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  • Close-up detail of the tiny flowers of the piggyback plant, also known as youth-on-age. This common forest groundcover forb is native to the Pacific Northwest's wet forests, and is often found on the sides of creeks and streams. It gets its unusual name from the fact that small growths will appear at the base of the leaves that will eventually fall off as a tiny new plant - foregoing the seed process.
    Piggyback Plant
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as Virginia glasswort or pickleweed, this interesting saltwater-loving member of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) can be found in many seaside habitats with saltwater on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Extremely tough, it can grow in acidic, neutral and very alkaline soils, and new studies show that the seeds contain 32% fat, which means it has the potential for commercial use in the production of biofuel. Even more interesting and important, if it can be used commercially, this plant is a halophyte - meaning it doesn't require saltwater for irrigation so in the right conditions it might be grown anywhere. These dense mat of American glasswort was found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    American Glasswort (Salicornia virgi..ica)
  • Western maidenhair ferns are one of the most attractive and distinctive-looking ferns found in North America. It grows on moist hillsides, ravines is most common near waterfalls, and is found in the wild in all of the western American states, British Columbia, and scattered locations in the northeast, the Great Lakes and Quebec. These were found about 15 miles to the Northwest of Mount Rainier on a rock wall over the Carbon River Washington State.
    Western Maidenhair Fern
  • Western maidenhair ferns are one of the most attractive and distinctive-looking ferns found in North America. It grows on moist hillsides, ravines is most common near waterfalls, and is found in the wild in all of the western American states, British Columbia, and scattered locations in the northeast, the Great Lakes and Quebec. These were found about 15 miles to the Northwest of Mount Rainier on a rock wall over the Carbon River Washington State.
    Western Maidenhair Fern
  • Also known as Virginia glasswort or pickleweed, this interesting saltwater-loving member of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) can be found in many seaside habitats with saltwater on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Extremely tough, it can grow in acidic, neutral and very alkaline soils, and new studies show that the seeds contain 32% fat, which means it has the potential for commercial use in the production of biofuel. Even more interesting and important, if it can be used commercially, this plant is a halophyte - meaning it doesn't require saltwater for irrigation so in the right conditions it might be grown anywhere. These dense mat of American glasswort was found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    American Glasswort (Salicornia virgi..ica)
  • Also known as Virginia glasswort or pickleweed, this interesting saltwater-loving member of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) can be found in many seaside habitats with saltwater on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Extremely tough, it can grow in acidic, neutral and very alkaline soils, and new studies show that the seeds contain 32% fat, which means it has the potential for commercial use in the production of biofuel. Even more interesting and important, if it can be used commercially, this plant is a halophyte - meaning it doesn't require saltwater for irrigation so in the right conditions it might be grown anywhere. These dense mat of American glasswort was found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    American Glasswort (Salicornia virgi..ica)
  • A field in Southern Washington is awash in a dazzling display of brightly colored wildflowers. Predominant are the brilliantly blue cornflowers, as well as wild poppies, asters, lilies, and wild peas.
    Cornflowers
  • This pretty little bright red member of the tropical family of wildflowers, Acanthaceae, is native to Florida, South Texas and parts of Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula in particular. This one was one of many hundreds found blooming in profusion in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas on a warm, late winter morning.
    Sixangle Foldwing (Dicliptera sexang..ris)
  • As red as red can get! These intensely-bright small native hibiscus flowers are native to the Rio Grande Valley area along Southern Texas where they will continue to bloom all year long, even in the hottest part of summer just as long as the is no chance of frost. Heart leaf hibiscus flowers are favored by both butterflies and hummingbirds, and withstand long periods of high heat and lack of water. This one was photographed between various brief butterfly visits  just south of Alamo, Texas near the Rio Grande on a warm winter afternoon.
    Heart Leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus martianus)
  • As red as red can get! These intensely-bright small native hibiscus flowers are native to the Rio Grande Valley area along Southern Texas where they will continue to bloom all year long, even in the hottest part of summer just as long as the is no chance of frost. Heart leaf hibiscus flowers are favored by both butterflies and hummingbirds, and withstand long periods of high heat and lack of water. This one was photographed between various brief butterfly visits  just south of Alamo, Texas near the Rio Grande on a warm winter afternoon.
    Heart Leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus martianus)
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 4
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 3
  • Common in ponds and lakes all over Florida and eastern North America, this native spadderdock is often confused with the water lily, and is found as far north as Nova Scotia. The difference between spadderdock and true water lilies is that spadderdock has heart-shaped leaves and small, half-opened flowers and water lilies have round leaves and large showy flowers. This one was found growing in a lake in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Spadderdock2021-1.jpg
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 2
  • Also known as heal-all, self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) is a beautiful member of the mint family common all over much of North America all the way up to the Arctic Circle as an important medicinal plant. It is used for a variety of uses in many countries across the globe: it can be eaten fresh as a salad or cooked in soups and stews, a refreshing tea or as a olive-green dye. Medicinally, it is used for the treatment of wounds, ulcers, sores and is known to have antibacterial properties. This beauty was found in full flower in an old-growth forest in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris)
  • Found almost everywhere in North America (except Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida) this aggressive native aster has become invasive in parts of China, Japan and Europe. This perfect specimen was found near Soos Creek in Kent, Washington about 20 miles south of Seattle.
    Canada Goldenrod
  • This plant needs no introduction to most of us. I learned about it the hard way while unknowingly walking through a huge patch of it in shorts. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-1.jpg
  • Also known as the orange mountain dandelion, this native relative to the (non-native) common dandelion is found across most of Western Canada and the United States in mountain valleys and subalpine altitudes. The leaves are edible and can be used for fermented beverages! This one was found and photographed in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County on a hot summer day.
    Orange Agoseris
  • The desert Indian paintbrush is a common springtime bloomer throughout much of the American Southwest. This bright scarlet specimen was found growing in the dry sand on a canyon in Utah's Zion National Park.
    Desert Indian Paintbrush
  • The  Eastwood Indian paintbrush has found a special niche in its harsh desert environment in which to thrive. They are found almost exclusively in cracks and crevices in the canyon walls of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
    Eastwood Indian Paintbrush
  • The energetic and tiny clouded slipper butterfly is a common southeastern butterfly that is mostly found year-round in Florida and Texas and can be found as far south as Columbia. This one was feeding on a bright red heart leaf hibiscus flower on the side of a road in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near Alamo, Texas.
    Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
  • Lyell's bristle-moss is a very attractive moss found west of the Rocky Mountains and in other parts of Europe in cool, forested habitats where it forms dense mats in trees and occasionally on soil. In the Pacific Northwest where this one was found (King County, Washington) is extremely common and is often a main feature of many of the urban and suburban hiking trails through many of the public parks, where thick mats hang from the trees creating a sort of beautiful green tunnel through the forest.
    Lyell's Bristle-Moss (Pulvigera lyellii)
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 1
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 2
  • The positively tiny clusters of the infamous stinging nettle are easily overlooked, especially when one is trying to avoid the painful rash this plant give in order to protect itself. This one was found in full bloom along Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Stinging Nettle Flowers
  • This beautiful native morning glory can be found in every state and province in North America in scattered populations across the United States and Canada. Commonly associated with salt or freshwater marshes and ranging in colors from pink, white with pink stripes to pure white, these beautiful summer bloomers grow on long herbaceous (non-woody) vines. This one was found in full flower on the edge of Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Hedge Morning Glory
  • Common in ponds and lakes all over Florida and eastern North America, this native spadderdock is often confused with the water lily, and is found as far north as Nova Scotia. The difference between spadderdock and true water lilies is that spadderdock has heart-shaped leaves and small, half-opened flowers and water lilies have round leaves and large showy flowers. This one was found growing in a lake in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Spadderdock2021-2.jpg
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 1
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 3
  • This edible and harmless but mostly tasteless pretty bright red fruit with a velvety texture is the end result of a nondescript native forest lily with tiny white flowers after undergoing natural pollination. It can be found in all of the western states (excluding California) and all of the western Canadian provinces including Ontario. This one was found growing next to a small mountain stream in rural Southwestern Montana in Mineral County.
    Rough-fruited Fairybell Berry
  • This beautiful native morning glory can be found in every state and province in North America in scattered populations across the United States and Canada. Commonly associated with salt or freshwater marshes and ranging in colors from pink, white with pink stripes to pure white, these beautiful summer bloomers grow on long herbaceous (non-woody) vines. This one was found growing in a thick patch next to a creek that was emptying into Henderson Inlet near Olympia, Washington, which is connects to the Puget Sound.
    Hedge Morning Glory (Calystegia sepium)
  • This beautiful native morning glory can be found in every state and province in North America in scattered populations across the United States and Canada. Commonly associated with salt or freshwater marshes and ranging in colors from pink, white with pink stripes to pure white, these beautiful summer bloomers grow on long herbaceous (non-woody) vines. This one was found growing in a thick patch next to a creek that was emptying into Henderson Inlet near Olympia, Washington, which is connects to the Puget Sound.
    Hedge Morning Glory (Calystegia sepium)
  • Close-up of the tiny green flowers of the stinging nettle. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-3.jpg
  • Also known as the orange mountain dandelion, this native relative to the (non-native) common dandelion is found across most of Western Canada and the United States in mountain valleys and subalpine altitudes. The leaves are edible and can be used for fermented beverages! This one was found and photographed in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County on a hot summer day.
    Orange Agoseris
  • These gorgeous spring bloomers are perfectly adapted to finding the best sources of water in the desert. By growing wedged into these cracks, they can tap into the parts of the canyon walls that retain the most water since the last rain, as seen here in Utah's Zion National Park.
    Eastwood Indian Paintbrush
  • A desert specialist, the Eastwood paintbrush thrives in the cracks in canyon walls of Zion National Park, and blooms a vibrant scarlet in the springtime.
    Eastwood Indian Paintbrush
  • Just about nobody notices the tiny, delicate green flowers of the stinging nettle. And they usually don't even notice this common North American native woodland plant at all until they walk through a patch of it with bare legs or bare feet, when the intense itching and burning starts when the sharp needles that cover the leaves puncture the skin. The good thing is that the pain goes away after about 5 or 10 minutes. This one was found in full flower in an old-growth forest in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Stinging Nettle Flowers
  • Close-up of the tiny green flowers of the stinging nettle. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-2.jpg
  • Eastwood Indian paintbrushes thrive in arid, rocky canyons. This one was growing out of a crevice high up a rocky wall in Zion National Park.
    Eastwood Indian Paintbrush
  • This particularly beautiful specimen of a the seep monkeyflower (Erythranthe guttata) is a favorite of our native bumble bees which it relies on heavily for pollination, but is also known to self-pollinate when there aren't enough bees. This particular one was found in Kent, Washington in the wetlands around Soos Creek on a warm, sunny day.
    Seep Monkeyflower
  • Found only along the Pacific coastline of Oregon and California, this beautiful pale purple to blue iris is found in wet habitats with fresh water, often in forested and open areas near the beach. This one was found growing in a small ravine where a small creek was flowing into a tidal pool below on Cape Perpetua on the Oregon Coast.
    Douglas Iris
  • This absolutely beautiful diminutive wild iris is the only member of the genus Olsynium found in North America (the rest can be found in South America) and can be found growing at mid-level elevations in the rocky slopes and steppes in the mountains of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. This one was found on the exposed hilltops above the sagebrush canyon lands just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Grass Widows
  • Confined to Western North America, the bulbiferous prairie star is an interesting member of the Saxifrage family with peculiar spiky petals. These were found on the exposed hilltops above the sagebrush canyon lands just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Bulbiferous Woodland Star
  • Also known as the Rainier violet and desert pansy, the sagebrush violet is a stunningly beautiful member of the viola family that is only found in the dry sagebrush deserts of Oregon and Washington State in the early spring where melting snow leaves moist patches in the soil. This one was found growing on the hilltops just outside of Yakima, Washington in mid-March.
