21 Beautiful Native Wildflowers of Mount Diablo and Where to Find Them

Wildflowers at Mount Diablo
Patch of native wildflowers on Mount Diablo. Photo by Nate Campi.

Planning any trips outdoors? The hills are about to bloom in a spectacular fashion. In January and February, we were inundated by rainstorm after rainstorm, and you know what that means. Our open spaces will be getting lots of flowers.

Right now, there are plenty of early bloomers visible on Mount Diablo (despite the snow!) and throughout the state of California.

Fields of mustard are starting to cover the hillsides, while California poppies bloom alongside the trails. But those aren’t the only blooms you can see; all sorts of flowers are blooming right now.

Good Spots to See Wildflowers on Mount Diablo

Poppies in Pine Canyon

California poppies in Pine Canyon. Photo by Stephen Joseph

To find lots of wildflowers, try going to areas on Mount Diablo like the Falls Trail, Curry Point, Mitchell Canyon, and Twin Peaks. These areas are all known for having a gorgeous blooming population of flowers every spring.

You might also try Pine Canyon. Later in the year (think June, July, and sometimes even later), flowers are usually still blooming on the Mary Bowerman Trail.

(And farther afield, wildflowers will probably be prolific in the footprint of the SCU wildfires. It’s the third spring after the fires. Check out the eastern part of Morgan Territory Regional Preserve above Round Valley or Mount Hamilton, Mines Road, and Del Puerto Canyon.)

Native Wildflowers You Might Find on Your Journey

There are a lot of native wildflowers you’ll be able to find on Mount Diablo this spring. How many of these flowers can you find on your next hike?

      1. Warrior’s plume (Pedicularis densiflora)—it’s a very good year for these flowers this year, and tons are out!

        Warriors plume

        Photo by Scott Hein

      2. Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)

        Baby blue eyes

        Photo by Al Johnson

      3. Bush monkey flower (Diplacus aurantiacus)

        Monkeyflower

        Photo by Mary Nagle

      4. Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum)

        Blue Dicks

        Photo by Al Johnson

      5. Wind poppy (Papaver heterophylla)

        Wind Poppy

        Photo by Al Johnson

      6. Butterfly mariposa lily (Calochortus venustus)

        Macro shot of butterfly mariposa lily

        Photo by Sean Burke

      7. Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus)

        California buttercup

        Photo by Al Johnson

      8. Paintbrush (Castilleja affinis)

        Indian Paintbrush

        Photo by Scott Hein

      9. Owl’s clover (Castilleja exserta)

        Purple Owl's Clover (Al Johnson)

        Photo by Al Johnson

      10. Bluewitch nightshade (Solanum umbelliferum)

        Bluewitch Nightshade

        Photo by Al Johnson

      11. Cobweb thistle (Cirsium occidentale)

        cobweb thistle

        Photo by Al Johnson

      12. Morning glory (Calystega purpurata)

        Morning Glory

        Photo by Al Johnson

      13. Narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)

        narrowleaf milkweed

        Photo by Al Johnson

      14. Mount Diablo fairy lantern (Calochortus pulchellus)

        Photo by Haley Sutton

      15. Johnny jump up (Viola pedunculata)

        wild pansy

        Photo by Al Johnson

      16. California wild rose (Rosa californica)

        California wild rose

        Photo by Al Johnson

      17. California poppy (Eschscholtzia californica)

        Field of California poppies with a rock formation in the background

        Photo by Sean Burke

      18. Shooting star (Primula hendersonii)

        Macro shot of three mosquito bill flowers

        Photo by Sean Burke

      19. Fiddleneck (Amsinckia intermedia)

        Amsinckia intermedia

        Fiddleneck. Photo by David A. Hofmann / CC BY-SA-NC-ND

      20. Houndstongue (Cynoglossum grande)

        houndstongue

        Photo by Al Johnson

      21. Red maids (Calandrinia ciliata)
        red maids

        Photo by Scott Hein

        Check out the MDIA flower guide for more up-to-date info about what’s blooming on Mount Diablo right now, and take a look at our regional trail map to find more trails on and around Mount Diablo.

        And if you want to discover more trails with stunning wildflowers, see our blog post on 12 good places to see wildflowers across the northern Diablo Range.

        Top photo by Nate Campi

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