Johnny jump up. Stork bill filaree. Yellow pincushion. Pineapple weed. 
Reel off the common names of wildflowers in Orange County’s and you can start to sound a little crazy. But the names might, in fact, help preserve a bit of sanity: how else to confront the explosion of colors suddenly spattered across the hills?
Rain-fed blooms are reaching toward their peak, and the rangers at OC Parks are eager to show them off.
During a short visit this week to Limestone Canyon & Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, supervising ranger Ron Slimm spoke of the attachment people develop for plants — even non-natives such as eucalyptus trees. Try cutting them down in and, in some places, you could spark a neighborhood protest.
“It’s an emotional factor that binds people to all these things,” he said.
So a low-growing, knobby-looking plant might be overlooked — until someone remembers its zany name (“Hey! That’s pineapple weed!”).
Squash one of the knobs between your fingers and, sure enough, it smells exactly like pineapple.
In a canyon that was little more than a smoking scar after the 2007 Santiago Fire, the hills are now thick with green growth and bursting flowers.
The flowers aren’t as concentrated as they were immediately after the fire, said David Raetz, deputy director of the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.
“The displays this year are a little more spread out,” he said. Still, he said, “It’s a stunning landscape. Most people wouldn’t believe it existed in Orange County.”
Such displays are, in fact, rare, Raetz said. The county is part of one of the planet’s few regions known for seasonal wildflower explosions.
And a decent rainy season after several dry ones is giving Orange County its biggest pop in years.
OC Parks is offering several wildflower tours to the public:
Saturday, April 10:
Wildflower Hike
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Staging Area, 20101 Laguna Canyon Rd.
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Call 949-923-2235 to make reservations. Parking $3, plus $2 donation.
Saturday, April 17:
Junior Ranger Day at Santiago Oaks
Santiago Oaks Regional Park
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free event, ages 5-12. Parking $5. Call 714-973-6622.
Saturday, May 8:
Wildflower Hike
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Staging Area
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Reservations required (see phone number above; parking and donation fees same as above.)
Saturday, June 12:
Wildflower Hike
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Willow Staging Area
8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Reservations required. Fees same as above.
Don’t forget to enter the Orange County Register’s wildflower photo contest. The winner gets $250:
Latest posts:
