Drought is kind of a dirty word. It’s a dry, dusty, parched, scary, dirty word for most Californians. I feel for the farmers and ranchers and fish as we survive through epic drought conditions.

Black oaks (Quercus kelloggii) was slower to leaf out in the drier year.

Although the important discussions press onward about impacts of drought on people (which I think is an extremely important discussion), I’m taking a second to think about it from a wildflower perspective.  Yes, drought means limited water, but what’s that decrease mean for one of California’s oldest residents – the flora.  Continue reading →