One of my most favorite spring wildflowers has to be the California Fawn Lily (Erythronium californicum).   This gorgeous lily can be found in shady understory areas of dense oak woodlands, mixed hardwoods, and chaparral vegetation types.   This dainty, springtime flower is sometimes called the Chamise Lily and they have often been called the "Soul of Spring".

This endemic plant to California can be awe-inspiring when found flowering in dense colonies ... a sudden burst of joyful color in an otherwise drab leaf litter ground cover.   April seems to be the real month to find these in bloom, but a few stragglers such as these photographed this week can still be found in shady ravines and streamsides.