Wild Flower Hotline May 23, 2025

Wild Flower Hotline May 23, 2025

From The Wild Flower Hotline by Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants

May 23, 2025 · 6 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the surprising resurgence of wildflowers in Southern California following a wildfire and low rainfall, highlighting various species that are currently blooming.

In Southern California, the valleys and foothills are fading, leaving behind fruit and seed for next year’s germination. Above 4000 feet in elevation however, many spring wildflowers are just coming into glorious bloom. Back in March when we first reported on the wildflower awakening on Figueroa Mountain in the Los Padres Nation Forest, there wasn’t hope for a super display this year. A wildfire had scourged the area in July of 2024. Certainly, some post fire annuals would show up, but with so much devastation and little winter rainfall, it was thought that wildflowers would be sparse and short-lived. A different story emerged, however. A field reporter returned to Figueroa Mountain five times over the spring to photo document an amazing wildflower succession over two months. You have read these chronicles in TPF’s Wildflower Hotline reports this spring. The 5th trip last week found, once again, the wildflower display was good with a variety of new species replacing the earlier spring blooms. Most of the California poppy and purple lupine displays have faded, as have the chia, blue dicks, globe gilia and fiesta flowers. Instead, the displays included several late-season flowers…

Topics covered

  • wildflowers
  • California
  • nature
  • environment
  • blooming seasons

Keywords

  • wildflowers
  • California poppy
  • Figueroa Mountain
  • bloom
  • spring flowers
  • native plants

Mentioned in this episode

Products: California poppy, purple lupine, chia, blue dicks, globe gilia, fiesta flowers, ruby chalice clarkia, showy elegant clarkia, California hedge nettle, California cudweed

Books & works: TPF’s Wildflower Hotline

Places: Southern California, Figueroa Mountain, Los Padres Nation Forest

More episodes of The Wild Flower Hotline

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Wild Flower Hotline podcast page.