Dwarf Lousewort, a native plant, has been added to the USWildflowers’ database (11/01/2019.) Scientific name is Pedicularis centranthera. Photo below was taken on the Chapin Mesa, Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma County, CO on Apr 29, 2019. Go to the Dwarf Lousewort detail page for more information and photos.
Dwarf Lousewort – Pedicularis centranthera
A little over a year ago a good friend (my wife said I should use BFF here, but I’ll pass…) invited me to visit a place I’d not heard of before – Walls of Jericho astraddle the Alabama / Tennesse border. I wasn’t able to join him last year, but we made the trip together this year on Tuesday, April 1. It’s advertised as a “strenuous” hike, and it lived up to that billing – there is about 1,000 of elevation drop in less about 2 miles out of the Alabama trailhead (meaning “increase” on the way back out) – but it was well worth the effort.
End of the Trail at Walls of Jericho
Read on…
To avoid crowds like those that were on the Shirley Miller Trail at The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain last week, I headed down there early Saturday morning, arriving at the parking area shortly after 8 AM. The sky was overcast, but the wind was low – a good situation for wildflower photography. My first stop was the dogwood tree beside the parking area.
Due to rain and obligations, it had been 9 days since I’d been down to The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain. Today was the Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church’s Keen-agers’ annual (I think) wildflower hike at The Pocket, so at 10 AM I joined the other folks in my age group at the church, and soon we headed on down to Pigeon Mountain. I returned from the hike with 381 photographs; two of them with people in them. After an initial run through the photographs, I’ve deleted about 150 of them; both photos of people remain.
It was COLD – 39 degrees – and WINDY. Sunday afternoon, a bit of snow in the morning.
Bloodroot
For some reason, my invitees for another trip to The Pocket all declined. Too bad. I thought it would be a quick trip down there, but I found myself lingering. I didn’t find any plants blooming that I hadn’t at least seen buds on previously, but there were still many opportunities for photographs.