Narrow-leaf milkweed
This trail goes through some great stands of native grasses. Most of the grasslands in California are unfortunately non-native annual grasses from the Mediterranean region, but Catalina has some fairly dense stands of native bunchgrass. Also growing in the grasslands is the narrow leafed milkweed called Asclepias fascicularis. It’s a tall plant with showy white pink and purple flowers, only found here and one other part of the island. The steep cliffs nearby harbor an amazing display of both species of buckwheat found on Catalina: the Catalina endemic St. Catherine's lace and the Channel Islands' endemic Island Buckwheat. These plants grow on the rocky cliffs visible to the west of the trail along the drainage. Flowering with white petals late in the summer, the flower stalks mature in the fall to a striking rusty-red color. They are found primarily on these steep cliffs probably because these areas were less disturbed during the ranching days on the Island. The grassland area is prone to landslides because of the geology of the region, so the open soil gives invasive plants an opportunity to spread. The invasive fennel, called Foeniculum vulgare, is common in this area but is being removed to give native species a fighting chance.
