Peenie Wallie

September 24, 2012

The Mad Gardens of Telegraph Hill

Above:Bottlebrush on the Filbert Steps of Telegraph Hill, San Francisco. (Family = Myrtaceae, Genus = Callistemon.)

Above: Flowers of the genus Fuchsia on the Greenwich Steps of Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.(Family = Onagraceae, Genus = Fuchsia).

Above: Princess Flower.Princess Flower on the Greenwich Steps of Telegraph Hill, San Francisco. (Family = Melastomataceae ), (Tibouchina urvilleana).

Above: Angel's Trumpet. (Famiily = Solanaceae. Genus = Brugmansia spp.)

Posted by Rob Kiser on September 24, 2012 at 8:49 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

May 4, 2012

Market Street Foxgloves

Above: Purple Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) along Market Street in San Francisco.

Posted by Rob Kiser on May 4, 2012 at 11:26 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

April 20, 2011

Blue Lights and Adrenaline

Above: A flowering tree in the Myrtle family (Myrtaceae).

So after work, I walk outside and the wisteria are hanging straight down from the rain. I stop to take some photos of them because, if not now, when?

I climb onto my adrenal-cycle with a camera and a couple of lenses and I begin to prowl around San Francisco. I'm never sure where to go but I'm going somewhere, right? I'm not going to sit at home. Not a chance.

So I'm rolling down somewhere...17th or 18th or so....sort of rolling through the Mission toward the Castro because, let's be honest, if you're looking for flowers and flowering trees, you can't ignore the Castro district.

So I'm rolling around and I see a cop come by. One of those clearly marked black and white units and he gets a good eyeful of the back of my bike and, let's be clear here...there's nothing there. Nada. As in, no plates. I'm free-balling.

So he goes down about a block and I figure he's probably watching to see which way I go, but I go on my way. I'm not living my life for other people. That's not my ticket.

So I keep on rolling and I see this tree blooming like mad with these ridiculous red flowers all over it. Like something out of a dream. Something Dr. Seuss would make up and I stop to get some shots because I don't take much for granted these days.

I don't lump all of the Myrtacaea together like I used to in San Diego. I don't make that mistake any more. I'm out, examining the flowers, the leaves, the bark, and the seed pods.

Now, mind you, so far as I can tell, no one else is doing this, but that's none of my concern. If you're driving through the Garden of Eden, there's no pride in being perfectly ignorant of the flora around you. To my way of thinking, anyhow.

So I pull over to snap some shots of this surreal looking flowering tree and suddenly, here comes that pig. The same one, slipping down an alley and coming out right in front of me and he sees me and turns on his lights. Now, mind you, my bike is parked and I'm off of it, but here he sits, lights flashing, looking right at me.

Those of you that had April 20th as the day I'd get stopped and fined for driving without plates please take one step forward. Now, take one step back. Because he turned left and took off and I never saw him again. And I don't know where he was going but he wasn't after me. Heeeheeee.

And I'm happy to be free of the clutches of the pig and running loose in this mad and beautiful city, but that's the way it is out here. I know you don't believe me, but San Francisco is a wild-west frontier type of mentality where the cops ride two to a car, in fear for their own lives. (In Lima, they ride four to a car). And they're not about to start something over a license plate. That's just not how it is out here. It's not like that. Not that way.

So I continue to wander around the city on the bike. It's sort of misting. Trying to rain. But not bad enough that I put on my Dry Ducks. I think about it a lot though. But never I do. Never I do.

And it's nearly dark when I get off work. There can be no denial of this. It's too dark to be shooting, really, but this is what I have. I crank the ISO up to some ridiculous number to buy myself some daylight at the expense of grainy photos. A deal with the devil. But all I have is a few minutes after work to roll around in the misty Pacific coast and this is this is this. This is this.

I wind around and it's getting darker and wetter and finally I decide I'll go to The Grove and download my photos and collect my thoughts over an Anchor Porter.

And I'm winding down from the hills around Buena Vista and Corona Heights and I roll past this tree with both reddish/orange flowers and white flowers and I'm like.."OK...I'm calling bullsh1t on this one. There's no way one tree could possibly have two completely different flowers on it like that." But it was an illusion. They'd planted a tree and let this vine grow through it. Or, possibly, it was two trees woven together, but it was definitely two completely different species intermingled and I have no doubt they did it on purpose because, well, you should have seen the rest of the place.

