Spring at Ventana

dateline April 1, 2022

Happily, Ventana Canyon provided a more flourishing selection of wildflowers than the Sutherland Trail two weeks ago. This spring’s flowers tend to be smaller than those in years with abundant rain. Some flowers I came closer to identifying than others. With many I stopped at the genus level as, for example, there are simply too many choices for the phacelias and the spurges and I didn’t stop to look up all the details while on the hike. Not surprisingly I am stuck on the yellow composite family flower – comment if you have an idea! Not pictured are the fairy-duster, the delphinium, the bluedicks, the lupine, the two lonely California poppies, and the popcorn flower (cryptantha, hiding next to the blazing star). Thanks to my hiking buddies for their sharp eyes!

blazing star
Mentzelia jonesii

Parry’s penstemon
Penstemon parryi

fleabane
Erigeron

spurge
Euphorbia

mystery composite

Goodding’s verbena
Glandularia gooddingii

desert honeysuckle
Anisicanthus thurberi

monkeyflower
Erythranthe guttata

Santa Catalina phlox
phlox tenuifolia

fiddleneck
Amsinckia

Baby bonnets
Coursetia glandulosa

desert tobacco
Nicotiana obtusifolia

brittlebush
encelia farinosa

desert chicory
Rafinesquia neomexicana

phacelia
Phacelia

rockmustard
Dryopetalon runcinatum

Spring after a dry winter

Dateline 28 March 2022.

I like to visit Catalina State Park in the spring, but this year I did not have high expectations due to the low rainfall over the fall and winter. Patient looking was rewarded with a good variety of wildflowers but there were no “carpets” of blue and gold that you might find in a year of abundance. Flowers seen but not pictured include: ocotillo, bluedicks, silverpuffs, lesquerella, and fairyduster.

Lupine

California poppy
Eschscholzia californica

Owl clover
Castilleja exserta

Desert chicory
Rafinesquia neomexicana

Fiddleneck
Amsinckia

Phacelia
Phacelia distans

Purple mat
Nama demissa

Cryptantha

Blue toadflax
Nuttallanthus texanus

Common monkeyflower
Erythranthe guttata

Evening primrose
Oenothera primiveris

Way Too Long

Dateline 11 March 2022. It’s been some time since I documented the flowers from a hike. I dawdled over the flowers today to have a record of what’s appearing now after a dry fall and winter. Today’s walk covered a portion of a favorite trail, Milagrosa Canyon. This is just a selection of the plants that I could identify.

Brittlebush Encelia farinosa

Fairy duster
Calliandra eriophylla

Monkey flower
Mimulus guttatus

Feather Dalea Dalea formosa

Stock Matthiola parviflora

Phacelia

Tackstem Calycoseris wrightii

Henbit Lamium amplexicaule

Yellow sweet clover
Melilotus officinalis

Coralroot

It was a treat this morning to get outside and head up Mt Lemmon for a quest. A few of us have been waiting for it to be orchid season again and today we set out to discover if the coralroot was in bloom. Before we even finished parking we saw the red stems highlighted by the sunlight slanting through the Ponderosas. There was quite a large community of orchids, but they had only just started to bloom.

I’m definitely out of practice on close-ups and at this range there’s very little depth of field. Still I managed to get a couple of photos with the flowers in focus! Enjoy.

One of many groups of orchids.

Corallorhiza, or coralroot, just beginning to bloom on Mt Lemmon.

The first flowers on this coralroot.

August gems

Dateline 21 August 2018. Mt Lemmon Meadow Loop

August on the mountain is when the wildflowers are often abundant and this year is no exception. In addition to the photographic sampling of what was in bloom, I will append a list of some of the flowers grouped by family.

Commelina dianthifolia – dayflower

Rincon Mountain paintbrush – Castilleja austromontana with fragrant bedstraw

Clouds coming in; coral bells in the rocks.

Interesting …

Beebalm – monarda citriodora

Yarrow – achillea millefolium with salsify and geranium.

Dakota verbena – Glandularia bipinnatifida.

Mock pennyroyal – Hedeoma hyssopifolia

Slendertube skyrocket – Ipomopsis tenuituba

Sedges have edges!

Buckbrush – Ceanothus fendleri

Giant-trumpets – Macromeria viridiflora

Sunshine on composites

Fendler nightshade – Solanum stoloniferum

Golden columbine – Aquilegia chrysantha

Groundsel – Senecio eremophilus

Simple campion – Silene scouleri

Chickweed – Cerastium nutans

American vetch – Vicia americana

Chaparral fleabane – Erigeron oreophilus

Starburst!

A sample of the many mushrooms.