    Sagebrush Violet
  • Also known as the Rainier violet and desert pansy, the sagebrush violet is a stunningly beautiful member of the viola family that is only found in the dry sagebrush deserts of Oregon and Washington State in the early spring where melting snow leaves moist patches in the soil. This one was found growing on the hilltops just outside of Yakima, Washington in mid-March.
    Sagebrush Violet
  • Also known as the tarweed fiddleneck, the bugloss fiddleneck (Amsinckia lycopsoides) is a striking member of the borage family and is primarily found in the Western United States and Canada, but can be found scattered throughout most of the USA except for the Southeast. These were found growing in profusion in sagebrush country, near Whiskey Dick Mountain in rural Kittitas County in central Washington State.
    Bugloss Fiddleneck
  • Also known as the tarweed fiddleneck, the bugloss fiddleneck (Amsinckia lycopsoides) is a striking member of the borage family and is primarily found in the Western United States and Canada, but can be found scattered throughout most of the USA except for the Southeast. These were found growing in profusion in sagebrush country, near Whiskey Dick Mountain in rural Kittitas County in central Washington State.
    Bugloss Fiddleneck
  • Close-up of the flowerhead of the arrowleaf balsamroot. It is often thought the entire sunflower-like head is the flower, but what are often mistaken for the long yellow petals are actually the ray florets, and the actual flowers are the dozens of tiny "mini-flowers" called disk florets, and these when fertilized are what produce the seeds. This perfectly-shaped arrowleaf balsamroot was photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Common in most of the western United States and Canada, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a member of the sunflower and aster family (hence the sunflower resemblance) and has a historical significance to the various tribes and peoples of the American West as a source of food and medicine. The large root can be baked or steamed as a good source of carbohydrates. The stems can be peeled and eaten, and even the seeds are a great source for both nutrients and calorie-rich oils. These beautiful examples this springtime beauty were photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Common in most of the western United States and Canada, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a member of the sunflower and aster family (hence the sunflower resemblance) and has a historical significance to the various tribes and peoples of the American West as a source of food and medicine. The large root can be baked or steamed as a good source of carbohydrates. The stems can be peeled and eaten, and even the seeds are a great source for both nutrients and calorie-rich oils. These beautiful examples this springtime beauty were photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • The prairie coneflower is a very beautiful member of the daisy family and is found nearly all across North America except Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Kentucky, Virginia and Northeastern United States and Canada and can be found in open prairies and along roadsides. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. The colors of the petals can vary from pure yellow to reddish-brown, or any variation of these colors. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. These were found growing in an open prairie in rural Cibola County in New Mexico, about an hour west of Albuquerque.
    Prairie Coneflower
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-6
  • The striped coralroot is a very strikingly beautiful terrestrial orchid found in wooded habitats across most of Northern North America including most of the western states (except Arizona and Nevada) and almost all of Canada (except most of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick). This species is very easy to identify because of the very clear and visible stripes on the petals and sepals. This wild native orchid is known as a myco-heterotroph, meaning it doesn't need chlorophyll to produce it's own food, but instead gains nutrients from either a mutual symbiotic relationship with certain fungi in the soil or by just from parasitism: stealing the nutrients it needs from it's host fungi. These were part of a large colony found in a clump of conifers in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza stri..a)-3
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-2
  • An exquisitely rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -1.jpg
  • The mountain death camas spends much of the year underground as an onion-like corm, until the spring when it emerges as a beautiful, multi-flowered stalk. It is distinguishable from other death camas from the greenish-yellow markings on the petals, and as the name suggests, it is very poisonous to humans and livestock. This one was found growing in the Rocky Mountains, just east of Aspen, Colorado on a chilly subalpine June morning at about 9000 feet.
