Page Revised: 9/9/05

 

Available Sites

Rancho Sierra Vista
Charmlee Park
Arroyo Sequit
Point Mugu State park
Circle X Ranch

Date of Review

9/6/05
9/1/05
9/1/05
8/30/05
8/18/05.

What's Blooming photo gallery: www.nps.gov/samo/bloom/bloom.htm

What's Blooming archive: www.nps.gov/samo/bloom/archive/index.htm

Find events in the Santa Monica Mountains: www.nps.gov/samo/outdoors

 

Rancho Sierra Vista

Miscellaneous Trails

   Date: 9/6/05

 

 

        About 30 species encountered, but none in profusion and many could be considered “weedy.” Highlights include Woolly Aster, Telegraph Weed, Slender Tarweed, Gum Plant, Twiggy Wreath Plant, Field Willow Herb, Turkey Mullein, Vinegar Weed, California Buckwheat, Wand Buckwheat, Scarlet Gaura, Mugwort, California Fuchsia, California Wild Rose, Common Vervain, Bristly Ox-tongue and even a California Poppy along one of the drainages.  (TV).

 

Naturalist's rating:  Fair

 

Charmlee Park &

Arroyo Sequit

Loop Trails

   Date: 9/1/05

 

 

        On 9/01/05 we hiked the loop trails at Charmlee Park and the nearby Arroyo Sequit. We were hoping to spot some California goldenrod seen here several years ago. We were rewarded with sighting one such plant right at the parking lot of Charmlee Park. We got an additional bonus at Sequit later when we found a number of western goldenrod as well. At Charmlee we recorded 31 species in flower and at Arroyo Sequit another 19 for a total of 50 different species in bloom. For this time of year this is considered good and such a rating is given. Taking the loop trail in a counter clockwise direction we first encountered, surprise, Santa Susanna tarweed, horseweed, narrow-leaf tarweed, wooly aster and bird's beak. A splash of red was provided by California fuchsia. Hedge mustard was present as was bush mallow, turkey mullein, giant rye, prickly lettuce, scarlet pimpernel and little horseweed. Baccarus, bush monkey flower, wand chicory (twiggy wreath plant as some prefer), and a late deerweed. A small white flower was seen and later identified as sand spurry. Sawtooth golden bush was plentiful as was ashy leaf buckwheat. Black sage, cliff-aster, bush lupine, laurel sumac sweet fennel, morning glory, narrow-leaved milkweed, tree tobacco, telegraph weed and chamise concluded sightings at Charmlee.

        At Arroyo Sequit we spotted wild rose, mugwort, Indian pink, western lettuce, and slender sunflower as we started out the trail. Spearmint, western ragweed, Spanish clover and a few Calif thread torch were seen. The western goldenrod was then seen accompanied by vervain, gum plant and artichoke. Felt-leaf everlasting, chalk live-forever, datura and horehound were also present. Between the little house on the property and the parking lot a magnificent century plant has sent up a 25 feet tall stalk loaded with flowers.

 

Naturalist's rating:  Good

 

Point Mugu State Park

Chumash Trail

   Date: 8/18/05

 

 

        On 8/30/05 I hiked the Chumash Trail to the top of Mugu Peak. The trail head is the most northwesterly of the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area and is just off the PCH opposite the CB's firing range. The drying out continues, though the temperatures along the trail were quite cool, since the Pacific Ocean is in sight over nearly all of the 1240 feet climb to the top of Mugu Peak. It is just as well, since the trail in nearly straight up the entire way. This was the poorest showing of the year with only 17 species found blooming. A poor rating is correspondingly assigned therefore.

        Leaving the trailhead I spotted sweet fennel, ashy leafed buckwheat, velvet leaf everlasting and saw toothed golden bush. Several laurel sumac were still blooming and a few deerweed flowers were encountered. Some fountain grass and a fair amount of wand chicory was present. Also a few straggling slender tarweed and California everlasting were noticed. A few toyon were still blooming amongst all the little green berries. Hedge mustard, cliff aster and gum plant were seen in scant quantities. Reaching the saddle back leading into La Jolla Valley, I decided to continue up to the top of Mugu Peak, having never done so before. The extra 430 feet climb yielded a few wooly asters and Indian pinks and a single wand buckwheat. I roused the curiosity of a soaring turkey vulture, who continued to circle me and passed within eight or ten feet on several passes. I assured him that I was not quite ready to be a meal, finished my lunch and returned without incident to the trailhead.  (RWM)

 

Naturalist's rating:  Poor

 

Circle X Ranch

Grotto Trail

   Date: 8/18/05

 

 

        Well into summer now we counted only 37 different species, and several of these were only lightly represented. The area’s summer flowers are now pretty well represented, although some, like the Sawtooth Goldenbush, are still only in bud. Highlights included California Fuchsia, Narrow-leaved Milkweed, Bush Mallow, a few Heart-leaved Penstemon, Mugwort, Wild Tarragon, Woolly Aster, some Bird's Beak, Twiggy Wreath Plant, a nice display of Tejon Milk Aster, Creek Monkey Flower, Scarlet Monkey Flower, Cliff Aster, Fish's Milkwort, Leather Root, and Spanish Clover.  (TV)

 

Naturalist's rating:  Fair

 


 

 

Contact Information:

 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

 

401 West Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

 

Ph. 805-370-2301

 

web. www.nps.gov/samo

 

Thank you

 

for your contributions:

 

Burt Elliot
Dorothy Steinicke
Jack Gillooly
Kathy Jonokuchi
Ken Low
Lynne Haigh
Michael Charters
Matt Friedman
Robert W. Maughmer
Sheila Braden
Tony Valois

If you would like to contribute to the wildflower report:

 

e-mail:
Tony_Valois@partner.nps.gov

 

or phone Tony at 310-457-6408