NRS :: Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve

UC Davis Natural Reserve System
Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve

Blooming Calendar of Selected Plants in Cold Canyon

This blooming calendar indicates the primary color of each of the species' flowers, the nature of the plant [vine (V) or shrub (S) if not herb] and the month in which particular species commonly begin blooming.

Color code: B = blue; G = green; M = maroon; O = orange; P = pink; R = Red; Rc = Red crimson; Rp = Red pink; V = purple (violet); W = white; Y = yellow. More than one letter = several colors; letters separated by dash, e.g. O-Y = that range of color.

Climatic variation may alter the blooming calendar. For example, in colder years, the timing of blooming for some species may be delayed. This list was originally compiled by Kate Mawdsley with additions by Sandy Harcourt.

Color	Common Name	Type	Scientific Name	Family

			January
W	Milk Maids; Toothwort		Cardamine californica	Brassicaceae

			February
N/G	Pipevine	(V)	Aristolochia california	Aristolochiaceae
B	Large-leaved hound's tongue		Cynoglossum grande	Boraginaceae
W	Wild cucumber	(V)	Marah fabaceus	Cucurbitaceae
Rp	Parry manzanita	(S)	Arctostaphylus manzanita	Ericaceae
R	Red maids		Calandrinia ciliata	Portulacaceae
W-Rp	Miner’s lettuce		Claytonia perfoliata	Portulacaceae
RpY	Henderson’s shooting star		Dodecatheon hendersonii	Primulaceae
W	California saxifrage		Saxifraga californica	Saxifragaceae
Rc	Indian warrior		Pedicularis densiflora	Scrophulariaceae

			March
Y	Gamble weed		Sanicula crassicaulis	Apiaceae
O	Fiddleneck		Amsinckia menziesii	Boraginaceae
Rc	Western redbud	(S)	Cercis occidentalis	Fabaceae
P	Fleshy lupine		Lupinus succulentus	Fabaceae
B-W	Vari-leaf nemophila		Nemophila heterophylla	Hydrophyllaceae
W	Caterpillar phacelia		Phacelia cicutaria	Hydrophyllaceae
W	Imbricate phacelia		P. imbricata	Hydrophyllaceae
Y	California poppy		Eschscholtzia caespitosa	Papaveraceae
B-V	Bird’s eyes		Gilia tricolor	Polemoniaceae
Rp	True baby stars		Linanthus bicolor	Polemoniaceae
W	Virgin’s bower	(V)	Clematis lasiantha	Ranunculaceae
B	Foothill delphinium		Delphinium hesperium	Ranunculaceae
Rs	Canyon delphinium		D. nudicaule	Ranunculaceae
B	Jim brush	(S)	Ceanothus oliganthus	Rhamnaceae
B-W	Buck brush	(S)	C. cuneatus	Rhamnaceae
W-Y-G	Sandbar willow	(S)	Salix exigua	Salicaceae
W-Rp	Hill star		Lithophragma heterophyllum	Saxifragaceae
B-V	Purple nightshade		Solanum xantii	Solanaceae
B	Blue dicks		Dichelostemma capitatum	Liliaceae
Y+P	Checker-lily		Fritillaria affinis	Liliaceae

			April
W	Yarrow		Achillea millefolium	Asteraceae
Y	Foothill mule-ears		Wyethia helenioides	Asteraceae
O-Y	Western Wallflower		Erysimum capitatum	Brassicaceae
W	Blue elderberry	(S)	Sambucus mexicanus	Sambucaceae
R-P+W	Pacific peavine		Lathyrus vestitus	Fabaceae
B-V	Bush lupine		Lupinus albifrons	Fabaceae
W+Rp+B	White-whorled lupine		Lupinus microcarpus var. densiflorus	Fabaceae
Rc-P	Slender clover		Trifolium gracilentum	Fabaceae
P	Rose clover		T. hirtum	Fabaceae
Rp	Tomcat clover		T. willdenovii	Fabaceae
W	Toyon	(S)	Heteromeles arbutifolia	Rosaceae
P+W	Chinese houses		Collinsia heterophylla	Scrophulariaceae
P-W	Spinster’s blue-eyed Mary		C. sparsiflora	Scrophulariaceae
O	Bush monkey flower	(S)	Mimulus auriantiacus	Scrophulariaceae
M	California figwort	(S)	Scrophularia californica	Scrophulariaceae
B	Blue-eyed grass		Sisyrhinchium bellum	Iridaceae
Y	Golden fairy lantern		Calochortus amabilis	Liliaceae
B	Ithuriel’s spear		Triteleia laxa	Liliaceae
W	Fremont’s star-lily		Zigadenus fremontii	Liliaceae

