Natural History Wanderings

Post has been updated with more flower species and photos with an additional post on 7/14/13 at Bloom Blog Wildflowers.

The Plumas County Bloom Blog has a new wildflower bloom report from Joe Willis

I took a hike with some friends on Thursday, first on the Mill Creek Trail, then the Bucks Creek Loop. As a wildflower lover with a camera, I would have almost been content to stay by the trailhead for a couple of hours. There was water flowing in a ditch that supported a huge variety of lush wildflowers including the Checker Mallow in this set. We saw Pussy Paws in many different stages of growth and some erect while others were prostate. Details about Pussy Paw habits will be on my blog, blackoaknaturalist. The Leopard Lilies at this elevation, around 5,100, are much smaller and of slightly different coloration than the ones along creeks near Quincy. The Mullein, generally dismissed as a roadside weed, were particularly fresh-looking and beautiful along the lake shore. The close supply of water and the lack of the dust coating from dirt roads made these pretty enough to consider for landscaping.

Another contrast that was striking was the Scarlet Gilia that were blooming while less than a foot tall. Around Oakland Camp, many of them reach six feet or more before blooming. This is just a sampler from the Mill Creek Trail. There were probably at least 20 species of wildflowers blooming here, and a few different ones on the Bucks Creek Loop. I’ll send a set from that trail soon.

flowers in bloom included:

• Penstemon
• Prince’s Pine
• Monkeyflower
• Scarlet Gilia
• Sulphur Flower
• Pussy Paws
• Leopard Lily
• Checker Mallow
• Pine Drops
• Mullein

See photos and older reports at:  Bloom Blog Wildflowers.