Mt Charleston wildflowers

We had a nice hike today up North loop trail to the crest where there is a nice stand of Bristlecone pines. It is a 4 mile hike with 1600 ft of gain. We went very slow so all could keep up.

This is found in the wooded area above the meadow. Valerian.

This is found all along the trail. It is a mt Charleston pinewoods dwarf Lousewort. There are others with red leaves and more orange flowers.

Close up of the Lousewort.

Indian paintbrush is found higher up in limestone areas.

This is near the meadow before passing the big fallen Ponderosa pine.

This is a Cryptantha, or Popcorn flower.

There is a dead tree near the trailhead where Nuthatches nest.

Wax current are found in the lower elevations.

This is the lousewort that is more red and orange.

Nuthalls Linanthus, or bushy Phlox.

Another popcorn flower.

Blue flax were all along the trail too.

This is a mostly white Milkvetch. It's exact name I don't know. There were others that had much more color.

Phlox found at high elevations have very compact leaves with the flowers on top.

Stemless  hymenoxys

A yellow type of primrose.

Stemless  hymenoxys

 Sand Verbena

Another white Milkvetch.

A white primrose.

Townsends daisy, of some variety

These daisys are found in the far end of the meadow in the dark gray rocks just as you start ascending again.

Seed heads from the daisy

A type of Bladderpod. maybe Kings, or double bladderpod.

A western Wall Flower

Jaeger's draba

Here is the Milkvetch on top of the ridge. It has much more color than the white kind lower down.


One week later a few more flowers were out.

 Spotted Fritillary

Thompson Beardtougue

 Paintbrush and Purple sage

 Smooth leaf Penstemon

 Spreading Dogbane

 Bladderpod

 Cinquefoil

 Cinquefoil

Rock Jasmine

 Some kind of Draba I think

 Mt Charleston Phacelia, in bud.

 Don't know this one either.

 Rosy Pussytoes

 Red Alum root

 Paint brush

 Cliff bush

Tidy Fleabane


Now it is June 13th and flowers are still blooming.

 Smooth leaf Blue Penstemon

 Purple Sage

 Aster, Clokey's Fleabane

 Desert Swertia

 Old man cactus, or prickly pear cactus

Desert Swertia, like monument plant but without the large central stalk.

Lobeleaf Groundsel

Rosy King Sandwort

Clokey Fleabane

Hoary Aster

Scarlet Gilia

Bridges Penstemon

 Bridge's Penstemon

 Green flowered Wintergreen

 Green Flowered Wintergreen

 Eaton Penstemon

 Eaton Penstemon

 Weidermayer Admiral

Coyote Mint

 Rock Spirea?

Wooly Mullein

 Buckwheat

Rockmat

Heermann's wild buckwheat

Sandmat

Sandmat

Sandmat

Sandmat

Fernbush

Fernbush

Fernbush

Marsh Grass of Parnassus

Marsh Grass of Parnassus

Marsh Grass of Parnassus

Marsh Grass of Parnassus

This looks like Pleated Gentian except for the leaves. However Gentian is not known in the Spring mountains. This was seen on Aug 3, 2020 in the Old Mill picnic area on the slope next to Bristlecone trail.