Black Oak
Oak species, similar to the valley oak
Tutsan
Small yellow flowers at tips when in bloom
Hookers Fairybells
Similar to the star false lily of valley but smaller and doesn’t grow in a single big stalk.
Fragrant Bedstraw
Very small growing close to the ground with perfectly 5 star shaped towered leaves
Stinging Nettle
Similar looking to lemon balm but much larger height and leaves
Redwood inside out flower
Bull thistle
Similar in size to milk thistle but no white washed leaves.
Broad leaved helleborine
Grows straight up, large leaves. Funny bushy leaf thing at top.
Giant Chain Fern
Similar to lady fern but only 2x pinnate and larger individual leaflets spaced farther apart.
California Poppy
Deep orange/golden petals.
California Milkwort
Small oval leaves, purple flowers, near to ground.
Redwood Violet
Carpets the floor underneath redwoods in a similar manner to sorrel. Small circular leaves with small yellow flowers.
Woodland Strawberry
Three leaved plant, distinct triangle ridges.
Pale Dewplant
Small carpet of purple flowers over small succulent bed.
Shortpod or Black Mustard ?
Thin and long stems ending in small yellow flowers.
Throughout the County
Coastal Bluffs
Silver burr ragweed.
Growing directly in sand, sprawling and covering large portions.
Sea Bindweed
Growing in the sand, light purple flowers with white streaks and dark green heart shaped flowers.
Common Yarrow
Small, almost fern like tiny leaves, growing low to ground.
French Broom
Small yellow flowers growing throughout stem, can grow tall and in big patches.
Seaside Buckwheat
Milky white small flowers with same color stem.
Bluff Lettuce
Reddish and green succulent star plant near ground with rising stem of same color.
Seaside Daisy
Light purple many mini petals, 10-15 flowers a plant.
Poison Hemlock
Tall stems topped with small bunches of white flowers. Leaves almost look like a fern.
Scarlet Pimpernel
Very small 5 petaled orange flowers with yellow stamen, goes very low to ground. No more than 1 inch high.
Manzanita (maybe brittle leaved)
Smooth Cats Ear
Long large ribbed leaves growing along ground out of stem with very tel stem leading to dandelion looking flower.
Coffeeberry
Red stems with longer green downturned (in the shape of a U) leaves. Dark blue or purple berries when in bloom.
California Yerba Santa
Leathery long leaves leading up to deep but small bell shaped purple flowers.
Chamise
Stick like branches with small small leaves pointing upwards. Small white tubular flowers when in bloom.
Chaparral Pea
Unique shaped pink flowers, tall stems of a pale/mint green with small leafs jutting our opposite each other.
California Wild Rose
Open faced flat 5-petal flowers (often pink) with characteristic rose leaves.
Coastal Redwood
Mixed Evergreen Forest
Blue Elderberry
Ends of this large shrub are covered with a puffy blast of small white flowers or blue elderberries dependent on the season.
Coastal Redwood
Mixed Evergreen Forest
California Goldenbush
When blooming, small yellow flowers at the end of each stalk, wide bush low to the ground.
Western Starflower
Small purple star-shaped flower groing out of single quad leaved plants close to ground.
Coastal Redwood
Mixed Evergreen Forest
Himalayan BlackBerry
Larger leaves than the California blackberry bush with a very thick stem at parts.
Golden Chinquapin
Spiny burrs growing on the end, longer oval shaped leaves that sometimes curl.
Ponderosa Pine
Pine tree with spread out cones.
Santa Cruz Mountain Manzanita
Reddish ghost looking fuzzy stems with green oval shaped leaves with red outlining and red vein.
California Broom
Small stems of yellowish flowers carpeting direct sun sandhill areas.
Yellow Yarrow
Large clump of very small yellow flowers with almost fuzzy looking center
Silverbush Lupine
Small (12inch) stems with small purple flowers jutting out of a mint-green/silver bush.
Sandhills Poppy
Singular four-petaled yellow flowers growing in the top high sun area of the sandhills.
Interior Live Oak
Leaves are slightly smaller than the coast live oak and the plant can look far more shrub-like, also found commonly in the sandhill areas of Henry Cowell.
Evergreen Huckleberry
Small little pinnate leaves the turn whitish and then purple at the very tips (new growth) Little blue berries when ripe. Little pink bell flowers before berries.
Pink Honeysuckle
Uppermost pairs of leaves are fused at the bases to surround the stem and are followed by the pink honeysuckle blossoms or red fruits.
Common Holly
Dark green very poky leaves (similar to the coast live oak but more pronounced spikes on leaves, darker green, and a bit bigger)
Orange-bush Monkey Flower
Orange flowers and underside of leaves are sticky to the touch.
Pineapple Weed
Small little clusters of yellow like flower things that look like mini pineapples.
Big Quaking Grass
White little (flowers?) growth that look like a rattle on rattle snake, purple and darker on the top.
Velvet Grass
Topped with a large purple stem like flower with multiple purple folds.
California Spikenard
Large smooth looking oval leaves in tall shoots and groups growing near water.
Honey comb coral slime mold
whitish and translucent with a fuzzy appearance
Trooping Crumble Cap
Growing in small patches, small domed head with a great color.
Broad leaved Dock
Large oval shaped being single leaves pointed at the end. Low to the ground growth.
Douglas Fir
2 to 4 inch cones, narrow three pointed bracts between scales on cone.
Coastal Redwood
Mixed Evergreen Forest
Pacific Sanicle
Heavily veined the leaflet leaves
Black Raspberry
Edible
Native
Fruit-Bearing
Red Baneberry
Bright red berries in the spring and summer, leaves are large and (maybe) pinnate with ridged edges. Small veins. Tall white stem of flowers before berries.
Broadleaf forget-me-not
Small purple flowers, long leaf with darker somewhat pronounced vein down middle.
Big Leaf Maple
Large maple leaves - paired wing helicopter twirly seeds.
California Bay Laurel
small round and green berry lightly spotted with purple and turning orange on maturity
Native
Endemic
Fruit-Bearing
Licorice Fern
Very similar to other polypody ferns but grows from a single stem. May grow in patches, but all individuals. Leaves connected to stem like deer fern but deer fern looks more similar to the sword.
Sword Fern
Very similar to deer fern but leaves are connected to the stem via a very small stem - much more common in Henry cowbell in comparison to deer fern as well.
Tan Oak
Larger leaves than coastal live oak (but still poky sides)
Coastal Redwood
Mixed Evergreen Forest
Coast Live Oak
Smaller, sharp poky ridged leaves in comparison to the tan oak.
Mixed Evergreen Forest
Coastal Redwood
Western Maidenhair Fern
Beautiful black stems, fan-like pinnate leaves.
Arctic Butterbur
One large single leaf growing out of a single stem. Near water sources. Wooly fuzz on underside of leaf
Pacific Madrone
Smooth red, often peeling bark.
Native
Annual
Fruit-Bearing
Edible
Coal Fungus / Cramp Balls
All black fungus found usually on fallen trees.
Hypnum Moss
Protruding about 1/2 inch from fallen log, looks feathery and soft
Coastal Redwood
Mixed Evergreen Forest
Three leaf Foamflower
Small white bell shaped flowers on towering stem, grows low to ground (often near water)
Mountain sweet cicely
Trifoliate (three leaflets) toothed or lobed leaves. Small white flower cluster when in bloom
Beaked Hazelnut
Round leaves with coarse toothed edges, 3-5 foot tall shrub
British Columbia Wild Ginger
Palm sized heart shaped leaves growing close to ground
Wolf’s milk slime
Bright pink, goo like balls on fallen logs. Can turn an Olive brown with maturity
Thimbleberry
5-pedaled white flowers, large leaves, slightly fuzzy stems
Perennial
Fruit-Bearing
Edible
Lady Fern
Widest at middle, 2-3x pinnate
Italian Thistle
Spiky long stems, small spiky looking purple flowers in the spring and summer
Blessed Milk Thistle
Looks spiky, purple flowers and shiny pale green leaves with white veins. larger purple flower than italian thislte
Bracken Fern
Widest at base, 2-3x pinnate leaves.
False Solomon’s seal
Smooth deeper green alternate pinnate leaves. Often 2-3 large veins running down length of leaf.
California BlackBerry
Small dark thorns on the vines stem and red or black berries in spring and summer. Coarse toothed ridges on edges of leaves.
Fruit-Bearing
Edible
Native
Coastal Redwood
Tall, red-colored bark
Deer Fern
Large single columns growing with leaves directly connected to stem.
Lemon Balm
Leaves very fuzzy to the touch, always growing opposite eachother. Small purple flowers when in bloom.
Redwood Sorrel
Three heart shaped leaves, connected at the center. Carpets heavily shaded redwood areas
Poison Oak
Leaves of three, rounded like a cloud around edges.
Pacific Trillium
Three large smooth leaves with small flower growing out of middle.