The
Sandia Mountains just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, receive millions of visitors each year who enjoy hiking, skiing, birdwatching, mountain biking, picnics, photography, and, of course, wildflowers.
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Scarlet Paintbrush |
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Aspen |
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Jacob's Ladder Polemonium foliosissimum |
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Western Wallflower Erysimum capitatum |
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Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Western Wallflower |
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My daughter, Amanda, hiking the 10K Trail |
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Wild Iris just below the Crest |
I am a Volunteer with the US Forest Service (
Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest here in north central New Mexico). Currently I am a Wildflower Interpreter-in-training. This summer, we've been walking the different trails in and around the
Sandia Mountains near my home. I've learned to identify flowers of the native plants, shrubs and trees. Here is a
Sandia Mountain trail map. I am learning about the Sandia Mountain wildflowers from the best local expert,
Pearl Burns.
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Pearl Burns standing beside the sign by the Crest Nature Trail dedicated to her |
These flowers were found on the
South Crest Trail south of the Crest House (about 10,600 ft. elevation) in July, 2009.
Here is a website with information on the complete South Crest Trail (#130).
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King's Crown Sedum integrifolium |
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Mountain Parsley Pseudocymopterus montana |
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Yarrow Achillea lanuosa (pink variety) |
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View from the Crest Trail towards Albuquerque |
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Red Columbine Aquilega triternata |
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Cliffs alongside the South Crest Trail |
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Rocky Mountain Penstemon Penstemon strictus
and Fendler's Sandwort Arenaria fendleri |
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Alpine Clover Trifolium dasyphyllum |
Rocky Mountain Penstemon Pentstemon strictus
Harebells Campanula rotundifolia
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Snowberry Symphoricarpos oreophilus |
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Golden Pea Thermopsis gracilis |
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Meadow Rue Thalictrum fendleri (female flowers) |
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Meadow Rue Thalictrum fendleri (male flowers) |
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View west from the South Crest Trail |
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Twistpod Draba Draba helleriana |
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Coralbells Heuchera pulchella |
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White Pea Vine Lathyrum leucanthus |
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Sierra Blanca Bladderpod |
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Dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum |
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Jacob's Ladder Polemonium foliosissimum |
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La Veta Fleabane Erigeron vetensis |
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Mountain Caraway Aletes acaulis |
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Osha Ligusticum porteri |
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Twistedpod Draba Draba aurea |
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Red Elderberry Sambrucus racemose |
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Mountain Spray Holodiscus dumosa |
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Northern Bedstraw Galium boreale |
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Townsend Daisy Townsendia exima |
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Scarlet Paintbrush Castilleja miniata |
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Geyer Onion Lilium geyeri |
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Rocky Mountain Clematis Clematis columbiana |
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Lanceleaf Bluebells Mertensia lanceolota |
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Star Solomon Seal Maianthemum stellatum |
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Yellow Sky Pilot Polemonium brandegei
growing in the cliffs facing the west on the Crest Trail |
One of many Cinquefoils. The flowers look the same so you must identify them by their leaves. They are members of the Rose Family. This one is Pretty Cinquefoil:
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Pretty Cinquefoil Ponteilla pulcherrima |
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Wooley Cinquefoil Pontilla hippiana
Notice the gray-green leaves with fine hairs covering te leaves. |
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James' Cliffbush Jamesii americana |
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Inflated Penstemon Penstemon inflatus |
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Ninebark Physocarpus monogynus |
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A Cliff Primose on lichen covered cliff |
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Cliff Primrose Primula rusbyi |
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Calypso, Fairy Slipper Orchid Calypso bubosa |
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Death Camus Zigadenus venenosus
(Poisonous. Be careful, looks similar to wild onions) |
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Geyer's Wild Onion Allium geyeri (buds) |
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Rattlesnake Orchid Goodyera oblongifolia |
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Red Elderberry Sambrucus racemosa v. microbotrys |
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Lambert's Locoweed Oxytrophis lambertii |
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Locoweed flower has double keel,
Vetch does not have this keel |
Update:
Hi Vicki,
ReplyDeleteI am glad to find your website! This site helps us a lot to identify many wildflowers of Sandia mountains. I hope you could add more wildflowers in future.
Thank You,
Kyong and Okchu Lee
PS. We met you at the Tekolote trail in August. You gave us a good guide for wildflowers. Thank You Again!
I enjoyed walking the Tecolote Trail, looking at the wildflowers with you and Okchu. I hope your winter is wonderful for you and your family..
ReplyDelete