Backbone Trek

In the spring, the Santa Monica Mountains turns into a virtual garden of wildflowers. Visitors are often delightfully surprised at the diversity of the flora in the mountains. On the Backbone Trek, we usually count 140 to 150 species of wildflowers on the trail. For those hikers with more than a casual in interest in the wildflowers, we recommend the following guide: Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains, by Milt McAuley, 2nd Edition, 1996, Canyon Publishing Company. This book will be available for sale at the Backbone Trek at a discounted price of $10.00.

The following list of the wildflowers sighted in bloom during the Backbone Trek 2009 is typical of the species to be seen on the hike. Some years are better than others (think rain and fire). By default the list is sorted by the order the flower was first encountered on the trek. You may also sort by common name, scientific name, or the section of trail where it was first seen by selecting the option and choosing any of the column headers.

Filter for Native or Invasive Species All Native Invasive Clear

Day	Name	Status	Genus & Species	Trail
Day 5	Annual Bedstraw	Native	Galium aparine	Piuma Ridge Trail
Day 1	Birdfoot Trefoil	Invasive	Lotus corniculatus	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 1	Black Mustard	Invasive	Brassica nigra	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Black Sage	Native	Salvia mellifera	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Bladderpod	Native	Isomeris arborea	Ray Miller Trail
Day 6	Blow-wives	Native	Achillea mollis	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 1	Blue Dicks	Native	Dichelostemma capitatum	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Blue Eyed Grass	Native	Sisyrinchium bellum	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Blue Larkspur	Native	Delphinium parryi	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 6	Bristly Ox-Tongue	Invasive	Picris echioides	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 5	Bull Thistle	Invasive	Cirsium vulgare	Piuma Ridge Trail
Day 3	Bur-Chervil	Invasive	Anthriscus caucalis	Trancas Canyon
Day 1	Bush Lupine	Native	Lupinus albifrons	Overlook Trail
Day 1	Bush Mallow	Native	Malacothamnus fasciculatus	Overlook Trail
Day 1	Bush Sunflower	Native	Encelia californica	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	California Black Walnut	Native	Juglans californica	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 3	California Blackberry	Native	Rubus ursinus	Trancas Canyon
Day 1	California Buckwheat	Native	Eriogonum fasciculatum	Ray Miller Trail
Day 6	California Buttercup	Native	Ranunculus californicus	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 1	California Everlasting	Native	Gnaphalium californicum	Overlook Trail
Day 3	California Poppy	Native	Eschscholzia californica	Zuma Ridge Motorway
Day 3	California Thistle	Native	Cirsium occidentale var californium	Newton Canyon Trail
Day 1	California Wild Rose	Native	Rosa californica	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 1	Canyon Sunflower	Native	Venegasia carpesioides	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 3	Canyon Sweet Pea	Native	Lathyrus vestitus	Trancas Canyon
Day 7	Castor Bean	Invasive	Ricinus communis	Rogers Road Trail
Day 1	Catalina Mariposa Lily	Native	Calochortus catalinae	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Caterpillar Phacelia	Native	Phacelia cicutaria	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Chamise	Native	Adenostoma fasciculatum	Ray Miller Trail
Day 7	Chaparral Broomrape	Native	Orobanche bulbosa	Topanga Rogers Road
Day 3	Chaparral Honeysuckle	Native	Lonicera subspicata	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 2	Chaparral Pea	Native	Pickeringia montana	Chamberlain Trail
Day 3	Checker Bloom	Native	Sidalcea malviflora	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 1	Cheeseweed	Invasive	Malva parviflora	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 1	Chinese Houses	Native	Collinsia heterophylla	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 3	Chocolate lily	Native	Fritillaria biflora	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 1	Cliff-Aster	Native	Malacothrix saxatilis	Overlook Trail
Day 3	Coast Figwort	Native	Scrophularia californica	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 2	Cobweb Thistle	Native	Cirsium occidentale	Chamberlain Trail
Day 4	Coffeeberry	Native	Rhamnus californica	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 1	Collarless California Poppy	Native	Eschscholzia caespitosa	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Common Fiddleneck	Native	Amsinckia intermedia	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 1	Common Groundsel	Invasive	Senecio vulgaris	Overlook Trail
