I have no idea what this plant is, but it's really different and caught my eye. The flowers were all bunched in the middle--I don't know if they were going to open more, or this was it. The spines were quite sharp. This was photographed at the Kimberly Crest gardens in Redlands. 6/16/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
This is one of the large Matilija Poppies growing at Caroline Park in Redlands, CA. This is one of the showiest wildflowers, native to California and Baja California. The flower is about 6 inches across with pollen-filled stamens in the center. The name, Matilija is said to have come from Matilija Canyon in Ventura County, named after Chief Matilija of the Chumash Indian tribe. The Latin name is Romneya coulteri, supposedly after botanist Thomas Coulter. No matter where its names came from, it is a show-stopper, covered in blooms, growing up to 10 feet high! 6/15/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
These unusual flowers were on a type of eucalyptus tree, photographed at Yucaipa Regional Park. I liked the fluffy "petals", which reminded me of a ballet dancer's tutu, or maybe a feather duster? ;-) 6/17/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
