Los Padres National Forest

Figueroa Mountain Wildflower Update

Mid April 2009

Salutations! It's time for another update! While some of the flowers at the lower elevations are going to seed, the higher elevations continue to show off with the vast varieties of wildflowers and the colorful displays that Figueroa Mountain has to offer.

Starting at the first cattle guard, as you start up the hill, look for white Chinese houses, fiesta flowers, blue dicks, a few buttercups, fiddlenecks, hummingbird sage, and some royal lupine. The shooting stars have gone to seed in this area and the miner's lettuce has turned yellow. As you pass the first bend, you begin to see pink owl's clover on the left. Around the second bend, you will find a nice display of owl's clover and miniature lupine. On the right along the rock wall, you'll see Red Indian paintbrush. The carpet of shooting stars, lomatium, Johnny jump-ups, fiddlenecks and popcorn flowers on the right and the hillside with sky lupine are but a memory for this season, but the blue dicks and deer vetch in this area continue to bloom. In the canopy area, the lupine continues to seed but fiesta flowers, Johnny jump-ups, blue dicks, Chinese houses, hummingbird sage and a few buttercups are visible.

Continue up the hill and the vibrant orange California poppies on the rocky hillside to your right are still in bloom. Look for a Mexican elderberry bush to your left and as you go just beyond the next gate, look down to your right and see beautiful cream cups and they begin to show. You will also see goldfields, blue dicks and phlox. As you continue your uphill journey, look for buttercups, fiddlenecks, blue dicks, Chinese houses, fiesta flowers, prickly phlox, wild onion, royal lupine, Johnny jump-ups, mustard, golden yarrow, buckeye, dudleyas, blue eyed grass, wall flowers, deer weed, lomatium, Bigelow coreopsis, chias, wild canyon peas and, once again, a few shooting stars. Grass Mountain, on the left, continues to display patches of California poppies. Just a reminder, if the weather is cold, the poppies will not open, so the displays may not look as vibrant as they would on a warm day.

At Vista Point (large gravel turnout about 11.4 miles from the bottom), the chocolate lilies have gone to seed as have the shooting stars, however lomatium and goldfields continue to bloom along with the welcome addition of blue-eyed grass. You'll have to look closely as the grass in this area has become rather high. Across the road from Vista Point, you'll see California poppies, Bigelow coreopsis, blue dicks, golden yarrow, popcorn flower, wild onions, common phacelias, buckeye, fiddlenecks and Mexican elderberry.

Just beyond the Figueroa Fire Station, you will find a few shooting stars and blue dicks. As you approach the field on the right, just before Tunnell Road, you will see beautiful orange wallflowers along with goldfields. Across the road, look for wild onions. If you look up on the hillsides, patches of poppies are still present. About ¼ of a mile further, the hillside on the left that was carpeted two weeks ago in poppies and lupine is now rapidly turning brown as the flowers on this hillside go to seed and the witches hair (also known as California dodder) is beginning to take cover this hillside. Ah, but not to worry, the displays on Lookout Road are alive and well.

As you continue towards Lookout Road, look up the rocky hillsides to your left and find patches of lupine and poppies as well as bush lupine and caterpillar phacelias throughout this stretch. As you are going up Lookout Road, look for globe gilias, common phacelias, and about a quarter of a mile up the hill start looking on the hillsides and down-facing slopes to find these areas magnificently carpeted in vibrant orange and purple as the sky lupine and California poppies peak in this area. While picture taking is a must in this area, please do not block the road with your vehicle. Please find a turnout to park at and take a short stroll to where the displays are. The displays above 1 mile are still not ready. It has been much colder beyond this point.

From just beyond the campground to the Davy Brown Trailhead, you will find sky lupine, globe gilias, an abundance of chias, both common and caterpillar phacelias, Ceanothus, bush lupine, poppies, golden yarrow, popcorn flower, fiddlenecks and purple nightshade. About 1/8 of a mile past the trailhead, you will see a large dirt turnout on the left. If you drive into that turnout and look into that meadow, you will see an absolutely beautiful display of chocolate lilies in full bloom. As you continue up the mountain to Ranger Peak, look for wild onions, goldfields, blue eyed grass, blue dicks, royal lupine, lomatium, shooting stars, tidy tips, phlox, chias, globe gilias, fiddlenecks and buttercups.

At Ranger Peak, keep your eyes open as baby blue eyes continue to peek at you through the growing grass on the hillside to the right and more can be seen halfway up Ranger Peak along the rocky hillside as well as across the road. You will also find sky lupine, fiddlenecks and poppies.

From the top of Ranger Peak to Cachuma Saddle, more and more bush poppies and bush lupine are beginning to bloom. Chias, manzanita, caterpillar and common phacelias, golden yarrow, purple nightshade, Indian paintbrush and scarlet buglers are becoming more visible.

On Sunset Valley, look for chias, blue dicks, globe gilias, common and caterpillar phacelias, popcorn flower, purple nightshade, tidy tips, fiddlenecks, mustard, canyon peas, baby blue eyes, phlox, bush poppies, wild cucumber, coulter lupine, poppies, clematis, purple Chinese houses, milk thistle, morning glories, stinging lupine (Beautiful, but "ouch" don't touch!), prickly phlox, scarlet buglers, fiesta flowers, Nuttles larkspurs, sticky leaf monkey flowers and Mexican elderberry.

As you go out Happy Canyon, you will continue to see coulter lupine, chias, golden yarrow, globe gilias, poppies, vetch, common phacelias, Nuttles larkspurs, wild cucumber, purple nightshade, clematis, sticky leaf monkey flower, morning glories, bush poppies and stinging lupine. Just across the campground, find a beautiful display of Chinese houses, canyon peas and fiesta flowers. Just beyond the campground, the Indian paintbrush is really showing off along the rocky walls on the right. As you continue the final descent out Happy Canyon, look for a wishbone bush a few turns before reaching the shooting area. After the shooting area, you will continue to see prickly phlox, Indian paintbrush, fiesta flowers, canyon peas, Chinese houses, mustard, California poppies, lupine, wild onions, mariposa lilies, Mexican elderberry, buttercups, a few shooting stars and along the last bend on the road, look for owl's clover on your right.

Enjoy your tour and don't forget your picnic lunch, water, cameras, sunscreen, Adventure Pass and layers of clothing.

Until next time, happy viewing!

Look for our next wildflower update in early-May. For more information, please contact Helen Tarbet at 805-925-9538, ext. 232, or by e-mail at htarbet@fs.fed.us.

US Forest Service - Los Padres National Forest
Last Modified: 04/22/09