My GPS is dead. I've not wired it into my bike yet. Only I attach it and run the batteries down which doesn't take long, apparently. And I end up on Market, but way out near the end where the trolley doesn't go along with Market Street any more. So, it seems safe enough to follow for a block or three. And I'm rolling up to a red light and a bike pulls up beside me and I hear this sickening crunch and I'm thinking. WTF? Seriously. What was that. And, I decide that the noise came from the crankcase of the bike next to me. Like his transmission is seriously screwed. And I'm looking at him with this chick on the back thinking...dude...you need to get that checked out. But now he's looking back. So I look back. And the two cars beside us have wrecked. Like...at a red light...one car ran into the back of another one going about 3 miles and hour and I look at the guy on the bike and I say "Dude...seriously...what the fck?" And we're all laughing. Me and him and the chick on the back of his bike. Like...dude...open your fvcking eyes already.

A woman at work told me about this house for sale in the city for $45M. I tell her I'm going to give them a low-ball offer of $40M and see if they'll take it. So I decide I'll try to find it, but my GPS is dead so I can't find it. I get within a block or three of it, but I dunno. I don't know where it is and it doesn't matter that much anyway. Does it?

The bike could use some work. I've stretched out the chain riding wheelies across the city. Need to tighten the chain. The headlight shines up and about a 45 degree angle like I'm hunting coons. The engine has developed a small oil leak, from where I'm not clear yet. The left rear turn signal sort of droops. The guy had taped it with black tape when I bought it and I missed this fact. Shame on me.

It is ideal transportation in the city, but it's not exactly maintenance free. It needs a little TLC before I make my next trip up to Alaska in August.

Above: Wisteria. Family: Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) is a large family of flowering plants, commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse family.

Update: I now suspect that this mural on Shotwell in the Mission District was painted by Reyes78, author of the "Mispelled" series of letters painted in SF.

Above: Blooms of the Ruby Red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea 'Briotii'). Family: Hippocastanaceae.

Above: Tthe Ruby Red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea 'Briotii'). Family: Hippocastanaceae.

Posted by Rob Kiser on April 20, 2011 at 9:14 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

The Bottle Brush Tree

Above: The Bottlebrush Tree (Callistemon rigidus). Family = Myrtaceae.

Posted by Rob Kiser on April 20, 2011 at 12:02 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

April 19, 2011

Corymbia ficifolia

After going back and taking some more photo today, I'm reasonably sure that the trees across the street are Red Flowering Gum trees, aka Albany red flowering gum trees, or Orange Splendour. The scientific name is Corymbia ficifolia, formerly Eucalyptus ficifolia. Family = Myrtaceae.

The trees flower heavily only every second year; typically parts of a given tree will flower one year and other parts the next, but this varies greatly: in typical corymbia fashion, each individual tree seems to have its own particular habits.

Posted by Rob Kiser on April 19, 2011 at 11:30 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

April 14, 2011

The Pride of Madeira

The "Pride of Madeira" (Echium candicans or Echium fastuosum), a shrub from the borage family (boraginaceae), native to the Madeira archipelago. This flower has bothered me since I arrived in San Francisco back in February. I've been pulling my hair out trying to find out what it is. I see this all over the place and no one knows what it is. I'd never even heard of the "Pride of Madeira", or even of the Madeira archipelago, for that matter. But it is a spectacular flower.

Posted by Rob Kiser on April 14, 2011 at 8:59 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

November 21, 2010

The Red Powderpuff

Last year, when I was working in in San Diego and traveling through Mexico, I spent a good deal of time interrogating strangers about the flowers I encountered. I was never able to accurately identify the red flowers I saw on the bushes at the San Diego airport.

Yesterday, I noticed that one of the flowers we saw at the Denver Botanic Gardens was referred to as the Red Powderpuff "Calliandra haematocephala". Family: Fabaceae, Sub-family: Mimosoideae. This was a flower that bothered me a great deal, as I'd initially mistaken it for the flower of a Bottlebrush tree. I'm reasonably certain this is the same flower I shot last year in San Diego.

Posted by Rob Kiser on November 21, 2010 at 11:46 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

November 20, 2010

Denver Botanical Gardens

Above: Blue Ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora). Commelinaceae: (Spiderwort Family).

Went down to the Denver Botanical Gardens with the kids and some lady friends today. They have an indoor rain forest similar to the Butterfly Pavilion. Fairly decent variety of flowers. Makes me wish I were back in the jungle.

Above: Common Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea).

Above: Angel-Wing Begonia (Begonia coccinea). Begoniaceae: (Begonia family).

