Looking to see wildflowers in Southern California? The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants is running their 32nd Annual Wild Flower Hotline directly from their web site. Each Thursday they update the hotline with reports from all over the Southland. The Hotline is available in both PDF and MS Word format.
Here is a small section of this wrk’s report, posted March 7, 2014.
Again this year, we are at below normal rainfall and time is running out for significant rain events. Snow in the high elevations and high desert regions may contribute to a nice bloom, but not until later in the spring. The drought makes seeking out wildflower beauties more challenging but a lot more fun for Southern Californians to get out there a cheer every flower sighting!
If you are driving on the 395 to the Sierra ski resorts, take a detour for wildflower sightings along Nine Mile Canyon. Actually there are 3 or 4 canyons coming out of the Eastern Sierra just above the Inyo/Kern County border that are fun to explore. Nine-mile though has easiest access. There is a good smattering of flowers along the shoulder and protected draws. You’ll see Fremont phacelia (Phacelia fremontii), desert sunflower (Geraea canescens), forget-me-not (Cryptantha cicumcissa), desert chicory (Rafinesquia neomexicana), Fremont pincushion (Chaenactis fremontii), a sweet gilia species (Gilia sp.) and desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata).The Joshua Trees (Yucca brevifolia) are starting to bloom as well.