Here's a photo from our morning walk under a nicely overcast sky with some drizzle. :)

This beautiful golden-yellow color along our trails is kindly provided by Isocoma menziesii aka Menzies' Goldenbush — a small shrub in the Asteraceae (sunflower) family that typically blooms summer into fall here.

Vertical, might need a click/tap to see as intended.

https://www.alex-kunz.com/photos/native-wildflowers-chaparral/isocoma-menziesii/

#BloomScrolling #Summer #Yellow #CANativePlants #NativePlants #Plants #Wildflowers #NaturePhotography #CloseUp

Today's #mastergardener task was completing a spreadsheet for the #CAnativeplants meadow I manage at our #nevadacounty demonstration garden. We're making new informational signs. Done! Next up, take photos of each. #gardening

Out in the field yesterday doing groundwater monitoring around experimental groundwater recharge ponds in the mattole watershed northern CA. Mind blowing to see how much the ca native sedge and juncus re-veg plugs grew over the rainy winter deluge. They were on planted a few years ago. The repairs to the BDA's "beaver analog dams" held up amazingly well. Deep clear pools holding and evolving on lost river, tributary to the mattole river. Creating and improving salmonid habitat, and allowing summer recharge of mainstem flows. Looking good!
#WatershedRestoration
#CaNativePlants
#salmononids
#BeaverAnalogDams
#RoughSkinnedNewt

The plant community in my local watershed has evolved together for a million years, then some pot growing, ingnorant, do gooders, decided to weed whack along miles of dirt rd, not clean out the weed whacker heads, spreading five very invasive alien species brought from commercial pot farms elsewhere. Breaking my back the last few weeks trying to save rare intact ca native meadow ecosystem from crashing. Plant extinction can happen in front of your eyes, very quickly. Was thrilled to find a showy new native, while pulling invasives. The lovely allium unifolium, wild one leaf onion. Lasthenia in full bloom too
#AlliumUnifolium
#lasthenia
#CaNativePlants
#InvasiveSpecies

The plant community in my local watershed has evolved together for a million years, then some ignorant pot growing, do gooders, decided to weed whack along miles of dirt rd, not clean out the weed whacker heads, spreading five very invasive alien species brought from commercial pot farms elsewhere. Breaking my back the last few weeks trying to save rare intact ca native meadow ecosystem from crashing. Plant extinction can happen in front if your eyes very quickly. Was thrilled to find a showy new native, while pulling invasives. The lovely allium unifolium, wild one leaf onion. Lasthenia in full bloom too
#AlliumUnifolium
#lasthenia
#CaNativePlants
#InvasiveSpecies

Orcutt's Brodiaea (Brodiaea orcutti) in non-native Mediterranean grass; San Diego, California, May 2023.

Vertical photo, might need a tap/click.

#RarePlants #CANativePlants #BloomScrolling #SanDiego #Flowers #Wildflowers #Spring

Here's a little bit of color for another nice and gloomy day in Southern California. ;)

This is Phacelia grandiflora, commonly known as Bigflower Phacelia, peeking out from a patch of many many Popcorn flowers (Cryptantha species, most likely intermedia), photographed here in San Diego in April 2023.

https://alexkunz.photoshelter.com/image/I0000ywoKtBHrc7o/

#FloralFriday #BloomScrolling #NativePlants #SanDiego #CANativePlants #CloseUp #NaturePhotography

This friendly Fringed Willowherb (Epilobium ciliatum) appeared in our backyard this year. Maybe a bird had a say in establishing it? :)

Vertical photo — might need a tap/click.

https://alexkunz.photoshelter.com/image/I0000qO762BjfgvY/

#Wildflowers #BloomScrolling #NativePlants #CANativePlants #SanDiego #Flowers #CloseUp #NaturePhotography

Well, if it's #WorldBeeDay ... :)

Vertical photo, might need a click/tap!

This is a Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on a Bee Sage (Salvia apiana). Kinda nice how that worked out — except that this bee is an introduced species here in California.

