The weather continues to jump around, our recent rainy days were traded in for summer-like heat now followed by a cooling trend. Our local plants had responded accordingly with an abundance of blooming and setting seed, notably Acer macrophyllum and Corylus cornuta.
Last week I investigated the grasses, hoping to discover more natives than non, but alas the non-natives are much more plentiful. While I did find native Juncus patens, they were quite literally surrounded by Bromus, Briza minor, Avena and Dactylis. This week, most of the grasses have gone to seed as well as the invasive, non-native Genista monspessulana developing seeds.
Happily more native blooms have been spotted; Mimulus aurantiacus and Calochortus amabilis are more plentiful than expected. Anisocarpus madioides and Dichelostemma capitatum continue to be busy with pollinators. Next to likely set seed is Toxicodendron diversilobum, the flowers are spent but no berries yet.
We shall see what this next week of cool weather and limited sunshine brings. Most likely developing fruits but hopefully enough blooms to sustain our native pollinator populations.