Meyer's Ranch Open Space park on Sunday afternoon, June 29. American bistort (Bistorta bistortoides), western shooting star (Dodecatheon pulchellum), pink pussytoes (Antennaria rosea), whisk-broom parsley (Harbouria trachypleura), spreadfruit golden banner (Thermopsis divaricarpa), tall penstemon (Penstemon virgatus),   Colorado columbine (Aquilegia coerulea), Drummond rock-cress (Boechera stricta), Fendler meadow rue (Thalictrum fendleri), Geyer onion (Allium geyerii), and wintercress (Barbarea orthoceras) were all blooming, in addition to flowers that have already been noted for lower elevations this year: yellow stonecrop, western wallflower, and sulfur flower.  

American bistort (Bistorta bistortoides)

Tall penstemon (Penstemon virgatus)

Western shooting star (Dodecatheon pulchellum)

Geyer onion (Allium geyerii)

Fendler meadow rue (Thalictrum fendleri)

pink pussytoes (Antennaria rosea)

desert false indigo (Amorpha fruiticosa)

I've been neglecting my blog this spring. The beagles and I found desert false indigo (Amorpha fruiticosa) along an irrigation ditch this morning on our walk. This afternoon I found prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) on a road cut between Deer Creek Canyon and Kipling. The prickly pear cactus (Opuntia polycantha) is also blooming beautifully along the north side of Deer Creek Canyon Road between Wadsworth and where you start up the canyon. 

prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata)

A few of the 55 plants blooming at Deer Creek Canyon Open Space these past 3 Saturdays include wavy-leaf thistle (Cirsium undulatum), Rocky Mountain ninebark (Physocarpus monogynus), narrow-leaf puccoon (Lithospermum incisum), Cowboy's delight/globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), yellow stonecrop (Amerosedum lanceolatum), western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis), Nelson larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), silvery lupine (Lupinus argenteus), locoweed (Oxytropis lamberti), Fendler waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri), skullcap (Scutellaria brittonii), death camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum), sulfur flower (Eriogonum umbellatum), Boulder raspberry (Oreobatus deliciosus), common alumroot (Heuchera parvifolia), prickly poppy (Argemone polycanthemos), Woods Rose (Rosa woodsii), leafy potentilla (Drymocallis fissa),  wiry milkvetch (Astragalus flexuosus), bluemist penstemon (Penstemon virens), and one-sided penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus).

Fendler waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri)

western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis)

yellow stonecrop (Amerosedum lanceolatum)

Cowboy's delight/globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)

Cowboy's delight (Sphaeralcea coccinea) is starting to bloom on the south side of Harriman Lake. False dandelion (Agoseris glauca) seems to have popped up overnight and everywhere.  Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is now showing its heart-shaped siliques nicely. And, we noticed bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa) along an irrigation ditch this morning,.

False dandelion (Agoseris glauca)

Cowboy's delight (Sphaeralcea coccinea) 

Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

Bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa)

We went to the Green Mountain dog park this morning. Several new bloomers were out. Drummond milkvetch (Astragalus drummondii), Short's milkvetch (Astragalus shortianus), Leafy wildparsley (Musineon divaricatum), and Jim Hill mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum). The Jim Hill mustard is about the same size as, but has much coarser leaflets than the tansy mustard that was featured last week. Drummond milkvetch is an early favorite. It's a hairy plant, and combined with the creamy, white flowers, is easy to field identify.

Drummond milkvetch (Astragalus drummondii)

Jim Hill mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum)

Leafy wildparsley (Musineon divaricatum)

The dogs and I saw wintercress (Barbarea orthoceras) blooming in the ditch on the south side of Harriman Lake today. I can't get the picture rotated 1/4 turn counterclockwise, but here it is anyway.

wintercress (Barbarea orthoceras) 

narrow-leaf puccoon (Lithospermum incisum)

Nelson larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)

We scouted Deer Creek Canyon Open Space park this afternoon and saw a lot of flowers in bloom. In addition to blue mustard and redstem filaree that were discussed in my March post, we now can add the following species: sand lily (Leucocrinum montanum), Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), salt-and-pepper (Lomatium orientale), Nelson larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), narrow-leaf puccoon (Lithospermum incisum), mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium strictum), Foothill mertensia (Mertensia lanceolata), Fendler waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri), early spring senecio (Senecio integerrimus), creeping hollygrape (Mahonia repens), chokecherry (Padus virginiana), spreadfruit golden banner (Thermopsis divaricarpa), spring beauty (Claytonia rosea), three-leaf sumac (Rhus aromatica), tansy mustard (Descurainia sophia), wild plum (Prunus americana), microsteris (Microsteris gracilis), and wax currant (Ribes cereum). 

chokecherry (Padus virginiana)

tansy mustard (Descurainia sophia)

Purple weeds are the theme so far this spring in the wildflower world. The past 2 weeks have seen Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), redstem filaree (Erodium cicutarium), and purple mustard (Chorispora tenella) pop out. 

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

Redstem filaree (Erodium cicutarium)

Purple mustard (Chorispora tenella)