What's blooming in mid to late fall, and where you can find these flowering plants on the Peninsula, in the South Bay, and Santa Cruz.
By Emily Bloom
Oct. 22, 2024—As the days grow shorter and the air becomes crisp, you may think that the blooming season in the Bay Area has come to an end. However, a handful of resilient and vibrant plants thrive as other blooms go dormant. These “late bloomers” add a final burst of color to the landscape, and a final bit of food for pollinators, birds and other wildlife, before winter takes hold.
Though the milder weather of the Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains’ fall may make it seem like a hospitable time for plants to grow, autumn is actually one of the most demanding times for our local native plants. Often, the rainy season does not begin in earnest until late November, so plants must deal with the remnants of summer’s heat and dryness. Moisture is at its lowest as clear skies and sunny days stretch on.
There are even fewer plants that bloom in autumn than in late summer, but that just makes every bloom all the more special. Here is what you can find blooming locally in autumn:
Coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), also known as chaparral broom, is one of the most iconic late fall bloomers in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains. This sturdy evergreen shrub typically starts blooming in early autumn, and its flowers can remain well into winter.
However, some may not recognize the coyote brush’s many blooms as flowers. It produces masses of fluffy, cream-colored blooms, which are arranged in clusters on the end of the shrub’s many branches. The female plants are particularly eye-catching in late fall, as they release scores of wispy seeds that float on the breeze.
Coyote brush is thought by some to be named for its association with the coastal scrub and chaparral habitats that coyotes frequent. Others say that the plant is named coyote brush for its ability to adapt to any environment, and thrive in harsh conditions like the rugged coyote. However, the theory that we like most is that its fluffy white flowers look as though the plant snagged a few tufts of fur from a coyote as it walked by.
Coyote brush isn’t just aesthetically pleasing. The multitude of flowers that each coyote brush plant makes are an important nectar source for pollinators that otherwise face a dearth of food options in the sparse landscape of California’s dry fall. Additionally, the dense, bushy growth of coyote brush offers shelter for smaller animals and birds during the cooler months.
California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) is one of the last plants that offers a burst of vibrant color in the year’s cycle of seasons. This perennial shrub is known for its brilliant, trumpet-shaped red flowers.
California fuchsia is a magnet for hummingbirds, which are drawn to its scarlet, tubular blossoms. Late fall is also the time when birds traversing the Pacific Flyway make their way south through the Bay Area. Many hummingbirds travel along this avian highway in October and November as they make their way to Mexico. California fuchsia provides these tiny travelers with a much needed pit stop on their journey.
The striking plant blooms from late summer all the way through fall, and makes a great addition to drought-tolerant gardens.
Seaside daisies (Erigeron glaucus) add a soft, yet striking touch to the coastal regions of the Bay Area. The plant’s daisy-like, pastel lavender blooms glow against the backdrop of otherwise brown and golden coastal scrub.
This resilient perennial blooms from late spring through fall, often into late November or early December if the weather remains warm enough.
Seaside daisies thrive in sandy soils and harsh conditions, and are well-adapted to live along California’s coastline. It can tolerate poor soils, salt spray, wind and low moisture. Like the other late-season bloomers, seaside daisies act as an important nectar source for pollinators. This plant’s dish-shaped blooms are especially important for butterflies, such as our native flame skippers.
As fall progresses, toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), comes into its own. Also known as Christmas berry or California holly, toyon is a large shrub that produces clusters of small white flowers in late summer and early fall.
The clusters of unobtrusive white flowers give way to bright red berries in late fall and winter. These berries, which resemble Christmas holly, are a favorite snack of birds like robins, cedar waxwings and other fruit-eating species.
Another standout among late-fall bloomers is California goldenrod (Solidago velutina). This hardy perennial’s many blooms add a warm, golden glow to the autumn landscape.
Goldenrods typically bloom from late summer into November, producing cheerful clusters of small, bright yellow flowers atop tall, slender stems. The clusters of flowers resemble a yellow point, making the name “goldenrod” quite apt. Despite the wand-like appearance of the flower clusters, each individual bloom looks almost daisy-like up close.
California goldenrod thrives in sunny, dry conditions, making it well suited to autumn’s atmosphere. Like the other fall bloomers, goldenrod is an important food source for birds and pollinating insects.
Native buckwheats
Among the most striking of California’s native plants are the buckwheats, especially in fall. The various species of Erigonum, such as coast or seaside buckwheat (Erigonum latifolium), and California buckwheat (Erigonum fasciculatum), are prolific bloomers throughout the year. However, their clusters of tiny, delicate flowers, which range in color from creamy white to pink and pale yellow, really stand out in late fall.
Native buckwheats are incredibly valuable to the local ecosystem. They attract pollinators by the dozens, including our native beads and a wide variety of butterflies. The plant’s seeds are also eaten by birds and harvester ants.
These buckwheats grow more often toward the coast and Santa Cruz County, rather than in the Bay Area proper.
Fall foliage
Beyond the flowers, fall in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains brings a subtle, but captivating change to the foliage. While the region isn’t known for the dramatic autumn displays of the East Coast, certain local native trees and shrubs offer their own brand of seasonal color.
The leaves of the bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), turn a brilliant golden yellow, lighting up the forest understory. This maple species can be found growing in the wet areas along creeks, streams and the banks of ponds. Pickleweed (Salicornia virginica), which grows in the San Francisco Bay’s tidal marshes, turns bright red as the seasons change. This unique plant is one of the favorite snacks of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse.
Even the notorious and noxious poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) contributes to seasonal displays with vivid red and orange leaves that stand out beautifully among the earthy tones of surrounding vegetation. Poison oak also has a role to play in the ecological cycle. It bears small, yellow-green clusters of flowers in the late summer that give way to berries in early fall. The berries, which can hang on through December, provide food for migrating birds.
In the stillness and desiccation of late fall in the Santa Cruz Mountains, when much of the natural world has wound down, these resilient plants offer us a reminder that nature’s vitality and beauty do not fade with the seasons; it simply changes. Even in nature’s quieter moments, Mother Earth still offers us many gems to admire.
Find wildflowers now!
If you want to learn more about where you can find these flowers, check out Hilltromper’s BloomTracker update for fall wildflowers (available until our winter).
Learning about, and seeking out colorful blooms in every season can help us connect more deeply with the environment around us, and appreciate the diversity and variety that each part of the year has to offer.
Category: