Abundant in open, moist fields and prairies
• Description: Small, white-and-black spotted, 5-petaled flowers grow close to the ground on short, succulent stems.

 

bob mize

Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanum)

• Bloom period: March - June
• Habitat: Found in marshes and bogs
• Description: Large (1 - 3 foot) leaves surround a fleshy stem with clustered yellow flowers. An onion-like odor is given off when the leaves are bruised.

 

Fat Solomon's Seal (Smilacina racemosa var. amplexicaulis)

• Bloom period: March - May
• Habitat: Very common in shady conifer forests
• Description: Fluffy clusters of tiny white flowers grow at the end of a single stem with large, equally sized, pointed oval leaves. Clusters of small red berries form in the fall.

 

Coltsfoot (Petasites palmatus)

• Bloom period: March - July
• Habitat: Very widespread along streams in wooded coastal areas
• Description: Large clusters of pink or white composite flowers grow on stalks above unmistakable, deeply lobed leaves up to a foot across.

 

Western Dog Violet (Viola adunca)

• Bloom period: March - August
• Habitat: Very common in moist, wooded areas with adequate sunlight
• Description: Dark purple, 5-petaled flowers grow on short stems with round leaves at the base.

 

bob mize

Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum)

• Bloom period: March - June
• Habitat: Rare in moist, dark forested areas
• Description: White, pink, or purple 3-petaled flowers sit on a long stem, atop 3 pointed oval leaves. Not to be confused with the giant trillium, which has upright petals.

 

Blue Blossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)

• Bloom period: March - June
• Habitat: Abundant in open or forested coastal areas
• Description: Small, densely-packed blue or whitish flowers sit on the ends of branches, which form a large prostrate or erect shrub.

 

Siberian Candyflower (Montia sibirica)

• Bloom period: March - September
• Habitat: Common in moist, shady wooded or forested areas
• Description: Small, pink or white, 5-petaled flowers sit on a stem 0.5 - 2 feet tall, with broad, opposite-paired leaves.

 

Pacific Starflower (Trientalis latifolia)

• Bloom period: March - July
• Habitat: Abundant in moist, shady wooded areas
• Description: Tiny, pink or white, 5- or 7-petaled star-shaped flower sits on short stalk above a flat cluster of pointed oval leaves. Grows 2 - 8 inches tall.

 

bob mize

Calypso Orchid (Calypso bulbosa)

• Bloom period: March - July
• Habitat: Rare in dark, moist conifer forests
• Description: Single, mottled pink flower sits on long stem with one rounded leaf at the bottom. Grows 3 - 10 inches tall.

 

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)

• Bloom period: March - June
• Habitat: Widespread in sunny coastal areas and in woods
• Description: Bright pink, 5-petaled flower grows on spreading, thorny branches and matures into an edible, pale orange berry in the summer.

 

Lupine (Lupinus ssp.)

• Bloom period: March - August
• Habitat: Widespread in open grassy areas and along the coast
• Description: Several species of this tall, striking plant grow in the parks. A member of the pea family, its many flowers range in color from white to dark purple and are arranged at the tops of stems.

 

Wild Pea (Vicia ssp.)

• Bloom period: March - July
• Habitat: Common in open disturbed areas
• Description: A member of the pea family, this large plant has numerous white or pink flowers on long stems. Several species of pea are found in the parks.

 

Bob Mize

Smith's Fairy Bells (Disporum smithii)

• Bloom period: March - May
• Habitat: Common in shady wooded or forested areas away from the coast
• Description: Showy, white, funnel-shaped flowers hang at the end of a flexible stem with large, pointed oval leaves. Orange berries form in the fall.

 

Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)

• Bloom period: March - June
• Habitat: Common in forest openings and along streams
• Description: Tight clusters of tiny white flowers bloom after the first green shoots appear on this tall shrub, which can grow up to 25 feet tall.

 

Red-Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)

• Bloom period: March - April
• Habitat: Common in shady woods and along streams
• Description: Tight clusters of bright pink or red flowers hang on the ends of woody stalks with toothed leaves. Can grow up to 12 feet tall.

 

Farewell to Spring (Clarkia amoena)

• Bloom period: June
• Habitat: Uncommon on open slopes and bluffs on or near the coast.
• Description: Showy pink, 4-petaled, shallow flowers with dark purple spots and "X" shaped stigma extending beyond anthers. Sprawling stems can grow to 3 feet.

 

Common Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus)

• Bloom period: March - May
• Habitat: Widespread along stream banks and in moist, shady areas
• Description: Yellow, 5-petaled, tubular flowers grow on stalks 2 - 24 inches tall. The flowers have purple or brown spots on the lower petals.

 

Stonecrop (Dudleya farinosa)

• Bloom period: March - August
• Habitat: Common in rock crevices of coastal bluffs and cliffs
• Description: A flat-topped yellow flower cluster grows on a thick stalk 12 inches above a basal rosette of triangular, succulent leaves.

 

Oregon Grape (Berberis nervosa)

• Bloom period: March - May
• Habitat: Very common in open coastal areas and wooded slopes
• Description: This spreading shrub looks like holly at first glance, but a closer look reveals the tell-tale clusters of small yellow flowers, which ripen to blue berries during the fall.

 

Western Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa)

• Bloom period: March - July
• Habitat: Found in damp, shady areas
• Description: Small, pink, heart-shaped bulbous flowers hang from soft stems with fernlike leaves. Can grow 8 - 18 inches tall.

 

Douglas' Iris (Iris douglasiana)

• Bloom period: March - May
• Habitat: Found widely in open grassy areas and brush
• Description: Large, 3 - 4 inch flowers can be white to deep purple and grow on tall (up to 3 foot) stems with linear basal leaves.

 

Stream Violet (Viola glabella)

• Bloom period: March - July
• Habitat: Commonly found in moist areas and along streams
• Description: Very similar to the redwood violet, except with larger, more abundant toothed heart-shaped leaves.