Boise By Nature

Glacier Lily ( Erythronium grandiflorum ) Summer is in full swing here in Idaho, and the month of July has been busy, but also full of outdoor adventures so far. I spent the Fourth of July holiday in Coeur d'Alene, and had a wonderful time exploring a different part of the state. The landscape and mountains in this area were reminiscent of my time spent in the central Idaho wilderness, and overall very different from the Boise foothills. On a hike to a beautiful alpine lake near Wallace, Idaho, I snapped some photos of many gorgeous midsummer wildflowers. Enjoy!  Yellow columbine ( Aquilegia flavescens ) Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax) Scarlet paintbrush ( Castilleja miniata ) Thimbleberry ( Rubus parviflorus ) Beautiful mountain wildflowers and view of mountains near Wallace, Idaho

This past weekend, I hiked Cervidae Peak and was treated to some of the most spectacular views of mountains, water, and wildflowers that I've seen so far in Boise! I found a number of great wildflowers that I wanted to share. Spring is in full swing and every week is bringing new wildflower blooms, so get out there and see what you can find! Gorgeous views on the trail to Cervidae Peak Longspur ("Polychrome") lupine ( Lupinus arbustus ) Arrowleaf balsamroot ( Balsamorhiza sagittata ) Northern yellow crazyweed ( Oxytropis campestris )   Foothill death camas ( Toxicoscordion paniculatum ) View from the top of Cervidae Peak

I wanted to share a few wildflowers from late April, even though it's May. These flowers are all from Mt. Kepros, a great trail about 30 minutes from Boise. Learn more about Mt. Kepros here .  Cusick’s Primrose (Primula cusickiana) Longleaf Phlox ( Phlox longifolia ) Upland larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum) Columbia puccoon (Lithosperm ruderale)

Not in Idaho! Elephant's Head (Pedicularis groenlandica) in the Sierra Nevada of California Spring is arriving quickly, and it's one of my favorite seasons because of the beautiful display of wildflowers that we are treated to as each day unfolds. Learning to identify wildflowers and exploring different natural areas to find them is one of my greatest joys, and I find that it helps me to really savor and appreciate a season that otherwise can feel so fleeting.  So what's the best way to learn to identify wildflowers? Field guides and websites are key resources to have in your toolkit. I also encourage you to seek out local naturalist-led hikes that focus specifically on identifying flowers. There is nothing quite like learning from local experts, so bring your notebook and prepare to learn a lot! One of my favorite aspects of  Here is a list of resources for identifying wildflowers: Boise National Forest Wildflowers website : This U.S. Forest Service page outl...