- Mary K. Hanson
- Posted On
Tuleyome Tales: It’s wildflower season again
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – March and April are some of the best months to see the wildflower displays in the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region, which includes Lake County.
A few of our favorite places to find and photograph wildflowers are along Highway 16 and Highway 20, along the Judge Davis Trail, and along Walker Ridge.
Driving along Highway 16 you’ll see outcroppings of wildflowers everywhere including blue and yellow lupine, paintbrush, orange and yellow wallflowers, bush monkey flowers, Chinese houses and many others.
At one spot along this route last year, I also found some old men’s beards vines (Clematis drummondii) growing in the trees above a pull-out. When this vine goes to seed it gets silky heads all over it that look like something out of a Dr. Seuss story.
As you travel along the twisting and turning highway, you’ll find plenty of turn-off points, but be careful where you park and how you cross the road. You don’t want to obstruct traffic and you certainly don’t want to be hit by a car coming around a bend.
To get the best photos of the flowers you find use the “macro” setting on your camera (it will usually be marked with a flower or tulip-like icon), and get as close to the flower as you can. Snap off several shots from many different angles, so you have lots of views to choose from later.
If you’re not sure what kind of flower you’re looking at, also take photos of the leaves and the base of the plant. These will provide you with clues to their identities.
Taking Highway 16 on to Highway 20 will lead you to more great wildflower sites.
At the intersection of the two highways you may find huge fields of California poppies, gold nuggets, tidytips, owl clover and other flowers.
There are large turnout points along the highway here, too, but stay on the highway side of the fences you see here. On the other side of those fences is private property, and trespassing is not allowed. Go back to this spot several times over the next few months to make sure you see everything.
Access to Walker Ridge is also available off of Highway 20. This spot provides you with views of some specialized plants that only grow in serpentine soil.
From the intersection of Highways 16 and 20, turn left toward the foothills. The sign for Walker Ridge will come up on your right. Turn onto Walker Ridge Road and continue until you get to the intersection of Walker Ridge Road and the road to Indian Valley. Park at the intersection then walk back down the road to find the ridge trail head.
Off of Highway 20 you can also get to the Judge Davis Trail. You’ll take Highway 20 up into the foothills and as you start coming down again, the trailhead will be immediately to your left. Signs mark the trailhead, and there is parking and a restroom facility there.
This area was severely burned in the wildfires last year, but is expected to yield some interesting wildflower viewing this year because there are some flowers that will only show themselves after a burn.
This is usually a great spot to find loads of shooting stars, larkspur, wild onions and twining lilies, Indian warrior, and field irises. Go up the trail or up the fire break for some great vista views as well.
Tuleyome will be hosting a few wildflower tours this year that are free to the public, so check out their MeetUp site ( http://www.meetup.com/Tuleyome-Home-Place-Adventures/ ) for dates and times.
You can also get some great wildflower and plant identification information from the book “A Species Guide to the Berryessa Snow Mountain Region” available for purchase online at www.lulu.com .
As you go out wildflower hunting, keep in mind the “leave no trace” ethic: don’t pick the flowers or remove the plants (in some areas it’s actually illegal to do so). They are integral parts of their environment and need to be left where they are.
As Pee Wee Herman might say, “Take a picture; it’ll last longer.”
“Tuleyome Tales” is a monthly publication of Tuleyome, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Ca. Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist and author of “The Chubby Woman’s Walkabout” blog. For more information about Tuleyome, visit www.tuleyome.org .