Plant Guide to Laurel Canyon / Willow Canyon Road Loop, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

This is a working list, about which we make no guarantees at all until we officially release it. Use at your own risk!

Introduction and Explanation of Plant Trail Guides

Introduction
Highlights of This Trail
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species

Introduction

The parking for this trail is for the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, on the north side of Laguna Canyon Road immediately west of the junction with El Toro Road. The parking lot is only open on the weekends from 8 am to 4 pm, and the entrance gate is locked at 4 pm!. So you must finish your hike there by 4 pm. The self-pay parking fee is $2, so unless you want to pay more, bring the exact amount.

The Laurel Canyon Trail is hiking only, but Willow Canyon Road is multiuse. A free map showing all the trails in the area, with detailed mileages, is available at the Ranger Station.

A guide to posts along the trail is available from the Ranger Station for $1. The plant guide here contains only a summary of the information for each post, given in parentheses.

(Rest of Intro to be added.)

Highlights of This Trail

The botanical highlights of this trail are:

• The park suffered over a century of cattle grazing, which ended in spring 1993. This resulted in a very uneven age of oak trees, with most hundreds of years old, and few under the age of ~100 years old.

• The park last burned in fall 1993. The 10 year old stand of coastal sage scrub is thus at its peak in terms of diversity, which begins to decline after about 25 years post-fire. (See Key Ecological Processes in California Coastal Sage Scrub). In 2003, the most noticeable aftereffect of the fire is an extensive forest of chaparral bush mallow, Malacothamnus fasciculatus, the most numerous population of this species of any of our 71 trails for which we have made guides.

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in our database that contain each taxon on this trail. We had 71 trails in our database when this histogram was made; 3 of those trails, including this one, are at Laguna Canyon Wilderness Park or the adjoining Crystal Cove State Park. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database; numbers of "3" or smaller may indicate taxa found only in this area. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database.

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon	Number Of Taxa On This Trail	% of Taxa On This Trail
1	10	6%
2	10	6%
3	4	2%
4	10	6%
5	7	4%
1-5	41	25%
6-10	34	21%
11-15	30	19%
16-20	18	11%
21-25	14	9%
26-30	13	8%
31-35	7	4%
36-40	5	3%
Total Taxa	162	100%

We found 12 additional species not in the above table, since they have not been identified yet. The unidentified ones are marked with ? or sp in the id? column in the guide, and do not have any number given in the #all column.

Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time

The following table gives the dates the trail was walked and taxa recorded. After each visit, the table gives the total number of taxa on the list and the breakdown of the taxa without positive identification. See Explanation of Plant Trail Guides to understand the symbols below.

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"	# "ssp"
4/13/2003	1	155	8	4	6	5
12/27/2003	2	174	9	5	4	5

The Plant Guide

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page (8 pages)

