A Photographic Guide to the Wildflowers of the Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve
Maritime chaparrals, a distinct plant community, develop in arid, sandy soils near the coast, under the cooling influence of the brisk (55 F, 15 C) Pacific marine layer. Their adaptations to harsh conditions restrict their range, many species diverge genetically from their origins, and thus create a new type of biologic diversity. Two manzanitas of this chaparral have a combined range if a few hundred square miles. Their habitats, fairly flat and near the ocean, also make prime real estate, and most maritime chaparrals have disappeared from southern California. Here in Burton Mesa where I live, 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, 2/3 of the maritime chaparral has already succumbed to development: a golf course and six subdivisions. Oh, a seventh is coming soon. Much of the remainder has come under the protection of the Burton Mesa Ecologic Reserve [BMER] link to state map, the land we will study.
I recommend two ways to appreciate the beauty of the Reserve:
- Get your shoes dusty exploring the sandy trails weaving through coastal sage scrub, maritime chaparral, and oak woodlands. But to love its wildflowers, you'll have to get your knees dusty, because 60% are smaller than 1/4" (6 mm) and 1/3 are smaller than 1/8" (3 mm)
- Follow the photographs of a guy with a new camera and dusty shoes
When you look at the rolling lands of BMER, you are seeing a struggle for survival in a harsh world: limited rain, poor soil, withering sun, erosion. Let's get right into my favorite actors in the drama here, the wildflowers.
White wildflowers [28 items]
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Magenta, pink, lavender wildflowers [24 items]
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Red wildflowers [6 items]
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Yellow wildflowers [16 items]
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Blue, purple wildflowers [15 items]
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Flowering shrubs [24 items]
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Habitats
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Resources |
Notes on usage: Each of the photos below will lead you to the webpage of flowers with similar color. Selecting the photo from that color index leads to a flower page. I am still trying to get a flower detail, cluster detail, leaf detail, and general photo for each plant.
I find it difficult to use my site with my iPhoneSE model. I want to mix enjoying large photos at home with field use. Screen scaling (pinching) in Safari may be more stable in landscape mode (horizontal) than portrait.
version: 20260528