Rainbow of Bloom

By KEN WOO

March 14, 1997 12 AM PT

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Bright patches of yellow, orange, pink and purple have sprouted up as an early spring visits Orange County.

Many species of wildflowers are in full bloom, nurtured by above average rainfall.

“We’ve got quite a few wildflowers in bloom right now,” said John Gannaway, senior park ranger at the Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park near San Juan Capistrano. “They’re looking pretty good.”

Gannaway said the heavy rains caused some flowers to appear in late January rather than waiting to make their usual arrival in March. Flowers that are peaking right now are monkey flowers, shooting stars, popcorn flowers and wild cucumber.

Visitors at the Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park are also noticing the array of flowers, including Indian paintbrush, Mariposa lilies and wild hyacinth, lining some nature trails and canyons.

“I love hiking during this time of the year,” said flower enthusiast Sandy Clemmons of Laguna Beach. “It’s so delightful to see all these wonderful colors out here.”

“They’re absolutely gorgeous,” added Betsy Fuller of Aliso Viejo, who normally hikes in the park three times a week. “I’ve noticed an increase in wildflowers over the past few weeks.”

Cameron Peterson of Irvine, who bikes in the park twice a week, also saw the proliferation. “They’re nice and they definitely add to the whole ride,” he said.

While the wildflower season lasts until May, some park rangers said the peak time to view the flowers is in mid-March.

Although the wildflowers are abundant, flower watchers must do a little walking to see the full range.

“There’s nothing like vast fields of wildflowers, [but] they don’t occur that way,” said Scott Smith, a maintenance supervisor at the O’Neill Regional Park in Trabuco Canyon. “The flowers are typically scattered. It’s a subtle kind of beauty.”

Tom Maloney, a park ranger at Aliso and Wood Canyons, said the park expects an increase in visitors. “We always see a seasonal fluctuation in attendance this time of year due to the wildflowers and the better weather,” he said.

Peterson said that on weekends, the parking lot at the park is always so full it can be hard finding a space. All the people sometimes cause crowding on the hiking trails.

“It sometimes gets so backed up on the trail that you’re running into people,” he said.

Although the flowers are fun and spiritually uplifting to view, Maloney said, some precautions should be taken--including being on the lookout for snakes, which also enjoy basking in the warm temperatures.

“The best bet is to stay on the trail and don’t pick any of the flowers,” he said, noting that some people mistake poison oak for flowers.

Other spots to see wildflowers include the Santiago Oaks Regional Park in Orange and the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Some park rangers suggested that flower seekers join guided tours and hikes offered at many parks on the weekends to see the varieties of flowers because many people do not know where to look and what they’re looking for.

The O’Neill, Santiago Oaks, Caspers and Laguna Coast parks all offer free guided walking tours during the weekend. Tours at Caspers start at 9:30 a.m., while tours at Santiago Oaks begin at 10 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors to Laguna Coast can join a 3.5-mile hike on Saturday mornings. For more information, call (714) 854-7108. To get more information on the O’Neill tour, call (714) 858-9380.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Bloom County

Plentiful winter rain has given rise to a nice crop of wildflowers all around Orange County, and particularly in its regional parks and wilderness areas. What’s flowering in four of the county’s outback areas:

1. Santiago Oaks Regional Park

California poppy

Island bush poppy

Indian paintbrush

Monkey flower

2. Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park

Wild hyacinth

Indian paintbrush

Ground pink

Mariposa lily

3. O’Neill Regional Park

Lupine