The Tuscon Range are Sonoran Desert mountains to the west of Tuscon. They are unforested, open, rocky at mid-elevation, populated with saguaro cactus. We drove into Saguoro National Park, then hiked on the King’s Canyon Trail (2500 feet to 3600 … Continue reading →
Fouquieria columnaris (the boojum tree) is a unique tree-like member of the ocotillo family. It can grow to 20m. Trunks can be up to 24 cm thick. Branches stick out at right angles and they have small deciduous leaves. … Continue reading →
In the Tuscon area, there are many cactus, succulents, thorny shrubs, thorny trees, and a few plants that just don’t seem to fit anywhere, like ocotillo (fouquieria splendens). It grows to 20 feet high, with long straight canes and few … Continue reading →
We visited Gingko State Park in spring and hiked the trails, taking photos along the way. Some of those are shared here: The desert-lands of Central Washington are a rewarding area to hike in spring and we are planning a … Continue reading →
Although we have come across evening primrose in the southwest desert lands, we only spot it low-elevation, dry, south-facing locations in the Thompson River Valley. Oenothera villosa is a perennial (or biennial) herb that grows from a thick taproot. … Continue reading →
Wild asparagus is the same plant that we think of as garden asparagus. Over centuries it has spread across the continent, growing in areas that meet the right conditions (damp soil, full sun, slightly alkaline). It sends up spears in … Continue reading →
We have hiked into subalpine meadows in the southern part of our region at the right time on a few occasions and have found ballhead waterleaf in bloom. Hydrophyllum capitatum is a perennial in the waterleaf family. The roots … Continue reading →
We have spotted striped coralroot, spotted coralroot, and yellow coralroot in the forest, often in large clumps. With no green parts, they are easy to identify as coralroots , although it can be more diffucult to decide which one it … Continue reading →
All photos were all taken by the author. All other information is provided through quotes from professional sources, with citations provided. “Deathcamas is one of the first plants to begin growth in the early spring. In the foothills, deathcamas generally … Continue reading →
Some wildflower images from a hike on Embleton Mountain in July are shared here in an image viewer. Can you identify all 5 of them? Click an image for the answer to each.
Continue reading →Rick Tucker provided some photos from a trip to Waterton National Park in June. All of the photos and captions are Rick’s, shared here for us to enjoy. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption. … Continue reading →
We hiked the lower slopes and paddled the lakes for a week, and even did a downriver paddle on the river in the Radium – Invermere Valley. We spotted a number of wildflowers and stopped to take photos, enjoying spring … Continue reading →
