CLIPBOARD : WHERE TO SEE SPRING WILDFLOWERS

The five-year drought had threatened this year’s spring wildflower season, but recent rains have improved the situation significantly.

“Plants just greened up around here,” after the recent rains, Oak Canyon Nature Center naturalist Conrad Burton said.

Local parks and nature facilities report that plants that would usually begin to bloom in March will be flowering later than usual, with profusions of color expected by mid-April. Because of this, the spring wildflower season will stretch into at least early June.

The following lists the best locations in the county to see spring wildflowers and what is currently blooming or expected to bloom in the coming weeks.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL NATURE CENTER

1601 16th St., Newport Beach

(714) 645-8489

Flowers: California poppy, blue-eyed grass, California lilac, lemonadeberry and various penstemons and snapdragons

2. CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK

8471 Coast Highway, Laguna Beach

(714) 494-3539

Flowers: Prickly-pear, sea dahlia and various mustards

3. CARBON CANYON REGIONAL PARK

4422 Carbon Canyon Road, Brea

(714) 996-5252

Flowers: Various mustards and lupines

4. SANTIAGO OAKS REGIONAL PARK

2145 N. Windes Drive, Orange

(714) 538-4400

Flowers: California poppy, elderberry, California buckwheat, Indian paintbrush, Johnny-jump-up, owl’s clover and various gooseberries and lupines

5. OAK CANYON NATURE CENTER

6700 E. Walnut Canyon Road, Anaheim

(714) 998-8380

Flowers: California lilac, bush monkey flower, miner’s lettuce, wishbone bush, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, California peony, harvest brodiaea and various currants

6. IRVINE REGIONAL PARK

21501 Chapman Ave., Orange

(714) 633-8074

Flowers: Matilija poppy, California poppy, fiddleneck, wild cucumber, California everlasting, wild rose and various lupines, nightshades, sunflowers, currants and gooseberries

7. TUCKER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

29322 Modjeska Canyon Road

Modjeska Canyon

(714) 649-2760

Flowers: Lemonadeberry, sugar bush, wild cucumber, California lilac and various gooseberries, currants and sages

8. O’NEILL REGIONAL PARK

30892 Trabuco Canyon Road

Trabuco Canyon

(714) 858-9365

Flowers: Prickly phlox, wild hyacinth, popcorn flower, Indian paintbrush, bush monkey flower, California poppy, Padres’ shooting star and California bell

9. RONALD W. CASPERS WILDERNESS PARK

33401 Ortega Highway

San Juan Capistrano

(714) 831-2175

Flowers: Blue-eyed grass, popcorn flower, fiddleneck, miner’s lettuce, California poppy and Indian paintbrush

Source: Individual parks