On the road to the Big Hole L.O. trail head

Among all of the many nice things about wildflowers are the places in which they live.

Today’s wildflower finds

This afternoon it seemed to me that I ought to check the area of West Swamp Creek (about 20 miles to the southwest of my home). Sure enough, there were several species blooming there in profusion and I was glad that I paid attention to my hunch.

Small White Violet ~ Viola macloskeyi

Both the white and yellow violets are growing right in the water of a small spring fed stream, which makes photographing them a rather wet and messy endeavor, but that’s alright because it is now warm!

Pioneer Violet ~ Viola glabella

Alpine Springbeauty ~ Claytonia megarhiza

Glacier Lily ~ Erythronium grandiflorum

Shooting Star ~ Dodecatheon pulchellum

Small Bluebells ~ Mertensia longiflora

Slender Phlox ~ Microsteris gracilis

Finally!

Spring has finally come to this part of western Montana and the first wildflowers are now starting to bloom. Everything here is about a month late this year.

Woodland Star ~ Lithophragma glabrum

Sagebrush Buttercup ~ Ranunculus glaberrimus

White Trillium ~ Trillium ovatum

Yellow Glacier Lily ~ Erythronium grandiflorum