In California, the wild mustard blooms later than the other wildflowers. Instead of the green grass of spring, it appears against a backdrop of the golden dry grass of summer.

Pictured in this photograph is an especially exquisite California wild mustard bloom in Calero County Park, just a few minutes south of San Jose. Though quite an iconic flower of California, the wild mustard is not native. In fact it is considered quite invasive. But boy, it sure is beautiful. It seems to bloom a bit later than the other spring-time wildflowers, which is a welcomed difference. Although I hate invasive plants, I do love how it interacts with the hues of summer. In scenes like this, the afternoon sun lights up the whole landscape in different shades of gold, and the mustard adds some color to the otherwise uniformly brown hillsides of summer.

Purchase “California Wild Mustard in Summer – Calero County Park” Fine Art Print: