Always interesting to see what is blooming in your part of the world! My daffodils and tulips are just starting to bloom. In the woods, the little blue violets and dandelions are the first visible signs that it is spring.
We might be a little ahead of you. There are still a few daffodils blooming here and tulips, but lots of others have begun now too, despite the weather. We had snow yesterday.
I don’t think the Ground-ivy is a true ivy: it has come from Eurasia and seems to have naturalized here. The pine flower is definitely something different.
That Ponderosa pine photo just knocked me out. Are those new pinecones? Purple? I never would have expected that. I did recognize a couple of plants that are similar to ours. The fern-leaved desert parsley looks enough like our prairie parsley that I might have known to call it parsley, and the groundsel resembles our golden groundsel. I still have a hard time being sure of that plant, especially since different plants are called “golden groundsel,” but the similarity certainly is there.
So many of the colors are so vibrant. I’m thinking that might be due to their location. As understory plants, often in shade, the colors are like saying, “Hey! I’m over here!”
I’m not really clear on how the pine flowers work because it produces cones in groups usually of 1 to 3. If I can remember, I’ll watch the progression of one: there are two hundred foot Ponderosas in front of my house
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The species of parsley is difficult to identify. The Burke Museum lists 30 species in that genus and USDA lists 166.
I think you’re right about the vivid colors because most wildflowers grow in shade, and I’ve noticed that some individual plants in a species will be light color if they grow in the sun dark when they grow in the shade. Clearly, much of their survival strategy is to make sure they are visible to their pollinators. In fact today, when I took these photos I shot several of the Tritelia, and the one that was in full sun was much lighter blue.
It seems that the more I learn about a plant, the more I wish I knew!
I love the Ponderosa pine flower colour. Its such an unusual colour and flower shape
The Rocky Mountain Groundsel reminds me of Tagetes lemmonii (Tree Marigold I think it is – I’ve forgotten many of the flower names since living away from the Botanic Gardens)
I always get a kick out of the pine flowers. One doesn’t usually think of specific flowers on such a huge (and long-lived) plant.
The groundsel belongs to a genus with hundreds of other species and many are very similar. I think sometimes there are far too many defined as separate species when they are just very minor variations of one species. It can go on to infinity.
The growing season is so short here that many get an early start. While many are blooming now at valley level, there are practically none yet above about 4,000 feet.
Other than the ground ivy and campion I haven’t seen any of these.
The large flowered tritelia has a beautiful color.
I love the new cones on the ponderosa pine!
A lot of the plants that are starting to bloom now are native to just the west. I saw some Indian paintbrush for the first time today and it was very bright.
Strange that even though we’ve been in a couple places with Ponderosa Pines lately, Flagstaff the other day, and Prescott last month…I don’t recall seeing these beautiful purple flowers. I think I would have noticed them. I hope you do document the ones in front of your house, I’m very curious how this all plays out. We have a Goldwater Pine in our yard and it does have flowers but they are brownish not purple.
New arrivals are indeed beautiful and grand arrivals. Thanks and congratulations.
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Comment by nvsubbaraman — May 18, 2017 @ 7:34 pm
Thanks nvsubbaraman. It’s so good to see them in bloom once again!
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Comment by montucky — May 18, 2017 @ 7:55 pm
Love the Ponderosa Pine shot!
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Comment by centralohionature — May 18, 2017 @ 7:53 pm
Yes, now there’s a flower that has a hundred foot tall stalk!
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Comment by montucky — May 18, 2017 @ 7:57 pm
Always interesting to see what is blooming in your part of the world! My daffodils and tulips are just starting to bloom. In the woods, the little blue violets and dandelions are the first visible signs that it is spring.
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Comment by Margy — May 18, 2017 @ 8:23 pm
We might be a little ahead of you. There are still a few daffodils blooming here and tulips, but lots of others have begun now too, despite the weather. We had snow yesterday.
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Comment by montucky — May 18, 2017 @ 8:55 pm
Two things: I didn’t know ivy could have blue flowers, and the pine photo could pass for a starfish picture.
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — May 18, 2017 @ 8:26 pm
I don’t think the Ground-ivy is a true ivy: it has come from Eurasia and seems to have naturalized here. The pine flower is definitely something different.
