A Rare Wildflower

The Golden Paintbrush, Castilleja levisecta, is one of the rarer wildflowers in Washington.  It grows along the coast and its habitat has been systematically destroyed by development.  There are several places, however, where it can still be found and these sites are carefully monitored and protected.  The site where these photos was taken is protected from mowers and the number of plants carefully monitored and flagged each year.

Wildflowers and Orchids on Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands

April 11th we managed to get away for the day - our day out that week - and visited a number of sites on Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands looking for orchids and other wildflowers and found plenty of both.  The day was overcast and wet when we arrived at our first stop but the rain soon went away and though the sun did not come out it was a good day for wildflower photography.

We found the Western Fairy Slippers still blooming at several locations and the Western Spotted Coralroots just starting to bloom.  At one location found a few plants of the red form of the Western Heart-leaved Twayblade and at another several plants of the albino form of the Western Fairy Slipper.  Along with them we found an abundance of other flowers.

raindrops on everything

raindrops on Camas

Fairy Slippers

Heart-leaved Twayblade

Spotted Coralroot

British Soldier Lichens

Panther Cap

Seep-spring Monkeyflower

Woodrush

Miner's Lettuce

Sea Blush

 Giant Blue-eyed Mary

Chocolate Lilies

Fawn Lilies

Field Chickweed

Few-flowered Shooting Star

Common Camas

Fairy Slippers

white Fairy Slippers

Spotted Coralroots