Where the wild things are.

Aquilegia sp.
Kings Canyon area, Sierra Nevada 6000'
Seed collection by Jevra Brown.

Beautiful columbine from southern California. My friend Jevra hikes a different area of the county every year and in 2013 she brought me this collection.



Its very floriferous and I noticed some have a tendency toward reflexing the outer...petals? Or are those tepals? Immediately upon opening. Got a whole flat and spread some around some of the rock garden projects I've been working on in Salem. We will see how it fares. And if anyone knows what species it is please do let me know....seems a bit north for A. flavescens and not hairy enough for A. pubescens?



Iris tenax
Always been one of my favorite wildflowers, this one population is growing a few miles from my childhood home. I have the sometimes unfortunate job of getting to review the proposed development in plans for the city.



The site of this population will be a cineplex come this time next year. Yes, I am planning a rescue mission, no matter how much anybody might hate the idea of digging up a wildflower. The thought of it getting bulldozed and laid under 4 lifts of asphalt is a far worse fate. A tomb if you will for something that died before its time.


Fritillaria affinis
This one is in the backyard, but it made me think how great would a stand of this offset by the lovely wild iris look? They are both peaking into bloom now.

It was 80 degrees on Monday, its 66 amid raining well now.

Cheers,
Mark