Prairie Bloom

The ponderosa savannah bloom along the flatirons continues to get better with great fields of arnica - as illustrated in T. Caudle's post last week. The area above Doudy Draw trailhead (attached image) is drier and rockier and is dominated by Pentsemon virens. The bloom is the best I've seen in this area. Without moisture, the flowers will be in decline next week.


Note: Please respect the closure for ground nesting songbirds on the north side of the trail.

Was just out at Pawnee Buttes - looks like the winter weather didn't help the flowers much out there. Lots of Primrose, some Copper Mallow and a few cushion-type flowers (Phlox? and some kind of Vetch...), but nothing like I've seen in the past. Maybe I just went at the wrong time. Yucca will be out over Memorial Weekend, I think; lots of pretty pregnant flower stalks.

Suprised things aren't blooming like crazy out at the Buttes. When is the best time, historically?

I've been in early June when the Yucca are blooming and things are better, but with the excellent conditions around Denver, I thought now would be about right this year. I saw little evidence that things were going to get significantly better any time soon except for the Yucca and the Prickly Pear.

I spent the weekend clearing debri from an alley alongside our house, and just got back from the dump to unload. The flowers in the foothill-ish areas west of Pueblo are blooming pretty darned great right now. I'll probably head out, sans trashload, this afternoon when it clouds up. We're also supposed to be having some cloudy, drizzly weather the next few days (yippee!!!), so might try my luch then, too.

The first several miles of the Poudre Canyon, up to about Gray Rock, look quite nice right now. I've never seen it this green.

Thanks for posting, Dave. I've been traveling, so haven't had time to get up there myself. After a quick hike up the trail a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking that it was going to be an epic bloom for that area. Wish I were there with camera in hand!