Displays of California’s Wildflowers in Full Bloom

A colorful array of California wildflowers will fill the main foyer of the Natural History Museum of L.A. County today and Sunday as the Santa Monica Mountains Chapter of the California Native Plant Society holds its Fourth Annual Wildflowers Show.

The show will feature bouquets of wildflowers native to the local mountains, as well as floral displays and arrangements enhanced by educational and informational literature.

Members of the California Native Plant Society will be on hand to answer questions about wildflowers. In addition, this year’s show will include Spanish interpreters, labels in Spanish with the common plant names and a Spanish-language slide show.

Most of the more than 100 different plant species on display were collected from private lands in the Santa Monica Mountains area or obtained from people who grow native plants in their own gardens.

The California Native Plant Society is a statewide nonprofit organization of amateurs and professionals who work to educate the public about California’s native flora and to preserve this resource for future generations. The society organizes wildflower walks, plant sales, weekend field trips and habitat restoration projects.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard in Exposition Park, Los Angeles. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission: $3 for adults, $1.50 for senior citizens and students with I.D., and 75 cents for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members and children under five are free. For information, call (213) 744-DINO. WILDFLOWER WEEKEND

The public is invited to the Seventh Annual Wildflower Weekend hosted by the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, April 20-22.

Guided field trips to see wildflowers and other natural features will be offered through San Luis Obispo County’s hills, valleys and coastal areas. Botanical slide programs will be held Friday and Saturday evenings. All weekend activities are coordinated at the Rancho El Chorro Environmental Center. Fees range from $30 to $68 per person for the weekend.

Weekenders have the option of staying in cabins provided or arranging their own accommodations in the San Luis Obispo area. A special outdoor barbecue highlights the end of Saturday’s hikes. Breakfast and lunch will be provided Saturday and Sunday.

Seventh Annual Wildflower Weekend, San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. For registration and information, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to David Krause, CNPS, 2425 Sandown Place, Cambria, Calif. 93428. WILDFLOWER HOTLINE

Do you want to know where to find the best wildflower displays in Southern California?

The Theodore Payne Foundation Wildflower Information Hotline, (818) 768-3533, is operating 24 hours a day to alert callers to which wildflowers are blooming and where they may be seen.

Areas covered include Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Monument, Antelope Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Clarita Woodlands Park and other locations within a day’s drive of Los Angeles.

The report is updated each Thursday; the hot line is open 24 hours a day through May 31.

During wildflower season, plan to visit the Foundation’s headquarters and native plant nursery in Sun Valley.

Visitors may explore Wildflower Hill, an educational wildflower seeding project, and obtain wildflower maps, books and other information concerning California native flora. The foundation is dedicated to the preservation and propagation of California native plants and wildflowers.

The Theodore Payne Foundation, free and open to the public Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley; (818) 768-1802.