Our California Poppies may not be as famous as Texas's Bluebonnets, but those of us who have lived here many many years, they are always a welcome sight in spring. These were the first I had seen this year, and they had been planted rather than being true wildflowers, but I just had to stop to take a few pics. 3/27/20 My website: www.sparhawkphotography.com
Reading about Elizabeth's Sumac, and her discussing poison ivy and poison sumac, made remember a shot I took of Poison Oak, at Oso Flaco Lake near Santa Maria, CA. Most of the year the leaves are green, but in fall they turn orange to red. I had never seen them as bright red as these were, and needless to say I didn't get too close. As kids we were always told that when the leaves are red they are extra "poisonous". These were just a few leaves from a plant that was climbing in the trees, as high as 6 or 8 feet high. I looked up the scientific name for this plant, Toxicodendron diversilobum, which grows in western north America, with poison ivy in the east. Contact with the leaves of this plant cause an itchy rash on the skin. I haven't experienced it for a long time, but remember "getting" poison oak after childhood hikes. We were taught early to look for the shape of the leaves, growing with three leaves on the stem. 12/4/19 Judith Sparhawk
One of the plants still blooming in San Timoteo Canyon last week was the Jimson Weed. Some of the flowers were small, but this one was large and lovely, with a tinge of purple on the edges. The Jimson Weed, or Datura, or Thorn Apple, is an invasive weed introduced probably from Central America. Some parts of the plant and the seeds have some medicinal uses, although it is generally considered poisonous. It has some hallucinogenic properties, but is NOT recommended! 10/15/19 Judith Sparhawk
