Hound's Tongue - Huckleberry Botanical Preserve, O

This is one of our earliest wildflowers in northern California. It's named for the shape of the leaves, and is a lovely relative of forget-me-nots. We also saw some late season fungi (mostly scarlet and golden waxy caps) as well as some other early flowers... trillium, miner's lettuce, wild cucumber. There were also some Anna's hummingbirds going about their mating ritual. The male perches high in a tree, flies quickly and high in to the air; when he descends fast, his tail feathers produce a high pitched whistling sound. Some day I'll be good enough to photograph a hummingbird!

This particular park preserves a touch of the historic plant communities here. The higher areas have lots of chert, a sedimemtary rock that once lay on the bottom of the Pacific. It was lifted when the Pacific and North American plates collided. This area is dry and the soil is relatively nutrient poor. Manzanitas and huckleberries grow here and produce lovely flowers. The soil is damper and richer in other parts of the park. A forest of oaks and bay laurels thrives here, along with associated flowers, shrubs, herbs and wildlife. Of course nobody really knows exactly what this hillside would have looked line 300 years ago, but this park helps us imagine how things were. The park also provides a close to home easy hike... a true friend!