Wildflower Explosion at Edgewood County Park & Preserve

Wild flowers are blooming in profusion in the serpentine grasslands of Edgewood County Park & Preserve. Great crowds of people are jamming the main entrance on Edgewood Road for free weekend nature walks. To avoid the crowds take Edgewood Road west to where it ends and then turn left (south) on Canada Road, go under the freeway, and park in a dirt parking area on the west side of the road. Across from the parking lot begins the Clarkia Trail, which takes you into the park.

My College of San Mateo class met at the Clarkia Trail entrance to begin a 4.6 mile counter clockwise loop around the park. From the Clarkia Trail we headed right on the Sunset Trail

to the Serpentine Trail, with a brief side trip to see a rare blue rock called blue schist. We then followed the Serpentine Trail, turning right on the Franciscan Trail, left on the Edgewood Trail and then back to the Clarkia Trail by way of the Sunset Trail.

It is easy to see what parts of the park have serpentine soil by the profusion of wild flowers. Serpentine is the state rock of California. Associated with earthquake faults, it is low in calcium, nitrogen, and potassium, and high in nickel and chromium. This chemical composition makes it infertile and a difficult environment for plants that are not adapted to growing there. As a result, non-native annual grasses, which dominate most hillsides do poorly, and plants that evolved to grow in serpentine soil thrive.

Among the many wild flowers we saw sticky monkey flowers, linanthus, tidy tips, purple sanicle, goldfield, larkspur, owl clover, golden poppies, checker bloom, sun cups, cream cups, butter cups, narrow-leaf mule ear, blue eyed grass, and harvest brodiaea. We also saw deer, a wild turkey in a tree, and several fence lizards.

TO GET THERE... From Highway 280 take Edgewood Road west, turn left on Canada Road, and park on the dirt parking lot on the west side of the road just east of the freeway.