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Author Archives: Andrea Jones
Mariposa Lily
If Harebells are cute and Sugarbowl clematis is sweet, the word for this flower is elegant. Calochortus gunnisonii We’ve called these Sego lilies for two decades, but with this bloom-a-day-in-July project I’ve been cross-examining my assumptions while delving into a … Continue reading
Shorthorn Spurge
Euphorbia brachycera Although it resembles the pernicious invasive Leafy spurge, this little native is smaller and exhibits better manners. Some guides use the common name “Horned spurge,” but I think the “Shorthorn” version is more winsome. Up here, the plants … Continue reading
Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged Colorado wildflowers, Euphorbia brachycera, euphorbia esula, horned spurge, leafy spurge
2 Comments
Yucca
If you’re looking for contrast, look to the yucca: fat, buttery-looking flowers paired with sharp leaves that, believe me, will elicit a defensive yelp at the slightest inadvertent brush. The yucca demand attention in other ways, too. Their flowering has … Continue reading
Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged narrow-leaved yucca, yucca, yucca glauca
2 Comments
Mountainspray
A little evanescent froth for these dry mountains: the blooms on these shrubs are dramatic while they last, but they don’t last long. Holodiscus dumosus: a bush that knows how to play with light.
Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged Colorado wildflowers, Holodiscus dumosus, Mountainspray
2 Comments
Lambert’s Locoweed
While Silky locoweed blooms early, with thick clusters of white and palest lavender flowers, this Oxytropis blooms later and louder, and with slightly more airy spacing between the flower spikes. Oxytropis lambertii You would think a color this ostentatious would … Continue reading
Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged Colorado wildflowers, Lambert's locoweed, locoweed, Oxytropis lambertii
4 Comments
Fendler’s Sandwort
If ever the word “spangle” is to be applied to a western wildflower, surely this is the one. Multitudes of little white flowers on wiry stems spangle the grasslands (or, if you prefer the noun form of the word, that … Continue reading
Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged Colorado wildflowers, Eremogone fendleri, Fendlers Sandwort
2 Comments
Sugarbowl Clematis
Clematis hirsutissima Like the Harebells I featured last week, Sugarbowl are turning up in clusters, an unexpected abundance. I appreciated that this particular plant also shows off the seedheads, which are a delight in themselves. The flowers make me smile … Continue reading
Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged Clematis hirsutissima, leatherflower, Sugarbowl clematis
4 Comments
Slender-Tube Skyrocket
I shouldn’t have been surprised when I discovered, in researching this post, that the common names “Skyrocket” and “Gilia” refer to more than one species of plant. The genus name (as I’ve recently learned) is Ipomopsis. You’ll often see populations … Continue reading
Western Wallflower
Erysimum asperum They’re typically single pompoms of yellow popping up around the grasslands, but the plants sometimes branch and find more elaborate forms. The one above is on a rich patch along the pasture fenceline, next to one of Jake’s … Continue reading
Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged Colorado wildflowers, Erysimum asperum, western wallflower
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Miner’s Candle
Cryptantha thyrsiflora Although it looks softly inviting, this plant’s covering of fine hairs is more bristle than fuzz. If you yield to the temptation to touch one, you’ll only do so once, at least on purpose: the experience is closer … Continue reading
