Found in sparse pine forests and on dry slopes
Seen blooming in April on Salazar Trail #14 in the Carson NF
Photo credit: Uwe Schroeter

Pasqueflower is one of the first flowers to appear when the snow begins to melt, often in masses. The pale purple, bell-shaped flowers bloom before the finely cut leaves develop and the plant gets taller. The plant is covered in long, silky hairs. The seed head is a feathery plume. The fresh plant is toxic and very irritating and shouldn’t be touched. Native Americans used small amounts of the dried plant for various ailments and conditions: to kill fleas and lice, to staunch nosebleeds, for rheumatism, to alleviate headaches, and to combat lung disorders. Source. Modern day homeopaths use it to treat painful conditions of the male or female reproductive system, skin conditions, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support its use, so it is not recommended. Source.
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If you trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flower bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website send a photo and where you took it to contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found in dry, sandy, gravelly areas
Seen blooming in March and April in Plaza Blanca and Red Wash Canyon

Flowers in the Parsley family bloom early and have tiny flowers with five petals in usually flat heads. This family is also commonly called Celery or Carrot. The New Mexico False Carrot grows to 8" high in a dense bright green tuft with dry stalks from the previous year. Leaves are divided into narrow segments. It is listed as a New Mexico Rare Plant but it is not difficult to find in Plaza Blanca and Red Wash Canyons. Source.
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If you trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flower bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website send a photo and where you took it to contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found in moist areas, on fences, in trees
Seen blooming in October near Tierra Azul Acequia, Abiquiu

The final blog of the 2020 season is not a bloom, it is the bright leaves of the Thicket Creeper, a woody vine with five toothed leaflets. It spreads across the ground and can climb to the top of a utility pole, up a tree or along a fence using branched tendrils. It actually blooms in June with tiny greenish flowers growing in clusters. The flower stalks turn bright red, the fruit turns dark blue and the leaves turn bright orange-red. It is very similar to the Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, which grows in the eastern US. Traditionally the berries were eaten. The Jemez mixed berry juice with white clay to make purple body paint for the summer dance. The Navajo used it as a ceremonial medicine and to create a remedy for swollen arms or legs. Woody stems were used on ramadas for shade. Source.
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If you trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flowers bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website send a photo and where you took it to contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found on hillsides, by roadsides, sunny areas
Seen blooming in October near Hwy 554

Another of the sunflowers that seem to flourish in our area, the Prairie Sunflower grows to three feet tall with a hairy stem branching near the top. Leaves are bluish-green, rough in texture and usually lance-shaped, with stalks. The showy flower head is over two inches across and has 7 to 15 petals and a reddish-purple center. The bracts under the flower are lance-shaped and hairy. The Prairie Sunflower is very similar to the Common Sunflower but is much smaller and more slender. Traditionally the seeds were saved and eaten, and sometimes ground as meal. The Hopi used the plant as a spider bite medicine and the Navajo sprinkled a flower infusion on clothing for good luck in hunting. Dried flower petals were mixed with corn meal to make a ceremonial face powder for women. Source.
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If you trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flowers bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website send a photo and where you took it to contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found in waste places
Seen blooming in September near the Rio Chama

Wild Rocket grows to two feet tall with a rosette of basal leaves. The leaves are long and narrow with deep lobes and are edible. Bright yellow flowers with four rounded petals grow in clusters at the end of light green stems. Wild Rocket was introduced from Europe in ship’s ballast in the last century. It is native to Europe and Western Asia but can be found throughout much of the temperate world where it has naturalized or is grown for salads and herbal garnishes. Seeds are sometimes marketed as "wild Italian arugula" or "sylvetta arugula". The leaves tastes peppery, clean, and sharp, quite different from the more familiar cultivated arugula. They make an excellent addition to a mixed salad but are too strong to be used in quantity on their own.

​The plant is very productive, producing leaves from early spring until the autumn.
If you trying to identify a different flower then you can check what other flowers bloom this month. If you cannot identify a flower from the website send a photo and where you took it to contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.