Next time you sneeze, think of it as an homage to pollen, the key to the reproduction of plants all over the world. Look a little closer, and this stuff turns out to be well worth a few sneezes now and then!
Tag: wildflowers
Spring Issue 2010
Trekking Above the Verdant Napa Valley
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga. Trail: 19.7 mi, 5,177 ft elevation gain, out-and-back
Fall Issue 2008
Book Review: California’s Fading Wildflowers
by Richard A Minnich, University of California Press, 2008, 344 pages, $49.95. This scholarly book by a UC professor of earth sciences surveys historical observations of California flora and compares theories about the original pre-European vegetation and how it has … Read more
Botany
Late Bloomers
As many a plain Jane turned prom queen will attest, blooming late can have its rewards. But it’s also a challenge for local wildflowers.
Spring Issue 2008
Black Coal, Bright Flowers
The peaceful hills of Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve weren’t always so: One hundred twenty years ago, you’d have found bustling towns full of miners and their families and, nearby, the mine works and railroads that carried out tons of coal and sand, feeding the booming industries of Northern California. Today, the park offers grand vistas, abundant wildflowers, and a mine tour that gives an illuminating view of both the work of the miners and the geological history that brought them here and shaped the aboveground landscape.
Spring Issue 2008
Flower Power
Sepal, stigma, stamen, style; pollen, pistil, petal. Say what?! Like all scientists, botanists have a specialized language for talking about the things they study, in this case, flowers. Next time you’re out hiking, take a few minutes to look closely at a wildflower and you can discover these fascinating, strangely named parts for yourself.
Spring Issue 2008
The Fremont Peak Experience
Discover rare rocks, distant stars, beautiful wildflowers, and a bit of California history all at one small state park south of San Juan Bautista.
Fall Issue 2007
Book Review: Wildflowers of Northern California’s Wine Country and North Coast Ranges
Wildflowers of Northern California’s Wine Country and North Coast Ranges, by Reny Parker, New Creek Ranch Press, 2007, 282 pages, $24.95 http://www.renyswildflowers.com Reny Parker is passionate about wildflowers. For 17 years, she has found and photographed them in their wild … Read more
Spring Issue 2007
Discover the Rare Rocks and Flowers of Tiburon’s Ring Mountain
Perched 600 feet above San Francisco Bay, Ring Mountain has spectacular views of the surrounding ridgelines, Bay, and urban areas. But you can also find much deeper views into the earth preserved in the remarkable rocks strewn about this wild and open landscape.
