Conditions looked like early August on a normal year with most lupine drying brown gone to seed and usual later blooming species like corn lily and tower larkspur near the end of their bloom. Generally a lot of leafy yellows and leaves with drying brown spots instead of fresh greens I prefer in landscapes. In any case there were lots of species and lots of flowers including a few below that tend to bloom later. And all the pennyroyal were dominating scents. Would have preferred a visit early July but then I was out on a 9-day backpack down south in the John Muir Wilderness. Many species bloom during the same brief period in the range and a wildflower enthusiast can only be at one place at a time each year.
On below links, this volcanic geology landscape shows a meadow pond and lots of wildflowers with verga falling in the distance. The tall white flowers are corn lily which tend to bloom later. The red hued are Indian paintbrush, yellows hued streamside arnica or arrowhead senicio, magenta hued rock fringe. Also some blue hued Sierra penstemon and blue flax. Bottom center vertical slice is a crimson columbine and above it whitish violet hued pennyroyal. Right slice bottom are some western aster and a bit above little elephant's head. A long list of other species less visible across the willow lined pond in the meadow and in the near local area.
The below links to a more striking image with rock fringe, epilobium cordatum, streamside arnica, arnica amplexicaulis, and (mountain) pennyroyal, monardella odoritissima. The rock fringe is another later blooming species that I rambled about for into promising terrain and eventually hit this jackpot. A larger patch than I'd ever come across. That same area had quite a bit of already gone to seed Sierra primrose so in the future will visit earlier when some of both deep magenta species may be blooming together.
Close-up image of rock fringe, using 10 focus stack frames.
David
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Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2015 10:43AM by DavidSenesac.
