Where to Find Wildflowers This Spring

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 Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson

The native wildflower desert lupine (Lupinus sparsiflorus) dotted the hillside along the El Cerro de Los Lunas Preserve trails on April 5, 2020. Photo credit Marisa Thompson. From NMSU Extension Circular 678, "Poisonous Plants of New Mexico Rangelands": "Lupines are abundant throughout New Mexico in a wide variety of habitats, including mountain slopes, valleys, and plains. There are over 150 species in the United States, and most are non-toxic. For more info on other lupine species and their toxicity to sheep (and sometimes horses and cattle), visit https://navajorange.nmsu.edu/detail.php?id=155 and https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR678/welcome.html. 

Cota (Thelesperma megapotamicum) in bloom on June 2, 2020, along the trails at the Petroglyph National Monument Volcano Day Use Area. For more info on this interesting wildflower, visit the Santa Fe Botanical Garden website: https://santafebotanicalgarden.org/july-2012/. Photo credit Marisa Thompson.

 

Question: Where should we go to see wildflowers and native vegetation in the Santa Fe area the last two weeks of May?

-          K. Schroeder

Answer: I saw this question posted on the Native Plants of New Mexico Facebook page. With over 7,200 members on that page, the responses to posts like these can be very helpful. Among the recommended places to visit for wildflower quests are Bandelier National Monument, Hyde Memorial State Park, numerous trails in the Aspen Basin Area, the Galisteo Basin Preserve, and the Randall Davey Audubon Center. Several folks pointed out that the best place to find wildflowers is going to depend largely on where the rain falls. Botanical gardens in Santa Fe and at the Albuquerque BioPark are great places to find large concentrations of wildflowers and learn their names.

In late May and June, I recommend checking out the penstemons at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Over 100 species** of penstemons have been planted in the surrounding landscape, and it is truly spectacular. If you make the trip, please share photos with me via desertblooms@nmsu.edu.

**Feb. 2021 UPDATE from Larry Deaven, who planted these beauties: The Los Alamos Nature Center Penstemon Gardens "now have approximately 180-200 species of penstemons from each of the continental states and from Mexico and Canada."

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to speak with Christine Salem, an active Santa Fe Master Gardener volunteer since 2010 and the project leader for The Garden Journal, a radio program on KSFR Santa Fe Public Radio that airs at 10 am on Saturday mornings. (NOTE: Click HERE to access the recording of my interview with Santa Fe County Extension Agent Tom Dominguez on Jan. 9, 2021) 

 When I mentioned that I’m searching for wildflower-finding tips, Salem recommended the new book titled “Best Wildflower Hikes New Mexico: A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Wildflower Hiking Adventures” by local author Christina M. Selby, which I ordered immediately. In this great guide, Selby describes 40 hikes throughout the state and highlights which flowers to look for and when you’re likely to find them. Visit https://christinamselby.com/ for links to Selby’s other publications and incredible photos!

Christine Salem also shared the following great info about the Seed Stewards Project, which was launched by Santa Fe Master Gardeners in collaboration with the Santa Fe Public Library in Fall 2018: "Since our partner, the SF Public Library, is closed, we will again be distributing seeds to the community at 11 “mini” self-serve locations across Santa Fe County. Starting in early March. We are hoping to help meet the demand for seeds and to provide education on how to grow from seed and how to save seeds." PRESS RELEASE: https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/Articles/view/14255/santa-fe-master-gardeners-mini-seed-libraries-great-success

In January 2019 I wrote a column answering almost the exact same question, but for April instead of May, in which I invited a few local gurus to share their top picks for wildflower hikes. Click HERE to access the full 2019 article. Here are some highlights:

Judith Phillips, local landscape designer and author of books about planting climate-adapted species, recommended the Placitas Open Space trails in the Sandia Foothills off of Hwy 165. This area is part of the City of Albuquerque’s Open Space Division, which includes 29,000 acres in and around the city. Here’s Phillips’ list of flowers to look for on your visit: white-tufted evening primrose, desert marigold, fleabanes, blue flax, scorpionweed, sundrops, various verbenas, Santa Fe phlox, annual blanketflower, penstemons, white delphinium, locoweed, and maybe sand verbena, which is a wild lantana.

I also asked botanical artist Wren Allen of Santa Fe for her suggestions: “The sunny upslope side of the Aspen Vista Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest has a lovely mix of wildflower species pretty much all late spring and summer.” Tesuque Creek Trail is steeper, narrower, and more challenging, but it may be worth the trek once you see the lovely crimson columbines. Winsor Trail Loop, Nambe Lake Trail, and Cerrillos Hills State Park are a few others that Allen listed.

Wherever you go to get your wildflower fix this spring, you’re bound to see more if you slow down. Share your photos with me via email (desertblooms@nmsu.edu) or social media (@NMDesertBlooms) and I’ll add them below.


Missouri evening primrose near Santa Fe. Photo credit Wren Allen.





Send gardening questions to Southwest Yard and Garden - Attn: Dr. Marisa Thompson at desertblooms@nmsu.edu, or at the NM Desert Blooms Facebook page (@NMDesertBlooms)

Please copy your County Extension Agent and indicate your county of residence when you submit your question!

For more gardening information, visit the NMSU Extension Horticulture page at Desert Blooms and the NMSU Horticulture Publications page at http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/.

Marisa Y. Thompson, Ph.D., is the Extension Horticulture Specialist in the Department of Extension Plant Sciences at the New Mexico State University Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center.

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