California Flora, Pacific Crest

The PCT in California spans deserts, forests, and alpine meadows, showcasing diverse plant life.  In southern California’s dry stretches, hardy plants like Joshua trees, creosote bushes, and cholla cacti thrive in the arid landscape. 

California buckwheat, with its tiny white or pink flowers, provides nectar for butterflies and bees.

Moving into chaparral regions, hikers encounter manzanita with its small, bell-shaped pink flowers, along with coast live oaks and toyon bushes, whose bright red berries attract wildlife. 

As the trail climbs into the Sierra Nevada, towering Jeffrey and lodgepole pines dominate the forests, their needles scenting the air.

Higher up, alpine meadows burst with wildflowers like lupine, columbine, and Indian paintbrush during the summer months.