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Woods wildflowers in N.Calif. this spring

I've enjoyed reading about the Calif. desert wildflowers on Medit Plants, and
after walking in the woods where I live today, it was an experience I
thought to share with anyone on medit plants interested in california
woods (sorry, no pictures tho, you'll have to use your imaginations)
-The western hounds tongue (cynoglossum grande) is more prolific than  I have ever
seen, so lovely in shades of pink to deep blue to almost purple  (and i love
the circle of 5 hearts in the center). -The iris douglasiana are to be found
blooming in clumps if you look carefully  (the cream colored flowers blend in
so well, you have to be looking). -The madrones are not blooming yet, they are
 late this year -possibly because of all the RAIN! it is pouring right now, we
 are above 85inches this season, and it is still cold, which is unusual for
 this time of year here. 
-There is a lot of moss (everywhere). 
-The buckeye's
 (aesculus californica), hazelnuts (corylus cornuta ssp.californica), and the
 big leaved maple (acer macrophyllum) are all leafing out with catkins to
 boot, adding even more  green to the scene....
-The elk clover (aralia californica) is about 3 feet tall now (it grows to 10
 feet or more, then dies down in the winter
Also flowering are
-yellow redwood violets (viola sempervirens) 
-and two-eyed violets (viola ocellata) 
-western wake robin (Trillium ovatum)
-a LOT of fat solomon's seal (smilacina racemosa var.amplexicaulis)
-The warty-leaved ceanothus (ceanothus papillosus) are just
 beginning to flower and their purple flowers are so vibrant we just stopped
 and stared - (the invasive french broom are an attractive background to it,
 which i tried to see the beauty of, since i injured my hand by being a bit
 too aggresive in trying to pull them all out). 
- The manzanita flowers are
 done, but turning into berries. 
-Among the redwoods, douglas firs, calif. bays and oaks (and emerging poison
 oak) these were a beautiful sight on my walk today. 
Otherwise:
-When we were on the coast a couple of weeks ago, we saw paint brushes so
vivid a color, we could not believe it, and the coast iris's were spectacular
 -My garden is giving me a lot of joy
and satisfaction, even in this wet cold spring, but took a back seat to the
woods natural beauty today... Maura





Maura O'Neill, Boulder Creek, CA
Sunset zone 15
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