Thursday, August 22, 2013

August Wildflowers in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico

Baneberry along the North Crest Trail

















Our drought-stricken State of New Mexico had a bountiful rainfall in July due to the monsoon rains and the wildflowers currently blooming show it. New Mexico has now received 71% of its normal precipitation from January-July 2013, although we are still in "extreme to exceptional drought" in 2/3 of the state, including Sandia Park where I live. Locally, we were overjoyed by the more than 3 inches of rain in July.

It's not a banner year for the wildflowers, but there are species showing up that I've not seen growing in these locales before.  I led a Cibola National Forest Wildflower Walk last Saturday morning.  Eleven people showed up and we walked the North Crest Trail. Here are some of the flowers we encountered:

NORTH CREST WILDFLOWERS     8/17/13
  

  1. Aster, New EnglandAster novae-angliaeAster Family
  2. Baneberry –  Actaea rubra – Buttercup Family 

  3. Buttercup, Fanleaf/Crowfoot – Ranunculus inamoenus – Buttercup Family  

  4. Cicely, Sweet - Osmorhiza obtusaParsley Family  

  5. Cinquefoil, PrettyPotentilla pulcherrimaRose Family 

  6. Cinquefoil, WoolyPotentilla hippianaRose Family 

  7. Clover, Yellow Sweet – Melilotus officinalis – Pea Family 
  8. Columbine, Red Aquilega triternataButtercup Family 

  9. CoralbellsHeuchera pulchella Saxifrage Family 

  10. Current, Wolf – Ribes wolfi – Gooseberry Family 

  11. Draba, Twisted PodDraba helleriana Mustard Family 

  12. Dragonhead – Dracocephalum parviflorum – Mint Family 

  13. Elderberry, Red/Flor SaucoSambucus racemoseHoneysuckle Family 

  14. Fireweed – Epilobium angustifolium – Evening Primrose Family 

  15. Fleabane, Beautiful Daisy - Erigeron formosissimus – Aster Family 

  16. Fleabane, Spreading – Erigeron divergens- Aster Family  

  17. Fleabane, Trailing - Erigeron flagellaris- Aster Family 

  18. Gentian, Green/Deer’s EarsFrasera speciosa Gentian Family 

  19. Geranium, Richardson’sGeranium richardsoniiGeranium Family 

  20. Goldenrod, Parry’s -  Oreochrysum parryi – Aster Family 

  21. Groundsel, Nodding – Senecio bigelovii Aster Family 

  22. Groundsel, Notchleaf – Senecio fendleri – Aster Family
  23. Groundsel, Threadleaf – Senecio flaccidus var. flaccidus – Aster Family 

  24. Harebells Campanula rotundifolia Bellflower Family 

  25. Jacob’s LadderPolemonium  foliosissimumPhlox Family 
  26. Jasmine, Northern Rock Androsace septentrionalisPrimrose Family 

  27. Larkspur, Sapello CanyonDelphinium sapellonis Buttercup Family 

  28. Ninebark – Physocarpus monogynus Rose Family 

  29. Onion, Geyer’s – Allium geyeri – Lily Family 

  30. Oshá Ligusticum porteriParsley Family 


  31. Paintbrush, ScarletCastilleja miniata Figwort Family 

  32. Parsley, Mountain Pseudocymopterus montanaParsley Family 

  33. Penstemon, Whipple’s Penstemon whippleanus Figwort Family 

  34. Rue, Meadow – Thalictrum fendleriButtercup Family
  35. SnowberrySymphoricarpos oreophilusHoneysuckle Family
  36. Solomon Seal, StarMaianthemum stellatumLily Family
  37. Starwort, Tuber Stellaria jamesianaPink Family
  38. Umbrellawort, Velvet – Mirabilis oblongifolia – Four o’clock Family 

  39. Violet, CanadaViola canadensisViolet Family 
  40. Western WallflowerErysimum capitatumMustard Family 

  41. Woodsorrel, Violet – Oxalis violacea –Woodsorrel Family 

  42. YarrowAchillea lanulosa Aster Family

     
  43. Fendler's Sandwort - Arenaria fendleri – Pink Family 

  44. Showy Goldeneye - Heliomeris multiflora - Aster Family  


    There are many trails to hike in the Sandias. Here are some views to the west from the South Crest  Trail
    The switchbacks of the La Luz Trail ascending the mountain from Albuquerque

    Looking north from the South CrestTrail toward the Crest House

    Looking at Albuquerque at the base of the Sandia Mountains

    If you like wildflowers, I have a lot of wildflowers growing around my house which you can see here.

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