By May the slopes
on the south side of the canyon put on a show worthy of a king. These
north-facing areas are protected from the fierce, burning summer sun
and the brush and grass grows lush and green. The deep, rich topsoil
grows a garden that undoubtedly looks much the same as it did when the
Lewis and Clark expedition passed through here in 1805.
Several of the flowers presented here I saw one time, only. Luckily, I always had a camera with me. But, if a picture didn't turn out well, I'd go back to see if I could find the same or another specimen for a second shot. Usually though, try as I might, I couldn't find them, again. I treasure, then, what pictures I got, regardless of how bad they might look. One cannot help but wonder how many more of those shy little wonders are out there, just waiting to be discovered. You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be out and about hunting them down and taking more pictures next spring and every springtime for as long as I'm able.
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Wild iris Iris missouriennis |
Desert paint brush (red) Castilleja chromosa |
Shooting star Dodecatheon conjugens |
Snapdragon skullcap Scutellaria antirrhinoides |
Crazyweed Oxytropis sericeus (?) |
Rabbit foot crazyweed Oxytropis lagopus |
Henbit Lamium amplexicaule |
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Desert paintbrush (yellow) Castilleja chromosa |
Houndstongue Cynoglossum officinale |
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Long-leafed phlox Phlox longifolia |
Silver crazyweed Oxytropis sericeus |
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Wild iris Iris missouriennis |
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Yellow prairie violet Viola nuttallii |
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Houndstongue Cynoglossum officinale |
Click here for Wawawai Canyon Early Wildflowers