The sage is native, and more commonly known as White Sage, which is funny, considering how colorful it is when observed up close. More photos:

https://www.alex-kunz.com/plant/salvia-apiana-white-sage/

#MacroPhotography #CANativePlants #Bees

Calochortus tolmiei aka star tulip, nickname pussy ears.
Another magical ca native, that readily spreads if you weedwhack after its set seeds. A little colony in a grassy area next to my driveway, has become a sizable colony in just three years. There are pros and cons to this. Weed whacking also spread another ca native, cheery western buttercups ( ranuncula) which will destroy your socks with burs.
#CalochortusTolmiei
#StarTulip
#CaNativePlants

Calochortus tolmiei aka star tulip or pussy ears
Another magical ca native, that readily spreads if you weedwhack after its set seeds. A little colony in a grassy area next to my driveway, has become a sizable colony in just three years. There are pros and cons to this. Weed whacking also spread another ca native, the cheery western buttercups ( ranuncula) which will destroy your socks with burs.
#CalochortusTolmiei
#StarTulip
#CaNativePlants

"Only Known Population Found of Rare California Native Plant Not Documented in Almost 30 Years"

https://www.cnps.org/news-releases/groundstar-34101

#CANativePlants #CNPS #Plants #Extinction #RarePlants

Because this has riddled me for a long time, here's a macro photo of Castilleja exserta (Purple Owl's Clover), showing the stigma "ball" sitting underneath the hairy corolla "beak" — by comparison, in Castilleja densiflora, that little ball sits at the top of the beak. :)

Vertical photo, might need a click if you don't see it as such!

#CANativePlants #Wildflowers #SanDiego #NativePlants #MacroPhotography #NaturePhotography #Flowers

Salvia sonomensis (Sonoma or Creeping Sage), photographed in April 2023 in San Diego's back country.

If you'd like to learn what went into this photo, I have just added an article "The Invisible Work" to my blog: https://www.alex-kunz.com/the-invisible-work/

#CANativePlants #NaturePhotography #MacroPhotography #SanDiego #BlogPost #Plants #NativePlants

Alas, on this fine spring day i long for my feet to hit the trail, instead I'll be driving to town to get a part for the water pump, hoping it will be up and running and i can get on with my life........fingers xxx
#chanterelle #BlackChantrelle
#DevilsTrumpet
#CaNativePlants #Wyethia

Always challenging trying to take a photo on a windy day in full sun with a crappy android phone camera. Two of my favorite ca native plants ...... Dichelostema also known as Blue Dicks, in parts of ca an indigenous people's staple. The root bulbs are small, roundish, and quite tasty. Digging them actually helps spread and increase populations.
The other plant is charming, tiny, delicate, Thysanocarpus also known as lace pod, or spoke pod, not sure which this is
#Thysanocarpus
#dichelostema
#CaNativePlants

Always challenging trying to take a photo on a windy day in full sun with a crappy android phone camera. Two of my favorite ca native plants ...... Dichelostema also known as Blue Dicks, in parts of ca an indigenous people's staple. The root bulbs are small, roundish, and quite tasty. Digging them actually helps spread and increase populations.
The other plant is charming, tiny, delicate, Thysanocarpus also known as lace pod, or spoke pod, not sure which this is
#Thysanocarpus
#dichelostema
#CaNativePlants

"Purpleheads"

While out on the trail yesterday we saw these Dipterostemon capitatum (Purpleheads, Blue Dicks, Wild Hyacinth), with multiple inflorescences quite curiously bunched together. I have never seen them like this before.

More of them, if you're interested: https://www.alex-kunz.com/plant/blue-dicks-dipterostemon-capitatus/

#Wildflowers #CANativePlants #CloseUp #NaturePhotography #SanDiego

I can never resist pulling the ‘hats’ off of CA Poppies. Anyone else? 😂

#CANativePlants #pollinatorfriendly #flowers #gardening @plants

Anybody else like pulling the ‘hats’ off of CA Poppies? 😂 I can never resist.

#CANativePlants #poppies #pollinatorgarden