			May
Y	Yellow star thistle		Centaurea solstitialis	Asteraceae
Y	Woolly sunflower		Eriophyllum lanatum	Asteraceae
Rc	Spice bush		Calycanthus occidentalis	Calycanthaceae
Y	California broom, deerweed	(S)	Lotus scoparius	Fabaceae
W-Y	California tea		Rupertia physodes	Fabaceae
Y	California buckeye		Aesculus californica	Hippocastanaceae
W	Yerba santa	(S)	Eriodictyon californicum	Hydrophyllaceae
W	Pitcher sage		Lepechinia calycosa	Lamiacaeae
Rp	Red ribbons		Clarkia concinna	Onagraceae
Y	Four-spot		C. purpurea	Onagraceae
P	Elegant clarkia		C. unguiculata	Onagraceae
W	Chamise		Adenostoma fasciculata	Rosaceae
W-P	Valley tassels		Castilleja attenuata	Scrophulariaceae
R	Woolly paintbrush		C. foliolosa	Scrophulariaceae
B	Foothill penstemon		Penstemon heterophyllus	Scrophulariaceae
P	Long-spurred plectritis		Plectritis ciliosa	Valerianaceae
V	Elegant brodiaea		Brodiaea elegans	Liliaceae
B	Twining lily		Dichelostemma volubile	Liliaceae
P	Long-tubed iris		Iris fernaldii	Iridaceae

			June
Y	Common madia		Madia elegans	Asteraceae
Y	Whispering bells		Emmenanthe penduliflora	Hydrophyllaceae
V	Downy navarretia		Navarretia pubescens	Polemoniaceae
W-Rp	Many-flowered buckwheat		Eriogonum dasyanthum	Polygonaceae
R	Martin’s Indian paintbrush		Castilleja applegateii	Scrophulariaceae
Y-G	California wild grape		Vitis californica	Vitaceae
Y	Gold nuggets		Calochortus luteus	Liliaceae

			July
Y	California rock parsnip		Lomatium californicum	Apiaceae
W	Yampah; Squaw root		Perideridia kellogii	Apiaceae
W/P	Narrow-leaved milkweed		Asclepias fascicularis	Asclepiadaceae
W	Coyote bush	(S)	Baccharis pilularis	Rosaceae
W-P	Green cudweed		Gnaphalium californicum	Asteraceae
Y	California sunflower		Helianthus californicus	Asteraceae
B-P	Leather root		Hoita macrostachya	Fabaceae
W	White sweet clover		Melilotus alba	Fabaceae
Y	Klamathweed		Hypericum perforatum	Hypericaceae
W+Rp+P	Coyote mint		Monardella villosa	Lamiacaeae

			August
W+Y	Mugwort		Artemisia douglasiana	Asteraceae
R-W	Twiggy wreath plant		Stephanomeria virgata	Asteraceae
Rs	Annual willow-herb		Epilobium canum	Onagraceae

			September
W-V	Broad-leaved aster		Aster radulinus	Asteraceae
W	California brickellia		Brickellia californica	Asteraceae
W-Rp	Small-flowered calycadenia		Calycadenia pauciflora	Asteraceae
Y	Western goldenrod		Euthamia occidentalis	Asteraceae
Y	Great Valley grindelia		Grindelia camporum	Asteraceae
W-Y	Field tarweed		Hemizonia congesta ssp. luzulaefolia	Asteraceae
Y	Prickly lettuce		Lactuca serriola	Asteraceae

			November
Rp	Chaparral currant	(S)	Ribes malvaceum	Grossulariaceae

Last Updated 12/12/06