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
				Begin plant guide at the new trailhead for the Laurel Canyon Trail, between Ranger Station and the parking lot, elevation 220 feet.
0.00	l			Signpost: "1 Willow (left); Laurel (straight)".
0.00	b	1		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	36
0.00	l			(mule fat, Baccharis salicifolia)
0.00	l			(coyote bush, Baccharis pilularis)
0.00	l	2		dove weed	Eremocarpus setigerus	99 / 9	12
0.00		3		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	99 / 9	34
0.00		4		*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	99 / 9	34
0.00		5		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	99 / 9	19
0.00	r	6		south coast branching phacelia	Phacelia ramosissima var. austrolitoralis	50 / 9	1
0.01	r	7	?	unk dead large branching annual
0.02	b	8		bush monkeyflower	Mimulus aurantiacus	30 / 9	29
0.02	l	9		California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	30 / 3	21
	r			Look for signpost "B" (lichen; sandstone plant community).
0.02				Trail goes through "gap" in large boulder.
0.02	l	10		laurel sumac	Malosma laurina	50 / 9	27
0.02	r	11		western ragweed	Ambrosia psilostachya	/	25
0.02	b	12		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	30 / 9	22
0.03	r	13		black sage	Salvia mellifera	/	27
0.03	l			(white sage, Salvia apiana)
0.03	l	14		California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum	/	37
0.04	b	15		coyote bush	Baccharis pilularis	20 / 3	18
0.04	r	16		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	99 / 9	31
0.05	r	17		coast prickly-pear	Opuntia littoralis+	20 / 9	8
0.06				Trail curves left.
0.06	l	18		bicolored everlasting	Gnaphalium bicolor	20 / 9	19
0.06	l	19		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica	30 / 9	31
0.06	r	20		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	/	23
0.07	r	21		San Diego wreathplant	Stephanomeria diegensis	99 / 9	9
0.07				Trail steps up on boulder surface.
0.07	l	22		pine goldenbush	Ericameria pinifolia	5 / 3	4
0.07	l	23		lemonade berry	Rhus integrifolia	30 / 9	10
0.07	l	24	~	leafy daisy	Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus	/	29
0.08	r	25		*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	99 / 9	28
0.08				Trail turns left 45°.
0.08	b	26		coastal goldenbush	Isocoma menziesii+	20 / 9	5
				The following 12 species were found prior to the Isocoma on 4/13/03, but without precise locations.
	l	27		*windmill pink	Silene gallica	99 / 9	20
	l	28		*goldentop	Lamarckia aurea	/	10
	l	29		California plantain	Plantago erecta	10 / 1	8
	r	30	?	California chicory	Rafinesquia californica+	2 / 2	14
	l	31		San Diego birdsfoot lotus	Lotus hamatus	5 / 1	7
	l	32		Bishop's lotus	Lotus strigosus	5 / 1	18
	l	33		blue dicks	Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum	/	28
		34		small-seeded spurge	Chamaesyce polycarpa	5 / 1	8
		35		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	/	25
		36		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	99 / 9	30
		37		*soft chess	Bromus hordeaceus	99 / 9	25
	l	38		deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. scoparius	/	17
0.09	l	39	?	purple false-brome?	Brachypodium distachyon?	5 / 1
0.10	r	40	?	salt grass or bermuda grass999
0.10	r	41		*scarlet pimpernel	Anagallis arvensis	/	16
0.11	r	42		*black mustard	Brassica nigra	99 / 9	5
0.12	l	43	?	willow-leaved dock	Rumex salicifolius var. denticulatus+	5 / 1	1
0.13	l			Post "C" (Succession: Transition from annual grassland (from cattle grazing) to coastal sage scrub).
		44		*sourclover	Melilotus indicus	99 / 9	11
		45		dwarf lupine	Lupinus bicolor	/	17
		46		*smooth cat's ear	Hypochaeris glabra	/	21
		47		*sow thistle	Sonchus oleraceus	/	20
	r	48		arroyo lupine	Lupinus succulentus	2 / 2	3
	l	49		purple owl's clover	Castilleja exserta ssp. exserta	/	7
	l	50		lanceleaf dudleya	Dudleya lanceolata	/	16
0.15	r	51		purple needlegrass	Nassella pulchra	/	9
0.16	r	52		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	/	21
0.16	r	53		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia+	30 / 9	29
		54		*sand spurrey	Spergularia bocconei	5 / 1	4
		55		*pineapple weed	Chamomilla suaveolens	/	13
		56		*hairy rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros var. hirsuta	/	9
		57		collar lupine	Lupinus truncatus	/	15
	l	58		blue-eyed grass	Sisyrinchium bellum	/	11
0.19	r	59		white sage	Salvia apiana	/	27
0.19				Local high point on trail, elevation ~250 feet.
0.21	l	60		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	20 / 9	29
		61		wild-cucumber	Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus	/	33
0.21	l	62		*Italian thistle	Carduus pycnocephalus	/	8
0.21	l	63		Torrey oak X Engelmann oak	Quercus engelmannii X Q. Xacutidens+	20 / 9	2
	l	64		Carolina geranium	Geranium carolinianum	20 / 4	3
		65		white everlasting	Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum	10 / 9	29
0.22	l			(California wild rose, Rosa californica)
	r	66		(Peruvian pepper tree, Schinus molle)
		67		*common chickweed	Stellaria media	/	15
