Hilllside Natural Area, El Cerrito

This plant walk will start up from the former quarry site near Schmidt Lane, next to the site for the El Cerrito Hillside Festival on Saturday, May 17. For more information on the festival, go to www.ectrailtrekkers.org.

Hillside Natural Area is one of the few remaining stands of oak woodland and creek/riparian vegetation that descends well below the top of the Oakland/Berkeley/El Cerrito hills. The lowest area saw previous use and disturbance as a quarry, but uphill the oak woodland and riparian plant communities have kept their basic flora, with some invasion in the margins. The main trail from Schmidt to Shevlin runs almost entirely uphill to the other end of the park. The grade of the hill path makes for great views of and across SF Bay, with few tall buildings nearby to block the view. Be aware of poison oak in a couple of narrow spots on the trail.

We will repeat this walk at 1:30 p.m., also on Saturday, May 17, with all the same directions. The vascular plant list follows directions.

Directions: From the south, exit I-80 northbound at Central Ave. and follow it east to Central & San Pablo Ave. Turn left onto San Pablo Ave. and follow it north to Schmidt & San Pablo Ave. Turn right onto Schmidt and follow it to the recycling center and festival area and look for parking. Meet me at the trailhead, and hopefully the festival organizers can also steer you to the trailhead. From the north, exit I-80 at MacDonald, and follow ramp directions to San Pablo. Go on southbound San Pablo to Schmidt, where you turn left and follow it to Hillside Natural Area.

If parking on Schmidt Lane is unavailable because of festival parking, you can also park for free on nearby streets. Mass transit is also available, if you don't mind walking east on Schmidt from San Pablo Ave. If you are going by mass transit, take AC Transit #72 northbound from El Cerrito Plaza BART, or #72 southbound from El Cerrito del Norte BART ($1.85 with BART transfer). Regardless of direction, get off the #72 bus at the intersection of Schmidt and San Pablo and walk eastbound (toward the hill) on Schmidt. Schmidt deadends at the El Cerrito Recycling Center, which is next to the trailhead and the park.

Dogs: Our apologies, but please don't bring a dog

Safety: Outdoor activities are inherently risky. On hiking trips, grave injury and death are not out of the realm of possibility. By coming on this trip, you agree to be 100% responsible for your own health, safety and well being. If you bring a guest(s), that guest(s) will be 100% responsible for his/her own health, safety and well being.

In order to minimize trees sacrificed for paper, here's my partial vascular plant list, last updated April 27, 2014:

Pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies)

Native to site? Botanic Latin (family centered above genera) Common name

Dennstaedtiaceae

yes Pteridium aquilinum var pubescens bracken fern

Dryopteridaceae

yes Dryopteris arguta wood fern

Polypodiaceae

yes Polypodium calirhiza California polypody

Gymnoperms (conifers and other naked seed coats)

Cupressaceae

no Calocedrus decurrens incense cedar

no Hesperocyparis macrocarpa Monterey cypress

yes, but planted Sequoia sempervirens coast redwood

Pinaceae

no Pinus radiata, & other Pinus sp. near entrance Monterey pine

Angiosperms (flowering plants)

Lauraceae (only basal family here)

yes Umbellularia californica California bay, Oregon myrtle

Adoxaceae (Eudicot families start here)

yes Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea blue elderberry

Anacardiaceae

no Rhus ovata sugar bush

yes Toxicodendron diversilobum poison oak

Apiaceae

no Conium maculatum poison hemlock

no Foeniculum vulgare fennel

yes Sanicula crassicaulis Pacific sanicle

Araliaceae

no Hedera canariensis Algerian ivy

Asteraceae

yes Achillea millefolium yarrow

yes Artemisia californica California sagebrush

yes A. douglasiana mugwort

yes Baccharis pilularis coyote brush

no Calendula arvensis ?

