Springtime in northern California

A few photos to enjoy

Milkmaids (Cardamine californica), a lover of disturbed places. I've seen it only along the roadside and nowhere else

I’m currently housesitting at a friend’s cabin in a remote part of northern California with Nikki Hill. The Klamath River has been brown and silty all winter due to the dam removal projects up stream (yay, dam removal!!). Where the Salmon River joins it blue and clear, the contrast is startling. See below:

Salmon River on left, flowing into the Klamath, right, whose flow is from bottom to top in this photo.

Flowers and new shoots have been popping (and butterflies with them), and I was inspired by

Anne Thomas

here on Substack to post some of the photos I’ve been taking.

Let me know in the comments if you’d like to see more photo posts like this. Thanks!

A theme of anthropogenic disturbance theme runs throughout many of these because this region, like at least 3/4 of the planet’s ice-free surface, has been inflected or disrupted by human activity for time out of mind. I’ve definitely got an affinity for such ruderal species, who pop up after changes. I find their scrappiness inspiring. They represent the resilience of nature. They typically play temporary roles while the habitat transforms to the next stage of succession (and while they help transform it), though in the case of roadsides, this stage will persist as long as the road is maintained. Most here are native, and some are not. Previous to settler-colonialism, some of the native plants were already adapted to settings like recently uncovered rock from occurences like landslides, and a road cut is enough of an analogue for them to be at home there. Others just like edges and clearings, which are also provided by roads, homesteads, campgrounds, etc.

Pacific Hounds Tongue (Adelinia grandis), a member of the Borage Family. Like the Milkmaids, I’ve been seeing it only along roadsides, specifically on the steep cuts.

Fawn Lily (Erythronium sp.), found on steep, mostly shaded slopes, predominantly along roadside stoo.

Redstem Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), found in compacted soils in disturbed areas

Bedstraw (Galium aparine) is another disturbance-loving species found along roadsides, and also old gardens.

Margined White (Pieris marginalis)

Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) likes slopes on the edges of clearings

Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum). closeup

Fruit tree on the homestead

Another fruit tree on the homestead

Hartweg's Wild Ginger (Asarum hartwegii), not at all related to tropical ginger

Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), observed in the lawn-ish area of a campground

Chickweed Monkeyflower (Erythranthe alsinoides), on road cut

Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), so glossy when leafing out. Obviously need to be careful not to touch this one! Probably not at the top of anyone’s list of favorite native species, lol.

Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana), observed just inside the treeline along a clearing

Spiny fruited gooseberry (Ribes roezlii var. cruentum)

Western Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus)

Western Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus). “Palmatus” refers to the palmate, that is to say, “palm-shaped” leaf

California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica)

Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis)

Veiled polypore (Cryptoporus volvatus). This fascinating fungus depends on a wood-boring beetle to spread its spores, and is only found on recently fallen trees. Details.

Daffodils. That lovely emblem of spring! A farmer in the Pacific Northwest told me to seed my Chard when the Daffodils open.