LOOKING FOR BLOOMS

OVLC Native Plant Specialist, Sophie McLean led a native flora walk at the Ventura River Preserve as part of Native Plant Month this past November.

It has been a while since we have experienced a rain like this. Dramatic shifts of flood remind us how change is a constant, whether it be a century old timeline of nature’s ebb and flow, or just one evening of ruthless atmospheric river. 

I am excited for this kind of rain, and in turn this kind of spring. The cues are already around us, glowing cotyledons make way for true leaves, and then blooms. 

In the botanical community, we yearn for super blooms and seasons that give us a small taste of what California used to be. It is a glimpse into everything stored away in the soil, a seed library of all the stages of succession. This excitement extends to all people. I think it is because humans are made to look for flowers and plants. We evolved to fall in love with them, sow their seed, and eat them. It is a kinship. 

The rhetoric in the outdoor community is “Leave No Trace”. It is hard to disagree with this, when watching people trample sensitive habitats for their own satisfaction. But I struggle with this statement because how do we leave no trace when our feet touch the ground, and our lungs take the plants’ breath. I encourage people to leave no trace if they do not understand what kind of trace they leave. But, the other half of me says leave a trace, but a good one. Let your eyes seek flowers, and hands not pick them. Use this time to attune into the cycles of everything. 

In fact, the oak trees (Quercus agrifolia) are blooming! The green pollen is settling upon your hat, infesting the air with the potential for acorns. Watching the weather now, will give us insight into next year’s acorn yield. The California manroot (Marah fabacea) has popped as well. Lime green vines awaken over woodland and chaparral giving way to small white flowers. I have even seen the red maids (Calandrinia menziesii) begin to awaken. Fields of magenta flowers are blanketing the Ojai Meadows Preserve and even the river bottom. Small observations like this let us read and understand the world around us. 

Look for the blooms, and let your trace be knowing their names. 

Sophie McLean
Native Plant Specialist