The Monarch Nature Trail is home to a very rare California native plant—the Southern Tarplant. Experts rate the Tarplant as a seriously threatened species, due to habitat loss. Southern Tarplant (formerly known as “Tarweed” even though it is not a weed) likes disturbed soil near the coast--but few open coastal areas remain. Southern Tarplant can be found at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and the Newport Back Bay natural areas. And it does very well on the Monarch Trail, growing larger and more dense than we have ever seen after the great winter rains of 2018/2019! Butterflies and bees love its small yellow flowers, which peak in summer. Just be careful as you walk the trail (where it tends to cluster) as the Southern Tarplant is well armed with prickers. (We had to trim it back this year along the trail!)
Tarplant is not to be confused with a similar-looking invasive weed known as the goat-head weed. These nasty weeds have thorny seed heads shaped like a goat's head with spikes that can puncture a bike tire (to which I can personally attest!). Goat-head weeds grow very flat on the ground, unlike Tarplant which is typically several inches to knee-high. We have been actively removing goat head weeds from the trail.
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