Blogs | Outdoor San Diego
Full Moon Over Wild Hyacinths and Buckwheat
By Jerry Schad | Posted May 15, 2008, 10:51 a.m.
Wild hyacinths and mariposa lilies have popped out on hillsides within the burn area of last October's Witch Creek Fire. Both flowers arise from underground bulbs, considered delicacies by the California Indians. Burned areas around Lake Hodges and Lake Poway are still exhibiting these wildflower species, along with a number of others.
Chamise and buckwheat, two of the most common native flowering plants in San Diego County's sage-scrub and chaparral plant communities, are in flower this month through June. Chamise, also known as greasewood, readily sprouts from root crowns after fire. Since 2003's Cedar Fire, much of the foothill and mountain regions of the county are again being smothered by this upstart, dominant type of drought-resistant vegetation. The stems of both chamise and buckwheat are tipped by clusters of small white or cream-colored flowers, fading to russet-brown by July. Near the coast (in places such as Torrey Pines State Reserve) look for flat-top buckwheat, common on south-facing slopes. Here it shares space with other low-growing sage-scrub plants like as black sage and California sagebrush.
Wild lilac (ceanothus) is currently blooming mostly at elevations higher than 4000 feet in San Diego County. Blossom colors range from pure white to various shades of blue or lavender. Some fine examples may be seen along the upper Noble Canyon Trail in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area atop Mt. Laguna.
The full moon rises impressively from the east horizon at around 8:00 p.m. on Monday (May 19), some 20 minutes after the time of sunset. The moon then spends the whole night arcing from east to west across the sky, and finally sets over the ocean near dawn on Tuesday. Only during full phase does the moon truly "rule the night." Some folk names for May full moons are "merry moon," "flower moon," "planting moon," and "moon when ponies shed." For all-night moon observations in this "May-gray" season, you might need to travel as far east as the summits of the Laguna Mountains.