    Mountain Death Camas
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, these were found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, these were found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, these were found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, this one was found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The sudetic lousewort - also known as fernweed -  (Pedicularis sudetica subsp. scopulorum) is a non-native European import member of the Orobanchaceae family that is found primarily in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Like other louseworts, it is parasitic on the living roots of neighboring plants. These were found growing at approximately 12,000 feet on the continental divide, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Sudetic Lousewort
  • The sudetic lousewort - also known as fernweed -  (Pedicularis sudetica subsp. scopulorum) is a non-native European import member of the Orobanchaceae family that is found primarily in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Like other louseworts, it is parasitic on the living roots of neighboring plants. This one was found growing at approximately 12,000 feet on the continental divide, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Sudetic Lousewort
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Newly budding bitterroots growing at the top of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington. A sometime food source of many of the Native Americans who inhabited the Western plains and sagebrush deserts where the bitterroot grows, the first European explorers found the roots too bitter to be palatable, so the first to arrive - the French named this plant the "racine amer" translated literally as bitter root. Not are these some of the most beautiful of all the flowering plants of the summer, these are also the toughest!
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Newly budding bitterroots growing at the top of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington. A sometime food source of many of the Native Americans who inhabited the Western plains and sagebrush deserts where the bitterroot grows, the first European explorers found the roots too bitter to be palatable, so the first to arrive - the French named this plant the "racine amer" translated literally as bitter root. Not are these some of the most beautiful of all the flowering plants of the summer, these are also the toughest!
    Bitterroot
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • This tall and incredibly spiky member of the poppy family found only in Arizona and New Mexico. This one was found growing along the side of a highway near Sells, Arizona.
    Southwestern Prickly Poppy
  • This tall and incredibly spiky member of the poppy family found only in Arizona and New Mexico. These were found growing along the side of a highway near Sells, Arizona.
    Southwestern Prickly Poppies
  • These very pretty little aquatic wildflowers are native to the American Southeast, and can be found in all the coastal states from Texas to Maryland in calm, still water such as ponds swamps and lakes, and are most abundant in Florida. These are perhaps best known to aquarium hobbyists as "banana plants" due to the thick underwater rhizomes that look lie a small cluster of bananas. These were found is a small pond in a pine scrub woodland just north of Jupiter, Florida.
    Big Floatinghearts
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • With the reputation of being the plant that has killed more people in the Pacific Northwest than any other plant ever will, the death camas is a rather plain-looking, white-flowered member of the bunchflower family that often grows in and among the historically significant common camas, which has been used as a food source for centuries, if not millennia. The corm (think of something similar to a tulip or daffodil bulb) of the common blue-flowering camas was an extremely important food source for the native peoples and settling pioneers, and when dug up when not in flower, the nutritious common camas corm and the highly poisonous death camas corm are virtually indistinguishable. This was one of hundreds found and photographed among the edible common camas on Fidalgo Island in Anacortes, Washington on a mid-April afternoon almost at the very edge of the high cliffs overlooking Rosario Strait.
    Meadow Death Camas
  • With the reputation of being the plant that has killed more people in the Pacific Northwest than any other plant ever will, the death camas is a rather plain-looking, white-flowered member of the bunchflower family that often grows in and among the historically significant common camas, which has been used as a food source for centuries, if not millennia. The corm (think of something similar to a tulip or daffodil bulb) of the common blue-flowering camas was an extremely important food source for the native peoples and settling pioneers, and when dug up when not in flower, the nutritious common camas corm and the highly poisonous death camas corm are virtually indistinguishable. This was one of hundreds found and photographed among the edible common camas on Fidalgo Island in Anacortes, Washington on a mid-April afternoon almost at the very edge of the high cliffs overlooking Rosario Strait.
    Meadow Death Camas
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • Bumblebees are one of the primary pollinators of the western rattlesnake plaintain orchid, such as this one found deep in a forest in Alberta's Canadian Rocky Mountains. The flowers of this common orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These slightly fading flowers were found and photographed in Waterton Lakes National Park in Southern Alberta, Canada.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • Thanks to busy the bumblebees in the Rocky Mountain summertime, this western rattlesnake orchid's flowers have been fertilized and have gone to fruit. In later months, these will dry and crack open, releasing millions of microscopic spores ensuring the spread of another generation of these beautiful wild orchids among the forest floor. This one was found in a sunny patch of deep forest where a fallen tree has opened a bit of the overhead canopy, letting direct sunlight reach the forest floor in Glacier National Park in northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
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