		68		giant wild rye	Leymus condensatus	5 / 5	22
		69	ssp	*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum	/	2
	r	70		California goosefoot	Chenopodium californicum	3 / 3	1
0.23	l			coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia+	/
0.24	l	71		mule fat	Baccharis salicifolia	30 / 5	27
0.26				Local low point on trail, elevation ~240 feet.
0.27	r	72		mugwort	Artemisia douglasiana	20 / 3	22
0.27	r	73		cocklebur	Xanthium strumarium	10 / 1	10
0.28	r	74		*smilo grass	Piptatherum miliaceum	30 / 5	14
0.29	l			Sign: "Boundary of Ecological Reserve"
	r	75		*prickly lettuce	Lactuca serriola	20 / 9	21
0.31	r			Short wooden fence, with sign: "Property of California Department of Fish and Game" and "no bicycles" symbol. Signpost "D" here?
0.42	r	76		*high mallow	Malva sylvestris	5 / 2	2
	l	77	ssp	western vervain	Verbena lasiostachys	/	2
	r	78		creeping wild rye	Leymus triticoides	1 / 1	5
	r	79		fiesta flower	Pholistoma auritum var. auritum	9 / 1	9
	r	80		common fiddleneck	Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia	20 / 3	8
	r	81	?	silver puffs	Uropappus lindleyi+	30 / 9	16
		82		*cheeseweed	Malva parviflora	/	11
	l	83		sticky cinquefoil	Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa	/	6
0.43	l	84		chaparral bush mallow	Malacothamnus fasciculatus	99 / 9	8
0.44	b	85		yarrow	Achillea millefolium	10 / 1	9
0.45	l			Signpost: "E" (Sandstone outcrops; Topanga Formation, ferns, succulents)
0.47	r			(arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis)
0.47	r	86		*poison hemlock	Conium maculatum	5 / 1	5
0.48	r	87		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana	/	33
	r			Look for signpost "F" (Vista of fences and grasslands from grazing, and "Ghost Rock" sandstone outcropping)
0.52	r	88		sacred datura	Datura wrightii	5 / 1	13
0.56	l	89		*horehound	Marrubium vulgare	20 / 5	18
	l	90		fuchsia-flowered gooseberry	Ribes speciosum	5 / 5	4
	r	91		*spring vetch	Vicia sativa ssp. sativa	1 / 1	1
	l	92		California poppy	Eschscholzia californica	/	20
0.60				Cross minor drainage.
	l			Look for signpost "G" (Sycamores and snags)
0.64	l			(western sycamore, Platanus racemosa)
	l		~	(big leaf mistletoe, Phoradendron macrophyllum)
	r	93		Parry's phacelia	Phacelia parryi	10 / 3	4
0.74	r			coast prickly-pear	Opuntia littoralis+	/
0.74	l			Signpost: "H" (coastal sage scrub)
	r	94		white star-lily	Zigadenus fremontii	5 / 3	2
	l			(caterpillar phacelia, Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida)
	l			(ladies fingers, Dudleya edulis)
	l			(wild celery, Apiastrum angustifolium)
	l			(Bigelow's spike-moss, Selaginella bigelovii)
	l			(pygmy-weed, Crassula connata)
	l			(southern miner's lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana)
	l		~	(California mustard, Guillenia lasiophylla)
	l	95		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	30 / 9	37
	l	96		graceful bedstraw	Galium porrigens var. porrigens	1 / 1	2
	l	97		nodding needlegrass	Nassella cernua	/	7
	r	98		foothill needlegrass	Nassella lepida	/	13
	l	99		south coast morning-glory	Calystegia macrostegia ssp. intermedia	5 / 5	12
0.81	b	100		*English plantain	Plantago lanceolata	5 / 1	14
0.81	l	101		goldback fern	Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis	10 / 1	11
0.81	l	102		coffee fern	Pellaea andromedifolia	4 / 4	16
0.82				Trail now is next to and parallels drainage on right
	r	103		cattail	Typha sp.	/
	r	104		(red willow, Salix laevigata)
0.82	l			Signpost: "I" (Poison Oak - Do Not Touch!)
	l	105		eucrypta	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia	5 / 2	14
0.82	l	106	~	willowherb	Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum	5 / 1	15
0.82	l	107		heartleaf penstemon	Keckiella cordifolia	30 / 5	18
	l	108		poison oak	Toxicodendron diversilobum	/	28
0.83	l	109		Pacific sanicle	Sanicula crassicaulis	/	11
	l	110		American vetch	Vicia americana var. americana	3 / 3	4
0.83	r	111		California blackberry	Rubus ursinus	/	11
	l	112		creeping snowberry	Symphoricarpos mollis	/	5
	l	113	sp	one of the balloon clovers
0.83	b	114		California wild rose	Rosa californica	/	9
0.84	l			Signpost: "J" (Under The Oaks)
0.87	r			Signpost: "K" at tall California sagebrush, Artemisia californica (Stream Crossing)
0.87	l	115		western sycamore	Platanus racemosa	/	17
	r	116		goldenrod	Solidago californica	5 / 1	24
0.87	l	117		California false-indigo	Amorpha californica var. californica	1 / 1	3
0.87	l	118	sp	umbrella sedge	Cyperus sp.	2 / 1
0.87				Cross stream, elevation ~330 feet; trail begins first significant ascent
0.88	r	119		small-flowered melica	Melica imperfecta	/	25
	l	120	ssp	California bee plant	Scrophularia californica	5 / 3	2
0.91	r	121		toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia	10 / 9	34
0.93	l			Signpost: "L" (Animal Scat)
	r	122	ssp	whispering bells	Emmenanthe penduliflora	1 / 1	2
0.98				Cross stream
0.98	l	123	sp	*Mediterranean beard grass	Polypogon maritimus	10 / 1	2
0.98	b	124		*common plantain	Plantago major	10 / 1	3
0.98	r	125		*Bermuda grass	Cynodon dactylon	1 / 1	15
1.00	l	126		soap plant	Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum	/	12
1.01				Cross stream
1.01	l	127		*bull thistle	Cirsium vulgare	/	10
1.06	r	128	ssp	blue wildrye	Elymus glaucus	5 / 1	4
	l	129		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	/	38
		130		California encelia	Encelia californica	9 / 9	11
1.12	l			(bracken, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens)
1.15				Cross minor drainage.
	r	131		giant needlegrass	Achnatherum coronatum	2 / 2	17
1.18	l			Signpost: "M" at lemonade berry, Rhus integrifolia (Slope Effects: vegetation difference between north-facing vs. south-facing slopes); elevation ~500 feet. Trail becomes very steep.
1.23				Cross minor drainage.
	r	132		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	/	36
	l			Look for signpost "N" (Waterfall Area)
1.28	r	133		coastal lotus	Lotus salsuginosus var. salsuginosus	2 / 1	2
1.28				Cross major stream with dry waterfalls below.
1.29	l	134		Torrey's scrub oak	Quercus Xacutidens+	/	9
1.31	l			(California wood fern, Dryopteris arguta)
	r	135		*rose clover	Trifolium hirtum	/	5
	l	136		San Diego pea	Lathyrus vestitus var. alefeldii	3 / 3	13
	l	137		California brome	Bromus carinatus var. carinatus	30 / 3	10
	l	138	?	agrostis sp.?
1.37	b	139		long-leaf bush lupine	Lupinus longifolius	30 / 3	1
	l	140		California maidenhair fern	Adiantum jordanii	30 / 3	6
1.38	l	141		California wood fern	Dryopteris arguta	5 / 1	9
	l	142		common rush	Juncus patens	1 / 1	1
1.40	l	143		California buttercup	Ranunculus californicus	50 / 4	4
1.43	r			Signpost: "O" (Oak Woodlands: Recovery From Fire and Grazing)
1.45	b	144	?	clarkia?	Clarkia sp.?	20 / 1
	l	145	?	*bur chervil	Anthriscus caucalis	5 / 3	6
	l	146	sp	hedge-nettle	Stachys sp.+	/
	r	147	sp	unk short lupine, 6 long-hairy lflets, 12 x 5 mm, 18 mm single corolla.
	r	148		tomcat clover	Trifolium willdenovii	/	8
	r	149		Chinese houses	Collinsia heterophylla	5 / 1	10
	r	150		goldenstar	Bloomeria crocea	99 / 9	8
1.59	r			Zigzag Gate with stepover. Sign on other side: (no bicycles).
1.61				T-jct with Laurel Spur Road, elevation ~620 feet; turn left. Signpost: "10; Laurel Spur (left); Upper Laurel Canyon (right); Lower Laurel Canyon (back the way you came)".
1.65				Cross drainage.
1.66	l	151		*nit grass	Gastridium ventricosum	/	15
1.67	r			Jct. path; road curves left 90°.
1.68	b	152		slender tarweed	Hemizonia fasciculata	99 / 9	9
	r	153		*artichoke thistle	Cynara cardunculus	/	4
1.69	r			Signpost: "P" (Habitat Mosaic)
1.72				Switchback left.
1.79				Trail turns right 90°
1.95				Trail curves right 45°
1.98				Trail curves left 45°
1.99				Local high point on trail, elevation ~815 feet.
2.01				Local low point on trail, elevation ~800 feet.
2.07				Trail curves left 45°
				The following 8 species were found prior to the Willow Canyon Road jct on 4/13/03, but without precise locations.
		154		*perennial veldt grass	Ehrharta calycina	5 / 2	1
	r	155		woodland star	Lithophragma affine	5 / 1	3
	r	156		threadstem	Pterostegia drymarioides	/	13
	l	157		white nightshade	Solanum douglasii	1 / 1	11
	l	158		southern suncup	Camissonia bistorta	/	8
	r	159		rough-seeded blue toad-flax	Linaria canadensis var. texana	10 / 2	5
	r	160		Catalina mariposa lily	Calochortus catalinae	30 / 3	1
	l	161		Parish's purple nightshade	Solanum parishii	1 / 1	11
2.11				T-jct with Willow Canyon Road; highest point on route, elevation ~815 feet; go left. Signpost: "2 (Boomer Spur (45° right); Laurel (back the way you came)".
	l			Look for signpost "Q" (Tollroad overlook).
2.15	l			Nice view of San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains.
				Look for signpost "R" (Abandoned Stock Tank)
2.30				Road curves right around a ridge.
	l	162		*wild oats	Avena fatua	/	13
	r	163		coast Indian paintbrush	Castilleja affinis ssp. affinis	20 / 2	4
2.34	r			Signpost: "T" (Emerald Canyon Overlook)
2.56	l			Sign: "Boundary Ecological Reserve".
	l			Look for signpost "U" (Laurel Canyon Overlook)
2.69	r	164		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum	10 / 1	11
2.79	l			Sign: "Ecological Reserve. No trespassing"; elevation ~650 feet.
2.84	l	165		*Russian thistle	Salsola tragus	20 / 2	22
3.15	r			Signpost "V" (Prickly Pear Cactus)
3.42				Cross drainage, elevation ~290 feet.
				The following species were found after mile 2.35 and before the end of the trail, but do not yet have precise locations.
	r	166		southern Indian pink	Silene laciniata ssp. major	10 / 1	11
	l	167		*crown daisy	Chrysanthemum coronarium	20 / 1	4
	r	168		*fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	5 / 1	11
	l	169	~	red maids	Calandrinia ciliata	3 / 1	8
	l	170		*stickwort	Spergula arvensis ssp. arvensis	5 / 1	1
	r	171		splendid mariposa lily	Calochortus splendens	30 / 2	10
	l	172		popcorn flower	Cryptantha intermedia	10 / 1	18
	r	173		*purple wild radish	Raphanus sativus	10 / 1	9
	l			(eupatory, Ageratina adenophora)
	l	174		*Oriental mustard	Sisymbrium orientale	10 / 1	7
3.55				End Laurel Canyon Loop Trail back at the trailhead, elevation ~220 feet.

