Catherine Creek, March 30, 2023
This is the third hike at Catherine Creek this season. I am watching the changing of the guard: old wildflowers fading and new ones coming in. Today the grass widows are wilting and being replaced by western saxifrage and yellow bells, both in profusion now. The route I take is following what is called the Catherine Creek Loop trail, which takes you down to the new bridge across the creek, then up into the rolling oak hills and grasslands. Here too the grass widows are dying off and new plants coming into bloom. Many of the longer lasting flowers are still blooming, salt and pepper, prairie stars, the tiny whitlow grass, gold stars. And a couple of early and rare species showed up: naked broomrape and candelabrum monkeyflower.
Naked Broomrape
Columbia Lily about to open
Oak forested hills
The new bridge over Catherine Creek
Rare white grass widows
Candelabrum monkeyflower
