Wildflowers!

When I am out on a trip I try and not get carried away with pictures of flowers. I avoid close ups or my entire sd card will end up being flora. Flowers as part of a landscape though….

https://www.flickr.com/photos/katpierini/albums/72157688586547682/with/24335188057/

Skypilot, High Sierra.  The smell means you’re somewhere high and good and peaceful.

Flame Azalea from Slickrock Wilderness, Tn/NC border.

Hard to pick a favorite wildflower image from the last 15+ years of photography, but the one below always reminds me vividly of Colorado’s version of heaven, courtesy of upper Boulder Creek in the Gore Range:

This fall I found the leaves elusive Cranefly Orchid. I look forward to seeing the flowers come spring time. Found in a wooded area along the Tombigbee River in Mississippi.

Desert Primrose – from a fall trip my wife and I took in October in Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Not exactly wildflowers, but the colors on this Autumn trip near Mt. Baker were spectacular.

Columbine is another favorite.

One more.  We saw this succulent flowering on an island were were paddling on a multi-day kayaking trip in the Sea of Cortez.

Prairie Smoke, May 2016, MDT North Dakota & American Prairie Reserve MT
“I’ve worked here for 10 years and have NEVER SEEN THIS!!!”, said the Backwoods Ranger at TRP North Division.

Will be walking home from Stanley ND to Lincoln NE this coming May… hoping for many more wildflower pix!

The prairie smoke is found only in natural areas that have never been grazed/farmed. One of my favorites. Nice find STEOFAN :-)

Yup. You are so right, Dan.
I sat down, took the pictures, and cried for quite a while.
Incredibly delicate-looking with all stages of the flower in one frame. I can only pray that I live long enough to see this again.
The true beauty of the grasslands is in the close-up.
Steofan M.

Incredibly delicate-looking with all stages of the flower in one frame.

That is awesome! all the planets and stars aligned, you were in the right place, right time :-)

“Likes” to all the posts above.  Great thread, Kat.

I was fortunate to get a video of the frost flowers(2 days ago) in their most exquisite forms. Today I checked them and they have melted 80 percent.

Not a flower, just fruit of one of the most interesting organism in the forest.  Fall 2016 Superior Hiking Trail

Awesome photo of the Prairie Smoke Steofan – never seen anything quite like it! Have to include one more favorite flower photo from my home state for the last 7+ years:

Late July at Lost Pass, Olympic National Park, WA

Along the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, 2006

Carrizo Plains National Monument,  April 2017.  Lots of people living in Calif are not aware of this area.

Wind River Range in August:

2 close ups of the Frost Flower formations:

Colorado Columbines

Incredibly delicate-looking with all stages of the flower in one frame.

There is one more stage after all the green disappears that gives the appearance of smoke. It occurs when the head is completely dry and ready to disperse it’s seeds.

Vancouver Island Alpine