How did it get to be wildflower Wednesday again already? The wildflowers are probably at their peak now and the late bloomers are starting to show up which means that, alas, the flowers will begin winding down soon. On show this week are lance-leaved stonecrop, small-flowered penstemon, the tiniest lupine you’ll ever see, arnica, spreading phlox, sulphur buckwheat, western anemone in its fluffy moptop phase, pink monkeyflower, and fringed grass-of-parnassus. Not shown are the intense red paintbrush, leather-leaved saxifrage, spotted saxifrage, pearly everlasting, purple aster, and partridgefoot among others.
Another weekend, another backpacking trip, and another chance to catch the wildflower bloom in the high country. The first flush of flowers is done now: anemones have become moptops, while glacier lilies and others are only visible as seed pods. The next wave of favourites is showing up in force with flowers such as pink monkeyflower, broad-leaved willowherb, and fringed grass-of-Parnassus.
- Lance-leaved stonecrop in flower – they’re hard to see but this flower takes its name from the tiny pointy leaves at the base.
- Small-flowered penstemon – well-named, this little flower is usually only a few inches tall, and often really hard to photograph.
- Dwarf lupine – as tiny a flower as you’ll ever see, and so easy to miss; the leaves are not even an inch across!
- Arnica – not sure which type, but this little perfect trio in bloom was too good not to photograph.
- Spreading phlox – widespread in the dry alpine soil, it was great to find a near-perfect little patch, with a few flowers only just opening up.
- Sulphur buckwheat – this was remarkably widespread way up on the ridges above the treeline. We’ve only really seen it in Manning Park before so it was a nice surprise to find it here.
- Moptops of course! Who can resist moptops, especially when lit up by the late-afternoon sun?
- Pink monkeyflower – common in wet areas, and when they bloom, they really bloom!
- Fringed grass-of-Parnassus – one of my favourite late-season flowers (check out the little golf-ball flower buds!), I recently learned of its un-fringed cousin that grows in the UK.
I could spend hours crawling around photographing these and more, even though the bugs were as hungry as we’ve ever known them, especially the horseflies that managed to take a chunk or three out of me! Unfortunately, the flowers and bugs go hand-in-hand; it’s impossible to get one without the other. I suppose I should be grateful for the insects but sometimes…! 🙂
Andy Gibb 