3 wildflowers to look for now

Is it too early to see spring wildflowers? It certainly isn’t spring yet. However, there are three wildflowers you can look for now.

• Milkmaids (Cardamine californica) is a perennial that grows 10 to 20 inches tall. The small white flowers have four petals.

• Western hound’s tongue (Adelinia grandis) is named for the shape of the leaves — think of a panting dog’s tongue. Its pale blue flowers make it easy to identify along the trails.

• Footsteps of spring (Sanicula arctopoides) seems to bloom before spring comes. The leaves grow flat to the ground. These matted patches along the ground resemble “footsteps” of yellow-green against the background. The flowers are yellow.

Don’t wait for spring to look for these California natives. They will brighten our landscape in the next few weeks.

— katie martin, UC Marin Master Gardeners