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)

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.)