What to Know
- Irvine Ranch Conservancy's "Wildflower Takeover" in honor of National Wildflower Week; the week happens in early May each year
- The uplifting and educational "takeover" is happening on the group's social pages each day through May 11, 2024
- Get to know some of the fabulous flowers of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, all to prepare you for your next hike at the vast Orange County open space; several guided hikes are coming up soon
We'll never receive a hand-written invitation in the mail from a wildflower, though, if we did, we can imagine such a lovely note might feature gorgeous calligraphy and scented stationery.
Wildflowers don't have time to write us, of course: They're too busy growing, beckoning bees and hummingbirds, and playing important roles in the health of the ecosystems where they so beautifully thrive.
But wildflower fans can connect with the joys of some of our region's most spectacular specimens, with no calligraphy or scented paper required.
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Look to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, a group that lends support and a voice to the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.
The conservancy takes time each spring to mark National Wildflower Week by featuring a Wildflower Takeover on its social pages — Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter — all to give those who love to hike and enjoy the incredible open spaces some beauty, knowledge, and a joyful reason to return.
A total of seven species are in the 2024 spotlight, with the Cobweb Thistle receiving the first slot. Pollinators adore the Cobweb Thistle's "sweet nectar," while the "fuzzy leaves" act "like a suit of armor."
The Scene
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Cool: If only we could don such helpful fuzzy leaves when required.
Other floral favorites around the enormous open space, which rambles over "(n)early 40,000 acres" from the Cleveland National Forest to the beach — think Crystal Cove State Park and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park — will also be highlighted during the flower-fun week, including Purple Owl's Clover and Black Sage.
This map shows just how large the protected space is, and how many Orange County communities it flows through and near.
Eager to behold some of these blossoms in person while exploring the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks?
There are outdoor activities aplenty coming up this spring and summer, with an Evening Hike on Hicks Haul Road — think "stunning rock formations" — and a chance to "water and weed" the butterfly habitats at Limestone.
