Pictures of California Wildflowers

Pictures of what things are suppose to look like. No weeds!

These are mostly annuals. If you are interested in perennial flowers that grow wild in California, you can see pictures, get information, or buy them from our California plants pages.

Good ecology can make a field of difference! Weeds not only compete directly with native wildflowers, but also change the soil ecology making the environment inhospitable to the wildflowers. Most California Wildflowers like undisturbed soil and definitely no weeds.

For information on how to plant wildflowers see our wildflower page.

A slope of decomposed granite, where invasive weeds were controlled with herbicides, wildflowers thrive in the spring and summer.After this wildflower show lots of pink, yellow, and white slender Buckwheats, Eriogonum spp, and butterfly mint, Monardella sp. decorate this pasture giving the butterflies a lovely feast. Later in the summer the grand looks like a sand creak bed with only a few remnants of the flowers that were there earlier in the season. This pasture was previously a weedy mess. It was sprayed with herbicides. And the following spring this came up in place of the weeds!

A Checkerspot butterfly enjoying a tasty wildflower treat, butterfly mint.

Sky lupines, a wildflower that fixes nitrogen, grow here in clay soil. Those are blue oaks in the back groundLupines, like this Sky Lupine, Lupinus nanus, fix atmospheric nitrogen making it accessible to other plants that might latter grow in this field. Unfortunately they can also give a boost to weeds. So, catch the weeds before they develop a huge seed bank. Lupines usually alternate seasons with other wildflowers, like California Poppies, that need higher fertility.

California Violets are a clay loving perennial wildflower that grow in shade.Violets, Viola pedunculata, are a perennial wildflower that can be found under the part shade of Blue oaks, under the eves of a California Lilac or even a Chamise bush. They are used by the larva of the Fritillary butterfly. People find them tasty too and use them in salads or other California native Culinary delights.

Shooting stars are a delicate purple wildflower that likes clay soil.Shooting Star, an up close picture of an odd and elegant wildflower.Shooting stars, Dodecatheon clevelandii, are exotic looking pinkish purple California wildflowers. They prefer clay soil and some sun. Their dark green waxy leaves grow flat on the ground with usually only a single flower stalk terminating in a hand full of elegant refluxed flowers.

After a large brush fire, California Poppy and Chia dominate this wildflower show. (notice no grass or yellow star thistle)In a healthy chaparral plant community wildflowers will emerge in abundance after a fire. These wildflowers help prevent erosion and transform the stark black landscape. California poppies, Eschscholzia californica, grow lush with the higher fertility levels following a wildfire. Blue Chia Salvia columbariae, the annual sage found in the chaparral, is scattered throughout this mass of poppies. Charred branches of Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum, are the skeletal remains of what was once dense brush. New bushy green foliage will emerge from the base of these dead sticks as these plants are crown sprouters and are quite adapted to the flammable hill sides of California.

Gila, Owls Clover, and lots of other interesting California wildflowers, nestle in a clean opening in the chaparral.Here a mixture of California native wildflowers thrive in a clean spot in the chaparral. In the fall this spot will be bare dirt with no sign of the spring show and not a blade of grass or sign of any other weed. Gilia sp are the little purple flower, Owls clover, Orthocarpus densiflorus, are the magenta tufted flowers. There is also a little yellow lotus and a little lupine as well as a few other odd things. These areas of bare decomposed granite are often a haven for small annual California wildflowers. Filaree, Erodium sp., and grass species, mostly Bromus spp, are a huge threat to these areas. Once these tenacious European, species (weeds) are introduced the delicate native annuals have no chance to compete. These wildflowers also produce very little fuel whereas. However, these grass invaders are very flammable and helps bridge these natural fire brakes of bare soil between the chaparral as well as making an excellent source of kindling for any arsonist or accidentally flung cigarette.

Clarkia is a delicate wildflower that likes north facing slopes. Many species of Clarkia, Fair-well-to-spring, are found throughout California. Some are found on dry south facing slopes others prefer the moist shade of north facing slope. These delicate annuals usually have pink or purple petals. Usually with the petals fade to white towards the center of the flower.

Clarkia unguiculata tolerates part sun, full shade, sand, clay,and deer. Clarkia unguiculata, Elegant Clarkia resembles an orchid with its' refluxed petals. It has large stigma and stamens. These flowers, as their name states, mark the end of spring.

For information on how to plant wildflowers see our wildflower page.

Ok, here's a slice of California when it's in bloom. If you get lucky you can observe these flower shows along Hwy. 58 on a good year, or you may need 20 years to see the same show. Hunting deer is easy, hunting wildflower, butterfly or bird pictures is very difficult. We've been looking for some of them for decades.
This clump of Encelia actonii and Desert mallow were growing alongside a road near Barstow making a spot show of wildflowers. - grid24_12
Desert wildflowers south of Barstow. We grow the Desert mallow and Encelia actonii.
Field lupines and Goldfieilds are common wildflowers in the central oak woodland. - grid24_24
Field Lupine and Goldfields are the common wildflower between the Oaks in Central oak Woodland.
These wildflowers were on our back slope, all we have done is weed control. - grid24_24
This wildflowers occur inland from the coast between Santa Margarita, Pozo and Creston.
These wildflowers were along hwy. 58 out by La Panza. - grid24_24
These wildflowers were along hwy. 58 near La Panza. 65 to 0 in less than 10 seconds.
The Carrizo Plain in spring. - grid24_24
The Carrizo Plain, a great show, or can it can be plain, don't you know, depending on the rain.
This is really boring.
Going over the Temblors on Hwy 58 can be very showy
Climbing out of the Carrizo, passing through the Temblors can be quite a show.
This wildflower show was surprising as this strip of Hwy. 58 west of Buttonwillow was usually dead. One of the Hazardous material dumps is in the background. - grid24_24
Most of the San Joaquin Valley is nothing like it was a hundred years ago, but then you catch glimpses.
This area of the San Joaquin Valley used to have blue oaks, cactus and TONS of poppies.
This was covered with oaks, cactus and wildflowers as late as 1935.
There are still a few wildflowers left around Mojave, but most have been replaced with weedy grasses.
The areas around Mojave have been largely replaced by weedy grasses, but there are still some goldfields out there.
Encelia farinosa acting as wildflowers just est of Barstow. - grid24_24
The most barren rocky areas around Barstow still have wildflowers because the weeds have not made it there yet.
Looking across the desert halfway between Barstow and Baker. - grid24_24
Ok, this is the final picture, out by Amboy.

Last edited on 2012-01-08 18:09:28.

Authors