Wildflowers in Shell Ridge
April 2, 2004In spite of the recent warm spell, this is a late year, mostly because of the cool rainy weather in February. Therefore, normal blooming is about 2 to 3 weeks overdue. Yet, there are tens of millions of flowers on these hills we will walk today. The trouble is there are only a few different kinds of flowers. Our walk took us from the Sutherland entrance (off of Walnut Blvd.) to Shell Ridge, taking the road to the right past Bramhall Pond, up the hill to Ginder Gap, up the narrow footpath to the crest of Shell Ridge, along the summit, down the switchback, near Indian Valley school, down the hill to Indian Pond and back to the entrance again. This is about a four-mile walk and will take about 90 minutes.
(1)(2) | ||||
Common Name | Color | Scientific Name | Peterson Refs. | Where Seen |
Mint | ------ | Mentha arvensis | 314 | Ridge Top Trail |
Sagebrush | ------- | Artemisia californica | K87 | Top of SR |
Blue dicks | Blue | Dichelostemma pulchelum | 352 | Top of Shell Ridge (SR) |
Blue Headed Gilia | Blue | Gilia capitata | 360 | Two on Ridge Top |
Blue-eyed grass | Blue | Sisyrinchium bellum | 350 | Near Bramhall Pond |
Wally baskets | Blue | Triteleia laxa | 352 | Near broken bench |
California poppies | Orange | Eschscholzia californica | 224 | Spread around |
Red Owl’s clover | Pink | Orthocarpus purpurascens | 240 | One on top of SR |
Tom Cat Clover | Pink | Trifolium tridentatum | 320 | Roadsides |
Vetch, Winter | Pink | Vicia villosa | 326 | All over—yet to bloom |
Arroyo Lupine | Purple | Lupinus succulentus | 376 | Top of SR |
Chinese Houses | Purple | Dodecatheon pulchellum | 246 | Top of SR |
Filaree—storksbill | Purple | Erodium moschatum | 286 | Roadsides |
Geranium | Purple | Geranium dissectum | 284 | Roadsides |
Larkspur | Purple | Delphinium decorum | 356 | Ridge Top Trail |
Milk Thistle | Red | Silybum marianum | 6 | Back of Fossil Hill |
Bedstraw | White | Galium aparine | 100 | Ridge Top Trail |
Miner’s lettuce | White | Montia perfoliata | 294 | Millions of blooms |
Nemophylla | White | Nemophila pedunculata | 74 | Thousands of blooms |
Peppergrass | White | Lempidium campestre | 24 | Roadsides |
Poison Oak | White | Toxicodendron diversilobum | K112 | Top of SR |
Shepherd’s purse | White | Capsella bursa-pastoris | 26 | Roadsides |
Wavy leaf Soap Plant | White | Chlorogalum pomeridianum | 12 | All over |
Woodland Star | White | Senecio vulgaris | 208 | Roadsides |
Buttercups | Yellow | Ranunculus eschscholtzii | 154 | Spread around |
Fiddleneck | Yellow | Amsinckia intermedia | 226 | Top of SR |
Lotus | Yellow | Lotus corniculatus | 180 | Roadsides |
Mule Ears, Green | Yellow | Wyethia glabra | 184 | Top of SR |
Mustard | Yellow | Brassica geniculata | 140 | Spread around |
Pineapple Weed | Yellow | Matricaria matricarioides | 210 | Middle of all roads |
Telegraph Weed | Yellow | Heterotheca grandiflora | 214 | Ridge Top Trail |
(1) Peterson's "Pacific States Wildflowers"
(2) Keater, "Plants of the East Bay Parks