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May is a beautiful time here in Oakland, with mosaics of vibrant colored blossoms glistening across hillsides and landscapes. In Joaquin Miller Park, you’ll see a smattering of iconic sunset-toned California poppies, the cheerful iridescent yellow haze of California buttercups, and a range of regal purple blooms: silver bush lupine, Douglas iris, blue dicks, and blue-eyed grasses.
Another abundant blossom across the California landscape right now—with its golden pea-shaped flowers in full, bouncy clusters—is French broom, Genista monspessulana. To the untrained eye it might appear as another staple of the local flora; it even smells delightful. But don’t be fooled. As they say, “All that glitters is not gold.”
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