Comments On Specific Species

Opuntia littoralis. The first specimen is a planted single pad, and hence it is not possible to be 100% certain of this id. The second specimen is an adult plant.

Isocoma menziesii. Distinguishing var. menziesii from var. vernonioides seems problematic using either the Munz key or the JM key. See Comments on the Jepson Manual and A Flora of Southern California by Munz: Isocoma.

Rafinesquia californica. A definite id was obtained for a later specimen; this specimen was too young to be certain on 4/13/03.

Rumex salicifolius var. denticulatus. A specimen was definitely identified as this id from someplace along the trail, but its location was not recorded. Rumex crispus is probably also present, so this specimen could be either id.

Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia. The first specimen is a seedling. The first adult plant is also noted.

Quercus engelmannii X Q. Xacutidens; Q. Xacutidens. The first specimen at mile 0.21 is a hybrid, evidenced by the presence of trichomes from each parent. All other specimens examined, at miles 1.29, 1.30, 1.40, 1.47 and ~2.5 showed no trichomes from Quercus engelmannii, and hence are highly likely to be pure Q. Xacutidens.

Uropappus lindleyi. A definite id was obtained for a later specimen; the seeds were all gone from this specimen, making it impossible to id.

Stachys sp.. The flower was white with purple veins.

Go to:

• Bob Muns' Plant List for Laurel Canyon
• Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides