This post is partly repeated from last year, but I think now is the time to repost because, pretty soon (in February), the bay area is going to be covered in Wood-sorrel flowers.
Over the weekend of February 20th, 2024, I had the opportunity to visit Baker Beach and Lands End in San Francisco. I hadn’t been to San Francisco since before the pandemic. Occasionally, I had visited Sausalito, which is on the “safer side of the bridge” in terms of pickpocketing and assaults on photographers, but I hadn’t ventured into the city.
The day was unusually beautiful and sunny. The beach was bustling with many people, and as typical for this time of year, the hills were adorned with patches of wood-sorrel flowers, a species in the genus Oxalis known for its bright yellow blossoms.
I captured the FEATURED IMAGE handheld (f/22, 1/400s, ISO 200 @35 mm) while standing on the sand. On the left-hand side is Baker Beach, with the Golden Gate Bridge featured in the distance. While it’s not uncommon to see photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach, it’s rare to find one from this particular viewpoint, especially with so many yellow Oxalis flowers in the frame. Witnessing these flowers at the end of February was a stroke of luck, as their appearance is fleeting.
Prints of the FEATURED IMAGE are available in my gallery “West Coast Spring” on my pixels website.
Not everyone likes it
The article “Why this city is waging war on shamrocks” is an interesting look at both sides of the coin: those who love the yellow flowers and see them as a welcome first sign of spring, and those who hate it for not being native and outcompeting the native wildflowers.
Vegans Beware:
The name “Oxalis” derives from “sour,” owing to its oxalic acid content. Oxalic acid is present in various domesticated vegetables, including popular choices like spinach and broccoli.
Consuming large quantities of oxalic acid can be toxic as it hinders calcium absorption. While there’s no issue with consuming these vegetables in moderation as part of a varied diet, relying solely on salads for one’s calcium intake can be counterproductive. Despite spinach and broccoli, among other vegetables, being rich in calcium, much of it remains unavailable for absorption due to the presence of oxalic acid.
Remember, the West was not conquered on salads.
Artistic Oxalis photographs
If you don’t like the intense yellow, when your Oxalis flowers start to pop up in your garden, as mine have in Sacramento, you can use them for artistic black-and white photographs. But be fast these flowers wilt very fast.
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Wall Art landscapes and miscellaneous
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It is all about the light 
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