Spring Wildflowers of the Pajarito Plateau

Photographs and Text by Teralene S. Foxx

The diversity of the wildflowers found on the Pajarito Plateau is partly due to the dramatic elevation gradient from the Rio Grande on the east to the peaks of the Jemez Mountains. The rugged topography of canyons, mesas, mountains slope and mountain peaks provide different niches where plants thrive. Some plants are confined to areas of moisture along the river and streams or the north facing aspect of canyons or slopes. Other plants thrive in dryer environments such as the south facing aspect of canyons or slopes. Within the area there are different vegetation zones: juniper-grassland, pinon-juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine, mixed conifer and spruce fir forests, and mountain grasslands. Some plants are found in nearly every vegetation zone and some are confined to specific habitats.

Because of plant characteristics and weather variations throughout the growing season, different species will be found at different times. Spring comes from March to June, summer from June through mid August, and fall is from late August through October. There are over 1000 plants have been identified for the Jemez Mountains. Therefore, we have selected a few common wildflowers that bloom during each seasonal variation and will change the website according to the season. The largest number of wildflowers can be seen after the summer rains generally July and August. Some of the most beautiful can be seen as the winter turns to spring.

Additional Resources

In addition to the flowers shown below, this website also contains the following:

	*Pasque Flower, Pulsatilla ludoviciana,* Buttercup family HIGHER ELEVATION FORESTS As spring bursts forth in March and April, daffodils and crocus peak through the earth in our yards and wildflowers that have been dormant during the cool temperatures of winter begin to appear. One of the first is the wild "crocus" that is not really a crocus at all. It is in the buttercup family and is called the pasque flower. A walk through the ponderosa pine forest will reveal the plant pushing up from under the litter. The flower stalk comes first with a circle of bracts below the bluish or lavender flower. Later the leaves emerge. The plant is covered by long silky hairs.
	*Tobacco Root or Valerian, Valeriana capitata,* Valerian family HIGHER ELEVATION FORESTS The moist slopes of the canyons of the ponderosa pine and mix conifer (7000-9000 ft) are dotted with small white to pink funnel shaped flowers sitting in clusters at the top of a t 6-16 inch tall stem. Most of the leaves are at the base of the stem; those along the stem are opposite. The roots of the plant are strong-scented giving the plant the odor resembling dirty feet.
	*Pennycress or Wild Candytuft, Thlaspi alpestre,* Mustard family HIGHER ELEVATION FORESTS Candytuft is easily recognized along the trails of canyons in the ponderosa pine and mixed confer zones (7000-9000 ft). Most distinguishing are the short stems topped with clusters of small four-petaled flowers and wedge-shaped fruits with a notch on top. Leaves are oval to spatula-like arranged in a rosette at the base of the plant.
	*Western Dog Violet, Viola adunca,* Violet family HIGHER ELEVATION FORESTS The purple to violet Western dog violet and the white Canada violets are found in the moist canyons and near springs during the spring and early summer. These flowers are characterized by five petals, the lower one with a hollow saclike extension that contains nectar. The leaves are heart-shaped to oval.
	*Wild Iris, Iris missouriensis* , Iris family HIGHER ELEVATION FORESTS** The beautiful wild iris can be seen in meadows and moist areas in the late spring and early summer. Large clumps of iris seen from a distance resemble pools of water. Flowers are bluish with purple veins. Although there are over 2300 different commercial varieties of iris, this is the only wild species of the area.
	*Little Red Columbine, Aquilegia elegantula,* Buttercup family HIGHER ELEVATION FORESTS This beautiful little plant is found along streams and on moist slopes of canyons of the upper elevation forests during the middle to late spring and early summer. Leaves are divided into several lobes. The petals have long spurs directed backward and the flowers are nodding. A larger related species Rocky Mountain Columbine or Colorado blue columbine (Aquilegia caerula) is sometimes found in the Jemez Mountains but is not as common.
	*Easter Daisy, Townsendia exscapa,* Sunflower family LOWER ELEVATION WOODLANDS Easter daisy is one of the early bloomers of the pinyon-juniper woodlands (6500-7000 ft). The flower hugs the ground with linear to lance-shaped leaves. The quarter-size flowers have white ray flowers with yellow disk flowers.
	*Rocky Mountain Clematis, Clematis pseudoalpina,* Buttercup Family SPRING BLOOMING VINE This delicate, beautiful vine can be found trailing or climbing on vegetation in canyons and on slopes of the ponderosa pine and mixed conifer zone. The four petal-like sepals are purple to white to violet and measure from 3/4 to 2 inches in length. Leaves are compound and divided into two or three divisions.