Found at roadsides and in disturbed soil
Seen blooming in September by Highway 554

Gumweeds ooze a whitish, viscous, resinous fluid from their flower buds so are very recognizable. Curlycup Gumweed grows to two feet high in a bushy shape with green or whitish stems.  Leaves are oblong and toothed with no stalks. Also very recognizable are the 5 to 6 rows of sticky, hooked bracts around the flower head. Petals may or may not be present. Gumweeds have been used for many medicinal purposes by Native Americans, including as a wash for poison oak rashes and burns and for pulmonary troubles. The resinous sap that covers the leaves has been used as a substitute for chewing gum. Green and yellow dyes can be obtained from the yellow flowering heads and pods. Grindelias are still used for asthma and bronchitis, and in common cough remedies in homeopathic medicine. Source.

If you are 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 [email protected]. Read online for tips.   

Found in sandy open areas, washes
Seen blooming in August near Hwy 554 in Abiquiu
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Chamisa, Rubber Rabbitbrush, is in full bloom around the area but there is another less common rabbitbrush also in bloom. Greene’s Rabbitbrush grows to only 20 inches high compared to the several feet that Chamisa can reach. It has upright green stems and bark that becomes shreddy and grey with age. Leaves are very narrow and greyish-green. Flower heads grow in dense clusters at the top of light green twigs and are no more than 1½ inches across. Much of the plant is covered with a resin that has a very pleasant smell. Traditionally the Hopi used Greene’s Rabbitbrush as prayer stick decorations and the Navajo used an infusion of plant tops as a wash for chickenpox and measles eruptions. Source.
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If you are 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 [email protected]. Read online for tips.   

Found in dry meadows and woods
Seen blooming in August near Hwy 554 in Abiquiu

Yarrow grows one to two feet tall with feathery, fern-like leaves which have a strong, distinctive, not unpleasant smell. Small flowers grow in flat-topped clusters, most commonly white, less commonly pink. It is a popular cultivar and can be yellow, red and orange. The dried flowers are long-lasting and are often gathered for floral arrangements. Yarrow spreads from stout roots producing large patches of the fern-like leaves without flowers. It blooms all summer. The scientific name comes from the Greek character Achilles who is believed to have discovered the medicinal uses of this plant for healing his soldier’s wounds in the battle of Troy. Traditionally, Native Americans considered it a "life medicine" and used the plant as an analgesic and head cold remedy, for healing cuts and abrasions, relief from earaches, toothaches and throat infections, as well as for an eyewash. Source.
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If you are 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 [email protected]. Read online for tips.   

Found in sand, on arroyo edges
Seen blooming in August on the Madera Trail, Santa Fe NF

Frosted Mint is a sprawling, greyish, aromatic shrub growing one to three feet high and three feet across covered in fine, white hairs. The leaves are small and narrow. Tiny, two-lipped flowers grow in whorls at the base of the upper leaves forming long clusters. Flowers are pale lavender with purple spots on the lower lip. I have seen these plants in bloom from June to August. Depending on the time of year, the plant will smell more like rosemary, mint, or a combination of the two. Traditionally, the leaves were eaten raw, cooked or dried and used as a flavoring in seed mushes and other dishes. The plant has been used externally in the treatment of sores, rheumatism and ear problems. The leaves have been used to sweeten the flavor of other medicinal herbs whilst increasing their potency. Source.
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If you are 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 [email protected]. Read online for tips.   

Found in wet areas, bogs, stream sides
Seen blooming in August by the Rio Chama
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Buttercups are usually found in moist environments so we don’t see too many of them in our dry, high desert. The Alkali Buttercup is fairly common in the right environment, which is muddy and often saline. It grows to less than 12 inches high with erect flowering stems and runners that take root and create colonies. Its glossy green leaves are mostly roundish, less than one inch wide, with scalloped edges and stalks up to three inches long. Flowers are small, less than 1/2 inch wide, with five petals. What appears to be more petals are yellow sepals, another feature of buttercups. A green, oblong seed head rises to 1/2 inch from the center of the flower. Traditionally, various Navaho groups used the Alkali Buttercup as a venereal aid, an emetic, and a ceremonial medicine. The Kawaiisu used it as a dermatological aid. Source.
 
If you are 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 [email protected]. Read online for tips.