This gallery page is based on three visits to Glendora Ridge Road during the spring of 2010. The first was on April 9th, when it was too early for any massive spring blossom, although there were prominent displays of some species such as baby blue eyes and grape soda lupine.
The second visit was a field trip by our CNPS chapter on May 15th. While this was close to the peak of spring bloom, an ideal time to visit this area, there were some species for which we were a little early, such as Pacific stone crop, perhaps because of spring being a few weeks later than usual. On this occasion, we traversed the 12-mile length of the road from west to east, stopping at five different locations. After lunch we walked the short Cross Trail near Mt. Baldy Village.
The third visit was on July 10, as the spring bloom was drawing to a close.
Flora lists: Click the following for:
(1) Checklist of Vascular Flora of Glendora Ridge Road (PDF 463KB) by Bob Muns (optimized for half-sized paper), and
(2) May 2010 Supplement to the Checklist (PDF 92KB) by Jane Strong
Click on the thumbnails to see higher-resolution images.
There is still ample snow at the higher elevations of the mountains, but no snow at the modest elevation of Glendora Ridge Road, 4,200 feet.
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Looking towards Mr. Wilson
The valley below
Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)
Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)
Milk maids (Cardamine californica)
Hall's bush lupine (Lupinus excubitus var. hallii)
Hall's bush lupine (Lupinus excubitus var. hallii)
Mt. Baldy and Cattle Canyon
Rattlesnake Peak and Iron Mtn
Hairy ceanothus (Ceanothus oliganthus)
From its western end, Glendora Ridge Road gradually gains elevation, and the nature of the flowering plants gradually changes. At this time of year there are fewer flowers to see at the western end.
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Prickly phlox (Linanthus californicus)
Chaparral currant (Ribes malvaceum)
Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata subsp. intermontana)
Big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Silver puffs (Uropappus lindleyi)
This stop, like the first one, still has not reached the area where the flowers are most prolific. However, grand panoramas of the mountains to the north and west can be seen.
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Lookoing west
Martin's paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei var. martinii)
Martin's paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei var. martinii)
Coastal wood fern (Dryopteris arguta)
Iron Mtn and Coldwater oyn
Deer bush (Ceanothus integerrimus)
Fragrant pitcher sage (Lepechinia fragrans)
Cow Cyn to Rattlesnake Pk
Arching rockcress (Boechera arcuata)
Oak tree (Quercus sp.)
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California fairypoppy (Meconella californica)
California fairypoppy (Meconella californica)
Blue dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus)
Western virgin's bower (Clematis ligusticifolia)
Iron Mtn (L) and Mt. Baldy (R)
Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)
Western poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)
Wide throated yellow monkeyflower (Diplacus brevipes)
Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)
Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)
This stop was notable for the amount of Pacific stone crop (Sedum spathulifolium) spread across the face of the rocky cutting on the southern side of the road.
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Pacific stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)
Pacific stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)
Pacific stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)
Pacific stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)
Mt. Baldy
Narrow leaved sword fern (Polystichum imbricans)
Narrow leaved sword fern (Polystichum imbricans)
Hairy ceanothus (Ceanothus oliganthus)
Urn-flowered alumroot (Heuchera caespitosa)
Urn-flowered alumroot (Heuchera caespitosa)
Spreading larkspur (Delphinium patens)
Spreading larkspur (Delphinium patens)
Spreading larkspur (Delphinium patens)
Spearleaf mountain dandelion (Agoseris retrorsa b)
Spearleaf mountain dandelion (Agoseris retrorsa b)
Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata subsp. perfoliata)
Miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata subsp. perfoliata)
California polypody (Polypodium californicum)
Martin's paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei var. martinii)
Martin's paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei var. martinii)
Here there are plants similar to those of the previous stop with a few new discoveries such as the foothill poppy and Bolander's woodland star.
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Across Cow Cyn to the mountains beyond
Foothill or collarless poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa)
Foothill or collarless poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa)
Arching rockcress (Boechera arcuata)
Arching rockcress (Boechera arcuata)
Child's blue eyed mary (Collinsia childi)
Martin's paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei var. martinii)
Spreading larkspur (Delphinium patens)
Spreading larkspur (Delphinium patens)
Bolander's woodland star (Lithophragma bolanderi)
The Cross Trail begins almost at the western end of Glendora Ridge Road, only 0.2 mile from Mt. Baldy Village, and in the middle of the steep ascent of the road away from Baldy Village. There is no signpost to indicate the trail, which is relatively short and leads to an overlook of the valley where outdoor meetings have been held — a crude amphitheater.
The final two pictures on this panel are not from the Cross Trail, but from the drive back across Glendora Ridge Road at the end of the day. The exact location was not noted.
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Clustered broomrape (Aphyllon fasciculatum)
Clustered broomrape (Aphyllon fasciculatum)
Stigose lotus (Acmispon strigosus)
Chia (Salvia columbariae)
Chia (Salvia columbariae)
Chaparral gilia (Gilia angelensis)
Douglas's stitchwort (Minuartia douglasii)
Douglas's stitchwort (Minuartia douglasii)
Woolly paintbrush (Castilleja foliolosa)
Woolly paintbrush (Castilleja foliolosa)
Blue dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus)
Caterpillar phacelia (Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida)
Mt. Baldy Village area from Cross Trail
Grape soda lupine (Lupinus excubitus)
Grape soda lupine (Lupinus excubitus)
This panel of photos is from a special visit to Glendora Ridge Road to see the yellow mariposa lily. The peak of the spring bloom was over, but fortunately a few of the mariposa lily remained. It was a treat to find that the pitcher sage was in high bloom, together with a sprinkling of other flowers, some of which we had not seen during visits earlier in the spring.
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Slender mariposa lily (Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis)
Slender mariposa lily (Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis)
Slender mariposa lily (Calochortus clavatus var. gracilis)
Purple Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla)
Purple Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla)
Fragrant pitcher sage (Lepechinia fragrans)
Fragrant pitcher sage (Lepechinia fragrans)
Heart leaved keckiella (Keckiella cordifolia)
Blue stemmed keckiella (Keckiella ternata var. ternata)
Blue stemmed keckiella (Keckiella ternata var. ternata)
Grant's gilia (Saltugilia splendens subsp. grantii)
Leafy daisy (Erigeron foliosus)
California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)
Southern honeysuckle (Lonicera subspicata var. denudata)
Prickly phlox (Linanthus californicus)
Golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)
Cardinal catchfly (Silene laciniata)
Cardinal catchfly (Silene laciniata)
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Sticky monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus)
Thanks to Jane Strong for assistance with identification of plants and flowers.
A chapter of the California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite I, Sacramento, California 95816-5113
CNPS San Gabriel Mountains Chapter, 1750 North Altadena Drive, Pasadena, California 91107-1046
All text on this page is Copyright © 2010-2020 CNPS San Gabriel Mountains Chapter unless otherwise indicated. All photos are Copyright by the authors.
