Tag Archives: purple wildflower

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Such a sweet little flower, Pussy Ears or Cat's Ears, are now blooming on the Mendonoma Coast. Robert Scarola recently photographed one of these beauties. Yes, the flower is soft to the touch.

Below is a photo I took that shows the long, slender leaf of this wildflower. It grows separate from the actual flower. Once you recognized this long leaf, you will more easily see these flowers.

Pussy Ears are also called Hairy Star Tulip or Tolmie Star Tulip and their Latin name is Calochortus tolmiei. They are native to California but found in other western states. They are a treat to find on the edges of forests.

Thanks to Robert for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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It's no secret we've had a fairly dry winter - at least so far! Last night we had a beautiful sunset, which was accented by a very short green flash. Here's a photo just before the sun set, taken from our deck in Anchor Bay.

Today we are enjoying spring-like weather. Wildflowers are beginning to bloom in the forest. Redwood Sorrel, Oxalis oregana, has just begun to bloom. The leaves are purple underneath and they close if the sun hits them. Yes, they love the shady forest where they reside

In the top of this photo you can see the distinctive, splotchy leaves of a Fetid Adder's Tongue.

And I'm happy to report that the northward migration of Gray Whales has begun. On Sunday five Grays were seen, two of which were Calves. Hooray for our Gray Whales!

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So small and delicate you might overlook it, the Redwood Pea is blooming now on the Mendonoma Coast. Its Latin name is Lathyrus torreyi and it is a California native. It's a perennial herb and it is blooming in the forest on our property in Anchor Bay and also in several sunnier spots. Peter Baye tells me they are not too common these days and he encourages his wherever he finds them. Now this native wildflower is even more precious to me.