Spring 2019
In contrast to Spring 2018, this season was off to an early start after the record rainfall in October 2018. Those rains combined with still-warm temperatures to induce early germination in many winter-spring ephemerals, leading to what I began to call, "Springime in December." Poppies, phacelias and other borages, mustards, plantains, and some non-native grasses sprang up earlier than usual. Among perennials, two wolfberry species (L. exsertum and L. andersonii) both flowered and set fruit in late fall instead of their usual spring appearance. The fact that they didn't flower the previous dry spring leads me to wonder whether they were flowering "late" or "early". If they flower again in March, we'll know it was "late". [ETA: they didn't flower again in March, thus "early"]
The rains also induced the germination of millions of triangle-leaf bursage, canyon bursage and brittlebush seedlings. Almost every adult plant is surrounded by dozens of seedlings. Also, some spring ephemerals that were rare or uncommon in the previous 8 years or more turned out in profusion - notably purple-stem phacelia and Emory's rock-daisy, both of which are prolific right now along the southern leg of the Gateway Loop.
If you've noticed other unusual events such as these, please add a note in the comments.
A few frosty nights in early January nipped back some of the exuberant growth in brittlebush, goldeneye, canyon bursage and trixis, but chances of another frost are becoming slim.
Taken for all in all, it should be an early and fairly prolific spring flowering season this year. It's already underway.
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