creeky

creekmap

I’m preparing to lead a Welcome Walk at Malibu Creek State Park, so I created this graphic to explain the creek action. It gets a bit confusing as you walk the main trail because at first the water is flowing one way, but then it’s suddenly flowing the other way. They are actually two different creeks!

Calochortus plummerae

Calochortus plummerae

We found a late-blooming Plummer’s mariposa in a rocky part of Serrano Canyon, as well as running water! We’d crossed the dry creek bed several times on the way up there, so it was a real surprise to see Serrano Creek blurbling along at this point. It seemed a good place to stop for a while, then head back.

Polypogon monspeliensis

Polypogon monspeliensis

What is this fluffy-flowered grass on the water’s edge, we wondered. Turns out that rabbitsfoot or beardgrass is native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, but is now found in other parts of Africa, as well as in Australia and both North and South America. In California, it is widely distributed but typically confined to moist habitats. The flowers sure are attractive, but the grass can form dense stands and outcompete native plant species.