https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43480559 by @heatherstevens

At 5:43 a.m. on the first day of the annual City Nature Challenge ("CNC"), Heather Stevens took the photo in our observation of the month of Deerweed (Acmispon glaber), the species that ended up as the most frequently observed plant in San Diego County during the 2020 CNC. This year, the CNC was a relatively low-key affair due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on travel and access to natural areas. Even so, as of May 4th, 567 people have contributed 10,807 observations of 1,365 plant species documented over the 4-day period.

After Deerweed, the next four most observed species this year were Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), Scarlet Pimpernel (Lysimachia arvensis), Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum), and California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). Two species have been in the top five most observed species each of the three years that San Diego has participated in the CNC: Deerweed and California Buckwheat. Blue Dicks has been in the top 5 twice. Over the three years, a total of ten species of plants have been in the top 5. This is the first year that Golden Yarrow and Scarlet Pimpernel have been in the top 5, and Scarlet Pimpernel is the first non-native naturalized species to make the top 5.

Thank you to all who participated in this year's CNC under challenging circumstances.