Walk on the Wild Side

Above: Castle Peak. Photos submitted by Shane Hanofee, Vice President, Redbud Chapter California Native Plant Society.

BY LAURA PETERSEN

When the snow melts in the high country, the Sierra wildflowers emerge, offering a delightful, colorful show lasting all summer long. Living in Nevada County, we are fortunate to live so close to mountain trails offering an escape from the summer heat and an up-close view of these treasured California native plants.

Please respect their beauty by staying on the trail to avoid erosion and damage to sensitive species, and never pick the wildflowers (but take lots of photos for your screensaver!). In recent years, record numbers of people have flocked to nature’s wild places and the pressure from increased traffic, trash and noise is having a devastating impact on the environment. Remember, if you pack it in, pack it out, and avoid giving exact GPS locations of wildflower sightings on your social media channels. Let’s keep our wild places wild!

Go for a guided wildflower walk, purchase native plants for your backyard and learn more about how you can protect California wildflowers by checking out the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society: chapters.cnps.org/redbud.

Look for Elephant’s Head at Sagehen.

Little Elephant’s Head & Alpine Mitrewort can be found at Frog Lake Overlook.

Moss Heather blooms at Squaw Peak.

Tiling’s Monkeyflower & Flat Topped Broomrape grow at higher elevations like Castle Peak.

Find Ranger Buttons at Grouse Ridge.