Alpine woodsorrel – Oxalis alpina

Bean family: Vicia americana, American vetch
Bedstraw family: Galium triflorum, fragrant bedstraw
Borage family: Macromeria viridiflora, giant-trumpets
Broomrape family: Castilleja austromontana, Rincon Mountain paintbrush
Buckthorn family: Ceanothus fendleri, buckbrush
Buttercup family: Aquilegia chrysantha, golden columbine
Composite family: Achillea millefolium, yarrow
Composite family: Erigeron oreophilus, chaparral fleabane
Composite family: Senecio eremophilus, groundsel
Composite family: Trogopogon dubius, Yellow salsify
Evening Primrose Family: Oenothera elata, Hooker’s evening-Primrose
Figwort family: Verbascum thapsus, common mullein
Geranium family: Geranium caespitosum, cranesbill
Heath family: arctostaphylos pungens, pointleaf manzanita
Mint family: Hedeoma hyssopifolia, mock pennyroyal
Mint family: Monarda citriodora, beebalm
Nightshade family: solanum stoloniferum, Fendler nightshade
Plantain family: Penstemon barbatus, bearded penstemon
Phlox family: Ipomopsis tenuituba, slendertube skyrocket
Pink family: Cerastium nutans, chickweed
Pink family: Silene scouleri, simple campion
Saxifrage family: Heuchera sanguinea, coral bells
Spiderwort family: Commelina dianthifolia, dayflower
Vervain family: Glandularia bipinnatifida, Dakota verbena
Wood sorrel family: Oxalis alpina, pink wood-sorrel

 

 

A Dry March

Dateline 13 March 2018

I can say that the dawn over the Catalinas was lovely on Tuesday. As the days are continuing to be warm we started earlier but didn’t escape the the noon-day heat. I figured it was a last chance to see if any spring wildflowers would be in evidence given how little winter rain has fallen so we took off on the Sweetwater Trail which has previously hosted a variety of flowers. In contrast to other years, not much was in bloom. We saw evidence that the blue dicks were leafing out but the only flowers we spotted were a single poppy, some fairy duster, and desert zinnia. Still there was plenty to enjoy: the breezes as we approached the saddle, the rocky bench just as our feet were tired, the play of light and shadow as the clouds rolled over.

Shiny – like packing tape!

Baby barrel cactus.

Morning mandala.

A friendly bench.

Desert zinnia.

Solo poppy.

Can you see an image on the rock?

Patteran left by those who have gone before.

A morning in December

We ventured along a loop in the Saguaro East monument that started on the Douglas Springs trail and continued back via Three Tanks and the Garwood trail. It was tricky to capture the cloudy morning light. The prickly pears looked especially dry and we all hoped the clouds would turn to rain – we’ll have to keep waiting it seems. A pleasant way to start the day!

At the start of the trail.

Dramatic shadows on the Catalinas.

Heading up the trail.

The skyline looking west.

Contrasting shape and color.

Along the trail of Oaks

The hot weather has hung on longer that I ever remember in Tucson. We headed up the mountain in search of cooler weather – the coolness only lasted while we were in the shade. Still it was a beautiful day on the Bellota Trail which heads east from Molino Basin and over a saddle to join other trails. We settled down on the east side of the saddle to do some sketching and headed back for the shade of the oaks after it warmed up. The Bellota Trail bears the same name as the Bellota Ranch. The acorns of the Emory oak are known as bellotas and are prized as sweet and tasty.

View to the east of the Bellota Trail saddle.

Oak and manzanita country on the Bellota Trail.

The clouds begin to move in.

Hummingbird trumpet, Epilobium canum (formerly Zauschneria californica).

Fallen gold

The call of the Aspen Draw trail in November is the gold of the aspen leaves in combination with the the pink-red of the maples. Most of the leaves have fallen and the fall treasures are already beginning to fade. It’s nearly time to take our explorations to a lower elevation for the winter.

Fallen leaves ornament the evergreens.

Yellow and red leaves cover the trail.

A last spot of gold.

A touch of sun on a cloudy day.

Back to Green Mountain

Dateline 24 October 2017

The mountain beckoned and we decided to start the Green Mountain trail at the top and walk to the lower end. Time had passed since any of the group had done that and various “social” trails near the trailhead confused us momentarily so we were happy to reach the first signpost. The footing for the trail requires attention in places as there is loose scree. Some of the early summer’s wildfires had reached parts of the trail and it seemed that there was more loose rock washed on the trail in the burned areas – still the fire did not greatly impact the level of shade trail-side. While the trail is noted more for the vistas than the fall colors, the yellow leaves of the native grapevines brightened the areas close to the streambeds. After we crossed the saddle the wind picked up which was nice as the day was getting warmer. Towards the end of the trail once we reached the stream the poison ivy provided bright fall color!

Aspen brighten the trail.

Eerie rock formations in the distance.

Hedeoma or mock-pennyroyal.

Distinguished bark.

Bright spots of color – grape leaves.

Vibrant leaves of a young shrub.

A touch of red.