Lasthenia californica, California Goldfields

Widely distributed throughout California and the most common in its genus, California goldfields is a small daisylike yellow annual which, while dainty and unimpressive individually, is breathtaking in masses, such as in this picture. As you can see, it blooms with other spring blooming wildflowers like tidy tips and owl's clover. It has edible seeds and is adaptable to many kinds of soil. With reddish stems and narrow leaves, it blooms March-May.