I made the trip to Hildebrand Open Space park again yesterday to check on the liatris and big bluestem. A new bloomer that I found was Prairie baby's breath (Eriogonum effusum). I remember it blooming much earlier in Mt. Falcon Open Space park.

Prairie baby's breath (Eriogonum effusum)

Our morning walk along Weaver Gulch trail led us to mock cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) growing on the riparian shrubs near the bridge.

mock cucumber (Echinocystis lobata)

Gayfeather (Liatris punctata)

Yellow owl-clover (Orthocarpus luteus)

            Saturday, the 17th of August, was spent at Staunton State Park in Jefferson County. We saw some late season flowers blooming including: harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata), cutleaf evening primrose (Oenothera coronopifolia), geranium (Geranium sp.), scorpionweed (Phacelia heterophylla), yellow owl-clover (Orthocarpus luteus), and yarrow (Achillea lanulosa). On Sunday 18 August, I went to Hildebrand Park to see if the gayfeather (Liatris punctata) was blooming yet, and it has finally begun. Also noted broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) and curlycup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa) in bloom.




Scorpionweed (Phacelia heterophylla)

Cutleaf evening primrose (Oenothera coronopifolia)



Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae)

Hildebrand Ranch

Hildebrand Ranch Open Space, Two Brands Trail, this morning had a lot of new bloomers. Foothills paintbrush (Castilleja integra), both white (Dalea candida) and purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea), gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa), Gunnison mariposa (Calochortus gunnisonii), prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera), Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium), prickly poppy (Argemone polyanthemos), and St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). There were a couple of unknown also.

Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa)

Gunnison mariposa (Calochortus gunnisonii)

Prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

Prickly poppy (Argemone polyanthemos)

Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium)

purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)

white prairie clover (Dalea candida)

 

Foothills paintbrush (Castilleja integra)

 

A quick visit to my plots at Hildebrand Open Space park yielded a couple of new bloomers. Plains/white larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum) is a new plant for me. It's blooming in one small area near the prickly pear that are in full bloom right now. 

Over the weekend we saw musk thistle (Carduus nutans) and desert false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) blooming in the Rattlesnake Ridge-Harriman Lake area.



Plains/white larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum)

 musk thistle (Carduus nutans) 

desert false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)



We've been seeing a lot of new bloomers in the past week. Many of the agronomic or introduced plants in Fabaceae family are flowering. These include yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinale), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa), black medic (Medicago lupulina), red clover (Trifolium pretense), and Dutch clover (Trifolium repens).

Grasses that are showing their heads are timothy (Phleum pretense), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), foxtail (Setaria  sp.), and smooth bromegrass (Bromopsis inermis).

Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii), poison ivy (Toxicodenderon rydbergii), poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), and bush sunflower (Helianthus pumilus) are also in bloom now.

bush sunflower (Helianthus pumilus)

poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)



Poison ivy (Toxicodenderon rydbergii)



Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii)

black medic (Medicago lupulina)



yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinale)

orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata)







foxtail (Setaria  sp.)

Prickly pear (Opuntia macrorhiza) is beginning to bloom at Rattlesnake Ridge. Also noted curly dock (Rumex crispus) in full flower/fruit. Smooth brome (Bromopsis inermis) and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) are shedding pollen. False salsify (Podospermum/Scorzonera laciniatum) is one of the yellow asters that I see with crane's/stork's bill on the south side of Harriman Lake.

 

Curly dock (Rumex crispus)

Prickly pear (Opuntia macrorhiza) 

 

Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum)

False salsify (Podospermum/Scorzonera laciniatum)

Smooth brome (Bromopsis inermis)

Our neighborhood walk this morning led us to blooming yucca (Yucca glauca). That's the only new bloomer for today. 

Yucca (Yucca glauca)

 

This morning we went to Hildebrand Open Space park to check on the status of a couple of monitoring plots. A lot of flowers are blooming there. The list for today is: Jim Hill/tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum), one-sided penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus), copper mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinia), scarlet gaura (Gaura coccinea), western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis), evening primrose (Oenothera flava), salsify (Trapogon dubius), Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria genistifolia dalmatica), Drummond's milkvetch (Astragalus drummondii), and Junegrass (Koleria macrantha). There was an unknown yellow aster that I need to figure out before posting.



Copper mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinia)

Jim Hill mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum)

Scarlet gaura (Gaura coccinea)

Evening primrose (Oenothera flava) with penstemon

One-sided penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus)



Junegrass (Koleria macrantha)

Western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis)





Boulder raspberry (Oreobatus deliciosus)

Our morning walk to Rattlesnake Ridge resulted in the following new bloomers: Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria genistifolia dalmatica), evening primrose (Oenothera flava), Fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), Boulder raspberry (Oreobatus deliciosus) and common alumroot (Huechera parvifolia)

Last year, the primrose was blooming on May 5th, so we're a bit late this year. From the rain and snow maybe?

Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria genistifolia dalmatica)

 

Snowball saxifrage (Micranthes rhomboidea)

Western wallflower (Erysimum asperum)

Friday 24 May 2013 at Lair O' the Bear was a great day for seeing wildflowers. Snowball saxifrage (Micranthes rhomboidea) and common alumroot (Huechera parvifolia) were blooming in the shade, next to each other. Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) had a few of its unique flowers blooming. Three-leaf sumac (Rhus aromatica) was blooming with its tiny, yellow flowers smelling of skunk/lemonade. In the mustard family, we saw tansy mustard/flixweed (Descurainia sophia), western wallflower (Erysimum asperum), and field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) blooming, in addition to the ones that were noted on prior posts this season. Both the Maianthemems (Maianthemum amplexicaule and M. stellatum) were blooming. Blue clematis (Atragene occidentalis) was about finished with its bloom. Leafy potentilla (Drymocallis fissa) is just getting started and is everywhere. Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora) was sporting its tiny blue-white flowers. And last, we saw Viola rybergii and scopulorum.

Tansy mustard/flixweed (Descurainia sophia)



Our morning walk to Rattlesnake Ridge and Harriman Lake yielded some new bloomers. My favorite blue mist penstemon (Penstemon virens) is blooming down here at our 5,400' elevation. Last Sunday it was about ready to start blooming up at Lair O' the Bear which is at 6,800' elevation. Back down on Rattlesnake Ridge,  Musineon (Musineon divaricatum) is like a carpet in places. Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium) is starting to put on its fruit. Chokecherry (Padus virginiana) is in full bloom and is quite fragrant. American vetch (Vicia Americana) is in full bloom and skunkbush sumac (Rhus aromatica) is starting to flower with its tiny, yellow flowers.

Blue mist penstemon (Penstemon virens)

American vetch (Vicia Americana)
 

Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium)



Musineon divaricatum



Skunkbush sumac (Rhus aromatica)