PlantWorld: Summertime on the Northern California Coast

Dudleya farinosa, growing along
cliffs at Pt. Reyes National Seashore

The spring bloom in California is world-renowned as one of the best natural floral displays on the Earth. Less known but just as interesting are our summer-blooming flowers, especially along the coast.

This summer I visited the Chimney Rock and Lighthouse Trail areas of Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Abbott's Lagoon at Pt. Reyes, and Bean Hollow and Pescadero State Beaches in San Mateo County. The rugged coast, with tidepools and crumbling cliffs make for a spectacular background to the flowers, appearing like colorful jewels sprinkled among the dry grasses of summer.

Castilleja affinis and Dudleya farinosa, Bean Hollow
State Beach, San Mateo County

Most people botanizing along the coast in the summer are looking for orchids. The most common coastal orchid is Piperia elegans and its various subspecies followed by Spiranthes romanzoffiana. However, orchids are not the showiest or most numerous. Other showy wildflower genera in bloom include Grindelia, Eriogonum, Dudleya, Monardella, Angelica, Agoseris, Orobanche, Camissonia, Castilleja, Cirsium, Madia.

My favorites are the orchids and the various Castilleja species.

Here is a sampling of what I saw on my walks: