Wildflowers blooming in between snows

A few more species of wildflowers have begun to bloom here now despite unseasonably cool weather and a series of weather fronts that have been passing through. There were a few brief periods of sun today before the next weather front is due to arrive tomorrow, bringing up to 8 inches of snow to the higher country especially along the Continental Divide, and I was able to get a few pictures.

Yellow Bell ~ Fritillaria pudica

The species name pudica means “bashful” because it always faces downward. I suspect that its position shelters the pollen from early rains and snows or perhaps because it has a relationship with a special pollonator that finds that convenient.

Shooting Star ~ Dodecatheon pulchellum

I find it interesting that its genus name is from the Greek dodeka (twelve) and theos (God) and is considered to mean “the plant protected by twelve gods”.

Western White Trillium, Pacific Trillium ~ Trillium Ovatum

These have just begun to bud at the Munson Creek trail head.

Dandelion

Despite their being usually considered as a weed, I still find the blossoms very pretty.

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Wildflowers in the Coeur d’Alenes

Here are the wildflowers (besides the Bear Grass) that I found on the June 4 hike in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains;

Low Jacob’s-ladder ~ Polemonium californicum

Smallflower Miterwort ~ Ozomelis stauropetala

Kinnikinnik ~ Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Prickly Currant ~ Ribes lacustre

Canary Violet ~ Viola praemorsa

Baneberry ~ Actaea rubra

Pacific Trillium ~ Trillium Ovatum (These have disappeared at the valley level and at the end of their bloom no up high)

Western Meadow-rue ~ Thalictrum occidentale

Roundleaf Alumroot ~ Heuchera cylindrica

Mid May wildflowers

You know it will be a pleasant hike when it starts out like this:

Munson Creek

Oregon Grape ~ Berberis aquifolium

Howell’s Pussytoes ~ Antennaria howellii

A Dandelion was competing with some undergrowth for light and its stem was nearly two feet long.

Lemonweed, Western Gromwell ~ Lithospermum ruderale

This Pacific Trillium is about at the end of its blooming time and has turned pink.

Field Chickweed ~ Cerastium arvense

Heart-leaf Arnica ~ Arnica cordifolia

Arnica bud

Munson Creek Trilliums

Today a friend and I hiked up Munson Creek to visit my favorite place to see trilliums. This was my 7th annual visit there and only one day later than usual. This year they were not yet at the peak of their bloom, but I brought back a few photos anyway. These are Pacific Trilliums ~ Trillium Ovatum.

A strange spring for western Montana wildflowers

After a winter with large amounts of snowfall (the high country around here still has 140% of normal snowpack) and lots of cloudy/rainy days this spring, the forests are very dry. The rain we’ve had has been mostly light showers with not much water volume, and the flowers which depend on April rain are doing poorly, at least in this specific area. These were taken on a couple of short hikes recently and the selection was not very good.

Round-leaved Violet ~ Viola orbiculata

In an area that usually abounds with violets, this and the following one were found only on a small hillside where water from snow melting at a higher elevation was trickling out of the ground.

Canadian White violet ~ Viola canadensis

Woodland Strawberry ~ Fragaria vesca

Mule Deer ~ Odocoileus hemionus: (A fellow wild plant aficionado)

Heart-leaf Arnica ~ Arnica cordifolia

Pacific Trillium ~ Trillium ovatum

These are Pacific or Western White trilliums that are in the final stages of their boom, when they turn pink. It took me awhile initially to realize that the pink ones are not from a different species.

Western Blue Clematis ~ Clematis occidentalis

Early Blue Violet ~ Viola adunca

Arrowleaf Balsamroot ~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

Grand Fir ~ Abies grandis

Pioneer Violet ~ Viola glabella

A small Trillium celebration

On April 18, 2008 while hiking the Munson Creek trail in the TeePee/Spring Creek roadless area, about 2 miles from the trailhead I encountered the largest bloom of trilliums that I’ve ever seen. On April 18 of every year since, I have visited that same place to celebrate the beautiful annual bloom of trilliums. It is sad this year for me to realize that I am not up to that steep hike, not yet, and so today I had a small trillium celebration and photo session not very far up from the trail head where there are several dozen blooming near the footbridge over the creek.

Western White Trillium, Pacific Trillium ~ Trillium ovatum