A little of Nature’s jewelry

 

Along with the wildflowers that brighten up springtime are these little plants which have no flowers but still have their own pretty display. I doubt that it is often seen because it only occurs in a rather brief part of spring, only when there has been dew during the night, the plants are small enough to be nearly hidden in some of the wide-bladed grasses, and the decorations disappear before noon. I always look forward to seeing them though.

Scouring Rush ~ Equisetum hyemale

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot ~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

These have begun to bloom in the last few days. Soon they will decorate the hillsides low on the mountains with large splashes of color. They are the largest wildflower blossoms in this area and grow in clumps resembling a large bouquet.

Few-flowered Shooting Star

Few-flowered Shooting Star ~ Dodecatheon pulichellum

This flower has been a favorite of mine for about seven decades and I have over a hundred pictures of it in my archives, but yesterday when I ran across this specimen growing along the Munson Creek Trail leading up to the higher ground of the KooKooSint Ridge I couldn’t resist taking one more picture. I think this shows the color and details of the flower better than any of the others that I have taken.

Stork’s Bill

Stork’s Bill ~ Erodium cicutarium

Pussy Willow

April sunset