It rained a lot while I was in California last month and, while I wasn’t crazy about getting completely soaked, or having mud caked all over my pants and boots, I did enjoy taking photos of wildflowers covered with raindrops.
The images above and below show California hedge nettle. It’s a mint that reminds me in many ways of giant hyssop, a New Mexico native.1 The lower photo is a crop of the upper, just so you can see all the awesome details up close.
Unlike California hedge nettle, which grows throughout the state, mainly along the coast, Andrews’ clintonia (below) confines itself almost entirely to the coastal redwood forests. It’s part of the lily family and is sometimes called bead lily. Those bright pink clusters always seem like tiny fireworks to me — a sudden burst of color in a sea of green.
Another flower that was just beginning to bloom when I was there in mid-June is the Columbia lily.2 It almost always nods downward.
Columbia lilies apparently have a wide geographic range — from British Columbia south to northern California, and as far east as Montana. Nonetheless, I’ve never seen one outside the coastal redwood forests.
As a general rule, “giant” hyssop seldom grows as tall as California hedge nettle. I wish I understood more about how giant hyssop got its name, since it’s usually not a very big plant or flower. At least not in the Sandia mountains, where I most often see it.
It’s also known as a Columbia tiger lily or sometimes simply as a tiger lily.
Those particular flowers, colors & the greens make me think of fairies, like they would be popping up any second.
Simply gorgeous!