No News

Sorry I haven't been able to get anything posted lately.  Warren and I are on a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons, and internet access is limited.  I'll treat you to lots of entries on the other blog-site as soon as I can!  And I'll have to get back up to Lone Pine sometime next week.

It's Getting Seedy Up Here

Nothing especially new to report at Lone Pine, except that the plants are busy, busy, getting ready for next year!  Many plants have already gone to seed and sometimes the seed-stages are as lovely as the bloom.  The Onion, Fleabane, Flax and Harebell are still flourishing and beautiful, and well as a couple of new ones: Birchleaf Spirea, Orange hawkweed (invasive) and Purple Thistle.

Birchleaf Spirea

Orange Hawkweed

Purple Thistle

Harebell

Blue Flax

I suppose more accurately I should say the blossoms have gone to their fruit stage, which also contains the seeds for next year.

Remember those beautiful apple blossoms?
Here are the apples--see "Rainy Weekend" in my May postings for the flower.

This is the fruit of the Russian Honeysuckle.
See "Honeysuckle: Mystery Solved" in my June Postings.

Chokecherry trees abound along the lower trail.

My favorite chokecherry tree up high against the blue sky.
See "Fragrant Forest in May postings.

Low Oregon Grape; this was a beautiful yellow flower earlier--
see "May Sunshine."

Here are the flower-seeds that I can identify:

Stickseed--the flower was like a blue forget-me-not; I don't think I ever posted this one.

Blue Penstemon

Flax and seed

Lupine

Coralroot

Salsify is a plant that can easily grow to two feet tall or more, and I found it at several different stages, including both blossom and seed.

When the flower is done it closes back up like this.

Then the seed-feathers begin to squeeze out...

...creating a beautiful puffball like a dandelion...

...but MUCH larger!

I thought I'd also do a little study on Fleabane, and then you can compare it with the Asters when they come out.  This variety has fairly thin petals and lots of them, also that's not always the case with Fleabane.

The best identifier is looking at the back of the flower to see how the green bracts grow--basicly they are all the same length in this Fleabane.  Asters have overlapping bracts like roof-shingles.

Showy Fleabane has multiple flower-heads per stem.  Sub-Alpine Fleabane has single flowers per stem, and of course, you usually see it up higher in the mountains.

Showy Fleabane

Heat Wave

I have to confess that I have avoided hiking at Lone Pine this past week because the heat we have had. But today I got up there to see what effects the heat wave may have had up there.  Not to worry; those plants are just loving the sunshine--especially the grass!

 The Serviceberries are getting red.

I found a patch of especially purple Showy Fleabane.  This is NOT Aster; Asters bloom later and have different structure under the flower that you can't see.

The flower of the day was Nodding Onion--it was everywhere!

I found one newby that I haven't seen this year.  This is called Owl Clover:

There is still a lot of Yellow Hawkweed (this is also an invasive), and I caught this particular bloom at an unusual stage--almost thought it was something else.

Back in Montana!

Well I haven't been to Lone Pine for 3 weeks!  Time for an update!  The grass along the trail has grown tall and was full of pollen today.  Thank goodness for Claritin!!  Who would think that grass- pollen was so photogenic...

Before I show you the "lovelies," I need to call your attention to this invasive plant, Hounds-tongue. It is as "bad" as Knapweed, and really needs to be pulled.  Although I didn't tell you to....

There were a lot of new flowers in bloom as well as some still around from earlier in June.  Lots of this flowering shrub, Mock Orange, were all along the trail.

Lots of Showy Fleabane:

Yellow Hawkweed:

Birchleaf Spirea:

Gallardia:

Northern Bedstraw:

There was a new kind of Penstemon, called Scorched P. as well as the Blue:

There are lots of Snowberry bushes along the trail, and the Raspberry I found was about done flowering.

This is a type of Phacelia called Threadleaf P. or linearis:

Nodding Onion is starting:

I saw just a few Harebells and Bladder Campion:

There was a MESS of Stonecrop!  I've seen this already along the rocky edge at the top, but this was down low!

There is still a lot of Lupine:

And the Biscuitroot is going to seed:

Have I identified Yarrow yet?  It is very common and we saw a lot in New Mexico.  This bunch just looked especially sweet and fresh.

And there was a Lupine-Yarrow garden at the top of the hill:

The bright yellow crop on the south end of Kalispell are Canola fields.  They looked particularly striking with the blue sky, beckoning mountains, blue river and a little Mock Orange in front.

Don't we live in a pretty place!  Sometimes I have to pinch myself!