The latest observations from Len Gardner

I'll be the first to complain about the dearth of posts here on the blog, given the amount of beauty that there is to write about in our treasured Laguna Canyon. For all of you followers who have been disappointed in my lack of blogging during these past few weeks, please accept my sincerest apologies!

Of course, there are good reasons for this lack of posting - the first of which is that my camera is in for repair (going on its third week now!!)... so until I have it back, I cannot take any photos of the canyon and its plants. Boohoo!
The second reason is more general in nature - in short, life has just gotten more hectic! With a heavier work schedule, I have been without my usual two days of connecting with the canyon's natural rhythm.

Thankfully, during these two chaotic weeks, Len Gardner remained faithful to his duties and sent me a report on Sunday, June 21st. For all of you Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers and Laguna Canyon visitors, this is your time to shine - consider contributing your thoughts and observations to the blog. Don't worry about grammar or form - just submit! The more voices we get on the blog, the richer our experiences will be, both online and on the trails.

Until my next post, I wish you all a wonderful rest of the week. Thanks for following this blog!

Len Gardner's report, 21 June 2009:

I was in Little Sycamore this morning. I was helping Laura with her Father's Day special hike.

The most interesting natural history note for me was to see Sacapellote, Acourtia microcephala, in full bloom. This plant is an exuberant flowerer. It's pink-purple blossoms, when taken en masse, are quite striking. I also found it interesting that its leaves are turning yellow and drying out even as it rushes to complete its flowering.

Oscar Clarke, in his Santa Ana Flora, says its "foliage dries by autumn." This year, autumn evidently comes early. Of course, this is indicative of our long-term water deficit. This year and last year were a little sub-par, but three years ago was drastically deficient (about 4.5 inches). We still haven't recovered from that disastrous year.

It was nice to see one Calochortus weedii along the trail. Last year they seemed to be everywhere. This year, only a few.

Someone in the group said they heard that the forecasts are looking more positive for a return of El Nino conditions later this year. I hope so.

http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/e

nso_advisory/ensodisc.html

Quarterly California Coastal Commission Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup in Laguna Beach: Saturday June 20th

For Immediate Release Laguna Beach
Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup Kicks Off Summer

Join the Clean Water Now! Coalition during the Summer Solstice weekend by participating in our Quarterly California Coastal Commission Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup in Laguna Beach.

The cleanup is Saturday, June 20th, from 9 am to noon at the following 3 sites:
Main Beach (HQ), Victoria Beach, and Treasure Island/MontageResort & Spa.

Gloves, bags and educational materials provided. Community service hours for youth groups. Wear a hat or bring sunblock!
Stick around and shop locally.
Contact: Roger von Bütow rogerbutow@cleanwaternow.com
Phone messages: (949) 280.2225
Website: http://www.cleanwaternow.com/


Our next, regularly scheduled beach cleanup will be the BIG yearly event, California Coastal Cleanup Day, now an international effort with nearly 100 countries and over 28 US States participating.
CCCD: Saturday, September 19, 2009 9 am to noon
California Coastal Commission website for more information:
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/pendx.html

CLEAN WATER NOW! COALITION
P.O. Box 4711, Laguna Beach, CA 92652 - 949.280.2225 - www.cleanwaternow.com
“The Clean Water Now! Coalition is dedicated to the protection, restoration and
preservation of aquatic and riparian ecologies worldwide.”

Full Moon Hike at Willow, Laguna Canyon

Last night, June 7th, I had the immense fortune of going on the full moon hike at Willow, led by Resource Specialist Laura Cohen. From 6 to 10 PM, we enjoyed the sights and sounds of a canyon cooling down from the heat of the day.

Going up Lower Laurel Trail first, we watched as the tops of the hills were crowned with the last rays of golden light, and listened to the playful hummingbirds as they fluttered and whizzed about us, as if to tell us a special message from the trees.





I noticed that Toyon is in bloom along the trail...








...along with our wild berries, either in bloom or in fruit (please do not pick the berries but leave them for others to see and the animals to enjoy!)











There was also something else going on here. We're going to investigate it and let you know what it is ASAP.






Once we reached Bommer Ridge, it was nearly dark, with only a bit of light to allow for a breathtaking sight of a buck (deer) in silhouette against a pink-purple sky. It was simply a magical moment!

Laguna Coast Wilderness's Full Moon hikes are always very popular - their sign-up lists fill up fast! Call the Nix Nature center at 949-923-2235 and inquire about reserving your spot for the next full moon hikes in July and August!


Remember: Park hours are from Sunrise to Sunset; Parking lot hours are from 8 AM to 4 PM. Thanks for respecting the hours, the trails, and all sentient beings that you come across while enjoying the great outdoors!

Weekends at the Nix Nature Center Insect and Arthropod Day, June 7, 2009

Yesterday, Sunday June 7, 2009, from 1 to 4 PM, the Nix Nature Center was filled with sounds of excitement, curiosity and joy, as children and their parents discovered the fascinating world of insects and arthropods. Special thanks to Dr. Sue for bringing all of her buggy friends to the Nix and sharing them with all of us!

(For more information about the Nix Nature center, the Laguna Canyon Foundation, and the various activities at the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park / South Coast Wilderness (including the Aliso & Wood Canyon Trails), please visit www.lagunacanyon.org.)

>>> CLICK HERE for a short clip (video) of the whole group singing part of Laura's Insect song!<<<

"Imprints" by LCF Naturalist Gigi Logan

The earth is so sensitive to touch that the slightest of things can leave an impressionable imprint. These imprints are there to tell us a story, for tracks and signs are the language the earth uses to speak to us. Once you learn its ABCs the stories become more detailed with intricacies of a day’s events. Events that are privy only to the natural world and its participants.


Dick Newell (www.octrackers.com) began teaching me about tracking by emphasizing that tracking is simply becoming aware of your surroundings. If you are not aware, you can hike for miles and miles and not see a thing. Because the mind seems to spend a good part of the time on past or future events, it blurs the only moment we have…the present. By leaving the past and future thoughts at the trailhead you can hike only a few steps and begin the first page of many captivating tales.

Finding the tracks of a flicker on a sandy, dry area can tell you the flicker more than likely found an ant hill to feast upon. And if you look around closer you may even find its scat filled with ant shells and sand that was consumed while pecking at its meal. The flattened grasses that carve out a light trail tell of a highway the local animals use on their daily travels throughout the land. Scat containing red berries can be that of a coyote that had foraged a Toyon shrub during winter when this shrub berries. The coyote must have had a poor hunting day for like other predators; meat would be its first choice.

These and other stories are left for each of us to read. Some are entertaining while others have meaning and lessons about life. As I hike I now look for tracks and signs of what the earth has for me and on one of my walks I spotted a leaf on moist ground and thought…hmm is there a story underneath? Of course… a story and much to my surprise a work of art!

In nature,
Gigi

Some Really Cool Crawlies (& Bugs/Butterflies) in Laguna Canyon

We have been finding a bunch of really neat spiders, beetles and other crawly critters on the trails these days. Now equipped with a fabulous camera, we've been pretty pleased with the photos we've taken home.
Take a look at these and see for yourself!
(on left: rattlesnake near Nix Nature Center on 1 June 2009)



Spider on Bommer Ridge right at the entrance to Crystal Cove, 26 May 2009.














Striped racer on Old Emerald Falls trail, 26 May 2009.






Stunned Tarantula on Lower Laurel- had just been stung by the Tarantula Wasp. This was the first sight that we had of it on 1 June 2009 before we started filming the scene that just followed. Watch the video of the Tarantula hawk dragging the Tarantula back to the latter's burrow HERE!







Huge! On the fossil interpretive part of the Nix Nature Center outside, on 1 June 2009.















On Lower Laurel in the grassland areas on 1 June 2009 at 10:30 AM.














On Lower Laurel on 1 June 2009 at 1:15 PM.

Fall Color - California Style: An essay by Len Gardner

Fall Color - California Style
by Len Gardner
June 1, 2009

What could be crazier than seeing fall foliage -- that blaze of reds, purples, yellows and oranges for which New England is justly famous -- in June? Well, you can. Just go out into our wild areas.

