Boulder raspberry (Oreobatus deliciosus)

Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus)

Starwort

Sunday afternoon Clear Creek Canyon-Boulder raspberry (Oreobatus deliciosus), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), and starwort, species unknown (Stellaria sp.) are flowering. On our morning dog walk, I noticed flowers on Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia).

Sisymbrium altissimum

One additional plant from yesterday that we saw is tumble or Jim Hill mustard, Sisymbrium altissimum.

Scarlet gaura (Gaura coccinea)

Fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens)

Salsify (Tragopogon dubius major)

We saw these flowers in bloom today on the Green Mountain dog park. 

Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria genistifolia dalmatica)



Copper mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)



Black medic (Medicago lupulina)

Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Today I saw wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris), houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale), Sorrel (Oxalis stricta), and dalmatian toadflax (Linaria genistifolia) in full bloom at Chatfield Reservoir. We have black medic (Medicago lupulina) blooming in our front yard.

One-sided penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus)

Evening primrose (Oenothera flava)

A Saturday morning quick walk to Rattlesnake Ridge produced two new bloomers: one-sided penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus) and an evening primrose (Oenothera flava). The primrose has large, yellow petals and leaves that are basal. Most of them are tapered at both ends. The penstemon flowers are on one side of the rachis and it has opposite leaves.

Crane's bill (Erodiun cicutarium)

Common mallow (Malva neglecta)

Flixweed (Descurainia sophia)

We took the dogs to the Chatfield State Park dog ponds this afternoon. I didn't see a lot of new plants, but we had the following in full bloom: golden banner (Thermopsis divaricarpa), golden currant (Ribes aureum), chokecherry (Padus virginiana), common mallow (Malva neglecta), flixweed (Descurainia sophia), camomile (Anthemis cotula), crane's bill (Erodium cicutarium) (with elongated seed heads) and a sedge that I need to key out.

Cheatgrass

Purple mustard

We took a walk this morning and noticed the cheatgrass (Anisantha tectorum) has taken off with a vengeance this past week. It's certainly living up to its name by taking off early and cheating our later blooming native plants out of the moisture and nutrients they need.

Another common weedy species is purple mustard (Chorispora tenella). It now has set its seed pods so it won't be long before this plant spills its seed everywhere, guaranteeing its survival for another year.