Jolly Green Gentians

It looks like we're finally out of our wet cycle and can start enjoying summer. I was able to get on a couple trails for the first time this year and found some great bloomers! As I mentioned last week, there's still a wide range of flowers out there from the earliest ones that are usually done by now to the late Spring flowers that we usually see this time of year.

I came down the Box o' Rox trail and found some Green Gentians, also known as Monument Plant or Elkweed. I don't see these on Green Mountain every year but they're a really interesting plant. They can live for over 60 years and only flower once. For the first 3-4 years they start developing roots without sending up any leaves. As they save up their strength, they produce a rosette of leaves, that is, a group of shiny long (10-12") leaves coming from a central spot. Finally, after years of growth, they have enough energy to produce a flower and it's a cool one. The stalk can be up to 7' tall. The plants I saw today are about 3' tall, but are still growing. The flowers are white and green and have four petals in a distinctive cross shape, with four green pointed sepals between the petals. Interesting plant--I'm really surprised to see it blooming so early.

Close-up of Green Gentian or Monument Plant

These are the Green Gentians along the Box o' Rox Trail on 5/29

Just above the tall middle flower you can see a rosette of leaves which will produce flowers in some future Springtime!

Everything's bustin' out

We finally have the May weather we've been looking for and as I look up at Green Mountain this morning it's all blue sky and green grass.  The wildflowers are spectacular right now and I'm hoping to get one more run across the top to check it out before leaving town for a few days. 

We had about 35 people show up for wildflower hikes yesterday. We had a great morning with interesting hikers and lots of variety on the trail. My group hiked from the main parking area west to the Utah Ave. parking and spotted over 30 different flowers. (I wasn't keeping count!) Thanks to everyone who came out!

This year really shows how one family can benefit from a weather pattern. We have lots of different peas (Fabaceae is the official name) blooming. The earliest are still out--yellow Golden Banner (Thermopsis rhombifolia) and purple Short's Milkvetch (Astragalus shortianus). Drummond's Milkvetch (Astragalus drummondii) is the white bushy flower that's all over the hillside. There's also Locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii), one of the most distinctive
of the peas, it's bright fuchsia flowers brightening the trail.

Lambert's Locoweed

The moisture we've had for the last couple weeks (>3" on our rain gauge) has really lengthened the season for the early flowers while the mid-Spring blooms are still coming out a little earlier than usual. 

Penstemons are reaching their peak, with the lavender One-sided Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus) in sunnier areas and the little Blue Mist Penstemon (P. virens) dominantly on the north side of the mountain.  

Paintbrush (Castilleja integra) and Bladderpods (Physaria montanum and vitulifera) and Cinquefoil (Drymocallis fissa) add their bright orange and gold to the scene.

Everyone's favorite--Paintbrush 

There are many less common flowers blooming that are fun to run across because of their rarity. I've seen a few Death Camas (Tolxicoscordion venenosum) on some northerly exposures.

Get out and take a closer look--you'll be surprised at what you can find!

Wildflower Hike

The weather has been horrendous for viewing wildflowers and as I write this morning the snow is heavy on the branches of the trees.  Between travel and weather I haven't had a good hike on the mountain in nearly two weeks. but things are looking up and as soon as the warmth returns we should have a spectacular wildflower season.

That brings up a great opportunity. Lakewood Open Space will be hosting wildflower hikes next Saturday morning--that's May 16th at 10:00 at the Florida trailhead off Alameda. If you'd like to pre-register for the hike, go to lakewood.org/bclp and click on "Program and Event Calendar" on the left side. You don't have to pre-register, but that will assure you of a spot and will help us plan.

Locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii)

I did get on the short trail segment between the Florida and Utah parking areas during a break in the rains and spotted at least 25 different wildflowers. The Penstemons and Locoweeds are really coming out now, but some of the early flowers are still blooming, a bit confused by the weather. That means you'll still see Golden Banner and Yellow Violets along the trail.

I'll hope to get out when the trails dry on Tuesday or Wednesday and give you an update.

Prairie Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus)