Areas of serpentine soil are currently yielding a profusion
of native wildflowers along the Peninsula Watershed ridges.
Serpentine soil is derived from California’s state rock—the greenish
metaphoric serpentine rock originating from the earth’s mantle. Serpentine rock outcrops are closely
associated with California fault lines. The soil is high in magnesium and iron,
but low in calcium, aluminum, and nutrient-rich clay, so that it is thin and inhospitable
to many plant types. Its plant
communities are typically composed of stubby, low-growing native grasses and
small herbaceous plants.
Conversely, serpentine soil attracts a variety
of native wildflowers—many of them rare or endangered—that thrive in the
extreme conditions so unfavorable to many of their more common or non-native competitors. To check out this year’s serpentine displays
on the Peninsula Watershed, join a guided hike or bike ride along the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail.
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