The plant commonly known as just Miner’s Lettuce (or Indian Lettuce, or Spring Beauty) holds a little surprise: including all subspecies, no less than 13 different ones grow in San Diego County. The two most common ones are Claytonia parviflora and Claytonia perfoliata, but their ranges and bloom periods overlap.
Ribes aureum var. gracillimum
Common name: Golden Currant, Clove Currant, Pruterberry, Buffalo Currant
In February, while hiking for the first time on the lovely Fry-Koegel Trail, and not far from the starting point either, I came upon an unknown shrub — given its close proximity to houses I was skeptical that it was a native of course, but the “Seek” app spit out the name Ribes aureum aka Golden Currant almost immediately, and confirmed that it was indeed a native.
Sambucus cerulea
Common name: Blue Elder, Blue Elderberry
Photographic plant portrait for Sambucus cerulea, commonly known as Blue Elder (with alternative scientific names Sambucus mexicana and Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea).
Allium praecox
Common name: Early Onion
Photographic plant portrait for Allium praecox (Early Onion), a perennial herb that grows in Southern California’s chaparral and sage scrub plant communities.
Scutellaria tuberosa
Common name: Danny's Skullcap
Photographic plant portrait for Scuttelaria tuberosa, a small herb in the mint family known by the common name Danny’s Skullcap.
Calochortus weedii var. weedii
Common name: Weed's Mariposa Lily
Weed’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus weedii) is among the more stunning species in the Calochortus genus, if you ask me. The complexity of these flowers is quite striking. In San Diego County we only have the varierty weedii.