Right now, many Poison Oak plants are stopping photosynthesis and turning their leaves shades of scarlet, crimson and some tones that haven't been named yet. The same untimely fall madness was evident last month in the leaves of Fuschia-Flowered Gooseberry. Even the sedate and sensible Black Sage seems a little wacky. A lot of its leaves are turning yellow, even as its pale lavender blossoms hang on. (to left: Fuschia-Flowered Gooseberry on Lower Laurel Trail 01 June 2009, photo by Jennifer Wood)

What's happening here is that these plants are preparing themselves for the season of adversity. The difference between California and the northern and eastern states is that our adverse season is the summer, not the winter. Instead of freezing temperatures and ice, our plants have to contend with months of searing heat and parching dryness. Some are better prepared for this great annual stress than others. All have their adaptations.

One strategy many of our species have in common with those of northern latitudes is deciduousness, the seasonal dropping of some or all leaves. In the north, deciduousness saves tender tissues from frost and ice damage. In our semi-desert climate, it is a way to stop photosynthesis. This makes sense when you realize that photosynthesis consumes water, and water is in short supply. (to right and below: Black sage on Lower Laurel Trail 01 June 2009, photo by Jennifer Wood)

Plants stop doing photosynthesis before they drop their leaves. This means they stop producing chlorophyll in the soon-to-be cast off leaves. Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives healthy leaves their green color and is essential in doing the work of photosynthesis. Free of chlorphyll, other underlying pigments, such as carotenoids and anthocyanins, are now revealed. Thus, the leaves briefly turn red or yellow or some combination before dropping off. In no longer doing photosynthesis, these leaves are now nonfunctional. The plant cuts off their water supply and they soon fall away.

When we learn this, we understand that the "unseasonal" colors some of our plants show in May and June are not really unseasonal. They simply reflect a different meaning to the seasons. On the dry hillsides of our local wildlands, summer is not the season of exuberant growth. This is not the eastern or northern forest, where the heat and long days of summer combine with abundant rainfall to produce a frenzy of photosynthesis. On the contrary, the dry heat of summer we experience brings on the killing days, the time that tests each plant to the core.

Our summer, then, is not the season to grow; it is the season to survive. For our native plant communities, the living is not easy in the summertime, and relief is still months away. There are further trials and tribulations to come in the Santa Ana winds of October, November and sometimes December. Only after all these challenges do our plants get a break, when (hopefully) winter storms blow in once again.

It is only when you look at our California seasons with the eyes of an Easterner that you think they are off kilter. But they are not so senseless. There is a logic here. It is the grim logic of survival in the face of six or more months of relentless drought. So, we Californians enjoy our fall colors in June and when Easterners tell us we're crazy, we just smile.

For further reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyll

Easy: http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html

Moderate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_leaf_color and
http://www.mtcubacenter.org/whats-new/FallColors101807.htm

Harder: http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa082602a.htm

Do you have an essay you'd like to contribute to the blog? Contact Jennifer at info@natureinorangecounty.com. We can't wait!

Deer at Willow, Western Toads at Barbara's Lake (+ important Petition to sign re: Closing of 200 CA State parks)

On Wednesday 27 May 2009 I was briefly at the Willow Staging Area's parking lot and encountered a doe (see above photograph; there was another small deer about 500 feet behind her, however I did not photograph it). Here is a short video that I was able to take once I realized I had my camera on me, and after the doe moved quite a bit away from me. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO.

I then went with a friend to the Dilley Preserve and walked to Barbara's Lake, taking Canyon Trail to Edison down to the Lake. The California Dodder was very dominant in the lower parts of the trail. No more Mariposa Lilies were in sight. The California Manroot / Cucumber plant has shriveled up and must have released its seeds a while ago - everything about that plant is yellow and dry. There are some lemonade berry shrubs along Edison that are simply not producing berries this year, juxtaposed with some that are, but whose berries are not ripe yet.


Halfway down the lake path there is a table where one can sit underneath the shade of Coast Live oaks. A few woodrat nests could be seen there:


And then continuing down The Lake Trail, the ground seemed to come alive, as Western Toads were hopping across the path towards the lake. Click on the photos below to see their larger versions and to check out the detail of this cool toad! CLICK HERE FOR A SHORT VIDEO WE TOOK OF A WESTERN TOAD on the trail.


More reports to follow shortly!

On a final note, to all of you who follow this blog, please take the time to read the following message and to sign the urgent petition as mentioned below. YOUR PARTICIPATION IS CRUCIAL!!! Thanks!

Hello all ~

California's in crisis, and budget cuts are being made everywhere. Among the drastic cuts being proposed right now is the closure of 200 of our state parks.

I cannot even begin to tell you how devastating the closure of our parks would be, not only to the public, but to the natural parks themselves. When you don't have enforcement (presence of staff, rangers, etc) trails and structures are degraded, people become frustrated and start sneaking in to the parks without proper equipment or knowledge of what the area requires, and everyone is put at risk.

Please sign the petition RIGHT NOW and forward the link to your friends and family. Our link and access to nature are vitally important. Making sure that our parks stay protected and respected is one of the biggest responsibilities we have right now.

LINK: http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_may09

Thanks, and take care!

Tarantula Hawk & Tarantula on Laurel Canyon Trail in Laguna Canyon, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

Yesterday with a friend I filmed a tarantula hawk dragging a stunned tarantula back into its burrow. Check out the video HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRlZS1El8WI

Tarantula Hawk & Tarantula on Laurel Canyon Trail in Laguna Canyon, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Taken just a few hundred feet south of signpost 10 on 26 May 2009. When we first stumbled upon the scene of the crime, the T Hawk seemed to have just stunned its victim, and went into its hole as we approached the tarantula. One of us poked the tarantula with a short stick to see if it was still alive - and then flipped the tarantula back onto its feet... and was going to place it off to the side of the trail so that it wouldn't get stepped on, if it was still alive and just stunned... but the T Hawk came back and wanted to finish its business, which we allowed.

Learn more about Tarantula Hawks here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk

Lower Laurel Trail, Monday 18 May 2009

Today from 9 to 12:30, Len and I checked out the latest developments on Lower Laurel Trail. Here's my report:

Right above the exposed fault line, as we began our trek on Lower Laurel, some really beautiful Sticky Monkey flowers in reddish hues were putting on a show for us. They beautifully contrasted with orange colored Monkey flowers to their right (not shown in photograph - click HERE for the Sticky Monkey Flower Photo Album).


The curly dock also was displaying more color today:


The black sage has been doing phenomenally well in pleasing the busy bees of the canyon with its countless blooms. Below is a photo of Lower Laurel Trail leading to the oak woodlands habitat.


Right around the area shown in the above photograph, we noticed a wonderful display of this rosemary flat top buckwheat, shown below. Not in full bloom yet.

One of the biggest highlights of today was the opportunity to photograph the California False Indigo's flowers that Len had mentioned in his last report.


Hiking up Lower Laurel, the view today was breathtaking. It was pretty hot, though, as we walked up - was in the 80s.


The bedstraw was nearing the end of its blooming period and ready to disperse into the wind with its seed.


The English plantain that Len had been reporting was a pleasure to photograph, although it is a non-native to the canyon.

And how fun is a Cheese plant? Very fun! :) (named after the fruit that looks like a wheel of cheese)



Some cinquefoil in bloom, with a happy visitor.



Juncus.
Chinese Houses:


Hedge Nettle:
The lemonade berries along Lower Laurel are not ripe yet - they remain their greyish-greenish-yellowish color, in contrast to the berries on Little Sycamore trail that are delightful! To each plant its own timing & its own reasoning, I guess...

The bush mallow is simply beautiful with its pinkish-lavender colored blossoms. The flowers act almost like little flags, indicating where the bush mallow, otherwise rather inconspicuous, is to be found on the slopes. I definitely noticed more bush mallows today than those I was previously familiar with.

