Common name Botanical Name
Chocolate Lily Fritillaria biflora

Aliso Trail
These flowers are very unusual and a prized find for most flower enthusiasts.

brown, six petals, sun
Clematis Clematis lasiantha

Matilija Canyon
Clematis can be found just about anywhere in the chaparral. Early spring it is a beautiful cream-colored flower. When it goes to seed it looks like a large cotton ball.

sun, white
Clematis Clematis lasiantha

Cold Springs Trail near Montecito Peak
These are so soft when they have gone to seed. Like cotton balls.

summer, sun, white
Cliff Aster Malacothrix saxatilis

Malibu
These grow at low elevation in the sun in places with a lot of weeds. Looks like Chicory, but has pink underneath the petals and is sort of spindly.

summer, sun, white
Climbing Penstemon or Heart-leaved Penstemon Keckiella cordifolia

These grow commonly in our front and backcountry, usually in partially sunny places. Hummingbirds like them.

red, shade, sun
Coast or California Figwort, or California Bee-plant Scrophularia californica

Toro Canyon
This is quite common at lower elevations near, but not right in, creeks.

red, summer
Coastal Prickly Pear Opuntia littoralis

San Ysidro Trail
Usually when you see these it is because someone lived there at one time and planted it.

sun
Coffee Fern Pellaea andromedifolia

Arroyo Burro Trail
Coffee fern is on the left. You can find these all over. Usually in the shade.

green, shade
Common Goldfields Lasthenia californica (L. chrysotoma)

Spring, Carrizo Plains

sun, yellow
Common Goldfields Lasthenia californica (L. chrysotoma)

Spring, Cottam Camp in Blue Canyon

sun, yellow
Common Locoweed Astragalus didymocarpus

May, Hurricane Deck
These are pretty common is dry places and will rattle like a rattlesnake when brushed against after they've gone to seed.

summer, sun, weed, white, yellow
Common Madia Madia elegans

Davy Brown Trail
Fir Canyon in June. In part sun/part shade.

shade, summer, sun, yellow
Common or Bush Sunflower Helianthus annuus or Encelia californica

Isla Vista Beach Bluffs
These are common in natural areas in town and on the trails, too.

brown, summer, sun, yellow
Common or White Yarrow Achillea

May, near Manzana Schoolhouse
Likes shade

shade, white
Coreopsis and Filaree Asteraceae and Erodium cicutarum

Carrizo Plain
The pink is Erodium cicutarium, the Filaree. The yellow is Coreopsis, a member of the Asteraceae family. These both grow closer to Santa Barbara as well.

five petals, pink, sun, yellow
Crane's bill geranuium Geranium molle

Manzana Trail
Shade loving and very tiny.

five petals, pink, shade
Cream Cups Platystemon californicus

Spring, Carrizo Plains

sun, white, yellow
Crinkle Onion Allium crispum

Figueroa Mountain
Apparently this variety grows exactly here. They are about 6 inches high and so pink you can see them from the road, if you are observant.

magenta, pink, red, six petals
Crystalline iceplant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

Crystalline iceplant
These were growing behind a low beach wall on Jalama Beach. They are sort of juicy and fleshy like berries almost. When they bloom the flower is white and fringy like regular iceplant.

pink, red, white
Cut-leafed geranium Geranium dissectum

March or April, Rattlesnake Connector
At first I thought these were Red Maids. I found just the one patch almost at the junction with Tunnel Trail. They might be Carolina geraniums, but they have no hairs at the end of the petals as I saw described somewhere.

pink, shade
Deerweed Lotus scoparius

When deerweed dries up it becomes a bare, scratchy bush that brushes against your legs on trails like Lost Valley Trail. It always seems ok at first, but by the end of the hike you are cursing the things. That is why I always hike in pants now.

summer, sun, weed, yellow
Delphinium Delphinium parryi

Spring, near Forbush Flat

blue, purple, shade, sun, white
Delphinium Delphinium parryi

Spring, Manzana Trail to the Schoolhouse

blue, purple, shade, sun, white
Delphinium Delphinium parryi

Spring, Hurricane Deck

shade, sun, white
Desert Candle Caulanthus inflatus

Carrizo Plains
I think wildflower enthusiasts like these so much because they are so weird. They are about knee-high, waxy, with a thick, fleshy green stalk and small bulbous purple flowers barely hanging from thin threads from the sides.

