Open Space Background

Borges Ranch Flowering Plants

April 30, 2004

This year was cold and wet so the wildflowers are springing up two to three weeks later than normal. Our walk took us up the steep hill (south) at Old Borges Ranch, left through the gate and into East Bay Regional Park District land by going through the second gate. Here the road forks and goes left down to the bottom of the hill. Option 1 is to stop and turn around and come back at the picnic table. A second option is to continue up this road to the left, turn right at the first road switchback and continue up the steep hill until you see the foot trail off to the right and take that to the summit road. Here you can retrace yur steps or follow the road back to Borges Ranch.

      (1) (2)  
Common Name Color Scientific Name Peterson Refs. Where Seen
Milk Thistle ----- Silybum marianum 330 Road sides
Blue dicks Blue Dichelostemma pulchellum 352 All over
Blue-eyed grass Blue Sisyrinchium bellum 350 All over
Lupine, Elegant Blue Lupinus lepidus 376 Road sides
Wally Basket Blue Triteleia laxa 352 Road sides
Sagebrush No blossoms Artemisia californica K 87 Canyon
Bush Monkey Flower Orange Dilacus aurantiacus K 90 Canyon
California poppies Orange Eschscholzia californica 224 All over
Owls Clover Pink Orthocarpus purpurascens 240 Hill tops
Pom Pon Onion Pink Alium serratum 262 Saw one only
Rose Clover Pink Trifolium hirtum J 652 Road sides
Tom Cat Clover Pink Trifolium tridentatum 320 Road sides
Vetch, Winter Pink Vicia villosa 326 All over
Arroyo Lupine Purple Lupinus succulentus 376 Ridge top
Chinese Houses Purple Collinsia heterophylla 234 Road sides
Filaree—storksbill Purple Erodium moschatum 286 All over
Geranium Purple Geranium dissectum 284 All over
Slender Clarkia Purple Clarkia gracilis 270 Road sides
Red Ribbons Red Clarkia unguiculata 272 Canyon
Thistle, Italian Red Cirsium arvense 328 Road sides
Bedstraw White Galium aparine 294 Canyon
Black Sage White Salvia californica K 100 Canyon
Buckeye White Aesculus californica K 48 Canyon
Catchfly, Campion White Silene 58 High Road
Chamise White Adenostoma fasciculatim K 106 Top of Hill
Manroot--Cucumber White Marah organus 98 Bottom of canyon
Peppergrass White Lepidium campestre 24 Road sides
Poison Oak White Toxicodendron diversilobum K 112 Hill, wet sides
Wavy leaf Soap Plant White Chlorogalum pomeridianum 12 All over
Yarrow, Common White Achillea millefolium 108 Tops of Hills
Buttercups Yellow Ranunculus orthorhynchus 154 All over
Common Butterweed Yellow Senecio vulgaris 208 Road sides
Elderberry Yellow Sambucus racemosa K 48 Road sides
Mariposa Tulip Yellow Calochotus luteus 122 Canyon, trail
Mule Ears, Green Yellow Wyethia glabra 184 Tops of Hills
Mustard Yellow Brassica geniculata 140 All over
Pineapple Weed Yellow Matricaria matricarioides 210 Roads


(1) Peterson's "Pacific States Wildflowers" -- all non-lettered references.
(2) Keater, "Plants of the East Bay Parks" -- all "K" references.
(3) Beidleman & Kozloff, "Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region"--the "BK" references.