Saturday, July 23, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
The Abbotts Lagoon trail is gentle and flat; from the parking lot, it is two miles to the brackish lagoon. Fog and moisture here result in a later blooming season.
In July, we should see shrubs of the coastal chaparral such as coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), yellow bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus), California goldenbush (Ericameria ericoides), and salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Along the trail, we may encounter coast harebell (Campanula californica), marsh hedge nettle (Stachys ajugoides), marsh buttercup (Ranunculus orthorhynchus), and perhaps Sidalcea, Oenanthe, Sparganium, Castilleja, Mimulus, Hydrocotyle, and Grindelia. The dunes should be colorful with curly-leaved monardella (Monardella sinuata var. nigrescens), yellow sand-verbena (Abronia latifolia) and other dune specialists. If time permits, we’ll check the upper bluffs for red-flowered catchfly (Silene scouleri) in bloom and perhaps coastal gentian (Gentiana affinis). A bonus for bird-lovers may be a frenzy of migrating hummingbirds on the hedge nettle.
Leader: Paul da Silva.
Flower Sheet (photos of some of the plants)
Photos by Vernon Smith
{igallery id=9187|cid=114|pid=1|type=category|children=0|addlinks=0|tags=|limit=0}