Elsmere Canyon Plant Life
At the right time of the year (expecially around April and May), Elsmere Canyon contains a very diversified plant population. There are very few plants that I can identify. The following plants that are identified were by Dianne Erskine Hellrigel, Editor-in-Chief of the Santa Clarita based Community Hiking Club. This group goes out on many hikes, not only to Elsmere Canyon, but to all the canyons in Santa Clarita and other areas of Southern California. The hikes are open to the public.
Thanks Dianne.
Please Note: The land is publically owned and it is illegal to remove anything, including plants.
Oak 2919. Probably a Coast Live Oak
A very rare Humboldt Lily, my favorite plant in Elsmere Canyon. I have seen them at only one difficult to get to location in the canyon.
Same plant in 2008 about three years after previous picture was taken
Bush Lupine
Bush Lupine
Yerba Santa
Yellow Sweet Clover
Tree Tobacco
California Wild Blackberries at different stages of ripeness
California Wild Blackberry. Note the "hairy" stems. Poison oak stems are smooth.
Poison Oak. The leaves often turn red in the right season.
Dark green Poison Oak left of the lighter green California Wild Blackberry. They look very similar.
Poison Oak leaves, always a "threesome"
Berry leaves
White Hedge Nettle
Popcorn Flower
Sticky Monkey Flower
Caterpillar Phaceliar
Leaves from Milk Thistle. Fruits from Wild Cucumber (aka Manroot)
Annual Paintbrush
Figwort
Moth Mullein
Moth Mullein
Creek Monkey Flower
Creek Monkey Flower
Western Morning Glory
Western Morning Glory
Willow Herb
Purple (or White depending on flowers) Hedge Nettle
Narrow Leaved Cattail
Narrow Leaved Cattail
Cobweb Thistle
Black Mustard
Golden Yarrow
Golden Yarrow
Golden Yarrow on the left and Sticky Monkey Flower on the right
Clarkia - probably Elegant Clarkia
Round Leaved Boykinia
California Everlasting (aka Pearly Everlasting)
California Everlasting
Canyon Dudleya
Canyon Dudleya
Canyon Dudleya
Chalk Dudleya (the succulent)
Yucca
Yucca Whippelei
Red Willow
Chaparral Pea (aka Wild Sweet Pea)
Speckled Clarkia
Rabbit's Foot Grass
Elderberry
Elderberry
Coastal Lotus
Big Berry Manzanita
Rabbitbrush
Ghostly Rubber Rabbitbrush in seed
Chaparral Currant
Area filled with ferns high up on the south face below the cliff
Closer view of ferns
Purple Nightshade
White Nightshade
(pink) Prickly Phlox
Bush Mallow
Gourds - Calabazilla (aka Stinking Gourd). Plant - Yerba Santa
Tamarisk - A non-native, invasive plant. If it was legal, the plant should be removed.
Scrub Oak
Wild flowers (mainly yellow California poppies) above the jack plant
Mushrooms
You may have noticed that in early 2009 the MRCA has begun planting "native" plants at the bottom of the creek bed (photo taken on 5/2/2009)
12/26/2010. The new plants seem to be thriving.
They already tried this and failed where the road crosses the aqueduct. You may have seen the dead plants there. (photo taken 3/29/2009)
12/26/2010
An MRCA ranger is hand watering here. They have installed sprinklers now.
12/26/2010. When will the MRCA quit using sprinkers?