Early July Wildflowers In The Wasatch Mountains

Blooming Parsnipflower Buckwheat in Summit County – Nikon D500, f10, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I wanted to share some of the wildflowers I photographed in the first part of July that I have found in Summit and Morgan Counties high in the Wasatch Mountains. In my Least Chipmunk post yesterday I mentioned that I had hoped the chipmunk would move towards some Parsnipflower Buckwheat that were nearby. These are those buckwheat flowers.

Flowering Parsnipflower Buckwheat – Nikon D500, f10, 1/2000, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Last year I missed the Parsnipflower Buckwheat (Eriogonum heracleoides) blooming because the drought made the flowers shrivel up before they were fully flowering. This year we have had enough moisture for it to flower profusely.

Parsnipflower Buckwheat blossoms – Nikon D500, f10, 1/2000, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

This buckwheat is great for attracting bees, butterflies and other insects. It is also a host plant for butterfly larvae including Lupine Blue, Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue and Western Green Hairstreak butterflies.

Sticky Geraniums blooming in a ravine – Nikon D500, f11, 1/1250, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Blooming Sticky Geraniums have caught my eyes on several of my drives through the mountains. Mixed in with grasses and sagebrush their bright pink blossoms stand out.

Sticky Geraniums with dark beetles – Nikon D500, f11, 1/1250, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Sticky Geraniums attract beetles, butterflies, native bees and other insects. Sticky Geraniums are protocarnivorous. They are able to dissolve insects that become trapped on their sticky leaf surfaces and absorb the nitrogen derived from this protein.

Spearleaf Arnica with bee – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

In Morgan County the bright yellow petals of Spearleaf Arnica (Arnica longifolia) caught my eyes and I stopped to photograph them. I saw butterflies and bees visiting their blossoms.

Musk Thistle blossom in Morgan County – Nikon D500, f11, 1/1250, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans) isn’t native but many butterflies and bees are attracted to it. Hummingbirds visit these flowers, goldfinches use the down for their nests and many birds and animals eat the seeds and disperse them.

Wild Rose and buds in the Wasatch Mountains – Nikon D500, f9, 1/2000, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I found these dainty pink roses blooming in many locations. I believe these are native Wood’s Roses (Rosa woodsii) and they attract plenty of butterflies, bees and insects too. On my large monitor these flowers are larger than they actually are in the field.

Silvery Lupine blossom spike – Nikon D500, f10, 1/1600, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The lupines started to bloom on the slopes of the mountains including this Silvery Lupine (Lupinus argenteus) which attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Blooming Blue Elderberry close up – Nikon D500, f11, 1/1600, ISO 500, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I felt that I would be remiss if I didn’t also include the blooms of Blue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea) in this grouping of early July wildflowers.

Blue Elderberry blossoms in the Wasatch Mountains – Nikon D500, f11, 1/1600, ISO 500, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The blossoms of Blue Elderberry attract ants, bees and butterflies while they are in bloom. The fruits of elderberries are eaten by more than 40 species of birds and other animals.

Focusing on Blue Elderberry blooms – Nikon D500, f11, 1/1600, ISO 500, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I have enjoyed taking hundreds of wildflower images this spring and summer. Even though we are not out of the ongoing and prolonged drought here in northern Utah we have gotten enough moisture which has helped the wildflowers along this year.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my wildflower, shrub and tree photos.