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
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?
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- Warrior’s plume (Pedicularis densiflora)—it’s a very good year for these flowers this year, and tons are out!
- Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)
- Bush monkey flower (Diplacus aurantiacus)
- Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum)
- Wind poppy (Papaver heterophylla)
- Butterfly mariposa lily (Calochortus venustus)
- Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus)
- Paintbrush (Castilleja affinis)
- Owl’s clover (Castilleja exserta)
- Bluewitch nightshade (Solanum umbelliferum)
- Cobweb thistle (Cirsium occidentale)
- Morning glory (Calystega purpurata)
- Narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)
- Mount Diablo fairy lantern (Calochortus pulchellus)
- Johnny jump up (Viola pedunculata)
- California wild rose (Rosa californica)
- California poppy (Eschscholtzia californica)
- Shooting star (Primula hendersonii)
- Fiddleneck (Amsinckia intermedia)
- Houndstongue (Cynoglossum grande)
- Red maids (Calandrinia ciliata)
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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