Neighbor Donna has taken note of a seasonal flora transformation on Bernal Hill:

Passersby may not notice these small, low-lying plants that grow on the north side and on the top of Bernal hill. These are footsteps-of-spring, some of the earliest spring flowers. They have been popping up in more locations, but seem to like the rockier spots. Their appearance always make me happy, and their name can tell you why!

NOTE: I also saw a few California Poppies popping up last weekend as well.

If you’ve set foot on just about any Bernal Heights street during the last few days, you’ve probably noticed the spectacular pink blossoms that are peaking around the neighborhood.

They look like cherry blossoms, but Bernalwood sources say they’re not. Sakura happens later in the year, so our sources tell us the pink trees we see now are actually Ume (plum blossoms).

Armchair arborists are welcome to weigh in on this, but in the meantime, everyone is encouraged to partake of the blooming while it’s booming.

PHOTOS: From top, Spieri_SF, Telstar Logistics, Erin Archuleta, and Leslie Jonath

I noticed this colorful explosion of foliage while driving past the intersection of Cortland and Nebraska last week, and it was so stunning I stopped to admire it. I’m more of a gearhead than a green thumb, so I fired off an email to Neighbor Chuck, an expert on our local flora, to learn what kinds of plants these are. He replied:

Yeah, I’ve taken that picture many times myself. It’s a bougainvillea/geranium mashup.

The geraniums are technically pelargoniums, but only a hardcore plant person would bother to make the distinction.

What he said. All I know is that when I saw this, I had to pull over and say, “Wow!”

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

We have a credo here in the Dominion of Bernalwood: “Give me your rare, your beleaguered, your endangered plant life yearning to grow free.”

In that spirit, the SF Appeal brought news last week that Bernal Heights is being considered as a refuge for Franciscan manzanita, a native shrub in need of a good home:

Federal authorities on [Sept. 4] announced that a rare shrub has been listed as an endangered species and proposed to establish areas in San Francisco as a critical habitat for the plant.

The Franciscan manzanita, an evergreen ground cover shrub, was thought to be extinct until one was discovered in 2009 during a road renovation project. The plant has been moved into the Presidio for protection.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which announced the listing of the plant as endangered, is working with conservation groups to help the plant recover as a species.

As part of the efforts, the agency has proposed setting aside about 318 acres at 11 sites around in San Francisco for the plant, including at Fort Point, Immigrant Point and Inspiration Point in the Presidio.

Other sites include Twin Peaks, Mt. Davidson, Bernal Heights and Diamond Heights, according to the agency.

Here’s a little more backstory from the Wikipedia:

A. h. franciscana – Franciscan manzanita – native to the city of San Francisco and thought to be extinct in the wild until one specimen was discovered in 2009. Less than a month later, Caltrans transplanted this specimen to make way for the Doyle Drive Replacement Project. As of September 4, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to designate Franciscan manzanita as an endangered species.

Fellow citizens, if asked, are we not ready to provide shelter and succor to the struggling Franciscan manzanita?

PHOTO: Franciscan manzanita, California Academy of Sciences