Spotlight on Diversity

Wildflowers

Transient jewels of the earth, wildflowers provide such visual delights, people travel long distances to witness the magical spectacle of spring.

The Kern River watershed can be one of the most spectacular places to view spring's enchanting display. The desert nearby is generally the first to erupt with gold, white, pink, lavender and blue blossoms.

In early March after a good soaking places such as Death Valley, Short Canyon, and Sand Canyon can become carpeted with rainbows of wildflowers. This is not just a phenomenon for the eyes but for the nose as well. The fragrance of gilia and grape soda lupine are intoxicating.

Witness blossoms of shrubs and trees in spring as well. In spring most deciduous trees still shiver with their bare branches. Between late March to late April the gray brown bark becomes clothed in shimmering emerald leaves.

As the season matures annual wildflowers fade at lower elevations but may last well into October or even November at the highest elevations. In fall, many shrubs in the aster family will bloom until the first frost.

Common Wildflowers

The most frequently asked question is: what is the name of that wildflower?

I am not an expert in botany, in order to figure out what plant I have photographed, I diligently research literature such as the Jepson Manual, field guides, and the Flora of Kern County. I also use online resources such as Calflora.org. I also have some wonderful people resources that help me with some of the tougher ID's.

Once I have the identity narrowed down, I double check to make sure the plant occurs in the area. Many times look alikes can lead to trouble unless you really take the time to figure out if the plant occurs at a specific location.

Not all wildflowers can be identified by photos. Some need to be in hand under a microscope with full details as to where and when it was found.

The second most frequently asked question is: what is blooming and where? It is very time consuming to provide answers to all who ask. The way I find where thinks are blooming is to research email listserves such as CalPhoto and PictureThisTeamDigital. I also read Carol Leigh's fantastic Wildflower hotsheet and many other sources. See the bottom of this page for some of my favorite resources.

To determine the name of a wildflower, I first look at the flower and figure out which family it belongs to. There are general rules on how to determine the family. These are really simplified, (my botany professor is probably cringing at these descriptions). If you want more information on family relationships, pick up a copy of Vascular Plant Families by James Smith.

Spring Wildflower Season should be fantastic! Be prepared! Order your Wildflower Guide today

Full color brochure; folded size 4"x9" with 63 full color photos illustrating the flower and whole plant. All flowers are relatively common species of wildflowers found in the southern Sierra and Kern River Valley - $6.50 with tax and shipping. (It is cheaper to pick one up in person)

Or save money and pick up your copy at one of the following retailers:

Bakersfield, CA

Russo's Books at the Marketplace - Ming Ave.

Southlake, CA

James Sierra Gateway Market - Hwy 178 at Entrada

Kernville, CA

James Sierra Gateway Market - 13432 Sierra Way

Kern Valley Museum - 49 Big Blue Rd.

Kernville Chamber of Commerce - 11447 Kernville Rd.

Lah De Dah - 41 Big Blue Road (next to Post Office)

Mountain & River Adventures - 11113 Kernville Rd.

Sierra South - Kernville Road by the bridge.

Some Basic Plant Descriptions:

Annual: plant which germinates produces seeds and dies in one year.

Biennial: plant which germinates and grows the first year, produces seeds in the second year and dies in second year.

Perennial: herbaceous plant which grows for more than two  years. Reproduction may be from bulbs, corms, or non withering herbaceous vegetation.

FAMILIES ( I haven't finished writing this section, but in the interest of getting this out there, I have uploaded this page).

Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) - Parsley Family

Members of this family consist of aromatic biennial to perennial herbs with hollow stems. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem. They are usually pinnate or palmate shape and either simple or compound. The flower is an umbel (umbrella-like). They have five sepals and five separate petals. The petals are generally yellow or white, although desert parsley has dark purple flowers.

examples: celery, carrot

Asclepiadaceae - Milkweed Family

Milkweeds are perennial herbs or shrubs that have milky sap. The simple leaves are opposite or whorled. The flowers usually include an elaborate crown or corona between the corolla and sexual parts. There are 5 distinct sepals and 5-lobed petals. There are five highly modified stamens and a massive, 5-lobed stigma. Seeds usually have a tuft of hairs at one end.
examples: milkweed

