Mountain Home Wildflowers: Celebrate Diversity
I tend to be better at remembering plants than names and faces of humans, but I saw many flowering plants yesterday that I have not yet identified. For example, the above carpets a bit of ground near some deadwood and a lot of decomposed granite.
European Broom invades the canyon, filling the air with a jasmine-like scent, but forcing out natives competing for their niche with its poisonous peapods.
Sacred White Sage thrives on sunny terraces. It is absolutely loaded with fragrant buds. It is often accompanied by Buckwheat's white pompoms.
Honeysuckle loves getting a toehold into rock walls, creating heavenly hanging gardens.
Honeysuckle close-up. No wonder this place is a haven for hummingbirds, one of which nearly poked my glasses, it peered so closely at me!
Crimson Larkspur, another hummingbird favorite.
This shrub's foliage resembles the acacia or mesquite. Its flower stalks are so feline.
This evergreen forms an emerald backdrop, unassuming until I figured out how to use the macro function on my G4 Android. The chaparral is covered in it, yet I do not know its name.
Here's another pretty stranger, could it be related to the Bluebell?
Of course, no foothill hike is complete without noble Yuccas holding their lilywhite torches 6 or more feet tall.
Of course, the star of the show when hiking up Mountain Home Creek is the Blackberry brambles that abound. They are in full flower this time of year. I can't wait to return in a month or so to harvest a basketfull of their sweet fruit! Last year, I picked several quarts just off the fringes.
Everywhere you look, something pretty is blooming. The sense of abundance in all its diverse forms instills a cosmic serenity. Between fallen giants and gravity-stricken boulders, peace is strewn.
In Metta,
Love,Cat
See Part 1 of this hike here: https://steemit.com/life/@creationofcare/mountain-home-creek-riparian-wonderland
and have a blessed day amongst all the variety of living beings you encounter!
I really in Joy'd this post :) my yard is full of weeds right now..I live in the country but there is just a mix of beautiful flowering plants that I have no idea what they are...what do you use to identify your plants? Is there a book your using or a phone app? I thought a phone app would be great like a shot a camera shot and bamm Identification..beautiful place...where is this? The yucca was impressive we grown these where I live in New Mexico but has been along while since I have seen them flower that huge..
I am so happy you enjoyed! I know those phone apps exist, but I haven't tried one yet. I google-image search the area, in this case, "San Bernardino Mountains wildflowers" and scroll until I see a match. Then I follow the links. With practice, you can start to see family resemblances. For example, the legume family includes garden peas, wild sweet peas, alfalfa, lupine, and mesquite trees. They all have the similar flower structure and form peapods.
I hope you have fun sharing some pics of your New Mexico flora! I started the hashtag #wildflowerwednesday and a couple other folks have posted under that tag, let's steem it up!
Cheers, and following
oh thats awesome thanks for the heads up..I would love to share... sounds like fun! I heard the bloom there was awesome this year.
It's been really great out here for two years running, thanks to El Niño!
NM is a gorgeous state, I love the parts I have visited. Used to visit grandparents in Sante Fe. Have driven through Four Corners area, Indian Country. I appreciate it so much. So many wild horses, too!
Oh yes its beautiful here...no doubt about it..and the clouds are so so magickal..the land of enchantment 100%
very beautiful nature, i like it, thanks for sharing
Thanks @riostarr :)
Mariposa Lily from the same location here:
https://steemit.com/wildflowerwednesday/@creationofcare/wildfowerwednesday-plummer-s-mariposa-lily