It's that time: Wildflowers. Where are you seeing them?

Time for the Wildflower sticky. It's a bit early for many areas (although I hear there are Pasque flowers in Black Forest),but not too early to get started.
Post some pics, too!

There are a few of the early varieties blooming around the Moab area but nothing notable yet.

The season for desert wildflowers this year came very early- starting late January and just kind of sputtering out. Patches of lupine and orange globemallow being dominant. I don't think I saw a single poppy this year. Most of the desert color came from the bright yellow brittle brush- even that giving a weak showing. The giant saguaro cactus have begun to bloom and the prickly pear and strawberry hedgehog are showing now. The high country has received a fair amount of spring rain and there is still a possibility of decent summer blooms in the higher elevations around Flagstaff.

"Sputtering out" is a great description, it was mainly on the "out" part when was down is southern AZ about a week and a half ago. I saw nothing, in fact I was surprised how brown everything was. I guess there's always next year (spoken like a true Cleveland Indians fan).

The Pasque flowers were quite abundant around the Boulder Flatirons yesterday.

They are all over Texas!


Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush have been going for a month. We are now in wave two with Indian Blankets really looking good.

Here was sunrise two weeks ago south Dallas-Fort Worth. JPEG compression is not doing this justice.

Hope y'all have a great season in the Rockies!

Probably should have posted this earlier- Dune Primrose near Big Water, UT. Shot is from Easter week-end.

Wildflowers are going off around Moab. I've seen vast fields of desert primrose, more than any other year that I can remember. Also, dwarf lupine, globemallow, mules ear, cactus flowers, scorpionweed and lots of other stuff I can't identify. Prince's plume is prolific this year and at peak now.

I was down to Phoenix for the Mother's Day weekend. The saguaros are blooming. I would guess about mid-season for them. There seem to be more blooms than I have noticed in recent years.

Hey Gang,
I have a photographer buddy (model shoots) who is looking for a location somewhere in CO, late June - July, rolling hills surrounded by mountains with wildflowers going off like crazy.

I have some thoughts, but thought I would post the question here for suggestions to pass on.

Thanks in advance!!

The Century Plants are blooming in the desert around Superior, AZ.

Pete: Crested Butte and surrounding area is the first location that comes to mind...

Thanks Bob...That's pretty much what I was thinking too, but wanted to make sure my brain was on-target! :)

I just spent a few days in the Chalk Creek/St Elmo/Mt Princeton/Cottonwood Pass area...saw a few red columbine on the Poplar Gulch trail, but they didn't look great (probably early). There were still Pasque flowers blooming or budding along that trail. Saw plenty of Chiming Bells and various daisies on the Sprout Lake and Ptarmigan Lake trails. Saw globeflowers near all the streams, etc. Boulder Raspberry all over the place, especially alng the Narrow Gauge Trail.

Spent last weekend near Rio Grande Reservoir in Weminuche Wilderness. Wildflowers along Lost Creek Trail were at peak or just smidge beyond. As I headed North to Gunnison and Crested Butte, the wildflowers appear to be nearing peak (go figure! :) lol).

Guessing the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival July 7 - 11 will be right around peak.

For those who can't venture far from home, several places in and around Colorado Springs are looking very good right now. Red Rocks Canyon Open Space is huge with prickly pear cactus blossoms, and mariposa lilies (in several colors, too) along with other flowers.
Palmer Park should be nearing a pretty nice peak of prickly pear this weekend, and many other flowers blooming, too.
Mt Herman has the best crop of Columbines I've seen in many years and there were still a lot that hadn't bloomed yet.
Overall this area is seeing the best wildflowers I've seen in 5 or more years.

Pete,
Was somewhat surprised to hear about Crested Butte flowers being near peak. Somehow in my mind I thought it would be later this year with the increased snow pack. From what you saw, would you say it going to be a decent flower crop in the Crested Butte area? The last few years were a bit dismal compared to what I heard it can be. Thanks for reporting in!
Ken

Hi Ken,
I didn't get far enough into town to say 100% for sure, but from what I saw en route from Gunnison to CB, I'd say the crop will be decent. I'm seeing decent wildflowers in a variety of places. Hiked up to Timberline Falls on Buchanan Pass Trail and saw a good crop of Blue Columbine, Indian Paintbrush and a few others that I don't recall names of [yet]. :)

I'm guessing that we're going to have a bountiful wildflower season here in NW Colorado---a heavy snowpack from winter and a wet May have produced a lush landscape at this point. So far, I've seen lots of arnica in the valley and healthy columbine and wild rose in the Dry Lake Campground area of Buffalo Pass. This tells me that the Stillwater area in the Flat Tops and Dumont Lake area on Rabbit Ears Pass will be really nice in a couple of weeks---even into the first week of August. Here's a pic of that lush landscape....

And a wild rose along the Buffalo Pass road....

And a couple of columbines....

Blue Columbine in Lost Creek Trail area (Weminuche Wilderness):

Paintbrush along Buchanan Pass Trail in northern portion of Indian Peaks Wilderness:

Any word on the flowers around uray and silverton area?

Ouray and Silverton are usually the 3rd week of July

I'll have an update on Ophir / Telluride area next Mon/Tues.

Any word on Shrine Pass and Mayflower Gulch? I know they're typically the end of July, but with snowpack and spring moisture being higher than the last few years, wondering if it's ahead of schedule this year.

Mariposa Lily in Red Rocks Open Space in Colorado Springs. They're still coming up. Amazing what a little moisture and sub 100 degree temps will do...

More evidence of a banner year in NW Colorado even though it's still early. A couple of forays to the Stillwater area in the Flat Tops and to the Hahns Peak-Steamboat Lake area showed a lot of promise. Lots of columbines and bluebells around the Yampcola Reservoir area and already some nice bunches just inside the wilderness boundary. At Hahns Peak and Steamboat Lake the arnica and oxeye daisy were all over the place.

Bluebells and Stillwater Reservoir.

Found this little waterfall near the Cold Spring Campground.

Lots of arnica around Steamboat Lake.

Oxeye Daisy looking toward Hahns Peak

Hey Gang,
Just finished 1st pass of PP on my pics from the weekend. Uploaded to Flickr here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/uskestrel/sets/72157645262881670/

Ophir / Alta Lakes / Telluride area were a-blaze in color on Saturday; Had an absolute blast creating images and trekking around, including a 4-mile round trip trek from just outside Telluride up to the base of Bridal Veil Falls (yeah, I could have driven, but what fun is that? LOL).

Crested Butte, Kebler Pass (as far as the FR-730 [Ohio Pass Rd]) and Ohio Pass Rd back to Gunnison were simply AWESOME!!! The picture included is from the bottom of Ohio Pass Rd.

Here's a shot from Sunday night up on Stony Pass near Silverton. Lots of big dense patches of paintbrush, some with purple and yellow flowers and columbines mixed in. Looking really good up there, everything's green too and the snow's almost all gone. If you hike up higher, you'll find tundra sunflowers and more columbines in the rocks. It's on!!!!!

Jack---oh my, what a gorgeous image! We're another week away up here in NW Colorado.

Hiked Mayflower Gulch today and afterward drove Shrine Pass. Both are great right now...Mayflower especially past the cabins above treeline, and Shrine is hot with all colors of paintbrush, with many more about to bloom any day now.
I'll probably spend the day on Shrine Pass (with a hike to the peak, too) on Monday.

Aspen is looking good, should only improve in the next 2-3 weeks

One more from the Bells. Independence Pass had lots of Old Man of the Mountain (& tons of people), too.

The lupine stands along Gothic Road this evening.

Also the meadows around Lake Irwin were looking good yesterday morning. I'd say just past peak, but still plenty to see and photograph.

I just returned from the Odgen, Utah area. The flowers up top near Ben Lomond Peak taking the road up from Mantua are peak. Those near Powder basin are just pack peak and withering from the hear and dryness.

Spent all afternoon on Shrine Ridge...The lupines and paintbrush are VERY abundant and extremely colorful. Wide variety of flowers from the trailhead to the top. I think it's at or near peak, so I'd get there by this weekend.
And bring DEET...although it seems that the mosquitoes I encountered today didn't let DEET stop them at all.

Don't have any pics to share yet but Porphry (sp) is crazy with paintbrush and yellow small flowers mixed in. Yankee Boy was OK..not as abundant as I was hoping for. This is from Monday, July21st.

Grand Mesa has some nice spots going right now. I shot this right off Hwy 65 a few hundred yards north of the Lands End turn. Lands End Rd. itself had some nice meadows here and there. Lots of scorched corn lilies but nice delphinium blooming amongst it. Today I saw sneezeweed, columbine, rose and white paintbrush, lupine, delphinium, yarrow, sunflowers, fireweed, cow parsnip, purple asters, some type of white daisies, fairy trumpets, phacelia and bistort. I probably missed something in there I saw very little blooming on the way up the north side until I got past Mesa Lakes area and up over the rocky area. I only went as far south as the ranger station so can't speak to what's south of there toward Cedaredge.

Here's a closer shot of the gorgeous colors.

Some days last week were spent at Clear Lake near Silverton. The columbines, blue bells, and larkspur on the west side of the lake looked good. The number of paintbrush was less than normal though. There were some scattered purple aster near the ponds by Red Mountain #1

Area above Vaughn Lake in the Flat Tops this weekend.

On my way home from DIA. No giant sunnies.

Dumont Lake on Rabbit Ears Pass is at peak, this was yesterday evening.

Lots of variety in the surrounding area.

Lots of lupine on the south side of the lake this morning.

Rod, it looks like Steamboat has some AWESOME colors. Wish I could make it up but doubtful, need to stick closer to home...