Update on Laurel Canyon's Plants in Bloom

With all of this rain and cold weather, along with the recent busyness of my life, I have been unable to get back out on the trails in Laguna Canyon to see what's coming out in bloom. Luckily for all of us, Len Gardner has been hitting the trails and has been kind enough to inform us of the excitement that's going on recently:

The number of types of plants in bloom has increased considerably since last month. In the stretch above the waterfall, we now have California Buttercup along with the Milkmaid, which have become noticeably "long in the tooth." They are now more like dowagers than maidens. There are far more of them than the buttercups. In the lower canyon, poison oak is just coming into leaf. Some individual plants are fully leafed out.

A pleasant surprise on Bommer Ridge was Johnny Jump-up in full bloom in its little swale near signpost 2.

Other things in bloom, which I didn't see last month, are Rattlesnake Weed, paintbrush (don't know which one), White Nightshade and Redberry, which has a very inconspicuous flower. It's so inconspicuous that I have to wonder how it gets pollinated.

There is continued blooming of Wild Hyacinth, Common Fiddleneck, Canyon Pea, California Poppy, Wild Cucumber and Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry. Some of the Wild Cucumbers (on the lower Willow Road) are already well into fruit.

A young scrub oak growing near the Willow Road had lots of catkins hanging down and quite a bit of new foliage. It was doing well.

Speaking of catkins, some willow catkins are out too.

Thanks, Len, for sharing this information!
If all goes well, I might be able to hit the trails tomorrow with my camera and notepad.
More soon.
Jennifer