Bay Area’s wildflower season could be the best in years

Love wildflowers? This year could be one of the best yet.

“I think this is going to be the best spring in terms of diversity and flowers in Northern California – and probably the entire state – in 20 years,” said Seth Adams, land conservation director for the nonprofit Save Mount Diablo.

This spring’s eclectic weather, featuring rain, snow, flooding and hail, actually benefits wildflowers, which thrive on the ecological adversity California has recently encountered.

“Three years ago, we had giant fires on four sides of the Bay Area and almost no rain. The next year, we had really heavy, early rains that then stopped, and now we have so much rain it’s record-breaking and flooding,” Adams said.

“Now, a lot of the areas that have the best wildflower blooms are places that’ve burned or have disturbed ground from erosion. So the state’s taken a big drink of water, and we’re going to see regeneration in all kinds of places.”

Tsunamis of brilliant-orange poppies, shimmering hills of yellow mustard, vast oases of color in sparse desert regions – despite cold weather pushing it off, California’s wildflowers are coming soon — and many are already here.

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“Since California was fortunate to receive more rain last fall and this winter, public land managers are expecting ‘good’ to ‘better-than-average’ wildflower blooms in spring, depending on the continued weather conditions,” the California Department of Parks and Recreation recently announced. “Depending on the park, visitors may see colorful California poppies, sand verbena, desert sunflowers, evening primrose, popcorn flowers or desert lilies.”

In Marin, Carolyn Longstreth, a board member and field trip leader for the Marin chapter of the California Native Plant Society, said visitors should temper their expectations for this year’s blooming season. She said the cold weather has appeared to delay some of the typical March blooms, but conditions could change.

“I know there is a lot of talk about a ‘superbloom’ on the internet but I think that is probably not the term for this year,” she said. “It’s going to be a good year but it’s probably not going to be amazing.”

Kristin Jakob, another member of the native plant society, said she expects the blooms to last longer — possibly into mid-June.

“There is so much soil moisture that I think it will prolong the blooms,” Jakob said. “The few places I’ve gotten to, I’ve seen greater abundance, especially species like buttercups, and greater masses.

The wooded peak of Mount Tamalpais State Park experiences all kinds of blossoming in April and May.

Expect to see California poppies, purple lupine, narrow-leaf mule’s ear, violet Ithuriel’s spear and blue dicks.

“Mount Tam is always great,” said Alexis Jones, supervising ranger at Trione-Annadel State Park in Sonoma. “Easy Grade Trail is an excellent option for wildflowers, and the Coast View Trail has great options.”

For Mt. Tam, Longstreth and Jakob also recommend areas such as Old Stage Road, Rock Spring Trail and Barth’s Retreat picnic area. Other areas known to have blooms include the Julian Trail in the Marin Headlands, the Ring Mountain Preserve near Tiburon and Mount Burdell near Novato.

“They’ll probably be better than ever this year and last longer,” Jakob said. “Some things are blooming on schedule.”

Longstreth said the special feature of California’s flora is its annuals, including tidy tips, baby blue eyes, red maids and poppies, among others.

The California Native Plant Society hosts wildflower field trips, with more information at cnpsmarin.org.

Point Reyes National Seashore also has popular wildflower sites, including some already blooming at Chimney Rock. More are expected to bloom at areas including Tomales Point and Kehoe Beach in the coming weeks.

“It is going to be a few weeks but every third to fourth phone call we’re receiving at the park is folks asking about the wildflowers,” said Christine Beekman, the park’s chief of interpretation.

Wildflower sites abound elsewhere in the Bay Area as well. A look at spots beyond the North Bay:

Diablo Range, East and South Bays

“All across Mount Hamilton is one of the best places to see wildflowers in the whole Bay Area,” Adams said. “I would encourage people to check out Mines Road, Mount Hamilton Road and the San Antonio Valley south of Livermore. There’s tremendous diversity in the south Diablo Range.”

Further north, the geography and shallow soils of Mount Diablo make it a year-round hotspot for wildflowers. “You can see 100 to 150 different kinds of flowers during the season, and it’s already started,” Adams said.

Maps and audio guides: savemountdiablo.org/experience/field-guides

Calero County Park, San Jose

Unending waves of mustard were recently on display at this 4,400-plus acre park in the Santa Cruz foothills.

The wildflower season here lasts well into May and features bluewitch nightshade, buttercups, spiky-crimson warrior’s plumes and shooting stars – lovely pink flowers with petals blown backward to look like little rockets blasting off.

Enjoy the water views at the reservoir, then head into the “back country” for a flower journey park experts declare will be “spectacular.”

Details: parks.sccgov.org/santa-clara-county-parks/calero-county-park

Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont

California poppies and wild radish were in lush bloom during a visit in early spring, and vibrant beds of mustard had the added attraction of fat, waddling geese.

Other splashy wildflowers you can expect to see at Coyote include silver lupine, seaside heliotropes, mule’s ear and blue-eyed grass. If you want to teach the kiddos what’s pollinating all these blossoms, check out the park’s “nectar garden” with its butterflies and hummingbirds. Note that some trails were recently closed due to flooding, check the website for park and trail status.

Details: ebparks.org/parks/coyote-hills

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties

With more than 70,000 acres throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains, Midpen is a great place to observe the diversity and splendor of wildflowers.

“Once the rain has subsided and the weather starts to warm, Skyline Ridge (Preserve) is a great place to see wildflowers and has ample parking,” district spokesman Ryan McCauley said. “Monte Bello also has some beautiful views and lots of available parking. Sierra Azul is also a great place to see more unique wildflowers due to the high mineral content in the serpentine soils.”

Trail conditions and closures: openspace.org

Before heading out this spring, be sure to observe the proper etiquette.

“If you go off the trail and trample those flowers before they go to seed, it means you won’t see them the next year,” said Kristin Perry, a supervising ranger at the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

Land managers also ask that hikers refrain from picking the flowers.

“Wildflowers can serve a multitude of purposes – they attract pollinators and could be food for endangered species that call these protected areas home,” Jones said.

Many parks and nature areas were hit hard by the storms and may have suffered damage. Check websites for current conditions and seasonal closures.