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

Early May wildflowers.

In spite of a cold spring and below normal rainfall here in western Montana, the wildflowers are blooming, but about two weeks later than usual. This morning there was fresh snow on the mountainsides a thousand feet above the valley floor.

Western Gromwell, Lemonweed ~ Lithospermum ruderale

Western Serviceberry, Saskatoon ~ Amelanchier alnifolia

Field Pepperweed, Field Peppergrass or Pepperwort, Field Cress ~ Lepidium campestre

Fairy Slipper, Calypso orchid ~ Calypso bulbosa

Marsh Valerian, Northern Valerian ~ Valeriana dioica

Hooker Fairy-bells ~ Prosartes hookeri

Kinnikinnik ~ Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Field Chickweed ~ Cerastium arvense

Arrowleaf Balsamroot ~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

Black Hawthorn ~ Crataegus douglasii

Holboell’s rockcress ~ Boechera pendulocarpa

Menzies’ fiddleneck ~ Amsinckia menziesii

Meadow death-camas ~ Toxicoscordion venenosum

Large-flowered Tritelia ~ Triteleia grandiflora

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

Arnica, Clematis, Gromwell

In May, the wildflower parade continues…

Heart-leaved Arnica, Heart-leaf leopard bane, Arnica cordifolia

Blue Clematis, Columbia clematis, Clematis occidentalis

Lemonweed, Western Gromwell, Western stoneseed, Lithospermum ruderale

Lemonweed

Lemonweed, Western Stoneseed, Columbian Puccoon, Western Gromwell ~ Lithospermum ruderale