Found in meadows, pastures, roadsides
Seen blooming in July in Abiquiu

The common name of Red Clover is confusing as the flowers are more a rose pink to pink/purplish, not true red. It is not native to the Americas but has become naturalized and can be found growing wild in grassy locations that are not regularly mowed. It is grown as a forage crop for pasturage, hay and green manure for livestock. It can be easily distinguished from other varieties of clover by the large pink flower heads as well as the lighter green V-shaped marking that appears on the leaflets. Its flowers have a honey-like fragrance. The flowering heads and foliage are both edible, raw or cooked.  Its young leaves should be harvested before the plant blooms.  They can be used in salads or soups or cooked similar to spinach.  The flowering heads as well as the seed pods can be dried and used as a flour substitute.  The young flowers can also be eaten raw in salads. They taste sweet or like hay but they are not easily digestible.  Do not eat the flowers if pregnant or nursing. Historically, Red Clover was used for asthma, whooping cough, cancer, and gout. Today, extracts from Red Clover are most often promoted for menopause symptoms, high cholesterol levels, or osteoporosis. 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 contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found in disturbed areas, wet areas, ditches, roadsides, pastures
Seen blooming in July along Hwy 554 in El Rito

Perennial Peppergrass grows 3 to 5 feet tall with numerous woody stems and oval-shaped waxy leaves on the stems and long strap-like basal leaves. It has an extensive root network, known to reach 9 feet in depth. Tiny, fragrant flowers grow in dense clusters. It is considered an invasive species in many areas and is listed as a noxious weed in New Mexico and Colorado. The leaves, shoots, and fruits of this plant are all edible. In Ladakh in the Himalayas, the spring leaves are prized as a vegetable. The peppery edge or bitterness is removed by first boiling the young shoots and leaves, and then soaking in water for two days. Cooked like spinach, it makes a nutritious vegetable. Source. In England, this cousin of watercress was called "pepper herb" because of its spicy and bitter taste but it is mainly for its medicinal properties that it has been known since the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, Hildegarde de Bingen wrote about it: "What it contains sour and bitter does not attack the man inside, but heals him. A man with a weak heart and a sick stomach will eat the raw Lepidium and strengthen it. Likewise, those who are sad will regain their joy. If eaten, it heals the eyes and makes them clear”. The website of Les Benedictines de Chantelle, a French monastery, has some interesting stories about this weedy plant.
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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 contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found in dry, open areas
Seen blooming in July near Hwy 554 in Abiquiu

Lacy Germander grows to 8 inches tall, often in colonies, with densely leafy stems. The leaves are deeply cut. The plant’s aromatic blooms are showy, white, and funnel-shaped, crowded at the top of erect stems, sometimes with purple lines at the throat. Flowers have a lower petal two or three times longer than the other petals, looking like a landing pad for pollinators. There are no Native American uses for this plant, but other plants in this genus are used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, inflammations, diabetes and rheumatism. Source. The Santa Fe Extension Master Gardener says that Lacy Germander is a good source of nectar for bees and butterflies. That it is deer resistant, evergreen and quite sturdy, holding up to New Mexico’s strong spring winds. It often forms a dense mat in sunny, unirrigated areas. In the home landscape it can be used as a groundcover, in borders, or in perennial gardens. 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 contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found in meadows, roadsides
Seen blooming in July in Abiquiu

There are many species of white daisies that grow in our area from early spring through the summer. One of the common ones blooming now is the Whiplash Daisy which grows in colonies of plants that are from 4 to 10 inches tall. Basal leaves are narrow and bluish-green. This daisy is easy to identify from the runners (stolons) it produces which sometimes take root at the tip and expand the colony. The bright white flowers are about ½ inch across with a yellow center, many rays and a touch of pink below, as can be seen on the closed buds in the photo. Traditionally, the plant was used as a ceremonial medicine; to treat spider bites and snake bites; as an eyewash for livestock; and tied together in bunches to make brooms. 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 contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.   

Found in sandy areas, canyons
Seen blooming in June in Plaza Blanca
There is a lot of chat these days about AI and ChatGPT so I asked Bing to write this week’s blog. I typed “Write a blog about plantago patagonica” and this is what it wrote.
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Woolly Plantain: A Hairy Herb with Many Uses
Have you ever heard of woolly plantain? No, I’m not talking about the starchy fruit that looks like a banana. I’m talking about a small, hairy plant that grows in many parts of North America and South America. Woolly plantain (Plantago patagonica) is a species of plantain, a group of plants that have long, narrow leaves and tiny flowers clustered on spikes. Woolly plantain gets its name from the dense layer of white hairs that covers its leaves and flower spikes.

Woolly plantain is an annual herb, which means it completes its life cycle in one year. It can grow up to 10 cm (4 inches) tall and 15 cm (6 inches) wide. It prefers dry, open habitats, such as grasslands, woodlands, fields, roadsides, and waste areas. It can tolerate drought and poor soils. It blooms from spring to fall, producing cylindrical or conical spikes of white or pink flowers that are pollinated by wind or insects.

Woolly plantain has been used by Native Americans for various purposes. The Navajo, Puebloans, and Hopi used it as a medicinal and ceremonial plant. They applied the crushed leaves to treat headaches, diarrhea, colic, and wounds. They also ate the leaves or drank the tea to reduce appetite and prevent obesity. They used the seeds as beads or food. They burned the dried plants as incense or smudge sticks to purify the air and ward off evil spirits.

Woolly plantain is not only useful for humans, but also for wildlife. It provides food and shelter for many insects, such as bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and grasshoppers. It also attracts birds that feed on its seeds, such as sparrows, finches, and quails.

Woolly plantain is a common and widespread plant that you may have overlooked before. Next time you see it growing in your area, take a closer look and appreciate its beauty and benefits.
I hope this blog post helps you learn more about woolly plantain.

Pretty impressive, don’t you think. It even has a sense of humor. This is what I wrote. Am I out of a job?

Although common, Woolly Plantain can be easily overlooked, growing only a few inches tall. It grows in tufts with velvety, narrow leaves. The tiny greenish-white flowers are less than 1/8 inch across, have four petals and grow in a fuzzy, dense spike. Native Americans made a tea from the plant to treat diarrhea and headaches. Havasupai and many other southwest tribes utilized the seeds as a meal, hence the common name Indian Wheat. The Hopi gave the plant to a person “to make him more agreeable”. 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 contact@rockymountainsflora.com. Read online for tips.