Asteraceae - Sunflower Family

Asters can be annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees or vines. Leaves may be arranged on the stem alternately, opposite, or whorled. They can be simple or compound depending on the plant. Asters generally have two different types of petals, outside ray and inside disk flowers. A little cylinder is formed by the five stamens closely arranged (sometimes fused) around the central female style.

examples: goldfields, fleabane, coreopsis, encelia, goldenbush, brittlebush, chicory, dandelion, desert star

Boraginaceae - Borage Family

Borages can be herbaceous, shrubs or even trees. The leaves are usually alternate, with the lowermost opposite, simple and usually entire. Flower heads consist of 1 or more scorpion-shaped or helicoid cymes. They have five distinct sepals. The petals can vary greatly, they normally consist of 5-lobed corollas. There is often a folded or ridged swelling in the center.
examples: catseye, fiddleneck, popcorn flower, bluebell

Brassicaceae - Mustard Family

Members of the mustard family are annual to perennial herbs. They normally have four distinct sepals and four distinct petals. There are four long and two short stamens. The sap runs watery. Its leaves alternate on the stem. They are simple and can be sword like to lobed. The fruit can be long and sword like or rounded.

examples: slender keel fruit, mustards, rock cress, jewelflower, alyssum, spectacle pod, wallflower

Cactaceae - Cactus Family

Members of the cactus family normally have fleshy succulent leaves. Most have spines on the plant. The flowers are usually solitary and showy with numerous perianth parts, numerous stamens, and an inferior ovary.

examples: silver cholla, beavertail cactus

Caryophyllaceae - Pink Family

Members of the pink family can be annual or perennial herbs. The flowers have five sepals and five distinct petals (often with a claw). The stamens are in whorls of five distinct filaments. The leaves are simply shaped like a knife and are opposite on the stem. The stems have swollen nodes.

examples: Indian pink

Fabaceae - Legume Family

Members of the pea family run the gamut of the plant world, they can be annual or perennial herbs, vines, shrubs, or trees. The flowers normally have five fused sepals and five unequal petals (often with a keel). Usually 10 free stamens but sometimes fewer or more. The leaves are compound and can be pinnate or palmate. Leaves alternate on the stem. The fruit is generally a legume.

examples: vetch, lupine, alfalfa, peanut, indigo bush, western redbud

Geraniaceae - Geranium Family

Members of the geranium family can be annual or perennial herbs to subshrubs. The flowers have five sepals (fused or free) and five free petals. Some plants have glands between each petal. The stamens are free or partially fused and can number 5, 10, or 15. The leaves are variable with some compound, either pinnately, palmately; lobed or dissected. The leaves can be alternate or opposite on the stem.

examples: storksbill filaree, California geranium

Hydrophyllaceae - Waterleaf Family

Members of the waterleaf family are annual to perennial herbs and rarely can be subshrubs. The flowers have 5 united petals and 5 united sepals. The leaves can be alternate or opposite often with basal rosettes. They can be pinnately lobed or swordlike. Many seeds enclosed in small capsules.

examples: baby blue eyes, phacelia, white fiesta flower

Lamiaceae - Mint Family

Members of the mint family can be annual, perennial, shrubs and although rare even trees. The stems are 4-sided ribbed and clusters of flowers spaced along the stem. The flowers have 5 united petals and sepals. The fruit is usually 4-nutlets.

examples: chia, thistle sage, henbit, blue sage, horehound

Liliaceae - Lily Family

Members of the lily family are mostly perennial herbs and can be trees. Plants in this family normally have three to six petals and the same number of sepals. The leaves are simple, alternate and linear. The roots are bulbs, rhizomes, corms or tubers.

examples: mariposa lily, wild onion, blue dicks, Joshua tree

Loasaceae - Loasa Family

Members of the loasa family are annual or perennial herbs. The leaves are alternate and generally pinnately lobed. There can be stinging hairs on the plant. The flowers have 5 sepals and petals. There are 5 or more stamens. The fruit is an interesting capsule.

examples: stick leaf, blazing star, rock nettle, yellow comet

Malvaceae - Mallow Family

Members of the mallow family are mostly herbs but also shrubs or trees. The leaves are alternate and simple mostly palmately lobed. There are 3-5 united sepals and 5 separate petals. There are numerous stamens.

