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Field Trip · April 2, 2021

Where to Find Beautiful Native Plants Now: Mount Diablo State Park’s Serpentine Soil

California poppies (Eschscholzia californica). Photo by Elsa de Becker.

Last year at this time, we were all sheltering in place, leaving home only for essential activities like grocery shopping and spending time in nature. All roads in Mount Diablo State Park were closed to vehicles, but visitors were still allowed to enter—just not by vehicle. That left open foot travel and bicycling.

On March 27, 2020, my family reached Long Ridge, which is within a serpentine-soil swath of the state park, through a trip that started by vehicle. We then pulled out our bicycles, donned helmets, and pedaled south on North Gate Road 1.75 miles past the entrance gate to where Burma Trail crosses the road, which also is where Long Ridge crosses it. We stashed the bikes, walked northeast and up on Burma Trail until we had good access to Long Ridge, and then looked at flowers to our hearts’ content. No need to wait for another lockdown; you can do this bike-and-hike to wildflowers any time.

Valuable Links
Mount Diablo State Park: Check for current access conditions
Mount Diablo Interpretive Association: For general information on geology and other natural history topics, and especially for a current wildflower list.

Here are just some of the plants we saw on the Long Ridge serpentine.

Ithuriel’s spear (Triteleia laxa). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Streptanthus or Caulanthus species on serpentine soil. Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Cream cups (Platystemon californicus). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Phacelia species. Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Goldfields (Lasthenia californica). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Purple owl’s clover (Castilleja exserta ssp. exserta). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Blue dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Serrated onion (Allium serra). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Valley oak (Quercus lobata). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
Buttercup (Ranunculus species). Photo by Elsa de Becker.
One of very few visitors to the park that spring day, under a dramatic sky. Photo by Elsa de Becker.

—Sally de Becker, President, CNPS East Bay Chapter
April 2021

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Upcoming Events:

March 22, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Online Lecture: San Bruno Mountain, A Bay Area Botanical Treasure (On-line Lecture)
March 25, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Albany Hill Restoration Project (Albany) (Restoration Project)
April 13, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change – A 25-Year Journey (On-line Lecture)
April 15, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Bringing Back the Natives Tour: Online version (Garden Tour)
April 16, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve (Oakland) (Restoration Project)
April 29, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Albany Hill Restoration Project (Albany) (Restoration Project)

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