In early spring I hiked an off-trail hike through the hills above Neskonlith Lake on a route that I had hiked before which often has an early bloom of wildflowers. On this outing I spotted glacier lilies, western spring beauty, woodland star, yellow bells, arrow-leaved balsamroot, fernleaf desert parsley, big-fruited desert parsley, larkspur leaves, pale comandra, budding saskatoons and … Continue reading →
Sagebrush buttercups (Ranunculus glaberrimus) are early-blooming perennial herbs found in many habitats in our area. Sagebrush buttercups grow from thick, fleshy woody bases and emerge with low-growing, fleshy, lobed basal leaves with several short stems. All buttercups have shiny, reflective yellow flowers with 5 petals and sepals, although we have spotted many sagebrush buttercups with multiple petals … Continue reading →
When we hike through the hills in March, we usually spot the first wildflowers starting in the middle of the month and then we spot more at the end of the month. The first appearances are usually on south-facing open slopes above the valley floor. Slopes that are sloped at the same-opposite angle receive the most direct rays of … Continue reading →
