Wild Flower Hotline March 21, 2025

Welcome to the Theodore Payne Foundation’s 42nd year of the Wildflower Hotline. The Hotline offers weekly on-line and recorded updates on the best locations for viewing spring wildflowers in Southern and Central California. All locations are on easily accessible public lands and range from urban to wild, distant to right here in L.A.

Millions of years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions shaped the landscape that is now Pinnacles National Park. The remnants of these ancient eruptions have formed a striking terrain of rocky spires and deep canyons. Visitors can explore diverse environments, from chaparral and oak woodlands to the cool, shaded depths of canyon floors. From short, easy trails for the whole family to strenuous hikes for the serious adventurer, Pinnacles has it all! In the woodlands along the riparian corridors, goldfields can be found in grassy open areas, especially now along the Bench Trail. Milkmaids and shooting stars are occupying meadows like those along the Rim Trail. The magenta-colored warrior’s plume, a root parasite poaching nutrients from the roots of other plants, is abundant in the shade beneath oaks and shrubs. Check them out if you are walking the High Peaks Loop.

Wildflowers are usually in early bloom at the Theodore Payne Foundation, but without the winter rainfall occurring in SoCal this year, visitors will have to wait to find out what wildflower species may germinate and grow after March’s recent rain. Colorful native perennials, however, always benefit from rain no matter what time of year. The hot pink of hummingbird sage, red Baja fairy duster and Nevin’s barberry growing in the demonstration garden, are attracting a different kind of visitor—hungry hummingbirds! Chilicothe and Baja spurge are show-stoppers in the Demonstration Garden this week too. Along the sales yard pathways, visitors are tempted to take a closer look and photograph the deep pink Western redbud trees and the blue-eyed grass making a showy ground cover under them. Trekking up Wildflower Hill adjacent to the sales yard, you will encounter fragrant Cedros Island verbena—a lovey lavender flowered perennial which can also be purchased at the TPF nursery!

The Iron Mountain Trail near Poway is a popular hiking route for San Diego area trekkers. On this fabulous trail, you will see hundreds of plants of the warrior’s plume which is scattered along the trailhead. Sunny slopes are covered as far as the eye can see with flowering Eastwood manzanita and mission manzanita. There are bush poppies with their large yellow flowers standing out like beacon lights among their grey foliage. Woolly leaf ceanothus is covered with buds and soon there will be hundreds of these blue-flowering shrubs in bloom. Snow drop bush is just leafing out, so it will be a month or so before it pops with lovely white blossoms!

That’s it for this week. Visit the Wildflower Hotline website to see photos of these and more wildflower sites. The Theodore Payne Foundation’s. annual Native Plant Garden Tour is April 5 & 6. Tickets are now on sale. Check the TPF website theodorepayne.org for details. The next report will be available on Friday, March 28th.