Day 3	Common Vervain	Native	Verbena lasiostachys	Trancas Canyon
Day 1	Coulter's Lupine	Native	Lupinus sparsiflorus	Ray Miller Trail
Day 3	Creek Monkey Flower	Native	Mimulus guttatus	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 2	Crimson Pitcher Sage	Native	Salvia spathacea	Boney Trail
Day 1	Curly Dock	Invasive	Rumex crispus	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 1	Deerweed	Native	Acmispon glaber	Ray Miller Trail
Day 3	Dove Lupine	Native	Lupinus bicolor	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 1	Elderberry	Native	Sambucus nigra caerulea	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Elegant Clarkia	Native	Clarkia unguiculata	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 4	English Plantain	Invasive	Plantago lanceolata	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 1	Eucrypta	Native	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 3	Fairy Lantern Globe Lily	Native	Calochortus albus	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 2	Feltleaf Everlasting	Native	Gnaphalium canescens	Blue Canyon
Day 1	Fiesta Flower	Native	Pholistoma auritum	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 3	Foothill Penstemon	Native	Penstemon heterophyllus	Trancas Canyon
Day 3	Fuchsia-Flowered Gooseberry	Native	Ribes speciosum	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 3	Globe Gilia	Native	Gilia capitata	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 1	Golden Stars	Native	Bloomeria crocea	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 1	Golden Yarrow	Native	Eriophyllum lanatum var.arachn.	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Goldfields	Native	Lasthenia coronaria	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 3	Greenbark Ceanothus	Native	Ceanothus spinosus	Trancas Canyon
Day 6	Gum Plant	Native	Grindelia camporum var. bracteosum	Dead Horse Trail
Day 2	Heart-Leaved Penstemon	Native	Keckiella cordifolia	Boney Trail
Day 2	Hedge Mustard	Invasive	Sisymbrium officinale	Chamberlain Trail
Day 6	Hedypnois	Invasive	Hedypnois cretica	Musch Trail
Day 1	Hollyleaf Cherry	Native	Prunus ilicifolia	Overlook Trail
Day 1	Horehound	Invasive	Marrubium vulgare	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Indian Paintbrush	Native	Castilleja affins	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Indian Pink	Native	Silene laciniata	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Italian Thistle	Invasive	Carduus pycnocephalus	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 6	Kern Brodiaea	Native	Brodiaea terrestris	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 2	Lance-Leaf Live-Forever	Native	Dudleya lanceolata	Sandstone Peak Trail
Day 4	Large-Flowered Lotus	Native	Lotus grandiflorus	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 2	Large-Flowered Phacelia	Native	Phacelia grandiflora	Boney Trail
Day 6	Long-Beaked Filaree	Invasive	Erodium botrys	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 3	Meadow Rue	Native	Thalictrum fendleri	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 5	Milk Thistle	Invasive	Silybum marianum	Piuma Ridge Trail
Day 2	Miner's Lettuce	Native	Claytonia perfoliata	Chamberlain Trail
Day 2	Minute Popcorn Flower	Native	Cryptantha micromeres	Chamberlain Trail
Day 3	Mountain Dandilion	Native	Agoseris grandiflora	Trancas Canyon
Day 3	Mountain Mahogany	Native	Cercocarpus betuloides	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 1	Mule Fat	Native	Baccharis salicifolia	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 1	Mustard Evening Primrose	Native	Camissonia californica	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Narrow-leaved Bedstraw	Native	Galium angustifolium	Ray Miller Trail
Day 6	Oyster Plant	Invasive	Tragopogon porrifolius	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 1	Parry's Phacelia	Native	Phacelia parryi	Ray Miller Trail
Day 2	Peninsular Onion	Native	Allium peninsulare	Chamberlain Trail
Day 5	Periwinkle	Invasive	Vinca major	Piuma Ridge Trail
Day 1	Pineapple Weed	Invasive	Chamomilla suaveolens	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 2	Pitcher Sage	Native	Lepechinia fragrans	Chamberlain Trail
Day 2	Poison Oak	Native	Toxicodendron diversilobum	Boney Trail
Day 1	Prickly Phlox	Native	Linanthus californicus.htm	Overlook Trail
Day 1	Purple Clarkia	Native	Clarkia purpurea	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 1	Purple Nightshade	Native	Solanum xanti	Overlook Trail
Day 2	Purple Owl's Clover	Native	Castilleja exserta	Chamberlain Trail
Day 1	Purple Sage	Native	Salvia leucophylla	Ray Miller Trail
Day 3	Red-Skinned Onion	Native	Allium haematochiton	Sandstone Peak Trail
