Wildflower of the Week by Chick Keller

A number of flowers are welcoming the new season, so this week’s flower is actually four: Pasqueflower, Oregon Grape, Valerian, and Kinnikinnick. These are our very first bloomers of the season.
 
PEEC has a site called What’s Blooming Now, but its dates are set to correspond, not to first date of bloom, but rather for time when they are generally blooming. But folks each Spring are eager to find when species first come out—harbingers of spring. So here are the first four hardy bloomers:
 
Pasqueflowers can be found on Perimeter Trail behind Arizona Ave. Look downhill in the sunny, open spaces.
 
Oregon Grape is blooming in several places including the Quemazon/Satch Cowan trail and on Perimeter Trail.
 
Valerian can be found in Valle Canyon. This photo is courtesy of Craig Martin.
 
Kinnikinnick is blooming along Quemazon Trail. It can be hard to find, so look for tiny blooms. Not all of the Kinnikinnick plants are in bloom now.
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