Recovery and Renewal
The recovery of our mountains has been a wonder to witness. The almost neon green that began to glow from the mountains in March was a beautiful relief. Even though I knew the plants would return, it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders when new life started to cover the burn. Below are some of my favorite wildflowers and re-sprouting plants that are in abundance on OVLC preserves after the fire.
Even though our lands have begun to recover, it will still be five to seven years before our hills stabilize and the major threat of erosion and landslides subsides. As our seasons change and winter rains come back to the area please observe trail closure signs. We promise to work hard to open the trails as quickly as possible so you can get out and enjoy nature.
– Jill Lashly, Conservation Director
Top 10 Wildflowers Post Thomas Fire
Large flowered phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora) Fire-following stunner with stalks of purple inflorescence
Fairy lantern (Calochortus albus) Lighting up the hillsides of Wills Canyon by the thousands
Coastal lotus (Acmispon maritimus) Fire-follower carpeting all of Ojai’s burned hillsides with yellow flowers. We had not noticed this plant on our preserves before.
Fremont’s death camas (Toxicoscordion fremontii)
Also known as star lily, this is a fire-following bulb with a two-foot stalk and cream flowers
Arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus) The purple-stalked annual lupine seen on all sunny hillsides are blanketing the valley (so are stinging lupine shown in the banner)
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) The local Ojai variety is slightly more yellow than orange and loves steep sunny hillsides
Catalina mariposa lily (Calochortus catalinae) Another bulb that is thriving on the hillsides after the fire
Wild cucumber (Marah spp.) Prolific every year, this was one of the first plants to return after the fire
Twining snapdragon (Antirrhinum kelloggii) Delicate vines with tiny purple flowers
Blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) Like all bulbs, these purple clusters are having a huge year
Top 10 Re-Sprouting Shrubs and Trees Post Thomas Fire
Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum)
Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina)
Bush mallow (Malacothamus fasciculatus)
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)
Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea)
Sawtooth goldenbush (Hazardia squarrosa)
Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides)
Hollyleaf cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
Inland scrub oak (Quercus berberidifolia)
