Limonium californicum (California sea-lavender, western marsh-rosemary)

Family: Leadwort

Characteristics
Tough perennial growing from a woody rhizome. The thick, leathery leaves are oval in shape and up to about 30 cm long, including the petioles, located in a basal rosette about the stem (about 1 ft long). The inflorescence is a stiff, branching panicle bearing large clusters of flowers. The flowers have brownish white ribbed sepals and lavender to nearly white petals. Blooms in summer.

Area
Coastal habitat: beaches, salt marshes. Grows with pickleweed  and salt grass.

Armeria maritima californica (thrift, sea thrift, sea pink)

Family: Leadwort

Characteristics
Perennial which grows in low clumps and sends up long stems from which globes of bright pink flowers blossom. In some cases purple, white, or red flowers also occur. Basal mound of tough grass-like leaves. Blooms from late spring through summer.

Area
Coastal bluffs, dunes, beaches, edges of salt marshes.

Dodecatheon hendersonii (shooting stars, broad-leaved shooting stars, Henderson's shooting stars, sailor caps, mosquito bells)

Family: Primrose

Characteristics
A summer deciduous with basal leaves and nodding flowers on stems 10-30 cm tall. The flowers are magenta to deep lavender to white, with the stamens thrust out and the sepals bent back.

Area
Needs good drainage and dry summer period to grow. Moist grassy places in brush or open woods. 

Other
One of the first flowers to bloom. Late January to February. Roots and leaves edible when roasted or boiled. Poisonous if consumed raw.

Raphanus sativus (wild radish)

Color: White. Cream. Pale yellow. Pink. Faded purple.

Description: Mustard Family. Annual. Grows as high as 3 ft. Much branched and loaded with blossoms. Each petal with dark purple veins. Pods do not split open and are slightly constricted between the seeds. 

Location: Roadsides, pastures, vacant lots. Pt. Reyes. 

Other: Ancestor of cultivated radish.

Arabis blepharophylla (rock-cress)

Color: Pink. Purple.

Description: Mustard Family. Perennial with hairy green leaves. Between 1/2 - 1 foot high.

Time: February.

Location: Grows in thin soil of bluffs and headlands. From Sonoma to Monterey. Pt. Reyes.

Malva nicaeensis (mallow, cheeses)

Color: White and faded purple. 

Description: Annual. Flowers on short stalks at bases of long-stalked leaves. Circular, flattened fruit, each marked off in segments.

When: Year-round

Where: Pastures, farmyards. 

Other: Edible fruits.

Delphinium decorum (coast blue larkspur, coastal larkspur, yellowtinge larkspur)

Description 

Buttercup Family. Erect, hairy stem 1/2 m in height. Narrow-lobed leaves usually at base of plant. Spindly stem bears 2 - 20 widely spaced flowers. 

Location

Slopes of coastal range from Mendocino to Santa Cruz Counties. Scattered in coastal scrub or on open grassy slopes.

Other

Poisonous to cattle.