PRIVATE  DRY CREEK April 15,  2010 Home Trail Description: Dry Creek: Once again we had the fortune to be able to walk on private lands, this time off Dry Creek Road just west of Yountville. Like much of the country in this area, it's a mixture of Oak woodlands and open meadows in a hilly volcanic setting. There was quite a bit of 'seep' vegetation, whether due to the time of year or the nature of the soil we were unsure of. There were also few trails, so we more or less wandered up toward the hills via the path of least resistance. After a sweaty climb, we got to the best part of the day while overlooking the valley.... lunch. So here is what you can expect in this area at this time of year Location: here   Blooming Plants Not Photographed: NN= Non Native Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) Aesculus californica ( California Buckeye) Amsinckia menziesii (Fidddleneck) Anagallis arvensis (Scarlet Pimpernel)NN Calochortus amabilis (Globe Lily) Claytonia perfoliata (Miner’s Lettuce) Collinsia sparsiflora (Blue Eyed Mary) Crassula connata (Sand Pigmy Weed) Dichelostemma capitatum (Blue Dicks) Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy) Gallium sp.(Bedstraw) Genista monspessulana (French Broom ) NN Geranium dissectum (Cut Leaf Geranium)NN Geranium molle (Dove’s Foot Geranium)NN Geranium purpureum (Little Robin)NN Gilia tricolor (Bird’s Eye Gilia) Harmonia nutans (Nodding Madia) Hypochaeris glabra (Smooth Cat’s Ears)NN Hypochaeris radicata (Rough Cat’s Ears)NN Lathyrus vestitus (Hillside Pea) Lithophragma affine (Woodland Star) Lotus humistratus (Hill Lotus) Lotus purshianus (Spanish Clover) Lupinus albifrons (Silver Bush Lupine) Lupinus bicolor (Miniature Lupine) Lupinus nanus (Sky Lupine) Marah fabaceus (Wild Cucumber) Medicago polymorpha (Bur Clover )NN Microcarpus californicus (Cotton Top) Mimulus aurantiacus (Sticky Monkey Flower) Mimulus guttatus (Seep Monkey Flower) Nemophila heterophylla (Canyon Nemophila) Nemophila menziesii var. menziesii ( Baby Blue Eyes) Osmorhiza chilensis (Sweet Cicely) Phacelia imbricata (Imbricate Phacelia) Plagiobothrys nothofulvus (Rusty Popcorn Flower) Quercus agrifolia (Coast Live Oak) Ranunculus californicus (California Buttercup) Ranunculus occidentalis (Western Buttercup) Rubus ursinus (California Blackberry) Sanicula bipinnatifida (Purple Sanicle) Silene gallica (Windmill Pink)NN Smilacina stellata (False Solomon’s Seal) Sonchus asper (Prickly Sow Thistle) NN Sonchus oleraceus (Smooth Sow Thistle)NN Thysanocarpus curvipes (Lacepod) Toxicodendron diversilobum (Poison Oak) Trifolium hirtum (Rose Clover)NN Trifolium microdon (Thimble Clover) Trifolium willdenovii (Tom Cat Clover) Trillium albidum (Giant White Trillium) Vicia sativa (Vetch)NN Vicia villosa (Hairy Vetch) NN Vinca major (Vinca) NN Wyethia glabra Mule Ears)NN Ferns Not Photographed: Adiantum jordanii (Maidenhair Fern) Dryopteris arguta (Wood Fern) Pellaea andromedifolia (Coffee Fern) Pentagramma triangularis (Goldback Fern) Polypodium calirhiza (Nested Polypody Fern) Pteridium aquilinum Bracken Fern).