Milkmaids

When the pink and white petals of milkmaid flowers (Cardamine californica) begin to unfurl, spring in the Bay is on the horizon! Milkmaids are a flowering plant of the Brassicaceae family, and are typically one of the first flowers to bloom in the Bay Area, sometime between January and May. These small plants usually reach a height of just under two feet, with their flowers only growing as big as half an inch in diameter. When it rains, milkmaids actually close their petals to protect their pollen from being washed away.