Posted by Rob Kiser on November 20, 2010 at 6:03 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

September 18, 2010

Sunflowers and Cosmos

Posted by Rob Kiser on September 18, 2010 at 10:24 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

August 12, 2010

Mad City

I was in Madison for the week. Weather was hot and humid. Really didn't get out to take many photos. Only a few snaps here and there.

Posted by Rob Kiser on August 12, 2010 at 11:34 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

August 9, 2010

August in Colorado

Above: Cosmos.

Above: Cosmos.

Posted by Rob Kiser on August 9, 2010 at 12:57 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

August 1, 2010

Gilpin County in August

Wendy and I went for a little ride today through Gilpin County (named after the 1st Governor of the Colorado Territory - William Gilpin). We went up Golden Gate Canyon nearly to the Moffat Tunnel, then back through Coal Creek Canyon. It was mostly rainy, but we managed to snap a few shots along the way.

Posted by Rob Kiser on August 1, 2010 at 11:56 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

Saturday at the Lake

Jen and I went to the lake on Saturday and paddled around a little bit. We didn't catch anything, but it wasn't like it mattered. We fed the ducks and watched the cormorants, tree swallows, and muskrats.

Posted by Rob Kiser on August 1, 2010 at 11:22 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 29, 2010

Parting Shots from Rocky Mountain National Park

Above: Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja linariaefolia).

Above: Aspen Sunflower (Helianthella quinquenervis).

Above: Mountain Harebell (Campanula lasiocarpa).

Above: Little Pink Elephants (Pedicularis groenlandica).

Above: Tall Chiming Bells (Mertensia ciliate). Family: Borage.

Above: Dwarf Sunflower (Helianthus pumilus).

Above: Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea)

Above: American Pipit (Anthus rubescens).

Above: Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 29, 2010 at 6:51 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 28, 2010

More photos from Rocky Mountain National Park

Above: Mule deer fawn near Morrison, Colorado.

Above: Stellar's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) near Estes Park, Colorado.

Above: Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) near Estes Park, Colorado.

Above: Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) near Estes Park, Colorado.

Above: Male Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides).

Above: One-sided Penstemon (Penstemon virgatus asa-grayi). Figwort family.

Above: One-sided Penstemon (Penstemon virgatus asa-grayi). Figwort family.

Above: Looking west toward the Continental Divide from Moraine Park near Cub Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Above: One-sided Penstemon (Penstemon virgatus asa-grayi). Figwort family.

Above: One-sided Penstemon (Penstemon virgatus asa-grayi). Figwort family.

Above: Sulphur Flower (Eriogonum umbellatum). Buckwheat family.

Above: Fireweed (Chamerion danielsii), formerly Chamerion angustifolium. Evening Primrose family.

Above: Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia ampla). Aster family.

Above: Russian Thistle (Salsola tragus). Chenopodiaceae family.

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 28, 2010 at 12:05 AM : Comments (2) | Permalink

July 25, 2010

Rocky Mountain National Park

Above: Bee Balm (Genus: Monarda).

Above: Male Mountain Bluebird in breeding plumage.

Above: Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia ampla). Aster family.

Above: Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis).

Above: Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium).

Continue reading "Rocky Mountain National Park"

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 25, 2010 at 11:32 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 22, 2010

Foxgloves

Above: Foxgloves (Genus: Digitalis).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 22, 2010 at 12:01 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 18, 2010

Kenosha Pass and the Fort Pitt Tunnel

Above: Showy Penstemmon (Penstemon spectabilis).

Jen and I took the scenic route back from Breckenridge yesterday, crossing over Hoosier Pass and then Kenosha Pass. It just fascinates me how she's not managed to figure out the names of the mountain passes yet. Yesterday, I asked her the name of the pass we were crossing (Kenosha) and she had no clue. Wasn't sure if we were on the continental divide or not. So, I laid it all out for her (again). But this time, we stopped, got out, and took some photos.

The thing that's unique about Kenosha pass is that, when you cross it heading toward Park County, you suddenly explode out of the mountains onto this enormous plain. It's a singular experience. In fact, the only thing I can think of that's even remotely close to it is going through the Fort Pitt tunnel on the way into Pittsburgh. And if you've never done that, well you should. That's all I can say about that.

So, yesterday, we stopped and got some photos and hopefully next time she'll remember Kenosha pass.

