Catching up ~ 1

I have been trying to post photos of the various wildflower species found in this region this spring but I’ve gotten behind. This will be the first of three posts of the species I didn’t mean to ignore. Each is unique and pretty in its own right.

Feathery false lily-of-the-valley, Plumed solomon’s seal ~ maianthemum racemosum

Tall Western Groundsell ~ senecio integerrimus

Starry false lily-of-the-valley, Star-flowered solomon’s-seal ~ maianthemum stellatum

Lemon Weed, Western Gromwell ~ lithospermum ruderale

Prickly Currant ~ ribes lacustre

Field Chickweed ~ cerastium arvense

Alaska Saxifrage ~ saxifraga ferruginea

A few more

A short hike as a retreat from a hot afternoon revealed a few more wildflowers in bloom, and a few drops of rain helped provide a cool break.

Pointedtip Mariposa Lily ~ Calochortus apiculatus. About the size of a 50 cent piece.

Early Blue Violet ~ Viola adunca

Feathery False Lily of the Valley ~ Maianthemum racemosum. The blossom is about 4 inches tall.

Silvery Lupine ~ Lupinus argenteus. This one is about a foot tall.

Starry False Lily-of-the-valley ~ Maianthemum stellatum. This blossom is about 3 inches tall.

Blue Speedwell ~ Veronica anagallis-aquatica. Quite a name for a blossom only 1/8 inch wide!

More new arrivals

Feathery False Lily of the Valley ~ Maianthemum racemosum

Wild Strawberry ~ Fragaria virginiana

Upland Larkspur ~ Delphinium nuttallianum

New wildflowers are emerging daily in the valley but the high trails are still under snow:

USFS trail 368 at about 5,600 feet.

One wouldn’t think this was a lily!

Feathery false lily-of-the-valley. This is a member of the lily family, but its flowers are certainly different from the other white colored members of the family.

Wildflowers in the rain

Pointedtip Mariposa Lily, Three-spot Mariposa Lily, Baker’s Mariposa ~ Calochortus apiculatus

Woolly Groundsel ~ Packera cana

Poison Larkspur ~ Delphinium trolliifolium

Yellow Salsify, Meadow Goatsbeard ~ Tragopogon dubius

Howell’s Pussytoes ~ Antennaria howellii

Choke Cherry ~ Prunus Virginiana

Mountain Lady’s Slipper ~ Cypripedium montanum

Antelope Bitterbrush, Antelope-brush ~ Purshia tridentata

Rydberg’s Penstemon ~ Penstemon rydbergii

Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Star-flowered Solomon’s-seal ~ Maianthemum stellatum

Smallflower Miterwort, Side-flowered Mitrewort, Cross-shaped Mitrewort ~ Ozomelis stauropetala

Feathery False Lily-of-the-valley, Plumed Solomon’s Seal, Plumed Spikenard ~ Maianthemum racemosum

The thing about photographing wildflowers is that you have to be there when they are blooming, which means lots and lots of trips into the woods, the meadows, the trails and along the streams – sunshine or rain. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

An hour on the Spring Creek trail

A little spare time in the late afternoon, a short drive, cool green shade and flowers.

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja miniata

Kinnikinnik, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Howell’s pussytoes, Antennaria howellii

Woodland Strawberry, Fragaria vesca

Yellow Coralroot, Corallorhiza trifida

This encounter made my day! It was the first time that I’ve encountered this saprophytic orchid. Its greenish tinge suggests that it may be capable of manufacturing at least a part of its food to supplement its normal diet of decaying organic material.

Smallflower Miterwort, Mitella stauropetala

Heart-leaf Arnica, Arnica cordifolia

Early Blue Violet, Viola adunca

Star-flowered Solomon’s-seal, Maianthemum stellatum

Feathery False Lily-of-the-valley, maianthemum racemosum

Western Gromwell, Lithospermum ruderale