We drove south to Pescadero Beach in search of flowering Lupinus arboreus. We first walked around the coastal scrub community on the bluffs behind the shore. We spotted some lupines, but none flowering. In the coastal scrub community, coyote brush and coast buckwheat were very common, along with the invasive ice plant.

We discussed the stresses faced by coastal plants: salt spray, sandy soils, high winds, and high sun exposure. However, being a coastal plant has its benefits since the proximity to the ocean means there is relatively little daily and seasonal temperature fluctuation.

The bush lupines were few and far between, though they stood out since they appeared to grow taller than other plants in the community. We walked down along the beach and behind the dunes in search of a flowering lupine. We found a couple with a few inflorescences still in great shape, though they were mostly in fruit. My hikes along the CA coast have mostly been in Marin Co, so when I thought of bush lupines, I thought purple flowers. It was interesting seeing, or at least paying attention to, these yellow-flowered bush lupines for the first time.