The Indian Fringed Pink was also beautiful on Lower Laurel trail. The blue dicks have had their day; most (if not all) are shriveled up and dry. A few poppies line the trail here and there; the white sage, much less abundant in the canyon than the black sage, is showing off its beautiful white and yellow hued flowers. The deerweed continues on, and in many areas is still thriving, contrary to an earlier report (deerweed has been in bloom in the canyon since December!). The sycamore leaves are becoming larger and filling out the trees, taking up more space along the slopes, pushing us towards the outer edges of the trail. Some of the poison oak in the beginning parts of the oak woodland habitat of Lower Laurel is beginning to look very much like coast live oak leaves (although still remain grouped in threes) - I wonder if they are playing copycat - and why. The California Everlasting is becoming more fragrant now, much like it is on Mary's Trail.

That is the report, folks!

Little Sycamore Trail on Monday, May 11th 2009

Today, you have the unique fortune of having two detailed reports on Little Sycamore Trail! Both Len and I were able to take some time to really appreciate Little Sycamore's developments, and while we did this separately, we both came out of our hikes with the same level of appreciation and excitement for what is going on.

Len ventured out onto Little Sycamore this morning. This is what he reports:

I walked Mary's Trail this morning plus Little Sycamore a little ways past the 3rd bridge.

First, a couple of bird observations. I saw what appears to be a mated pair of Phainopeplas in the sycamores by the picnic tables. The male was chasing the female, who didn't appear to be trying very hard to get away. Looked like the kind of fooling around they do (birders quaintly call it "courtship behavior") before mating.

On the LS Tr., on the little knoll at the end of the old road (just before dropping down on the foot trail to the 1st bridge, I studied the Red-Tails' nesting ledge across the canyon. It was empty and quiet. The chicks have fledged. In other words, Elvis has left the building.

Now, for plants. I'm really glad you mentioned [...] the delicious fruit of the Lemonadeberry. They are at their best right now [...] having just turned orange but not yet dried out or covered with trail dust.

In addition to all the wonderful flowers you mentioned and took photos of, there are some new ones. I'll put them in italics. At Mary's Trail and in spots as far as I went on the Little Sycamore Trail, Slender Tarweed (Hemizonia fasciculata) has appeared. Note: in Oscar Clarke and Fred Roberts' latest edition, it is now called Deinandra fasciculata. An unfortunate and unnecessary change, in my view.

Also, between the 1st and 2nd trail bridges, there are some very good examples of Cobweb Thistle. Prime and ready for its portrait. In this stretch between bridges #1 and #2 are some wonderful stands of Fringed Pink and Golden Yarrow. The name "Fringed Pink" tickles me. It is as wackily redundant as Laguna Lake or Loma Ridge. As you know, "pink" started out as a verb. Its primary meaning was to cut into fringes. The color meaning is secondary, stemming from the fact that many of those fringed flowers were a light tone of red. That tone was called "pink" after the color of the pinked flowers.

Between the 2nd and 3rd bridges, Rush Rose, Helianthemum scoparium, appears as a single plant. It is more numerous on the little bare knoll after the 3rd bridge. That's about as far as I went today. Also, there is a good stand of Calif. Plantain, now totally in seed, there, as well as more rosinweed, tarweed, Splendid Mariposa Lily, and a few fading Owls Clover.

Finally, I realized this morning that I forgot to mention some things in yesterday's LC report. Deerweed is rapidly fading out, Calif. Buckwheat is coming on strong (many plants haven't popped their buds yet) and Splendid Mariposa Lily is hanging on.

All in all, a glorious time to visit the park.

Len also mentioned sighting more of the following plants: Golden Star, Bee Plant, Calif. Everlasting, and Mexican Elderberry, adding,

The everlasting and elder provided wonderful fragrances. The everlasting has the advantage of staying with you for hours after you've stroked its leaves and stem. Along with the delicious taste of ripe lemonadeberry, these plants illustrate an important aspect of the park that many visitors miss, the sensory delight.

And he finishes his report with a lesson that we all should take to heart:

Many people experience the park visually, and there is certainly plenty to see. Some are also attuned to bird calls. For most, though, that's it. They perceive nature as beautiful but fundamentally alien and threatening. They worry about falling, about foot or knee problems, about insect bites, ticks, poison oak, thorny plants, nettles, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, coyotes. In brief, they worry about everything, including what they have to do when they leave the park, making it hard to get past those thoughts to the peace and sensory delights that it offers to those who are receptive.

I think one fundamental difference between our view of nature and that of the Indians is that we no longer see it as a something that sustains us with its nutritious bounty. Granted that is a bit of a stretch in our food-poor, parched natural environment. But, with the right know-how, it could be a sustaining mother to its native peoples. That aspect has been almost totally lost for most visitors.

(Thank you, Len, for taking the time to share!)

My report is as follows:

This afternoon, for about two hours, I hung out on Little Sycamore trail, but did not go very far - I always stayed within viewing range of the Nix Nature Center (limiting thus my distance to the steep beginning sections of the trail). I did this for two reasons: first, I was exhausted from my 6.5 mile hike that I had done this morning (see post below), and secondly, I wanted to spend some time sitting down in one area, so that I might really "get to know it."

So, sitting in the middle of the trail, in the cool shade of a squeaky Laurel Sumac (the light wind blowing through the canyon pushed the wood branches of the laurel sumac against each other, creating a squeaking sound), and surrounded by black sage, California buckwheat, golden stars, and California sage brush, I focused on what was going on in my immediate surroundings. By immediate surroundings, I mean everything happening within a 20 foot radius or less, including up to the sky and down towards the earth.

Directing my attention to the ground, this is what I saw: There were two kinds of ants busily working on the trail. The first kind is the one I know: it is the harvester ant. I must have watched twenty or so harvester ants while they busily took both dried up Common fiddleneck flowers and nicer looking black sage purple flower petals to any of three entrances, about 25 feet behind my sitting spot. I actually followed one all the way to the entrance hole of his choice. It took him about 2.5 minutes to travel about 30 feet, as he attempted to find the line that would guide him to his destination - he got a little lost, traveled a bit more than he should have, and almost took a detour into some dried grasses, but luckily for him, another harvester ant, stronger and faster, ran into him and told him to turn around and follow his lead to the hole. I can only imagine what kind of stock they must have, of flower petals and other resources, down below the surface of the trail.
---> Which led me to wonder, do the bees and harvester ants ever end up in confrontation over the black sage's flowers, during this season? I saw a few harvester ants taking back to the hole some awfully fresh looking black sage flower petals. I began to imagine the race that must take place between the bees and the ants - who gets to the black sage's flowers first? Who gets to claim their rights first? And how does the black sage respond? Does she intentionally produce more flowers so that both ants and bees can benefit equally, all while ensuring her reproductive survival?
(The other ant had a black last section, and a red rest-of-the-body, and moved in a jolted, interrupted fashion, instead of a smooth, continuous movement. His sudden starts and stops disrupted the sand beneath him, sometimes so much so that entire groups of grains of sand would fall beneath him, creating an unstable walking surface.)

Directing my attention towards the sky: there were many various hummingbirds flittering around, along with a nice group of various sized flies and gnats, all rejoicing in the opportunity to try to annoy me (by the way, they failed).

Directing my attention to behind me, I was happy to see two quail spying on me - when they saw I had spotted them, they started down the trail and out of view.

Directing my attention to my sides: to my left hand side, the golden stars were beautiful. To both sides, bees were humming as they visited each black sage's inflorescence.

Directing my attention to ahead of me, upwards towards the rest of the trail - I noticed the abandon of a Monday afternoon. Not a footstep was to be heard - only tracks - mostly of humans - were left in the somewhat thicker sandy trail.

Coming back down from Little Sycamore, going towards the parking lot, I did see some fun roadrunner tracks... but alas, no roadrunner to be seen. I didn't leave disappointed, however, since two last quail made a final appearance as I made my way to the parking lot, and a squirrel showed off his beautiful tail and running skills as I walked back towards my car. All-in-all, it was another afternoon full of blessings and lessons in the canyon.

Willow - Bommer Ridge - Old Emerald Trail - Emerald Canyon Road - Old Emerald Falls - Moro Ridge - Bommer Ridge - Willow!

This morning with the Park Ranger, I checked out the trails listed above. It was a very exhausting 6.5 mile hike, but the scenery was breathtaking, as usual. The cloud cover in the earlier parts of the morning helped make the hike more manageable, although the sun did start beating down on us as we climbed back up Old Emerald Falls to Moro Canyon and back down towards Willow.

