Colors are some of the most remarkable springtime features of Angel Island. The terrain sparkles with ruby reds, sapphire blues, topaz yellows, pearly whites, and emerald greens—but these colors come from wildflowers, not gemstones.
By Silvia Lange
Published: May, 2009
Colors are some of the most remarkable springtime features of Angel Island. The terrain sparkles with ruby reds, sapphire blues, topaz yellows, pearly whites, and emerald greens—but these colors come from wildflowers, not gemstones.
You won’t find all wildflowers on any one trip; wildflowers have their own schedules that are influenced primarily by winter rainfall. The October 2008 wildfire may affect the blooms; this year there are many more zigadene (star lilies) and poppies. Early wildflowers include milkmaids, shooting stars, poppies, miner’s lettuce, zigadene, iris, man root, buttercups, hound’s tongue, checker bloom, and mission bells. A singular delight is the enigmatic California pipevine, a brownish flower that looks like a Dutchman’s pipe, calabash, or little saxophone.
Later blooms are lupine, mule ears, Indian paint brush, yarrow, sticky monkey flower, cobweb thistle, and drifts of forget-me-nots, a non-native. Another escapee from cultivation is Pride of Madeira, which shimmers like a tower of jewels in shades of purple, lavender, cobalt blue, and pink. Clarkia, known as both Farewell to Spring and Summer’s Darling, heralds the change of seasons.
When you are here, please remember not to pick the wildflowers. There are a number of good reasons not to take them home with you: (1) So that those people behind you can enjoy them; (2) So that the flowers will be here next year; (3) Bees, butterflies, birds, and insects need them for pollen and nectar; (4) Fruits, seeds, and berries are important in the food chain; (5) They’ll soon wilt; (6) It’s illegal to pick native wildflowers on public and private land without permission; (7) They might be poisonous or give you a bad itch; and (8) It would be rude; the flowers are in the middle of a sex act!
At the end of your hike, you can solidify your memories using the “Rainbow Way to Remember.” By scrolling through the spectrum, you can pair the colors with specific flowers. Just sit down, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. In sequence, let yourself see the colors: red, for red rubies and then Indian paintbrush; orange, for orangey coral and topaz and California poppies; yellow, for yellow gold and the glistening buttercups, green, for emeralds and the fluttering maiden hair ferns; blue, for the Bay and the sky reflecting the forget-me-nots and lapis lazuli; purple fading to lavender, for amethyst shades of the Pride of Madeira and the lovely iris in the mountain meadow. And finally, white, for the pearl white of the clouds above and the fields of star lilies. As you see these colors and these flowers, you will feel very relaxed. And you know you will remember your heavenly day on Angel Island.
Having a devil of a time remembering wildflower names, descriptions, and lore? You can join me, Angel Island docent Silvia “Girl of the Woods” Lange, for a Wildflower Ramble. I am assisted on these frolics by an invisible guide, Mnemosyne, goddess of memory, who provides us with ways to remember the origins of names, plant uses with songs and sayings. For example, the poison oak chant: “Leaves of three, let it be. If it’s prickly or hairy, it’s a berry. If it’s shiny, watch your heinie.” For Wildflower Ramble reservations, please call the Angel Island State Park Volunteer Coordinator at (415) 435-3522. The hikes start at 10:30 a.m. and the cost is $5. For even more information, check out my book, Wildflowers of Angel Island: Fact & Fancy, which is available at the Angel Island gift shop and through the website, www.angelisland.org.
