Wildflower Walks

As summer comes to a close and students return to school, we are reminded of the time-honored tradition of the “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” paper.
This year, the Missoulian is putting a modern twist on the assignment by bringing it to the popular social networking site Twitter.
We want you, western Montanans, to send a [...]

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Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Description: Many pink to purplish 1-inch-long flowers consisting of a narrow upper lip and a lobed lower lip with two stamens and one style. Flowers grow from a 1- to 3-inch-wide head that stands atop a stem 1 to 3 feet tall with opposite, lance-shaped leaves. Grows in moist or semi-dry ground in [...]

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The Montana Natural History Center is holding a Midsummer Garden Party and Open House on Thursday at Fort Missoula’s Nature Adventure Teaching Garden.
Socialize, get some native plants and enjoy the garden at its summer peak. The celebration is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and is open to all ages. Refreshments will be provided.
For directions or [...]

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Nodding onion
Allium cernuum
Description: Cluster of 25 to 40 small white or pink flowers, with stamens longer than petals or sepals, that hangs from a bent stalk 6 to 18 inches tall with grasslike leaves growing from the base. Found in dry to moist valleys, open hills and ridges. Blooms mid-June to early August. (“Peterson Field [...]

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Wild hyacinth
Brodiaea douglasii
Description: One-inch-long tubular blue flowers in clusters of five to 15 sit atop a slender stem 1 to 3 feet tall. Grasslike leaves grow from the base. Blooms late April to early July. Found in dry to moist soil in rocky areas, meadows and open woods. (“Peterson Field Guides – Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” [...]

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Anybody else notice the fenceline rising from Interstate 90 into Missoula’s North Hills – bright yellow-green to the west and drab brown-green to the east?
That line perfectly illustrates the battle against leafy spurge.
Here’s an excerpt from Missoulian reporter Keila Szpaller’s Sunday story:
The Parks and Recreation Department’s weed control program started a decade ago, but it [...]

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Bitterroot
Lewisia redivia
Description: White to pink flower 1 to 2 inches wide with 12 to 18 elliptical petals, six to eight petal-like sepals and many stamens. Stands on a stem up to 3 inches tall. Fleshy, green leaves wither before flower blooms. Grows in rocky dry soil of valleys, foothills and mountains. Blooms late April to [...]

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I ran my first Pengelly Double Dip half-marathon on Mount Sentinel and University Mountain on Saturday, and while the word “brutal” could be heard around the start/finish area, many people also took note of the beautiful wildflower display near the top.
The arrowleaf balsamroot, death camas, penstemon, larkspur and bluebells are putting on a good show. [...]

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Wilcox’s penstemon
Penstemon wilcoxii
Description: Blue to purple funnel-shaped flowers with five fused petals forming three lower lobes and two upper lobes. Stems are 16 to 40 inches tall with opposite lance-shaped leaves, some toothed. Leaves are smooth to finely haired. Flowers are on divided branches that grow from a central axis. Found in dry, open or [...]

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There probably will be some wildflower viewing as part of the Montana Wilderness Association’s Wilderness Walks hiking series this summer, though the group doesn’t specifically say so.
The association is getting its 48th summer of walks going with a barbecue from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Trail Head, 221 E. Front St. in downtown [...]

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