Below are shots of our bush mallow in bloom, as well as a red Sticky Monkey flower, both found on Willow Trail.




Below are shots taken from the Emerald trails.
This first one is taken from Old Emerald Trail, looking north.



Another shot from Old Emerald Trail:



And finally, two shots from Old Emerald Falls:
(I really like the red color - it was a definite change of color from what we are seeing generally in the canyon - that beautiful creamy gold).

Plants in Bloom Update

Out at the Willow Staging Area this morning, California Wild Rose was in full bloom. Right as you're heading towards Willow Trail from the sign-in table, behind the left large Mexican Elderberry, there is a giant bush of California Wild Rose. Check the roses out before it's too late! (Click here for a short little video clip taken today)



On Little Sycamore Trail this afternoon, the bees were joyfully collecting pollen in every flower they could find - they especially were loving the black sage flowers and the Prickly Pear Cactus flowers.




One of the most delightful surprises was the heart-leaved penstamon in bloom on Little Sycamore Trail today:



Of course, for someone who hasn't seen Lance-Leaved Dudleya in bloom before, this is a special treat! Also found on Little Sycamore trail this afternoon:



The harvester ants were hard at work on Little Sycamore trail today. Here's one carrying a dried-up common fiddleneck flower:


Special Thanks go to Len Gardner for identifying these flowers for me, also found on Little Sycamore Trail:

First, Sapphire Woolly Star (Eriastrum sapphirinum):



And then, Southern Rosinweed (aka "three spot") - Osmadenia tenella:


To wrap it up, here is Len's report of what he found today at Laurel Canyon:

I walked the LC Trail up to SP (signpost) 10 and then returned the same way.

Lance-leaf Dudleya is prime right now. Don't miss it! I looked at the plant that grows on the uphill side of the trail about 15 feet before you get to interpretive signpost "C." This is very early in the hike, while still close to the road and parking lot and before walking over the little spur ridge with the earthquake fault on its north side. The basal leaves have already dried up. After flowering and setting seed, which it will do in the next couple of weeks, the whole plant will dry up and go dormant until next winter.

At the very upper end of the trail, about 80 feet before you reach SP 10, Hedge Nettle is growing among the non-native grasses. It is obviously a member of the mint family and, at first, I thought it was a Salvia that I didn't know. After consulting Fred Roberts checklist and several other books and plant lists, I'm convinced it's a Hedge Nettle (Stachys sp.). Which one is a little hard to say.

The most likely is Stachys rigida. It could be either of two subspecies, S. rigida ssp. quercetorum (Hillside Hedge Nettle) or S. rigida ssp rigida (Rigid Hedge Nettle). Adding to the confusion, Jepson puts these two under Stachys ajugoides ssp rigida. The modest flowers are white with little purple dots and squiggles on the prominent lower lip. The upper petals have purple-pink on their backsides.

At the lower end of the trail, near the grandmother oak, the non-native Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is in full blossom. It's copious flowers are hanging down luxuriantly right now.

At the first creek crossing, the California False Indigo is in full bloom with its decidedly underwhelming flowers in lax spikes. More noticeable than the blossoms is the plant's skunky smell, which is strangely pleasant (if you like skunk). Another False Indigo is found growing by the trail a short ways beyond the waterfall.

Other plants in full bloom today include: Common Horehound, Black Sage, Sticky Monkey Flower, Chinese Houses, California Wild Rose, Mexican Elderberry, California Blackberry, Vervain, Golden Yarrow, Blue-eyed Grass, Fringed Indian Pink, Golden Stars and the obnoxious Italian Thistle.

Sticky Cinquefoil is mostly past flowering, but some are still are showing good blossoms. So too for the Narrow-leaved Bedstraw. It's mostly in seed, but some late ones are still in flower.

The Heart-leaved Bush Penstemon is not in flower yet. A few plants were in bud, though. I'd give that one another couple of weeks. The non-native English Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) has its stalks up. Buds only, no flowers yet.

If you have observations that you'd like to share with us here on the blog, please email me at info@natureinorangecounty.com . Thank you!