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)



Nuttall buttercup (Cyrtothyncha ranunculina)

Fendler waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri)



Bastard/false toadflax (Comandra unbellata)

Short's milkvetch (Astragalus shortianus)

Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Lair O' the Bear Open Space park as really started blooming in the past two weeks. Several mustards are blooming. Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) , flixweed (Descurainia sophia), and blue mustard (Chorispora tenella) are doing well. The Nuttall buttercup (Cyrtothyncha ranunculina), leafy cinquefoil (Drymocallis fissa), star Solomon seal (Maianthemum stellatum), leafy spurge(Tithymalus uralensis), Rydberg and Canada violet (Viola rydbergii and V. scopulorum),
Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia),  and the
others pictured here are all beginning to bloom.

Leafy spurge(Tithymalus uralensis)

Star Solomon seal (Maianthemum stellatum)

Leafy cinquefoil (Drymocallis fissa)

Scouted Lair O' the Bear again today. We saw the same 5 bloomers as last week, plus Nuttall's violet (Viola nuttallii) and creeping hollygrape (Mahonia repens).





Nuttall's violet (Viola nuttallii)

creeping hollygrape (Mahonia repens)