Look but don't touch!

Poison oak is really a very beautiful plant. It thrives in sunny habitats in California's Coastal Mountains. People are the only creatures that react to it by getting an itchy rash, and only people who are allergic to the resin react. Deer eat it, and many birds thrive on its berries. You can see its flowers are starting to appear - they will be big, white, fluffy and beautiful. But please don't touch - leaves of 3, let it be.

I took this shot at Briones Reservoir. We hiked a really lovely trail that is a short drive through the Coastal Mts. from our home. Lots of birds were singing, and there were plenty of wildflowers. The season would be starting to fade by now, but it's been a rainy, El Nino spring, so expect more wildflowers.