Polemonium, Smilacina, Antennaria, Senecio

Showy polemonium, Jacob’s-ladder, Polemonium pulcherrimum, May 20

Star-flowered False Solomon’s-seal, Wild lily of the valley, Smilacina stellata, May 20

False Solomon’s Seal, Smilacina racemes, May 21

Field Pussytoes, Antennaria neglecta, May 21

Western Groundsel, Senecio integerrimus, May 21

Rainy day roses

Prickly Rose, Rosa acicularis, May 27

Prairie Smoke

Prairie Smoke, Old Man’s Whiskers, Purple Avens, Geum triflorum, May 20

Fruits or seed heads of the Prairie Smoke, June 2008

Mid-May

American Vetch, Vicia americana, May 19

Annual Hawksbeard, Crepis tectorum, May 19

Midget Phlox, Phlox gracilis, Microsteris gracilis, May 20

Common Camas, Blue Camas, Camassia quamash, May 20

More May blossoms

The blossoms of Antelope Bush, Purshia tridentata. It is somewhat similar in appearance to sagebrush and is a very important food source for deer during the most harsh parts of winter.

Black Hawthorn, Crataegus douglasii. This grows as a large deciduous shrub to a small tree with very nasty thorns. It bears fruit that looks very similar to Serviceberry and it’s edible but neither good tasting nor juicy. The name “Crataegus” is from the Greek “largos”, ‘strength”, because of the great strength of the wood. On my hikes into the back country I always carry the 63-inch long staff of Hawthorn that I have had for many years now and over the several thousand miles it has accompanied me in those years it has helped me through some serious back country situations. Once I cut it, I carefully peeled the bark from it and began applying hand-rubbed coats of linseed oil. It probably has 80 coats now and is in every bit as good condition as when I first cut it.

Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa. Allergy sufferers beware: look at the pollen in the second photo! This pine can grow to be 100 feet tall and 4.5 feet in diameter and can live for up to 600 years. We share the property where we live with two mature Ponderosas and I’m constantly in awe at standing next to trees that were probably close to a hundred feet tall when the Revolutionary War was under way.

Silky Lupine, Lupinus sericeus. Pretty blossoms, but only a little over half their normal size because of lack of enough precipitation for the last month or so. We have had lots of clouds and showers that had very little rain in them. I’ve seen the same thing with many of the flowers that are now getting into their blooming season.

Field Chickweed, Cerastium arvense

Common?

Common Dandelions – Taraxacum officinale

Today the Dandelions growing where a small trout stream meandered through a bright green meadow were especially large and lush; seemed anything but “common”.