A Walk through the Meadow on this last day of March

The 2026 wildflower pageant continues to build with so many plants in bloom. I hope you all can get out to enjoy our native wildflowers.

This yellow faced bumble bee was out foraging on the red flowering current (Ribes sanguineum) blooms. These shrubs are in full bloom now.

Red flowering current is my favorite native plant. These bright red blooms are the harbinger of spring that I anxiously look for each March, confirming once again that winter is behind us, that spring is on its way, and that the rufous hummingbirds will be here soon.

Coast black gooseberry (Ribes divaricatum)

One of the lesser known currents, the coast black gooseberry is in bloom with delicate white bells. This coastal shrub will have delicious black berries in a month, if I can snag a few before the birds and chipmunks.

Western buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis)

Western buttercups are just beginning to bloom. This bloom perhaps was someone's breakfast? Gardeners often get concerned about bite marks on leaves, but honestly, that is what we want. We need plants that are food to wildlife, helping these neighbors feed and house their families.

Prairie star (Lithophragma parviflora)

Naked broomrape (Orobanche uniflora)

Naked broomrape is in bloom now, barely showing above the grass. This plant is fully parasitic, so look for it in patches with its host plant, spring gold (Lomatium utriculatum).

Golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta)

The blooms of golden paintbrush are just beginning to show. paintbrushes are hemo-pasrasitic, meaning they can photosynthesize, but will take nutrition from a host if there is one nearby. I find it interesting how these coastal meadow plants cooperate and support one another.