The Wildflower Hill trail...

Yes this is my final post from the Theodore Payne Foundation. I didn't mean to stretch it out over four days...it just happened that way. Today I'll share the rest of what I saw as I walked the ¾ mile trail up and down through chaparral and coastal sage scrub. I started at the entrance to the fire management demo garden...

Pellaea mucronata, aka bird foot fern. Hardy in Zones 5 -10.

Rhus ovata, aka sugarbush. Hardy in Zones 6 -10

The skies were threatening that day, but luckily they didn't unleash, at least not while I was outside.

Hesperoyucca whipplei, I believe.

And it's bloomspike with seed pods.

I broke one open, that's a lot of seeds! This guy is pollinated by the California yucca moth (Tegeticula maculata—more info here) I didn't see any holes where the moth larvae bored out.

Birds kept circling and landing on other yucca blooms, I managed to catch a pair in position.

I had said there were no wildflowers blooming. I was wrong...

But the green hills and yucca (plus a few opuntia) were the real attractions.

This yucca bloom had seed pods with eyelashes.

See what I mean?

Ah, the end of the trail, top of the hill...

Nobody brought me a picnic though.

Once I was up top the skies cleared a bit.

Salvia some-something...

The leaves look like those on my Salvia clevelandii.

And these more like Salvia apiana.

Almost back down to the nursery now, I wonder what animal made that flattened spot in the spring-green grass?

This scene begs a great caption.

I wonder if there's a screen (TV, computer) in the locked box?

Ah, leave it to me to end the trail at the beginning, oh well. At least I made it out before 4:00.

Weather Diary, Jan 9: Hi 42, Low 36/ Precip trace

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.