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Comment by montucky — May 18, 2017 @ 9:03 pm
That Ponderosa pine photo just knocked me out. Are those new pinecones? Purple? I never would have expected that. I did recognize a couple of plants that are similar to ours. The fern-leaved desert parsley looks enough like our prairie parsley that I might have known to call it parsley, and the groundsel resembles our golden groundsel. I still have a hard time being sure of that plant, especially since different plants are called “golden groundsel,” but the similarity certainly is there.
So many of the colors are so vibrant. I’m thinking that might be due to their location. As understory plants, often in shade, the colors are like saying, “Hey! I’m over here!”
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Comment by shoreacres — May 18, 2017 @ 8:38 pm
I’m not really clear on how the pine flowers work because it produces cones in groups usually of 1 to 3. If I can remember, I’ll watch the progression of one: there are two hundred foot Ponderosas in front of my house
.
The species of parsley is difficult to identify. The Burke Museum lists 30 species in that genus and USDA lists 166.
I think you’re right about the vivid colors because most wildflowers grow in shade, and I’ve noticed that some individual plants in a species will be light color if they grow in the sun dark when they grow in the shade. Clearly, much of their survival strategy is to make sure they are visible to their pollinators. In fact today, when I took these photos I shot several of the Tritelia, and the one that was in full sun was much lighter blue.
It seems that the more I learn about a plant, the more I wish I knew!
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Comment by montucky — May 18, 2017 @ 9:22 pm
I love the Ponderosa pine flower colour. Its such an unusual colour and flower shape
The Rocky Mountain Groundsel reminds me of Tagetes lemmonii (Tree Marigold I think it is – I’ve forgotten many of the flower names since living away from the Botanic Gardens)
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Comment by Vicki — May 18, 2017 @ 9:13 pm
I always get a kick out of the pine flowers. One doesn’t usually think of specific flowers on such a huge (and long-lived) plant.
The groundsel belongs to a genus with hundreds of other species and many are very similar. I think sometimes there are far too many defined as separate species when they are just very minor variations of one species. It can go on to infinity.
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Comment by montucky — May 18, 2017 @ 9:36 pm
I’m amazed by how many great flowers you have blooming there in Montana already!
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Comment by Michael Andrew Just — May 18, 2017 @ 10:18 pm
The growing season is so short here that many get an early start. While many are blooming now at valley level, there are practically none yet above about 4,000 feet.
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Comment by montucky — May 19, 2017 @ 6:41 am
And I say to myself, “what a wonderful (and colorful) world.” ♪♫
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — May 19, 2017 @ 2:00 pm
Spring time in the back country can change one’s opinion on the world!
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Comment by montucky — May 19, 2017 @ 7:49 pm
Other than the ground ivy and campion I haven’t seen any of these.
The large flowered tritelia has a beautiful color.
I love the new cones on the ponderosa pine!
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — May 19, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
A lot of the plants that are starting to bloom now are native to just the west. I saw some Indian paintbrush for the first time today and it was very bright.
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Comment by montucky — May 19, 2017 @ 7:58 pm
Sigh. Awesome collection. Among them, my favorite flower is Triteleia grandiflora.
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Comment by Sartenada — May 24, 2017 @ 2:20 am
Thank you! Usually my favorite wildflowers is replaced by the next one that blooms.
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Comment by montucky — May 24, 2017 @ 8:11 am
Strange that even though we’ve been in a couple places with Ponderosa Pines lately, Flagstaff the other day, and Prescott last month…I don’t recall seeing these beautiful purple flowers. I think I would have noticed them. I hope you do document the ones in front of your house, I’m very curious how this all plays out. We have a Goldwater Pine in our yard and it does have flowers but they are brownish not purple.
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Comment by Candace — May 26, 2017 @ 6:49 pm
I’ll try to remember. We had several Goldwater pines in our yard when we lived in Queen Creek and I really liked them!
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Comment by montucky — May 26, 2017 @ 7:10 pm
It seems funny to have pine in the desert but they flourish, as you know.
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Comment by Candace — May 27, 2017 @ 2:31 pm