Rocky Mountain Wildflowers | Leslie Patten Books: Wild Places, Sacred Spaces

Tracking Footprints

Botanizing

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Leslie

I found a great place to botanize to my heart’s content–a burned area from the ’88 fires with a stream running through it. I’m working hard on learning as many new flowers and plants in my area as I can. There are, though, quite a lot of plants that aren’t in my selection of books.

Burn from the '88 fires

Here’s a smattering of what I found just today. I think I’ll return there every week for a few weeks to see what comes up.

Amelanchier alnifolia- Serviceberry

Penstemon sp.

Not sure which species that Penstemon is.

Heartleaf Arnica

This was one of the first Arnicas to bloom in the area, but there are patches of hundreds there.

Corydalis aurea

Potentilla arguta

This Potentilla was growing near the top of a gravelly hillside. Wow!

I think this is a type of Forget Me Not

This definitely looks like a lovely tall Forget-Me-Not.

Fungi of sorts

Erysiumum asperum - Western Wallflower

What is this?

Can’t seem to find this one in my books. Mystery flower.

Lesquerella alpina - Alpine Bladderpod

Zigadenus venenosus - Death Camas

Its good to learn all the poisonous plants in your area first. This one’s very poisonous. Although the book says it can be mistaken for wild onions, they are quite different. These leaves are ribbed; onions are round and smell like onions.