Yellow and purple wildflower bloom amid tall grass on a slope.
Photo by LiPo Ching/Stanford University

Two seasons on Jasper Ridge

At Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma), part of the School of Humanities and Sciences, a hike in February and one in April paint different pictures. The grays of clouds and rain and the browns of mud and leafless trees dominate the winter palette, and it is easy to forget that some things are in their element in the wet season. Fungi arise, moss turns green, and rainbows offer hope for the vernal colors to come. In spring, sunshine illuminates the greens, yellows, and purples of grasses, wildflowers, and leaves that welcome pollinating insects and strutting wild turkeys. 

 

But the story of spring’s bounty begins long before winter’s rains. The nutrient-poor serpentine rock that underlies parts of the preserve formed over millions of years in Earth’s mantle and squeezed up to the surface in patches along the San Andreas Fault. Wildflowers adapted to grow in the harsh serpentine soil, and it helped them resist the advance of invasive European grasses that has replaced many native plants. The native wildflowers are as much a connection to the past as an indicator of a specific point in the natural cycle. The seasons roll on at Jasper Ridge.

June 28, 2024
Clouds reflect on a small lake surrounded by vegetation with red accents with a ridge in the distance
The reservoir behind Searsville Dam within Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve reflects the sunlit clouds. Fed by streams from the nearby foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the reservoir refills each year with winter’s rains.
Gray clouds float above a low area covered in fog and surrounded by green shrubs and trees
Fog clings to the hollow of the San Andreas Fault as the surrounding grassland, chaparral, and oak woodland—three of the seven ecosystems present in the preserve—wait for sunlight. 
Three close-up photos of a brown round-top mushroom growing among dead leaves, green moss, and light-brown cylindrical mushrooms
Fungi and moss revel in winter’s moisture. Fruiting bodies of fungi emerge from damp soil, ready to spread their spores. On tree trunks, moss rehydrates and displays a fresh green after months of brown.
Three leafless oak trees stand at the edge of grassland in front of puffy white clouds
The twisted treetops of bare valley oaks rise over the grassland toward clearing clouds. A California scrub jay perches atop the middle tree. 
Close-up photos of a raindrops on small purple flowers just starting to open; a woody stem with circular green buds; and a cluster of three yellow buds dangling from a green stem
Raindrops cling to early spring flowers. (Left photo) Lowland shooting star. This flower often grows on serpentine and is a member of the primrose family. (Center photo) Coast silk-tassel. Later in spring, the buds on this branch will burst into bloom and create a tassel-like chain of flowers, mimicking the shrub’s namesake. (Right photo) Western leatherwood. The western leatherwood is a shrub native to the Bay Area that is considered rare yet is common at Jasper Ridge. 
A rainbow arches over a wide oak tree while a photographer wearing a bright-red jacket kneels in front
On a stormy day, a rainbow crowns a lone valley oak as photographer and JRBP docent Dan Quinn kneels for the perfect shot.
A sea of yellow and purple wildflowers and green grasses
Native California goldfields and owl’s clover wildflowers shine in the spring sunlight. 
A close-up photo of a fly atop a daisy-like yellow wildflower
A fly visits a California goldfields flower. This type of flower doesn’t need much water and grows quickly.
Close-up photo of three purple wildflowers standing above two yellow flowers
Owl’s clover wildflowers stand above their California goldfields neighbors. Owl’s clover gets its name from the white part of the bloom with two black dots at the top, which resembles an owl. Although the clusters that constitute the flower are similar to a clover’s, the plant is not a member of the clover family.
Close-up of two orange wildflowers in a sea of yellow flowers and a few purple ones
California poppies face the sun. The petals of the poppy, California’s state flower, close at night and when it’s cloudy. The liquid from boiled poppy petals served as a treatment for lice for the Muwekma Ohlone people, who have tended the Bay Area landscape for more than 5,000 years.
A sea of grass with areas of color from wildflowers and oaks on the horizon
Islands of native wildflowers bloom amid a sea of invasive European grasses. The concentration of serpentine in the soil protects the flowers from being overtaken by the non-native grasses. Above, the gnarled valley oaks keep watch, still without leaves in April.
Two photos show branches of the same tree, bare in winter and leafy in spring
February versus April: Winter’s bare branches and brown ground give way to spring’s new leaves and grass.
A brown spider on a dewy web wrestles with the bottom half of a bright-green cricket
As its dew-draped web sparkles in the spring sun, a spider grapples with a newly caught cricket.
A black caterpillar climbs a blade of bright-green grass
A caterpillar that will transform into a variable checkerspot butterfly climbs a blade of grass.
Close-up of a yellow wildflower with one bee and three small beetles at its center
A narrow leaf mule ears flower hosts a native bee (top left) and some beetles. The center of the bloom is composed of many tiny flowers, or florets.
On the left, three male turkeys with full feathers walk down a grassy trail. On the right, a dead tree hosts a turkey vulture with wings outstretched
Male wild turkeys flaunt their finery. Introduced into California in the 1950s, these birds thrive here. Perched above, a turkey vulture stretches its wings. Both types of birds are frequently seen at the preserve.
Greenish gray rocks are visible in a sea of green grass and purple and yellow wildflowers
An outcrop of serpentine rock lies atop a field of wildflowers and grasses. Serpentine is low in calcium and high in magnesium, which makes its soil inhospitable for many plant species. This unique chemical make-up stems from the rock’s origin: It came to the surface from deep inside the Earth due to tectonic activity.
A lily-like yellow flower is surrounded by grasses with purple flowers at the top or brown-ish green buds
Western blue-eyed grass (top) and narrow leaf mule ears present a study in contrasting colors and shapes. Despite its name, blue-eyed grass is not a grass but a perennial herb. Its flowers can be purplish, blue, and even white. 
A road going uphill is shown in winter with puddles and bright-green grass and in spring with yellow and purple wildflowers and dark grass
February’s puddles and sprouting grass yield to April’s native wildflowers and leaves on the oak tree.
A double rainbow, with the top arc much lighter than the bottom, is seen on top of gray clouds behind a radio antenna and other equipment on top of a grassy hill
A double rainbow starts its arc behind a solar-powered Wi-Fi station. Stations throughout the preserve connect wildlife cameras, environmental sensors, and more to support field research.
Photos by LiPo Ching. Text by Marijane Leonard and Dan Quinn
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