Bear grass in bloom at Mount Rainier National Park

During a June 2006 trip to Washington state to visit family, Rick went to Mount Rainier National Park and got this picture of a bear grass in bloom. Interestingly enough, bear grass is neither a grass nor eaten by bears, so the name doesn't really mean what it sounds like. It's actually a member of the corn lily family of plants. It's other common name is Indian basket grass, which is a reference to how native people used it, but it's still not a grass. It's common throughout the Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada, and the Rockies.

Pacific Dogwood bloom in Yosemite

In late spring, usually peaking in May, Pacific dogwoods (Cornus nuttalli) bloom in Yosemite National Park.  This photo is of a dogwood blooming in Yosemite Valley around the Majestic Yosemite (formerly the Ahwahnee) Hotel.  Bob took it just after a light rain had swept through the valley.

Besides May being a good time to visit Yosemite to see the dogwoods blooming, it's also a great time to see waterfalls pouring off the granite walls of Yosemite Valley after a good rainy season.

The dogwood "flower" actually consists of a tight cluster of tiny flowers in the middle with several large white bracts that look like petals.  The leaves of dogwoods exhibit what's called "arcuate venation."  This means that the veins on its leaves curve toward the leaf edge instead of going in a rather straight path from the main stem toward the leaf edge.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Snow plant in bloom in the Sierra, south of Yosemite

The snow plant (Sarcodes sanguinea), grows throughout the Sierra Nevada and into the Cascade mountain ranges. Unlike other flowering plants, it grows from digested organic material in the soil, similar to a mushroom, and doesn't make its own food as green plants do. The flowers can emerge while there is still snow on the ground, thus the common name. The species name, sanguinea, refers to its blood-red color. It's in the heath family, which includes cranberries and blueberries, but it is not edible.

These snow plants were blooming south of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra National Forest. We were out looking for plants in the spring of 2013 and found these excellent specimens.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Redwood Sorrel in bloom in in the Sinkyone Wilderness

During a trip to the Redwood Coast of California in August, 2014, the Redwood Sorrel flowers were in bloom. You sometimes see another type of sorrel growing in people's yards which you can recognize by the leaves, but this one is a wild species native to California. It grows in shady places under the big trees and up the coast into Washington state. This flower has 5 petals with purple veins and 10 stamens. Plants in the sorrel family, including Oxalis, have sour sap.

This Redwood Sorrel was blooming in the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. We saw it during an overnight backpack trip where we camped near a beach. This part of California's coastline is the most remote coast in the state, even though the area used to have a large lumber operation that ceased operating many decades ago. 

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily with a small insect inside from Lava Beds National Monument, CA

This is a Sagebrush Mariposa Lily (Calochortus macrocarpus) with a small insect inside.  It was blooming in Lava Beds National Monument in northeastern California.  This park is famous for its numerous lava flows that have produced hundreds of lava caves, some of which are easy to explore.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.