Paeonia californica
| Wildflowers | Dicots | Saxifragales | Paeoniaceae | Paeonia |
California peony. Nothing like the peonies in the garden. The flower is fleshy and downturned. Rare in the front country but common along Cold Spring between Forbush and the Grotto, on Forbush Canyon trail and on Arroyo Burro. There’s a nice patch on Painted Cave Rd. just a quarter mile down from Camino Cielo (near the little bridge).
Buds appear in January. First observed blooming in Feb. Continues into April. Finished by May.
Fruit appears in May
Pollination. The bee had a tight fit to crawl down into the bloom, here it is struggling to get out.
Wildflowers in Santa Barbara 
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