The Hills Are Alive
updated: Feb 19, 2013, 10:27 AM

By Larry See

The hills are alive with Native ceanothus blooms. White "Buckthorn" Ceanothus looks like snow covering the hillsides. Close-up pic shows the individual 5-petal flowers. The Blue Ceanothus is just now starting to show also.

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Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 376122	2013-02-19 11:13 AM
Beautiful pics <3
COMMENT 376167P	2013-02-19 12:09 PM
When I was in the Scouts, I learned that the Chumash used these flowers for soap.
COMMENT 376173P	2013-02-19 12:29 PM
The plants on the south-facing slopes are white Bigpod Ceanothus. On the north and further into the backcountry, white Buckbrush are just starting - when Bigpod Cenothus have been blooming for several weeks. Here are some fun maps - scroll to bottom: Distribution of Bigpod http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=18471 Distribution of Buckbrush (if you go to Figueroa Mountain, etc, that is what you will see) http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=18434 And the "blue" is probably Green-bark Ceanothus: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=18500 Also, Hoary Ceanothus grows in the mountains: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=18433 The hills are alive with variety. We are very fortunate, and it is a lot of fun to learn about it.
COMMENT 376206	2013-02-19 01:40 PM
@167P: I think the berries on the Blue "greenbark" variety is what youre thinking about. When you touch the berries in the summer, they are very 'slimy'.
COMMENT 376240	2013-02-19 02:37 PM
AaaaaaaaaChoooo!
COMMENT 376524	2013-02-20 09:52 AM
Photo is buckthorn. Ceanothus is just beginning to open and is mostly blue in color

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