purple, red, sun
Desert monkeyflower Mimulus bigelovii

Spring, Hurricane Deck and Lost Valley Trail junction

pink, shade, sun
Dodder or Strangleweed Cuscuta

May, Hurricane Deck
Dodder is a parasitic plant and can be found in dry places like Hurricane Deck or by the ocean.

orange, sun, weed
Douglas Wallflower Erysimum capitatum

May at Manzana Schoolhouse Camp
Another reliable place I've seen these is on Lost Valley Trail near the Oak Tree campsite. Just before it. They like shade.

four petals, orange, shade, yellow
Doveweed or Turkey mullein Eremocarpus setigerus

Malibu near beach
On a bluff near Pepperdine University. A type of Spurge.

green, silver, summer
Dudleya or Live Forever or Hen and Chicks Dudleya

April, Agua Caliente Trail

green, shade, summer, sun
Dudleya or Live Forever or Hen and Chicks Dudleya

Cold Springs Trail
These were such a glorious red I couldn't resist another picture.

green, orange, red, shade, summer, sun
Elderberry Sambucus canadensis

Toro Canyon Park
This is very common and usually grows in the more moist areas, such as near creeks. Makes blue berries which don't taste all that good. I noticed some web sites say it can be poisonous.

blue, summer, white
Elegant Clarkia Clarkia similis

Spring, Lost Valley Trail near Hurricane Deck
I believe this is a special clarkia found only in this area.

pink, shade, summer, sun
Elegant Clarkia Clarkia unguiculata

Manzana Trail
They grow in abundant patches in late May/early June, and like sun or shade.

pink, shade, summer, sun
Evening Primrose Camissonia boothii

Willow Springs Trail
Near Figueroa Mountain, off Catway Road. I have seen them near Carrizo Plains, too.

five petals, pink, sun
Fairy Lantern or Globe Lily Calochortus albus

May, near Manzana Schoolhouse
In various stages of going to seed. You can see the fruit in the upper right corner.

shade, white
Farewell to Spring Clarkia cylindrica

Spring, Manzana Trail to the Schoolhouse
These can be found along Highway 154 as well in late spring.

five petals, pink, summer, sun
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare

Isla Vista
Invasive weed. Tastes like licorice. You can eat this. It's the same as what's in the store, and was imported from Europe.

invasive, sun, weed, yellow
Fiddlenecks Amsinckia menziesiispring, sun, yellow
Fiesta Flower Pholistoma auritum

Spring, Rattlesnake Trail
The year I took this photo (2003) these were covering an entire hillside on the trail and were stunning. They prefer moist shady places under oak trees.

purple, shade, sticky
Fire poppy Papaver californicum

McMenemy Trail
Blooms in April or May. Very small. Flower was only 1 inch or so wide. Grew in a somewhat shady spot on south-facing slope in a lush, moist area. Flower books say they are abundant after a fire.

four petals, orange
Fleabane Asters Erigeron foliosus

Early Summer on Lost Valley Trail
This was growing near that first little camp near the creek. Not many flowers were left at this time, but there were quite a few of these in shady spots.

purple, shade, summer
Foothill Penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus

Manzana Trail
The buds are yellow and the blooms are electric blue. The plant is about 2ft. high.

blue, purple, summer, sun, yellow
Fragrant Pitcher Sage Lepechinia fragrans

Tequepis Trail
Grow in sun, bloom in summer. When flower fades, leaves behind a crispy, papery shell that can be green to brown to reddish.

brown, green, red, reddish, summer, sun, white
Fragrant Pitcher Sage Lepechinia fragrans

Tequepis Trail
Grow in sun, bloom in summer. When flower fades, leaves behind a crispy, papery shell that can be green to brown to reddish.

brown, green, red, reddish, summer, sun, white
Fuchsia-flowering Gooseberry Ribes speciosum

May, Hurricane Deck
These are pretty common in shady places or on north-facing slopes.

red, shade
Giant Coreopsis Coreopsis gigantea

March, Oso Flaco Dunes
To see the Giant Coreopsis is one good reason to go to the dunes.

sun, yellow
Giant-Flowered Phacelia Phacelia grandiflora

Spring, Tom's Hippie House Trail near Cold Springs Trail

blue, purple, shade, sticky, summer
Giant-Flowered Phacelia Phacelia grandiflora

Spring, Tom's Hippie House Trail near Cold Springs Trail

blue, purple, shade, sticky, summer
Gilia Gilia capitata

Spring, Gidney Ridge
These range from white to pale lavender and sometimes form near carpets of blossoms.

purple, sun, white