Calflora is a good reference site http://www.calflora.org/

Oh, Sue, what an incredible photo. Did you take it?

Thanks, Sue! And I agree, that is a beautiful photo.

Yes, just this past Wed. at the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens.

Gorgeous. We've had to cut our Matilija back twice already because they were blocking the path, but they have just started to bloom.

So how did you jaunt to Cambria and Santa Barbara go?

Fabulous, just finished editing photos so I'll have to post some new threads. Cambria was nice as usual, relaxing. We walked along the boardwalk beach cliff trail in the evening at sunset and then again the next morning after breakfast. Did a little bit of shopping in town in a few quaint stores like my favorite http://cambriagardenshed.com/ and had dinner at my favorite place, yummy! http://www.robinsrestaurant.co... Second day we drove south along Hwy 1, great scenery, rolling oak covered green hills, and then into Santa Barbara where we toured the SB Botanical Garden in the afternoon. The next morning we toured Lotusland, highly recommended! We were in awe. After that, we stopped at a nursery that the Lotusland docent suggested, loved it! Terra Sol, right off the highway, good prices too. On our way home, we stopped in Solvang for a great Danish smorgasbord and a little wandering around in the gift shops. It's fun to go somewhere with another plant lover, especially my Mom. Our next get away I told her I want to do is Mendocino, she has never been to the botanical gardens there.

Mom trying to stay cool in the warm canyon of the SB botanical gardens.

Terra Sol garden center thread:
http://cubits.org/Califliving/...

Here's a news item about a frightening native plant: Turricula parryi:

http://www.latimes.com/news/lo...

They could have posted a photo that gives people a hope of identifying it - purple flowers isn't quite enough!

Yikes! And they had to use a cute nickname for it too.
Found more info on another site, it says "It’s called the Poodle Dog Bush, and while that name makes it sound like one of the sweet, quirky characters from Dr. Seuss’s books — it’s actually one of the junkyard dogs of the plant world.
Like the demon spawn of stinging nettle and poison ivy, the deviously attractive plant causes severe dermatitis in everyone who touches – or even smells it.
The leaves, flowers and stem of living and dead plants cause adverse reactions. Symptoms include pain, itching, swelling and blistering of the skin and mucous membranes. In bit of added trickery, symptoms often don’t show up until 12-36 hours after contact and they can last for weeks.

Pick one:
http://www.google.com/search?q...

Pretty, isn't it? If I saw it, I'd probably think it was some sort of Phacelia and want to dig it up and take it home.

Yep, me too! After all, it's a pretty blue flower!

Yeah, Sue, that's what the LA Times article should have done - linked to some photos. How many of their readers will know or bother to look them up online?

What a wolf in sheep's clothing that plant is! I'm with Zuzu, too, I'd be wanting some of those pretty flowers!