Day 1	Red-Stem Filaree	Invasive	Erodium cicutarium	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Rigid Hedge Nettle	Native	Stachys bullata	Ray Miller Trail
Day 6	Rock-Rose	Invasive	Helianthemum scoparium	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 4	Rose Snapdragon	Native	Antirrhinum multiflorum	Upper Solstice Caynon Trail
Day 7	Russian Thistle	Invasive	Salsola tragus	Will Rogers Park; Rogers Road Trail
Day 4	Scarlet Bugler	Native	Penstemon centranthifolius	Upper Solstice Caynon Trail
Day 3	Scarlet Pimpernel	Invasive	Anagallis arvensis	Sandstone Peak Trail
Day 2	Shiny Lomatium	Native	Lomatium lucidum	Chamberlain Trail
Day 5	Showy Penstemon	Native	Penstemon spectabilis	Piuma Ridge Trail
Day 4	Silver Lotus	Native	Lotus argophyllus	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 1	Silver Puffs	Native	Uropappus lindleyi	Overlook Trail
Day 2	Skullcap	Native	Scutellaria tuberosa	Chamberlain Trail
Day 3	Slender Sunflower	Native	Helianthus gracilentus	Trancas Canyon
Day 1	Slender Tarweed	Native	Deinandra fasciculata	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Slim Aster	Native	Aster subulatus	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 4	Small Evening Primrose	Native	Camissonia micrantha	Upper Solstice Caynon Trail
Day 2	Southern Tauschia	Native	Tauschia arguta	Chamberlain Trail
Day 3	Spanish Broom	Invasive	Spartium junceum	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 4	Spanish Clover	Native	Lotus purshianus	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 2	Speckled Clarkia	Native	Clarkia cylindrica	Boney Trail
Day 5	Spring Vetch	Invasive	Vicia sativa	Piuma Ridge Trail
Day 1	Squaw Spurge	Native	Chamaesyce melanadenia	Overlook Trail
Day 3	Sticky Cinquefoil	Native	Potentilla glandulosa	Trancas Canyon
Day 2	Sticky Madia	Native	Madia gracilis	Boney Trail
Day 1	Sticky Monkey Flower	Native	Mimulus aurantiacus	Ray Miller Trail
Day 3	Sticky Phacelia	Native	Phacelia viscida	Newton Canyon Trail
Day 1	Stinging Lupine	Native	Lupinus hirsutissimus	Ray Miller Trail
Day 3	Sugar Bush	Native	Rhus ovata	Trancas Canyon
Day 4	Telegraph Weed	Native	Heterotheca grandiflora	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 6	Tomcat Clover	Native	Trifolium willdenovii	Hondo Canyon Trail
Day 3	Toyon	Native	Heteromeles arbutifolia	Trancas Canyon
Day 4	Tree Poppy	Native	Dendromecon rigida	Latigo Canyon Trail
Day 1	Tree Tobacco	Invasive	Nicotiana glauca	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 1	Turkish Rugging	Native	Chorizanthe staticoides	Overlook Trail
Day 1	Two-tone Everlasting	Native	Gnaphalium bicolor	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 7	Violet Snapdragon	Native	Antirrhinum nuttallianum	Topanga Rogers Road
Day 1	Virgin's Bower	Native	Clematis lasiantha	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 2	Western Virgin's Bower	Native	Clematis ligusticifolia	Blue Canyon
Day 3	Whispering Bells	Native	Emmenanthe penduliflora	Trancas Canyon
Day 1	White Pincushion	Native	Chaenactis artemisiifolia	Ray Miller Trail
Day 7	White Snapdragon	Native	Antirrhinum coulterianum	Topanga SP Musch Trail
Day 1	White Yarrow	Native	Achillea millefolium	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Wild Morning Glory	Native	Calystegia macrostegia ssp cyclostegia	Ray Miller Trail
Day 1	Wild Radish	Invasive	Raphanus sativus	Big Sycamore Canyon
Day 2	Windmill Pink	Invasive	Silene gallica	Chamberlain Trail
Day 1	Wishbone Bush	Native	Mirabilis californica	Overlook Trail
Day 3	Woodland Star	Native	Lithophragma affine	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 4	Woolly Aster	Native	Corethrogyne filaginifolia	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 1	Woolly Blue Curls	Native	Trichostema lanatum	Overlook Trail
Day 3	Woolly Lomatium	Native	Lomatium dasycarpum	Upper Zuma Canyon Trail
Day 1	Yellow Mariposa Lily	Native	Calochortus clavatus	Overlook Trail
Day 1	Yellow Monkey Flower	Native	Mimulus brevipes	Overlook Trail
Day 2	Yellow Pincushion	Native	Chaenactis glabriuscula	Sandstone Peak Trail
Day 1	Yellow Star Thistle	Invasive	Centaurea melitensis	Overlook Trail
Day 1	Yellow Sweet Clover	Invasive	Melilotus indica	Wood Canyon Vista Trail
Day 4	Yerba Santa	Native	Eriodictyon crassifolium	Mesa Peak Motorway
Day 1	Yucca	Native	Hesperoyucca whipplei	Ray Miller Trail

* Sequence column denotes the order and day the plant was first encountered on the Trek.

Milt McAuley's 1996 edition of Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains was the primary reference.

We listed only those plants that were blooming and left out the plants that we could not identify. Comparing the list with previous years, we can see several more flowers that we must have overlooked on 2009's trek.