05/14/2026
Reposted from
Design in Bloom by Bianca Koenig, PLA, ASLA
I finally made my very first visit to the Cambria Wildflower Show. Now in its 18th year, this event was truly beyond what I expected. Hundreds of wild species, from Monterey County line to Morro Bay Estuary were collected, identified, labeled, and put on display. I was grateful to find a friend and fellow plant nerd to walk and view each one of the hundreds of local flowers. I was also surprised to find samples of grasses, conifer trees, and… w**dy and invasive species! Every single specimen was collected, identified, and labeled with special notations for invasive, not native, and/or poisonous. There they were! The resilient and determined plants which pop up in the gardens I maintain, every year after the winter rains… Euphorbia peplus, Asparagus asparagoides, and a particular, Oxalis micrantha. Finally, I can acknowledge each one by name as I pluck them from the garden one by one!
When it comes to w**d management, I always start with for specific information and a thorough history of the source, habits, and specific eradication methods for each plant type. Each species always has their own durable characteristics, like springing up years later from dormant seed and root stock! Each species has a story to tell about the movement of humans and animals across the globe. And each species has a special strength to grow, thrive, and photosynthesize in the tough and challenging environments of roadway ditches, sidewalk cracks, and other disturbed soil areas. These amazing forms from nature– they amaze me… and keep me busy! Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A w**d is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”
Many thanks to for sponsoring this extraordinary educational event.