examples: desert mallow, desert five-spot, hibiscus, hollyhock, cotton

Onagraceae - Evening Primrose

Members of the evening primrose family are mostly herbs but occasionally shrubs or trees. The leaves are alternate, opposite and simple without stipules. The flowers can be solitary or in bunches. There are four sepals and the corolla has four clawed petals

examples: sun cup, evening primrose, farewell to spring, fuchsia, fireweed

Papaveraceae - Poppy Family

Members of the poppy family are mostly annual or perennial herbs but occasionally shrubs and rarely trees. The leaves are opposite and can be entire or deeply divided. The showy flowers have 2-3 sepals that fall off as the petals open. There can be 4-6 or 8-12 separate petals. There are lots of stamens.  The fruit is a capsule the pops to release the seeds.

examples: cream cups, poppy, prickly poppy, ear drops

Polemoniaceae - Phlox Family

Phlox family members can be annual, perennial herbs and rarely shrubs or trees. They have tube shaped flowers with five united sepals and petals. The number of petals can be variable. The leaves can be alternate or opposite. They can be entire or compound, though most are pinnately compound.

examples: bird's eye gilia, evening snow, globe gilia, golden linanthus, sandblossoms, sinuate gilia, phlox

Portulacaceae - Purslane Family

Members of the purslane family are fleshy annual or perennial herbs. The stems are generally hairless. The simple leaves can be alternate or opposite. Variable sepals and petals can be confusing. There can be 2-8 free or fused sepals and between 3-18 free or fused petals, and from 1 to many stamens. 

examples: red maids, pussypaws, miner's lettuce, purslane

Primulaceae - Primrose Family

The primrose family consists of annuals and perennials. Leaves are opposite, whorled, or basal and many times have dots. The flower has 5 petals that are mostly free but some flowers have united petals. There are 5 sepals that remain on the plant through the bloom.

examples: shooting star, cyclamen, primrose

Ranunculaceae - Buttercup Family

The butttercup family is made of mostly of herbs. Leaves with sheathing leaf bases, blades often divided; flowers mostly perfect with spirally arranged, numerous stamens and carpels.

examples: ranunculus, buttercups, larkspur

Rosaceae - Rose Family

The rose family consists of trees, shrubs, perennials or annuals. The sepals are generally fused, the five free petals arise from the hypanthium (shallow cup like or tubular structure). There are many stamens but can be as few as one.

examples: rose, chamise, blackberry, strawberry, mountain mahogany, apple, peach

Scrophulariaceae - Figwort Family

This family is undergoing a transition and may soon be renamed Phrymaceae. It consists of mostly herbaceous annuals and perennials although a few members are subshrubs to trees. The leaves can be alternate or opposite and mostly simple and are entire or pinnately lobed. The sepals and petals are united and can have four or five elements. There are 4 stamens.

examples: owl's clover, Indian paintbrush, monkeyflower, keckelia, figwort, chinese houses, butter-n-eggs, snapdragon

Solanaceae - Nightshade Family

The nightshade family consists of trees, shrubs, perennials or annuals. There are five persistent sepals and five united petals forming a tube at the base. The flowers have five stamens. The fruit is mostly a berry or capsule fruit. 

examples: potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper, nightshade, jimson weed, tobacco, boxthorn

TIMING & LOCATION - SPRING WILDFLOWER DISPLAYS

Kern Valley

Early February to Early May

KERN DESERT

Lower Elevations

Late January to Late March

Higher Elevations

Late February to Early May

KELSO VALLEY
Early March - Early May

Jawbone Canyon (east slope of the Piute Mountains): Late March - Early April

KERN CANYON

Lower Canyon Hwy 178:

Early March - Mid May

Upper Canyon Mtn 99
Mid March - Mid June

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Hwy. 99: early February
stone fruit orchards

Rancheria Road:

Lower Elevations

Late January - Mid March

Upper Elevations

Mid March - Mid July

TEHACHAPI

Foothills
Late February - Mid April

Caliente/ Bodfish Road

Late February - Mid April

KERN PLATEAU

Sherman Pass Road

Lower elevations: Mid March - Late April

Higher Elevations: Early May - Mid August

Fall above 8000' Aspen fall color

Nine-mile Canyon Road (Hwy 14. to Kennedy Meadows)

Mid April - Mid June

Cherry Hill Road: SNF

Mid June - Late August

SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS

Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve: Late February - Early May