"Where flowers bloom, so does hope." Lady Bird Johnson

Posted on Friday, March 15, 2013 by Travel_and_Outdoors

You can go by the calendar and declare that spring arrives on March 20^th. Or you can see the wildflowers popping up alongside the roads and covering the hillsides with purple and yellow, and know the truth is in the bloom; spring is already here!

The season of wildflowers starts in early spring in the deserts of California and works its way north. The soil of northern California, called serpentine because of its green snake skin like appearance, is rich in magnesium and iron, but poor in calcium sodium and potassium. It is one of the rarest habitats in California, and it lends itself to the uniquely adapted wildflowers that thrive in this rare soil type.

But whether or not you can tell the difference between the “arroyo lupine” or the “indian paintbrush”, or only know that you like the "pretty yellow flowers" now is the time to get outside and enjoy.


	National Audubon Society First Field Guide Provides and overview of wildflowers and where they grow, with specific information about individual species.
	Introduction to California Spring Wildflowers by Philip Munz California spring wildflowers, from the base of the Sierra Nevada and Southern Mountains to the sea.
	Spring Wildflowers Of The San Francisco Bay Region by Helen Sharsmith One of the books offered as part of the California Natural History Guides series.
	Wildflowers, Blooms, and Blossoms by Diane Burns This children's book on wildflowers describes thirty common species of wild flowers from the black-eyed Susan to the Johnny jump-up. Includes activities and scrapbook pages
	Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers by Kathi Appelt A children's biography of Lady Bird Johnson who, as the wife of President Lyndon Johnson, reminded citizens about the importance of conserving natural resources and promoted the beautification of cities and highways by planting wildflowers.
	The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie DePaola In spring, the hills and meadows of Texas and Wyoming are ablaze with the reds, oranges, and yellows of the Indian Paintbrush. How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend.