Desert Globe Mallow

I thought I might have to sit this one out - even though I chose the color for Flower Fest's Orange you glad it's a new color? - especially since I didn't have the time to make my third attempt at a watercolor (first and second attempts). But my archives came to my rescue.

Desert Globe Mallow, Arches National Park, Utah

I came across these bright flowers in Utah's Arches National Park last year. They are called Desert Globe Mallow and belong to the Malvaceae family. The botanical name for this globe mallow is Sphaeralcea coccinea. It can be found in semi-desert and arid regions.

I also came across another species of the globe mallow called Sphaeralcea leptophylla. The flowers are orange but the leaves are longer and narrower.

This is my entry to Flower Fest's Orange you glad it's a new color?

Wild Bergamot or Purple Bee Balm

Purple bee balm stole the show on one of our summer hikes in Boulder Mountain Park.

Monarda fistula

Also known as wild bergamot.

This was a gorgeous sight on an otherwise rocky and dry trail. Two lush carpets of purple, wild bergamot and purple mountain harebells. What a treat!

This is my entry to Flower Fest's Purplicious.

Flower Fest - W for White Silene

Originally a native of Europe, I found these teeny white campions on a cold late summer morning in Tiny Town, Colorado, which is at about 8500 ft in altitude. It can be an invasive weed, depending on where it is found.

White campion or silene latifolia has male and female plants. Below is a female plant with female flowers.

And, the plant to the left in the picture below is a male plant with flowers.

White campion contains saponins which are toxic but since they are poorly absorbed by our body, they don't cause much harm. When the root is simmered in hot water, it can be used as a soap substitute for washing clothes.

The plant grows up to 3ft in height and the flowers are between 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter. It flowers between June and September.

This is my entry for the letter W in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is V. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, White Campion, Silene latifolia

Flower Fest - V for Verbascum Thapsus

Yet another noxious weed. This time, I knew it was a weed. It had to be! I found it at the Walker Ranch on one those special days in fall when they open it up to the public. The ranch, that is. The open space around the ranch is accessible to the public year round. We were just back from a cold camping trip in the mountains and we went under-dressed for what appeared to be a gorgeous day but with cold winds blowing from the mountains. My ears couldn't bear the cold wind anymore and I returned to the car, which had been warmed by the sun. When I looked up at the sky, this is what I saw:


So, of course, I had to hop out again and brave the wind...


Known as common mullein or great mullein, this weed can grow over 7 feet tall. A wet spring can result in leaves that are as long as 20 inches.


Long dried-up brown stalks are a common sight by late fall. This plant is not native to the US but is found all over the continental US!

Wikipedia notes that it has been used since ancient times as a remedy for skin, throat and breathing ailments. It has long had a medicinal reputation, especially as an astringent and emollient. It contains mucilage, several saponins, coumarin and glycosides. Dioscorides recommended it for diseases of the lung and it is nowadays widely available in health and herbal stores. Non-medical uses have included dyeing and making torches.



This is my entry for the letter V in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is V. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, Verbsacum Thapsus, Mullein

Flower Fest - S for Snow-in-Summer

Last year I was looking for some attractive ground cover for my so-called attempt at a 'rock garden' when I chanced upon beautiful silvery gray-green foliage that came with the promise of white dainty blooms in early summer. It was only after I bought some that I found them growing wild at almost every corner of the trails I walked on! And needless to say, it's considered an invasive plant!



Snow-in-Summer or Cerastium tomentosum are perennials that reseed every year. They thrive in well-drained poor soil and are drought-tolerant. That explains why they grow so profusely around here!



They are called Snow-in-Summer because bloom profusely from late spring to early summer and the teeny white flowers look like a matt of white snow on the silvery foliage. I just have to be careful that it doesn't take over the entire bed!




This is my entry for the letter S in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is S. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, Snow in Summer, Cerastium tomentosum

Flower Fest - R for Rudbeckia fulgida

Rudbeckia fulgida or the Black-eyed Susan, as it is commonly known, is a very popular flowering plant. It is an easy-to-grow perennial that is native to the US. It is loved for its bright yellow/orange ray florets and its cone-like head of dark disk florets.


I have some rudbeckia seedlings that are about 7 weeks old now. So when I found out that this plant spreads aggressively by both rhizomes and seed, I wondered whether I am going to have another mint on my hands!


Rudbeckia blooms from mid to late summer into fall. It does well at higher temperatures. So the hotter the summer, the more the blooms! By winter, if the flowers are allowed to go to seed, the finches will have a field day as this is their favorite food.



This is my entry for the letter R in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is R. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, Rudbeckia fulgida, black-eyed susan

Flower Fest - P for Prairie Coneflower

Also known as the Mexican Hat, the prairie coneflower is a wildflower found almost all over the US. It is a perennial, native to the US, that grows to about 3 feet in height. It is often cultivated along the roadsides as it is drought tolerant and easy to grow. So it wasn't a surprise when I found it on one of my walks last fall. It blooms in summer and lingering blooms can be found through early fall in the foothills.


The flowers of the prairie coneflower, Ratibida columnifera, are long-lasting and are excellent as cut flowers.


Apparently, the Great Plains Indians brewed a tea from the leaves and flowers of this plant. They used a decoction of leaves and stems to treat poison ivy and rattlesnake bites and took an infusion of the plant tops to treat headaches and stomach aches.



This is my entry for the letter P in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is P. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, Prairie Coneflower, ratibida columnifera, mexican hat

Flower Fest - M for Mountain Harebells

Mountain harebells, from the genus Campanula are typically found in the montane and subalpine zones. It's a perennial and this particular plant was growing wild in my yard.

Mountain harebells have bell-shaped blue-violet flowers that are about an inch in length. These are also known as bluebells of Scotland.



This is my entry for the letter L in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is M. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, harebell, mountain harebells, campanula

Flower Fest: L for Lomatium

According to SW Colorado Wildflowers, identifying Lomatiums is not the easiest task. You need both fruit and flower. I think this wildflower that I found on the Moraine Park Campground, RMNP in September 2006 is the Lomatium, also known as the Biscuitroot for their starchy edible roots. It belongs to the Apiaceae family or the parsley family. Native Americans have incorporated these roots into their food, and are eaten cooked, dried or ground into flour. Roots of some species have been used as herbal medicines and paradoxically, there are species that are also highly toxic.

This is my entry for the letter L in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is M and this entry is late for L. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, Lomatium, biscuitroot, flower

Flower Fest - K for Klamath Weed

Never heard of Klamath Weed? Neither had I. But then I hadn't heard of many wildflowers and weeds till I moved to Colorado. But wait, this is one that everyone has heard of. Yup, it's none other than St. John's Wort. (When I first heard of St. John's Wort, I wondered why a plant would be called a wart...but that's a whole 'nother story!)

Anyway, egged on by Sree and Priya, I decided to put paint to paper a second time. Either that or slip in a picture of K Kosmos. Seriously, I grew Kosmos with a K; it was some Martha Stewart Garden brand of seeds from K-Mart - yes, that's how long ago it was. The flowers were gorgeous and some rather plain looking butterflies did come along for the nectar. But even though I found references to the flower spelled with a K, all text had it spelled as cosmos. Sree has already done a brilliant job with Cosmos for Flower-Fest - 'C', so I figured I might as well try again with paints.



I don't know what went wrong with the leaf on the right and whatever I did to correct it, only made it worse. So I gave up. Hey! It's only my second watercolor. So cut me some slack here!

Klamath weed or St. John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum, is a perennial plant found in almost all the US states at low elevations and in dry places. It is classified as a noxious and poisonous weed. It exudes oily secretions from its stems and these can cause a rash on people with sensitive skin. Ingesting large quantities of this weed can result in convulsions, palpitation and high heart rate, increased body temperature, and even blindness in both humans and animals. Paradoxically, this weed is used in herbal medication, and was recently identified as an effective treatment against some forms of depression. Huh? Everything in moderation applies to Klamath weed, too! (Reference)

Again, since it will be helpful to know what the real flower looks like, I based my watercolor on this lovely picture of the flower and plant.

This is my entry for the letter K in the Flower Fest - the A - Z of Flowers.

Flower Fest is the brainchild of Nature & Me and Sree. Every two weeks, the focus will be on a letter of the English alphabet. The current letter is K. I am submitting photographs of flowers as my entries.

Tags: Flower Fest, klamath weed, St John's Wort, hypericum, flower