Wildflowers 2025 - Part 2

 On Friday April 11th, we took another drive to check out the wildflowers.  This time we drove the loop by taking Happy Canyon Road up to Cachuma Saddle and then Figueroa Mountain Road across and coming out at Los Olivos.

As we  started up the mountain, we spotted this ground squirrel keeping a lookout.

We found this combination of California Poppies, cacti and rocks unusual.

 

Purple Vetch

 

 Fiesta Flowers

 Chinese Houses

 Bush  Lupine

Sage blossoms

Bush Poppies

 

Phacelia

 Globe Gilia

Chia

 Indian Paintbrush

 Phacelia and Poppies on a burnt area

Scarlet Pimpernel

 Spring growth between burnt bushes

 

 

 Figueroa Mountain Road east of Ranger Peak

 

 

 

 

 

Baby Blue Eyes

 

 

Lots of Buttercups with a few other wildflowers

 

 

Poppies "painting" the mountainside

 

 

Poppies and Lupine

 

 

Tree burned by the Lake Fire showing new growth

 

 

A carpet of Lupine under burned trees

 

 

The hillside near the Catway Road turnoff 

 

 

 

 

 

Wallflower

 

 

 

 

Wild Onion

 

 A view from near the Tunnel Road turnoff

 

 

False Baby Stars

 

 

Catalina Mariposa Lillies and a Crab Spider

 

 

Grass Mountain side view

 

 

 
 

Wildflowers 2025 - Part 1

 One of our favorite wildflower viewing areas is along Figueroa Mountain Road in the San Rafael Mountain Range.  In July of 2024 the Lake Fire burned through many of the areas that are good for wildflower viewing.  The limited rainfall for most of the winter did not promise much for wildflowers this year, but late rains helped to improve the chances.  On March 29th we drove up Figueroa Mountain Road to see fire damage close up and what this season might bring.

What we found was a mix of the results of the Lake Fire mixed in with lots of new green grasses and areas of promising wildflower displays.

There was definitely areas that showed the results of the Lake Fire.

 But many trees were showing new growth from the trunk or roots.

 

This image is of a field of Yucca plants near the ranger station heavily scorched by the fire.

Grass Mountain was showing hints of orange from California Poppies.

 

This grove of burned oak trees had a nice carpet of lupines.

 

 

 

The well known hillside near the turn-off to Catway Road was in fair shape.

 

 

 

There were more Shooting Stars this year than we've seen in other years.
 

Also, lots of Fiddleneck

 

 

We did find quite a few Chocolate Lillies.

 

 

And a few Baby Blue Eyes

 

Johnny Jump-up

 

 

Morning Glory

 

 

Miner's Lettuce with tiny white flowers

 

Fiesta Flowers

 

 

 

And just a couple Mariposa Lillies

 

 

Small patches of California Poppies were often seen along the road.

 

 

 

Goldfields

 

 

Bigelow's Coreopsis

 

 

And some Ceanothus blooming