Above: Fairy Trumpet (Ipomopsis aggregata).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 18, 2010 at 12:33 AM : Comments (2) | Permalink

July 7, 2010

Flowers

Above: Clustered Penstemon (Penstemon confertus procerus).

Above: Great Mullen Or Velvet Dock (Verbascum thapsus)

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 7, 2010 at 2:24 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 3, 2010

When Words Escape

When words escape, flowers speak.
- Bruce W. Currie

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 3, 2010 at 11:41 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

June 29, 2010

Sweet Peas

Jennifer and I saw these flowers down in Morrison at a little quasi-legitimate garage sale this weekend. She found a little television she wanted with a remote control and got them down to $8.00. They said the flowers were called "Sweet Peas."

Posted by Rob Kiser on June 29, 2010 at 12:23 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

June 18, 2010

The Butterfly Pavilion

Posted by Rob Kiser on June 18, 2010 at 11:50 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 25, 2009

Camping at Chinns Lake

Jen and I went camping this weekend up at Chinns Lake, near St. Mary's Glacier. We hauled up an ATV and the canoe. Caught a nice cutbow last night, a hybrid of a Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout. I don't think I could have landed it if Jen didn't net him for me. Went on a nice long ATV ride today up above St. Mary's Glacier. Wildflowers are spectacular.

Note: The road to Chinns Lake is not for the faint of heart. It's a fairly rough four wheel drive trail (think 4wd - low range for a few miles). I saw a guy in a little Mercedes SUV and I told him that he could probably make it, but not without some body damage. He turned back.

But once you get there, it's all worth it. No tree-huggers. No Ranger Rick. No facilities. First come first served. Bring your pistol.

Above: Chinns Lake at dawn with the continental divide in the background.

Above: View from Chinns Lake at dawn.

Above: View from Chinns Lake at dawn.

Above: Looking across Chinns Lake at dawn.

Above: Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or Prairie-fire.

Above: Rocky Mountain bluebells (Mertensia humilis).

Above: I'm not clear what flower this is.

Above: Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea).

Above: Sun breaking through the clouds near treeline.

Above: Jennifer eating a variety of yogurt that you can squeeze and eat without a spoon, apparently. (Assuming you don't mind having your face completely covered in yogurt.)

Above: A dead tree in Chinns Lake.

Above: Jennifer making hobos.

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 25, 2009 at 10:21 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 20, 2009

Postcards from Nowhere: Aspen

Update: These photos were shot free-hand without the aid of a tripod and are posted straight out of the camera. Some are over-exposed. Some are under-exposed. Some are poorly cropped. All I really have time to do is cull out a few and drop them onto the website and then move on.

I'm not really interested in growing as a photographer. A serious photographer would drive up to Maroon Bells at dawn and set up a tripod and a laptop and try to get some really clean low-noise images in the can with a 50mm "normal" lens with the ISO set at 50 and the Aperture set at f/20 and a UV filter, etc. But that's not really my bag. I get bored with all that very quickly. I like to keep moving and find new places to shoot. So, again, I apologize for the rough look of these images, but this is where were are.

Above: Rocky Mountain bluebells (Mertensia humilis). (This photo was actually taken near Evergreen, Co.)

Above: Jennifer prepares to wade in a creek above Maxwell Falls. (This photo was actually taken near Evergreen, Co.)

Above: View from near the summit of Independence Pass, going west on Colorado State Highway 82, heading into Aspen.

Above: View from near the summit of Independence Pass, going west on Colorado State Highway 82, heading into Aspen.

Above: View from near the summit of Independence Pass, going west on Colorado State Highway 82, heading into Aspen.

Above: View from near the summit of Independence Pass, going west on Colorado State Highway 82, heading into Aspen.

Above: The Devil's Punchbowl just outside of Aspen, Colorado. These lunatics actually jump across the ledge like mountain goats, and then dive into the punchbowl below. Crazy.

Above: Cosmos flowers.

Above: Cosmos flowers.

Above: Carnations. Update: I'm told these are Zinnias.

Above: Carnations. Update: I'm told these are Zinnias.

Above: Pansies.

Above: Flower bed beside one of Aspen's artificial recirculating creeks.

Above: Little Annie's restaurant in Aspen.

Above: A pedestrian mall in Apsen.

Above: Fountain on a pedestrian mall in Apsen. The kids would put balloons in the fountain and then watch them rise up, balanced on the fountainheads.

Above: Yellow Columbine (Aquilegia flavescens).

Above: Wendy had a name for this, but I forget what it was.

Above: Cosmos.

Above: Cosmos.

Above: No clue what this is. Update: Possibly a Dahlia?

Above: This is a sepia-toned photo hanging in a hotel in Aspen of some people negotiating Independence Pass by horse and buggy. The road today is not much wider than this in places. It's paved and as has guardrails now, but in parts it goes down to one lane - no joke.

Above: Flowerbed in front of an Aspen hotel.

Above: Wendy identified these as Delphiniums.

Above: Cosmos.

Above: Cosmos.

Above: Delphiniums.

Above: Ski lodge in Aspen Highlands.

Above: Flower basket in Aspen Highlands.

Above: Maroon Lake with Maroon Bells in the background.

Above: Jennifer negotiating the trail to Crater Lake.

Above: American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus). This bird actually swims underwater fairly well. Very surprising the first time you see one go under and then pop back up a few feet away like it was no big deal. I assume that he must have some type of oil gland on him like a duck because his feathers never seem to get wet and I've never seen one sunning their wings like a cormorant.

Above: The trail to Crater Lake through Aspen trees and Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota). Queen Anne's Lace was imported into the New World from Europe as a medicinal plant and has been used as a contraceptive for centuries. Also known as the Wild Carrot, the vegetable carrot was bred from this same plant.

Above: The trail to Crater Lake through Aspen trees.

Above: The Colorado Chipmunk (Tamias quadrivittatus) is a species of rodent in the squirrel family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the United States.

Above: Jennifer at Crater Lake posing before a large stump. Note all of the dead trees behind her in the lake - this wood was all taken out by one of the unimaginable avalanches that periodically decimate everything in their path as they tumble down the chutes of the slopes around Maroon Bells.

Above: Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea).

Above: Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or Prairie-fire.

Above: The American Pika (Ochotona princeps) is found in the mountains of Colorado in boulder fields at or above tree line. They are the smallest of the rabbit group.

Above: A grove of Aspen trees. Some claim the largest living organism in the world is a grove of Aspen trees in Colorado, New Mexico, or Utah.

Above: No clue what this is.

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 20, 2009 at 11:40 PM : Comments (4) | Permalink

July 15, 2009

One to One

Above: I finally mixed my sugar to water as a 1:1 ratio. As in, I dissolved 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of boiling water. I used use 1 part sugar to 3 parts water. Or even 1:4 (gasp).

This is why I never had the full-on dog-fights over my feeders, but I finally clued in and now, it's standing room only at the feeders. Dangerous to go outside, even. I was so excited today when I saw the first Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorous rufus) on my feeder. I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pics, only to realize that my Rufous Hummingbird was actually just a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus platycercus).

Above: I shot this flower at Jeanelle's. No clue what it is.

Above: Female Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus platycercus) on Wendy's feeder.

Above: Male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorous rufus) on Wendy's feeder.

Above: Male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorous rufus) on Wendy's feeder.

Above: Male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorous rufus) on Wendy's feeder.

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 15, 2009 at 11:05 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 13, 2009

Jefferson County, Colorado

Above: Scarlet Fairy Trumpet or Western Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis agregata aggregata).

Above: Scarlet Fairy Trumpet or Western Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis agregata aggregata).

Above: Pink Fairy Trumpet or Pink Gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata) with White Fairy Trumpet or White Gilia (Ipomopsis candida) in background.

Above: Small Flowered Penstemon or Clustered Penstemon (Penstemon confertus procerus).

Above: Small Flowered Penstemon or Clustered Penstemon (Penstemon confertus procerus).

Above: Indian Paintbrush (Castillja coccinea).

Above: Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea).

Above: Black-eyed Susan (Udbeckia hirta).

ZOMG look what I found. Awesome.
http://www.denverplants.com/wflwr/nav/b_p.htm

http://www.denverplants.com/wflwr

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 13, 2009 at 10:30 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

June 30, 2009

The Lily of the Nile - Agapanthus

Posted by Rob Kiser on June 30, 2009 at 5:57 PM : Comments (1) | Permalink

May 31, 2009

Colorado Wildflowers

Rocky Mountain Iris (Iris missouriensis).

Bluebells (Mertensia brevistyla).

Locally, this is known as a "Mountain Lilac". It appears to be a variety of Ceanothus, but I'm not clear which one. Update: This is a variety of Syringa vulgaris.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).

Posted by Rob Kiser on May 31, 2009 at 2:27 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

Yellow Pea

Photo of native wildflower Yellow Pea (Thermopsis divaricarpa) in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Posted by Rob Kiser on May 31, 2009 at 3:43 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

May 29, 2009

More San Diego Flowers

I asked about a zillion people, but no one knew. I finally figured out on my own that this flower (above and below) is some type of Allium (onion plant). They come in several colors, including purple, and white. They're a very common ornamental flower used in landscaping in San Diego. The only place I can recall ever seeing them before was in Mexico City. Update: Diane in San Diego informs me that the flower above (and below) is an Agapanthus - the "Lily of the Nile". I'm inclined to agree with her.

No clue what this pink flower is (above). Update: SL says informs me that it's a Hydrangea, and I'm inclined to agree with her.

This is a Jacaranda [haka-randa] tree (above). It's the only one I've ever seen in the United States. The trees are covered in these brilliant purple flowers. Of course, no one in San Diego has even noticed them. I had to point them out to people at work. Somehow they'd driven by them for years but never noticed them.

Orange Lily.

San Diego is somewhat unique in that they probably have more flowering plants than any other place I've ever been. Every bush, tree, and plant seems to bloom in the Spring. Even the median of the interstate is mile after mile of Oleander.

I think this is part of the reason that no one that I ask knows anthing about flowers. I think that they're so overwhelmed by the millions of acres of Bougainvillea, Ice Plants, Birds of Paradise, Allium, Oleander, Jakarandas, Coral Trees, etc., that eventually they just tune it out.

Posted by Rob Kiser on May 29, 2009 at 9:02 PM : Comments (2) | Permalink

July 16, 2008

Mystery Flower

I'm not sure what this flower is. I found it growing wild in my neighbor's back yard. I'm thinking it's some sort of sunflower, possibly a bicolored variety called "The Joker" (Helianthus annuus) but I'm not certain of that. The petals are red near the center, and then change to yellow towards the end. The leaves of the flower are a long, elliptical, and smooth (not serrated). The head of the flower is about 4" across, and it's facing straight up (toward the sky). I'll try to get some better photos of it tomorrow.

Update: Phil sent this:

"I think the yellow flower you thought might be some kind of sunflower is actually known as a blanketflower, gaillardia aristata, or possibly a nursery grown variety that escaped from wherever. Blanketflowers are quite common and very popular in the nursery trade. There are a half dozen different types that I've seen at the local garden centers. The native gaillardia is not very common, but does grow in the foothills of the front range."

Wikipedia has this to say about Blanket Flowers:

Gaillardia (Blanket flower) is a genus of drought-tolerant annual and perennial plants from the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to North America. It was named after M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany. The common name refers to the inflorescence's resemblance to brightly patterned blankets made by native Americans.

Yeah, I think Phil's right on this. It's definitely a Blanket Flower, which means it's in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae) and in the genus Gaillardia. Now, whether it's of the species Aristata, I'm not 100% certain. I do see some photos of my flower on the web referring to it as a Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata), but most of the photos I see of aristata do not look like mine.

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 16, 2008 at 9:21 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 15, 2008

Yellow Flag Iris

Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 15, 2008 at 10:12 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 14, 2008

Wild Bergamot

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 14, 2008 at 6:52 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 10, 2008

Dalmatian Toadflax

Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 10, 2008 at 9:38 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 5, 2008

Harebell

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 5, 2008 at 10:15 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

Colorado Blue Columbine

Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 5, 2008 at 10:02 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

Blue Buckle

Blue Buckle (Penstemon virgatus).

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 5, 2008 at 9:00 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

July 4, 2008

Blue Buckle

Blue Buckle (Penstemon virgatus). There are over 60 species of Penstemons in Colorado. This flower is believed to have evolved here in the Central Rockies. This document has some pointers on differentiating the variegated Penstemon.

Posted by Rob Kiser on July 4, 2008 at 3:01 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

June 29, 2008

Yellow Iris

Yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus). Non-native inavsive species.

Posted by Rob Kiser on June 29, 2008 at 9:14 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

June 28, 2008

Yellow Pea

Photo of native wildflower Yellow Pea (Thermopsis divaricarpa) in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Posted by Rob Kiser on June 28, 2008 at 9:41 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

Western Wallflower

Western Wallflower (Erysimum asperum).

Posted by Rob Kiser on June 28, 2008 at 12:11 PM : Comments (0) | Permalink

June 27, 2008

Rocky Mountain Iris

Rocky Mountain Iris (Iris missouriensis).

Posted by Rob Kiser on June 27, 2008 at 11:42 AM : Comments (0) | Permalink