Wildflowers of spring (7)

Smallflower Miterwort, Side-flowered Mitrewort, Cross-shaped Mitrewort ~ Mitella stauropetala 5/27

Wild Strawberry ~ Fragaria virginiana 5/23

Bitter Cherry ~ Prunus emarginata 5/23

False Solomon’s Seal ~ Smilacina racemosa 5/25

Prickly Currant, Bristly Black Gooseberry, Swamp Gooseberry, Swamp Currant ~ Ribes lacustre 5/25

Leaf jewel

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Wildflowers of spring (6)

Arctic Lupine ~ Lupinus arcticus 5/19

Antelope Bush ~ Purshia tridentata 5/22

Sticky Geranium ~ Geranium viscosissimum 5/22

Yellow Salsify ~ Tragopogon dubius 5/22

Black Hawthorn ~ Crataegus giyglasii 5/22

Falsebox, Oregon Boxleaf ~ Paxistima myrsinites 5/22

Springtime at the trail head

U.S.F.S. trail 372 through Munson Creek is one of my favorite trails. It also has what I think is one of the prettiest trail heads, and right now it is, like all the rest of the wild country, celebrating spring. While it is on National Forest land, the presence of apple trees and lilacs gives cause to wonder about its past.

Wildflowers of spring (5)

Pink Trillium ~ Trillium ovatum 5/10

Saskatoon, Serviceberry ~ Amelanchier alnifolia 5/17

Ground-ivy, Creeping Charlie, Gill Over the Ground, Field Balm ~ Glechoma hederacea (Mint) 5/17

Upland Larkspur, Nuttall’s Larkspur ~ Delphinium nuttallianum 5/18

Indian Paintbrush, Common Red Paintbrush ~ Castilleja miniata 5/18

This bud is actually pretty early for here. The species will bloom on into late summer, especially higher up the slopes.

Miner’s Lettuce ~ Claytonia perfoliata 5/19

High water

We are fortunate here in western Montana, at least for the most part, to not be threatened by flooding because this part of the country is not flat, thereby greatly reducing the temptation to conduct our businesses and our lives at the same elevation as the rivers which go through major changes each year when the mountain snow begins to melt.

Just down stream from where I live, there is a small section of rapids on the Clark Fork River, and in the middle of the river at the head of the rapids is a huge boulder, placed there by Mother Nature about 12,000 years ago so I can gauge the relative depth of the river at that point. The first of these two photos was taken during a time of low water, and the top of the boulder is eight to ten feet above the water. The second was taken today at about the peak of our spring run-off and the top of the boulder is just below the turbulence seen in the middle of the river. (The perspective of the two photos is somewhat different because today the water level would not permit me to access the location from which the first photo was taken.)

Wildflowers of spring (4)

Heart-leaved Arnica ~ Arnica cordifolia 5/16

Pretty, but I have been unable to identify it 5/16

Field Chickweed ~ Cerastium arvense 5/16

Leafy Spurge ~ Euphorbia esula 5/17

This is a Eurasian introduction that has become a serious threat to rangeland. It is difficult to eradicate and is poisonous.

Star Solomon’s Seal ~ Maianthemum stellatum 5/17

Oregon Grape ~ Mahonia aquifolium 5/17

I couldn’t resist posting another photo of this. I liked the setting among the other plants in a typical setting and these are blossoming just everywhere right now.