California Poppies and Lupine

Wildflowers

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Hundreds of wildflower species grow in Midpen preserves! As you head out to view wildflowers, be sure to keep the blooms safe by following wildflower viewing etiquette. Staying on the trail and taking only pictures, not flowers ensures that wildflower populations remain healthy year after year!

During peak blooming season, grassland trails are typically the best places to see flowers, but they can be found in a wide variety of habitats. The best locations and dates of the local spring wildflower bloom change from year to year depending on the amount of rainfall, how late it occurs and when the temperatures start to increase.

In some areas, wildflowers are blooming more profusely as a result of the District’s resource conservation efforts.

Wildflower Species Spotlight

Get an in-depth look into some of the most iconic and unique flowers that can be found in Midpen preserves. Click on a wildflower species to learn more about when it blooms, what habitats it thrives in and which preserves you can find it in!

California poppies

California Poppy

The bright orange blooms of the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) are an iconic sign of spring in the Bay Area. Each golden flower has four petals, which will close at night, or during cold, windy or cloudy weather.
Tidy tips flowers in Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve (Karl Gohl)

Tidy Tips

Common tidy tips (Layia platyglossa), also known as coastal tidy tips, are striking members of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), that can be easily identified by the unique, white tips of their petals.
Blue-eyed grass flowers at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve by Karl Gohl

Western Blue-Eyed Grass

Western blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), also known as Californian blue-eyed grass, is a foot-tall perennial herb that grows throughout California. This plant’s flowers are small and purplish-blue with six petals and a yellow center.
Giant Trillium in RSA (Karl Gohl)

Trilliums

The Bay Area is home to multiple species of trillium including the Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum) and the giant trillium (Trillium chloropetalum). Their three-petaled flowers appear on shady forest floors in early spring.
Picture of Western heart's ease flower in shape of a heart

Western Heart's Ease

Western heart’s ease (Viola ocellata), is a species of native violet that can be found throughout the Bay Area. These adorable plants sport flowers with five white and purple petals, as well as heart-shaped leaves.
Douglas Iris at Purisima Creek Redwoods (Bruce Frymire)

Douglas Iris

The Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana) is a native iris that grows in wet areas of the forest floor. Their delicate flowers range from a deep blue-purple to a cream.
Common fiddleneck at Rancho San Antonio (Cindy Roessler)

Common fiddleneck

Common fiddlenecks (Amsinckia menziesii), are distinctive members of the forget-me-not family (Boraginaceae). They're named for the whorl of yellow-orange flowers at the end of their stems, which resembles the neck of a fiddle.
Pacific bleeding heart flowers in Los Trancos (John Nelson)

Pacific bleeding heart

The Pacific bleeding heart, or western bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) is a flowering plant in the poppy family. Its attractive heart-shaped flowers come in all Valentine’s day shades: pink, red, purple and white.
Common Wildflower Guide Coastal Wildflower Guide

Simple color photograph guides with two selected features showcasing the species — usually flower and whole plant or leaf. The Common Wildflower Guide was developed for use at Midpen's Annual Wildflower Survey at Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. It features the 100 most common flowering species seen during the wildflower surveys. The Coastal Wildflower Guide highlights 108 flowering species found at Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve.

 

photo of Fiddleneck flowers.
Fiddleneck Flowers (Matt Adelman)

Wildflower Viewing Etiquette

Wildflowers can be quite fragile. Please follow these simple guidelines to make sure everyone can enjoy their beauty as they bloom.

  • Stay on established trails. Visitors venturing off trail can trample wildflowers and their habitat, preventing other visitors from enjoying the displays. Please tread lightly and don’t DOOM the BLOOM!
  • Take photos not flowers! Wildflowers wilt quickly after picking and can’t be transplanted elsewhere. Picking wildflowers also prevents them from going to seed, which limits future wildflowers blooms. 
  • Take photos OF flowers not IN flowers. Sitting in the flower fields will damage existing blooms and prevent the next generation from growing.
  • Enjoy! The blooms of spring don’t last for long each year. But don’t despair — wildflower seeds develop after a flower blooms and when left alone will to drop to the soil to provide next year’s blooms. 
Learn more about wildflower viewing etiquette

Where to see Wildflowers

Generally the following preserves/trails are good for wildflower viewing in any given year:

  • Los Trancos – First portion of Franciscan Loop Trail
  • Monte Bello – Grassland trails such as Canyon Trail, Bella Vista Trail and Waterwheel Creek Trail
  • Picchetti Ranch – Zinfandel Trail
  • Pulgas Ridge – Dusky Footed Woodrat Trail, Polly Geraci Trail
  • Purisima Creek Redwoods – Purisima Creek Trail in early season for redwood understory blooms – trillium, violets, redwood sorrel
  • Rancho San Antonio – Upper/High Meadow Trail, Chamise Trail
  • Russian Ridge – Grassland trails such as the Ridge Trail, Borel Hill, Hawk Ridge Trail, Alder Spring Trail, Ancient Oaks Trail
  • Sierra Azul – Woods Trail, Barlow Trail and Kennedy Trail
  • Skyline Ridge – Grassland trails such as Sunny Jim Trail and Ipiwa Trail. Around Horseshoe Lake.
  • St Joseph’s Hill – Manzanita Trail
  • Thornewood – Bridle Trail and Schilling Lake Trail. 
  • Windy Hill – Grassland Trails such as Spring Ridge Trail and Betsy Crowder Trail

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