Fossil Hill Walk Flowering Plants

March 17, 2004

This walk starts at the parking lot at the Sutherland Drive entrance to Shell Ridge Open Space. Start by turning left. It includes a short tour of the quarry in Quarry Hill to the left and then proceeds down the hill towards Indian Pond. At the fence line just before the pond, turn right onto the footpath. This path takes you to the road just above Bramhall Pond and then, staying right at each intersection, returns you to the parking lot at Sutherland Drive.


Ref. Flower     Refs.  
No. Common Name Color Location (1) (2) Comments
1 Bunch Grass --------- Trail back of Fossil Hill ----- About a dozen
2 Blue-eyed Grass Blue All over 350 Just starting
3 Foothill Penstemon Blue Quarry area 336 Five seen
4 Storksbill, white stem Magenta Roadsides 286 Hundreds
5 California Poppy Orange All over 224 Hundreds
6 Geranium, Dove's Foot Purple Roadsides 284 One seen
7 Vetch, Winter Purple All over 326 Not yet in bloom
8 Horehound White All over 82 Upper roadside
9 Pepper Grass, Poorman's White Roadsides 24 Not in bloom
10 Wavy-leaf soap plant White All over 12 Leaves only
11 Woodland Star White Near parking lot 88 One seen
12 Bush Lotus--Deerweed Yellow Quarry area 48 (2) Not yet in bloom
13 Buttercups, Birdsfoot Yellow All over 154 Several hundred
14 Butterweed, Common Yellow Roadsides 208 A few
15 Fiddlenecks Yellow Roadsides 226 One seen
16 Lotus Yellow Quarry area 180 Not yet in bloom
17 Mustard, Black Yellow Quarry area 140 Hundreds
18 Telegraph Weed Yellow Roadsides 214 One seen

(1) Peterson's "Pacific States Wildflowers"
(2) Keater, "Plants of the East Bay Parks
If you have questions, call Jerry Fritzke at 934-1161.

You may print and copy this list to help you enjoy the flowers.