Catherine Creek, April 12, 2023
Third trip to Catherine Creek this wildflower season. Today the saxifrage rule!!! These have replaced the grass widows. And the yellow bells are also fading away. Scattered in the meadow as you begin the hike are meadow death camas and a few blue camas. Also there are shepherd’s cress, which is not native, but has a strong presence at the beginning of the trail system. As I hiked down over the new bridge and up the hill, I looked for the naked broomrape and candelabrum monkeyflowers I had seen the last time here a couple of weeks ago. I found these and more of both. The candelabrum monkeyflowers are tiny and cute as can be. It was windy today up there and some of the photos didn’t turn out. Flowers I wasn’t able to capture today are the few chocolate (checker) lilies that are beginning to bloom and small flowered blue eyed Marys. Also found western buttercups and sticky geraniums and Bonneville shooting stars. These are in the Wildflowers section of this website. It is so amazing to hike the same trail every two weeks and see the progression of plants.
Blue camas
Candelabrum monkeyflower and plectritis
Western saxifrage
Shepherd’s cress
The old bridge across the creek
Meadow death camas
Few flowered blue eyed Mary
Old fence along the trail
Lupine about to bloom
Dutchman’s breeches, one of my favorites
Larkspurs
