Flower Guide

Initially this guide displays common flowers of all colors that are blooming right now in our area. Use the selectors to view rare species, to view flowers blooming any time, to restrict the output to a certain color, or to search by name.

The Jemez Mountain Herbarium located at PEEC has a specimen collection of over 1,000 plant species that are found in the Jemez Mountain region. This guide was developed as a subset of this collection to help in the identification of the most prevalent flowering plants in Los Alamos County. Most of the plants shown here are native to the area, though a few were introduced to the region.

Monocot and both simple and composite flowering dicots are covered in this guide. This information is included in each description and potentially makes it easier to identify the different plants.

  • monocot – seed has 1 embryonic leaf; flower parts com in multiples of 3; leaves have parallel veins
  • dicot – seed has 1 embryonic leaves; flower parts com in multiples of 4 or 5; leaves have scattered veins
  • simple flower – single, symmetric flowers; usually 3 to 6 petals that emerge from the flower center
  • composite flower – multiple, tiny flowers arranged on a single base, typically rays around a disc; each tiny flower has its own seed

Most of the plants represented here are classified as forb/herb which are plants without significant woody growth. However, some flowering shrubs and trees have been included. Many of the later can also be found in the PEEC Tree Guide. This guide does not include any noxious weeds from the area. These are covered in the PEEC Invasive Plant Guide.

You can get additional information on local blooms by joining PEEC Wild Plants.  More detailed descriptions can be found in Plants of the Jemez Mountains Volumes 2 and 3, which are available in the PEEC gift shop.

Flower References

American Southwest Plants
Annotated Checklist and Database for Vascular Plants of the Jemez Mountains
Colorado Rocky Mountain Wildflowers
Flora of North America
Foxx, T., Martin, C., and Hoard, D., 2018 Plants of the Jemez Mountains Volume 2: Wildflowers: Showy Monocots and Common Dicots.
Foxx, T., Martin, C., and Hoard, D., 2019 Plants of the Jemez Mountains Volume 3: Composites.
eNature
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
National Garden Association
Native Plants Society of New Mexico
New Mexico Flora
Rocky Mountain Flora
Southwest Desert Flora
Wildflowers of the United States
US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services
US Forest Service

Subject Area Experts (all guides)

Steve Cary (butterflies)
Beth Cortright (insects)
Terry Foxx (invasive plants)
Leslie Hansen (mammals)
Richard Hansen (fish, mammals)
Dorothy Hoard (butterflies, trees)
Chick Keller (flowers, herbarium)
Shari Kelley (geology)
Kirt Kempter (geology)
Garth Tietjen (reptiles)
David Yeamans (birds)

Web Development and Content Management

Pat Bacha
Jennifer Macke
Graham Mark
Akkana Peck

Contact

Please contact us for local nature questions and sightings. We welcome comments, corrections, and additions to our guides.

For more information about local nature, please visit our Nature Blog or subscribe to PEEC This Week.

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Showing 13 of 179 flowers.
Constance's Spring Parsley

Photo: Craig Martin

Constance's Spring Parsley

Photo: Craig Martin

Constance's Spring Parsley

Photo: Craig Martin

Constance's Spring Parsley, Wafer Parsnip

CYCO22 (Cymopterus constancei)

Family: Apiaceae (Carrots)
Size: up to 5 in (13 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; perennial
Blooms: Mar 15 - Apr 15

Flower: simple; white and pink; branched flower heads surrounded by papery bracts
Leaf: dicot; gray-green; 3 to 5 pairs of lobed leaflets
Fruit: made up of 5 tan to purplish wings that are clustered close together

Status: native; uncommon
Habitat: pinyon-juniper --- semi-desert, woodlands, shrublands
Typical location: Overlook Park, White Rock Rim Trail

Parsley-like leaves are tasty in spring salads. One can find all stages of development on the same plant.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Running Fleabane

Photo: Chick Keller

Running Fleabane

Photo: Dan Beckman

Running Fleabane, Running Daisy, Tracy's Fleabane

ERCO28 (Erigeron tracyi, Erigeron colomexicanus )

Family: Asteraceae (Daisies)
Size: 6 - 12 in (15 - 30 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; biennial
Blooms: Feb 01 - Dec 01

Flower: composite; white with yellow center, may have purple color on edges; a single flowerhead per stem made up of 100 ray florets and over 200 disc florets
Leaf: dicot; basal leaves close together and wider toward the tip; stem leaves few and narrow; hairy
Fruit: archenes topped with bristles

Status: native; common
Habitat: pinyon-juniper --- foothills, open areas, and woods
Typical location: Red Dot Trail

Spreads via runners during summer and fall. Similar in overall appearance to Spreading Fleabane but has runner similar to Whiplash Daisy.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
New Mexico Groundsel

Photo: Chick Keller

New Mexico Groundsel

Photo: Dan Beckman

New Mexico Groundsel

PANEN (Packera neomexicana, Senecio neomexicanus)

Family: Asteraceae (Daisies)
Size: 12 - 24 in (30 - 61 cm)
Growth: forb/herb, subshrub; perennial
Blooms: Mar 09 - Jul 10

Flower: composite; yellow; 5 to 14 ray florets around 40 or more disc florets; clusters of between 3 and 20 flowerheads
Leaf: dicot; wider at the tip than base; may have teeth and hairs; mostly located around the base
Fruit: white puffs of hairs attached to seeds similar to dandelions

Status: native; common
Habitat: ponderosa --- foothills, montane, subalpine, woodlands, openings
Typical location: Perimeter Trail to Water Canyon

Plants are often crowded together with an unusual abundance of flowers for each plant. Plants can often be fairly variable.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Stemless Townsend Daisy

Photo: Jerry Oldenettel

Stemless Townsend Daisy

Photo: Chick Keller

Stemless Townsend Daisy

Photo: Craig Martin

Stemless Townsend Daisy, Easter Daisy, Silky Townsend Daisy

TOEX2 (Townsendia exscapa)

Family: Asteraceae (Daisies)
Size: 1 - 7 in (3 - 18 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; perennial
Blooms: Mar 10 - May 19

Flower: composite; white to pinkish petals surrounding a yellow center
Leaf: dicot; gray-green; spatulate in shape; usually hairy
Fruit: achene with fine, slender bristles on top

Status: native; uncommon
Habitat: pinyon-juniper --- grasslands, sage; plains, valleys
Typical location: Burnt Mesa Trail

Plant grows from a woody taproot from which the leaves and flowers grow directly. Thus, the plant is stemless or nearly so.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Creeping Barberry

Photo: Jerry Oldenettel

Creeping Barberry

Photo: Craig Martin

Creeping Barberry

Photo: freejinn

Creeping Barberry, Creeping Oregon Grape

MARE11 (Mahonia repens)

Family: Berberidaceae (Barberries)
Size: 12 - 24 in (30 - 61 cm)
Growth: shrub, subshrub; perennial
Blooms: Mar 15 - May 30

Flower: simple; yellow; long clusters of up to 50 flowers; 6 petals
Leaf: dicot; bluish green with some leaves in pinks and oranges
Fruit: matte blue berries

Status: native; common
Habitat: ponderosa --- foothills, montane, subalpine, woodlands
Typical location: Satch Cowan Trail

A sprawling evergreen with small fragrant flowers. The berries attract birds. In the fall the leaves of this groundcover turn bronze.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Fendler's Pennycress

Photo: Craig Martin

Fendler's Pennycress

Photo: Alex Abair

Fendler's Pennycress, Alpine Pennycrest, Wild Candytuft

NOMOF (Noccaea fendleri)

Family: Brassicaceae (Mustards)

Growth: forb/herb; perennial
Blooms: Mar 15 - May 14

Flower: simple; white with a little pink; flowers grow in dense clusters
Leaf: dicot; small, arrow-shaped leaves; evenly spaced and growing on the main stem of the plant
Fruit: two fused carpels with two seeds in each half

Status: native; uncommon
Habitat: mixed conifer --- lower montane through alpine, woodlands, openings, meadows
Typical location: Valle Canyon

Grows in large patches with few other plants around. It starts to flower when still close to the ground but the continues to elongate as it grows.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Arizona Valerian

Photo: Chick Keller

Arizona Valerian

Photo: Craig Martin

Arizona Valerian, Valerian

VAAR3 (Valeriana arizonica)

Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckles)
Size: 2 - 6 in (5 - 15 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; perennial
Blooms: Mar 19 - Jun 01

Flower: simple; pinkish white; tubular; arranged in a spherical cluster; 5 lobes
Leaf: dicot; sparsely spaced leaves; opposite arrangement
Fruit: achene-like with 1 seed

Status: native; locally common
Habitat: mixed conifer, ponderosa --- moist coniferous forests
Typical location: Valle Canyon

Found at upper elevations on north facing slopes. The plant is characterized by unbranched, stout but relatively short stems tapering to long stalks.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Kinnikinnick

Photo: Chick Keller

Kinnikinnick

Photo: Lorraine Briddon

Kinnikinnick

Photo: Don Sutherland

Kinnikinnick, Bearberry

ARUV (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Family: Ericaceae (Heaths)
Size: 2 - 12 in (5 - 30 cm)
Growth: shrub; perennial
Blooms: Mar 10 - May 08

Flower: simple; paink and white; urn-shaped on bright-red stems
Leaf: dicot; shiny and small; thick, leathery, and paddle-shaped
Fruit: drupes; bright red and glossy

Status: native; locally common
Habitat: ponderosa --- montane, alpine, woodlands
Typical location: Kinnikinnick Park

Its species name of uva-ursi means "grape of the bear” and indeed bears eats the fruit. Often forms very dense, pure stands of groundcover.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Redstem Stork's Bill

Photo: Craig Martin

Redstem Stork's Bill

Photo: Craig Martin

Redstem Stork's Bill

Photo: Craig Martin

Redstem Stork's Bill, Redstem Filaree, Pinweed, Cranesbill

ERCI6 (Erodium cicutarium)

Family: Geraniacea (Geraniums)
Size: 6 - 12 in (15 - 30 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; annual, biennial
Blooms: Jan 02 - Dec 30

Flower: simple; pink, often with dark spots; arranged in loose clusters with 10 filaments
Leaf: dicot; deeply cleft; fern-like
Fruit: long, narrow, pointed seed pods

Status: naturalized plant; common
Habitat: disturbed soil --- desert scrub, grasslands, oak woodlands, semi-desert grassland, lawns, gardens; more common at lower elevations

It was introduced into California from the Mediterranean Basin in the eighteenth century. The entire plant is edible and resembles a parsley when picked young. It is considered to be a weed in some areas.

Info    Photos   Distribution   Weed Guide
Pygmyflower Rockjasmine

Photo: Craig Martin

Pygmyflower Rockjasmine

Photo: Craig Martin

Pygmyflower Rockjasmine

Photo: Christina M. Selby

Pygmyflower Rockjasmine, Rock Jasmine, RockJasmine, Northern Fairy Candelabra

ANSE4 (Androsace septentrionalis)

Family: Primulaceae (Primroses)
Size: 6 - 10 in (15 - 25 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; annual, perennial
Blooms: Mar 19 - Sep 01

Flower: simple; white with yellow center; enclosed by a green or reddish calyx; 5 petals
Leaf: dicot; simple leaves formed in a rosette
Fruit: small, smooth, round capsule containing about 20 seeds

Status: native; common
Habitat: mixed conifer, ponderosa --- foothills, montane, subalpine, meadows, open woods

Tiny plant often obscured by others. It turns shades of red shortly after finishing blooming. Can be found up to 11,000 ft (3,400 m).

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Eastern Pasqueflower

Photo: Christina M. Selby

Eastern Pasqueflower

Photo: Chick Keller

Eastern Pasqueflower

Photo: Chick Keller

Eastern Pasqueflower, American Pasqueflower

PUPA5 (Pulsatilla patens, Anemone patens)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercups)
Size: 3 - 18 in (8 - 46 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; perennial
Blooms: Mar 16 - Jun 19

Flower: simple; blue, purple and/or white; single cup-shaped flower on each stalk; 6 petals
Leaf: dicot; deeply cut basal leaves; 3 unstalked leaves with linear segments surround each flower
Fruit: feathery, silky fruiting head

Status: native; common
Habitat: ponderosa --- dry, open, and rocky low to high montane forests and meadows
Typical location: Pajarito Trail, Perimeter Trail, Rendija Canyon

Plants often occur in large colonies. They elongate as they mature. Although the plant was used by Native Americans as a medicine it is highly toxic.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Dakota Mock Vervain

Photo: Rebecca Shankland

Dakota Mock Vervain

Photo: Jerry Oldenettel

Dakota Mock Vervain, Dakota Verbena, Prairie Verbena

GLBI2 (Glandularia bipinnatifida)

Family: Verbenaceae (Verbenas)
Size: 9 - 12 in (23 - 30 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; annual, perennial
Blooms: Mar 10 - Jun 01 and Sep 15 - Oct 15
Flower: simple; pink to purple; grow in rounded clusters
Leaf: dicot; finely dissected, into segments; opposite arrangement
Fruit: 4 nutlets enclosed in a calyx

Status: native; locally common
Habitat: pinyon-juniper --- semi-desert, open areas
Typical location: Red Dot Trail, White Rock Canyon

There plants can often can be seen along the trail or in old lava flows. The leaves tend to lean outward from the center as the plant grows and the stems are reddish.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
Davis Mountain Mock Vervain

Photo: annagypsy

Davis Mountain Mock Vervain

Photo: Craig Martin

Davis Mountain Mock Vervain, Desert Verbena, Wright's Verbena

GLWR (Glandularia wrightii)

Family: Verbenaceae (Verbena)
Size: 6 - 12 in (15 - 30 cm)
Growth: forb/herb; annual, perennial
Blooms: Mar 01 - Sep 30

Flower: simple; light to dark pink; narrow tube that opens abruptly into 5 notched lobes with 2 close together
Leaf: dicot; deeply lobed leaves at opposite intervals
Fruit: acorn-shaped seed

Status: native; common
Habitat: montane, mountain meadow --- semi-desert, foothills, woodlands
Typical location: Red Dot Trail

Plant has greenish-red stems that are covered in short hairs and square in cross-section. Stems are erect, though may lean at an angle when flowering. Flowers form round clusters.

Info    Photos   Distribution   
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