In breathtaking Dixie Valley, just seven miles from peaceful fishing at Frenchman’s Lake, a quaint two and a half acre property on Aspen Court gives the experience of a lifetime amongst nature’s beauty. Beyond the horizon of the Artemisia tridentata and its strong, fragrant scent lays an unimaginable array of wildflowers. Colors you would never expect to see in a mid-latitude desert include bright reds, lavender blues, creamy whites and golden yellows.
Some physical characteristics of Dixie Valley are…
Average High Temperature: 63.2°F
Average Low Temperature: 28.4°F
Total Annual Precipitation: 20.36 in.
Climate Type: Mid-latitude Desert (BWk)
Biome Classification: Semi-Arid and Cold Desert
Characteristics: 15 to 45% slopes; extremely clobby loam; very slow infiltration rate (high runoff potential).
I wanted to give you a taste of what flowers can be found in the higher and lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains; specifically the awesome variety of specimens between 6000’ and 7500’. The first four wildflowers are found on my family’s property, which is at 6000’. The last two are what can be found as you climb up in elevation by 1000’.
Wyethia mollis, better known as Woolly Mule’s Ears (in the family Asteraceae) grows in open ground in upper chaparral, forest, juniper and sagebrush landscapes. Generally these are in the rocky soils or between trees. You'll often find them in solid patches after a fire or clear cut, almost like Rabbitbrush. The Wyethia is a perennial that grows in a bunch form up to three feet tall, with long grayish-green, hairy (woolly) leaves and golden yellow flowers. The leaf basins taper abruptly to mid-vein and the flowers are the same height as the leaves. Their flower shows characteristics of a sunflower, making some wonder if it may be a wild one. This plant has a very long lifespan. Its active growth period is in the spring and summer. Mule’s Ears is a highly drought tolerant plant that requires little moisture. This fact might also explain why it is not fire resistant.
Applegate’s Paintbrush, whose botanical name is Castilleja applegatei, is part of the Scrophulariaceae family. It is a short perennial with sticky, wavy-edged leaves (may be three-lobed). It bears bright, showy paintbrush-shaped inflorescences of small red to yellowish-red (also orange) tubular flowers that grow in a single crown form. It is a root parasite, although it can survive without parasitizing other plants, individuals who take a host grows faster and larger. It has a moderate lifespan. It is highly drought tolerant and requires little moisture, but not at all fire resistant.
A beautiful specimen that is often mistaken for a snapdragon is the Penstemon speciosus, more commonly known as the Showy Penstemon. This wildflower is also part of the Scrophulariaceae family. Now, I could not find a lot of information on this particular penstemon, partially because there are so many other varieties of it that this one just didn’t seem important enough. It is native in dry creek beds, hill sides and coastal bluffs. A three foot tall perennial with lavender flowers in whose active growth period is from April to June. This plant needs good drainage and sun, hence why it is found mainly on hill sides. Although, this penstemon is a very drought tolerant plant that requires little moisture. This may be why it is not fire resistant.
While out hiking, one of the most amazing plants you will ever see is the Sarcodes sanguinea. The Snow Plant is part of the Ericaceae family. It is uncommon in its habitat. It is found in mature, moist, shaded, coniferous, or mixed forests from 1,000 to 3,100 meters. It will be found growing out of pine needles and other forest litter on the surface of the ground, near a conifer. The Snow Plant has scarlet red coloration (due to no chlorophyll). It is the only mycotrophic wildflower in the heath (Ericaceae) that is not a ghostly white color or various shades of reddish to purplish brown. This plant ranges in height from 15 to 30 centimeters. It is fleshy and glandular pubescent. The leaves are scale-like. The inflorescence is a raceme of densely arranged flowers. The flowers are pendant. The fruit is a capsule containing sticky seeds. Sarcodes sanguine is a very unique plant in which it is a parasitic plant that derives sustenance and nutrients from mycorrhizae fungi that attach to roots of trees. Snow Plant is an herbaceous perennial wildflower that flowers from late spring to mid-summer. A peculiar fact that struck me for a loop is that the Snow Plant is the unlikely relation of such shrubs as Manzanita, madroño, laurel, and azalea.
One wildflower that can actually be transported from the Sierras to your back yard is the Sierra Lily, botanical name being Lilium kelleyanum. And if you couldn’t already tell, it is another beauty in the Liliaceae family. I had discovered this plant while I was on an ATV ride with my father. We were at about 7000’ when we saw little spots of orange from a distance off the road. Little did we know they were an amazing sight to embrace. This lily species grows in moist habitat in forests, such as stream banks. They are native along streams and moist areas in part-shade. It is a perennial herb known to exceed two meters in height. It originates from a scaly, elongated bulb up to about 8 centimeters long. The oval leaves are located in several whorls about the stem, each up to 15 centimeters in length and drooping at the tip. Foliage color is green and type is deciduous. The inflorescence bears up to 25 large, nodding lily flowers. The flower is bell-shaped with 6 strongly backwards-curved yellow to orange petals up to 6 centimeters in length. The petals have spots of purple on them, which makes it hard to identify as to whether it is a Sierra Lily or a Leopard Lily. There are 6 stamens with large red anthers and a pistil which may be over 3 centimeters in length. The flowers are pollinated by swallowtails. The Lilium kelleyanum flowers have a beautiful, fresh fragrance.
Last but not least in the “beautiful eagle,” also known as Aquilegia Formosa, the Crimson Columbine (part of the Ranunculaceae family). I observed this plant at the same time I saw the Lilium kelleyanum; it was hidden beneath the lily’s leaves. This Columbine is a perennial wildflower that grows in height of 2 to 3 feet and a width of 18 inches in a clumping manner. The flowers are stout, straight, red spurs, red sepals and yellow petals. The leaves are green on top and glaucous underneath. Flowering period is from spring to early summer. It requires either full sun or filtered shade and fertile, moist, well-drained soil. It has a moderate drought tolerance and moisture use. But still is not fire resistant even though it receives more moisture. It is a good nectar source for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
While I may have only talked about six wildflowers on my family’s property in Sierra Nevadas of Plumas County, I have actually identified fourteen of the flowers so far and I am still working towards identifying them all. And maybe even discover new ones. That is why I always have a camera around my neck; you never know when nature gives you a peak at its true beauty.