no Carduus pycnocephalus ssp. pycnocephalus; Italian thistle

no Cynara cardunculus artichoke thistle

no Delairea odorata cape ivy

yes Grindelia camporum gum plant

no Helminthotheca echioides bristly ox-tongue

no Hypochaeris radicata rough cat's ear

no Lactuca virosa lettuce (feral)

no Matricaria discoidea pineapple weed

no Pseudognaphalium luteo-album cudweed

no Senecio vulgaris groundsel

no Silybum marianum milk thistle

no Sonchus oleraceus common sow thistle

no Taraxacum officinale dandelion

yes Wyethia angustifolia narrowleaf mule ears

Boraginaceae

no Echium candicans pride of Madeira

yes Phacelia divaricata scorpion flower

Brassicaceae

no Brassica rapa field mustard

no Brassica nigra black mustard

no Raphanus sativus wild radish

Caprifoliaceae

yes Lonicera hispidula California honeysuckle

yes Symphoricarpos mollis creeping snowberry

Caryophyllaceae

no Stellaria media common chickweed

Convolvulaceae

no Convolvulus arvensis bindweed

Cucurbitaceae

yes Marah fabacea manroot

Euphorbiaceae

no Euphorbia peplus petty spurge

no Ricinus communis castor bean

Fabaceae

no Acacia baileyana cootamundra wattle

no A. melanoxylon blackwood acacia

no Genista monspessulana French broom

yes Lathyrus vestitus Pacific pea

yes Lupinus albifrons var. collinus bush lupine, silver lupine

yes L. bicolor dove lupine

yes L. succulentus arroyo lupine

no Medicago polymorpha burclover

no M. arabica spotted burclover

no Trifolium hirtum rose clover

no Vicia benghalensis vetch

yes Vicia gigantea giant vetch

no Vicia sativa vetch

Fagaceae

yes Quercus agrifolia coast live oak

Geraniaceae

no Erodium cicutarium red-stem filaree

no E. moschatum white-stem filaree

no Geranium dissectum cut-leaf geranium

Grossulariaceae

yes Ribes californicum var. californicum hillside gooseberry

Lamiaceae

yes Stachys rigida var. rigida hedge nettle

Malvaceae

no Malva parviflora cheeseweed

yes Sidalcea malviflora ssp.malviflora checker mallow

Montiaceae

yes Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata miner's lettuce

Myrsinaceae

no Anagallis arvensis scarlet pimpernel

Myrtaceae

no Eucalyptus globulus blue gum, Tasmanian gum

Oxalidaceae

no Oxalis pes-caprae Bermuda buttercup

Papaveraceae

yes Escholzia californica California poppy

Phrymaceae

yes Mimulus aurantiacus monkey flower

Pittosporaceae

no Pittosporum tenuifolium ?

Plantaginaceae

no Plantago lanceolata English plantain

no Plantago major common plantain

Platanaceae

no Platanus hybrid plane tree

Polygonaceae

no Rumex crispus curly dock

Ranunculaceae

no Nigella damascena love-in-a-mist

Rosaceae

no Cotoneaster pannosus ?

yes Heteromeles arbutifolia toyon

no Prunus cerasifera cherry plum

no Pyracantha angustifolia firethorn

no Rubus aremeniacus Himalayan blackberry

Rubiaceae

yes Galium aparine bedstraw, cleavers

Salicaceae

yes Salix lasiolepis arroyo willow

Sapindaceae

yes, but planted Acer macrophyllum bigleaf maple

yes Aesculus californica California buckeye

Scrophulariaceae

yes Scrophularia californica bee plant

Solanaceae

no Solanum nigrum black nightshade

Ulmaceae

no Ulmus sp. ? mostly dead

Urticaceae

yes Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea hoary nettle

Valerianaceae

no Centranthus ruber valerian

Monocot families (Angiosperms, but 1 seed leaf)

Agavaceae

yes Chlorogalum pomeridianum soaproot, amole

Iridaceae

no Crocosmia crocosmiiflora African shooting stars

yes Sisyrinchium bellum blue-eyed grass

Juncaceae

yes, but planted Juncus patens blue rush

Liliaceae

yes Calochortus umbellatus Oakland star tulip

Poaceae

no Avena barbata slender wild oat

no A. fatua wild oat

no Bromus diandrus ripgut brome

no B. hordeaceus soft chess

no Cortaderia jubata pampas grass

no Ehrharta erecta veldt grass, Stebbins grass

no Festuca perennis Italian wildrye

no Hordeum murinum farmer barley

no Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass

yes Stipa pulchra purple needle grass

Themidaceae

yes Dichelostemma capitatum blue dicks

yes Triteleia laxa Ithuriel's spear