Vibrant flowers have been budding around California’s Orange County. Now, what does the year 2022 hold for people who come in search of exploring wildflowers that bloom?
Without much rain in 2022, there will be no explosion of colorful flowers in OC. However, Orange County has been having enough rain to start the Spring season, as early bloomers have taken root and there are splashes of wildflowers across the area.
OC Parks Resource Specialist Kelley Brugmann stated that it looks like this would be an average springtime in OC. As for Brugmann, Orange County still has fun flowers to look for when you explore its park trails.
She said that it is fun to just stroll to take in all the sights in OC, whether it entails a three-mile walk or a hundred-inch exploration.
Brugmann recommends reducing the speed of the walk to see the flowers not easily visible in the undergrowth while immersing oneself in nature. For Brugmann, it is sort of like an opportunity to meet the old friends she gets to see sometimes each year. Brugmann added that many of the annuals in OC are seasonal, and it is fun to check who appears for this season.
Brugmann has been seeing more interest in wildflowers among people over the last few years, particularly since outdoor exploration increased during the epidemic.
As for Brugmann, there has been an inrush of people who are interested in knowing more and having an opportunity to know the parks that they have long known to not only understand OC’s trails but also explore the flowers.
Thus far, she has noticed common varieties, including the fiddleneck, lots of golden poppy, and an array of lupines. For your information, the golden poppy is the official state flower of California, whereas lupines are the purplish-blue flowers blanketing hillsides.
She stated that Irvine Regional Park in California has been having lupines and fiddlenecks. She regards Roadrunner Trail in Irvine Regional Park as a great path to explore.
As for Irvine Ranch Conservancy Program Coordinator Sunny Saroa, some early species of flowers that are already completing their cycle include the Ceanothus and Paeonia California. However, others begin blooming in place of those flowers.
Saroa has spotted buttercups blooming and Viola Pedunculata in California’s Baker Canyon, lying against Black Star Canyon Wilderness and Silverado Creek.
The favorites of Saroa include the Fritillaria Camschatcensis, which features a brown flower pointing down that resembles a bell as well as a combination of brown and green colors. Saroa finds it an extremely beautiful flower, which is kind of unusual.
Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park and O’Neill Regional Park show lupines, bush sunflowers, hyacinths, and other species scattered along their trails. As per Orange County Parks, there are some surprises at Santiago Oaks Regional Park as small lupine and fiddleneck fields come in.
Goldfields are sprouting in dense Quail Hill patches as an important species of plants for butterflies. Lots of wild hyacinth species known as school bells are growing in Bommer Canyon, and you can see them from trails.
Saroa stated that there are a few flowers in OC that people cannot see when there is a drought in a year. If there is more rain, people might have a greater number of sustained species to see; otherwise, their season would end early.
However, exploring comes with a caveat from Saroa. That is if you are unaware of the plant, avoid touching it and taking it.
More Flower Areas To Explore For You
Do you wish to explore some more colorful areas in the Upper Newport Bay area in California? If so, as for OC Parks, some of those places are as follows.
- The western bluff on Irvine Avenue is an amazing location to spot lupines, fiddlenecks, and sunflowers.
- OC Parks has planted several wildflower species on the butterfly garden and roof of the Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center.
- Wishbone bush and golden yarrow have been blooming along the wooden walkway near the Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center.
As per Visit Huntington Beach, there have been wildflowers spreading from the Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve in California to the largest park in Huntington Beach city. Some more well-known locations include Shipley Nature Center, cherry blossoms, and the urban forest at Huntington Beach Central Park.
Great sources of knowledge are Oscar Clark’s ‘Flora of the Santa Ana River & Environs’ as well as Fred Roberts and Robert Allen’s ‘Wildflowers of Orange County and the Santa Ana Mountains.
Lupines, California poppy, goldfields, scorpion flower, red maids, Popcorn flowers, school bells, California morning glory, Bush sunflower, wild cucumber, and fiddleneck are among the common plants in OC that continue to bloom.
