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Flowers & Plants

Flowers & Plants

Woodland Pinedrops

Dried Woodland Pinedrops

I photographed this Dried Woodland Pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea Nutt) while on a snowshoe hike along the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellwostone NP in the winter of 2022.

Chihuahuan Flax

Chihuahuan Flax

A Chihuahuan Flax (Linum vernale) photographed along Terlingua Creek, North of Terlingua, using the focus stacking method.

Big Bend Bluebonnet

Big Bend Bluebonnet

The Big Bend Bluebonnet is similar than the bluebonnets we have in the Austin area. The Big Bend variety has fewer leaves and grow much taller.

Brown-Eyed Susan

Brown-Eyed Susan

A Brown-Eyed Susan photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in the spring of 2018 using the focus stacking method.

Rock Rose

Rock Rose Warning

A Rock Rose photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin during the summer of 2018. Many rattlesnakes in the area. Beware!

Autumn Sage

Autumn Sage

Autumn Sage is a very popular landscape plant. It grows throughout the Southwest. Its flowers are edible!

White Gaura

White Gaura

A White Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri) photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in the summer of 2018 using the focus stacking technique.

Young Texas Gayfeather

Young Texas Gayfeather

A young Texas Gayfeather photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. There were many flowers growing in a batch. This was the newest.

Chocolate Flower

Chocolate Flower

The Chocolate Flower is not my favorite wildflower but it is my favorite flower name. The Chocolate Flower does smell like chocolate!

Mealy Blue Sage

Mealy Blue Sage

The Mealy Blue Sage is an excellent plant for a flower bed, and is often planted in groupings to create an attractive mass of color. It is also a good plant for a rock garden.

American Basket Flower

American Basket Flower

The American Basket Flower (Centaurea americana), is native to south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. I understand that this is a very easy plant to grow and that it requires little maintenance.

Last of the Bluebonnets

Last of the Bluebonnets

It’s the last of the Bluebonnets. Most of the Texas Bluebonnets growing in central Texas have gone to seed. I captured this specimen at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center earlier this spring.

Texas Bluebonnet Time

Texas Bluebonnet Time

It is Texas Bluebonnet Time in Central Texas and especially out at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I was impressed by the quantity and quality of the bluebonnets at the Center this year.

Dew on an Eastern Purple Coneflower

Dew on an Eastern Purple Coneflower

I finally made it out to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to photograph some of the wonderful Texas Wildflowers. I was making my way around the grounds when I came across this Eastern Purple Coneflower with dewdrops on its petals. 

Prairie Fleabane

Prairie Fleabane

Spring is moving along much faster than I expected. Wildflowers are springing up everywhere! I decided that I better get outside and make sure I still remember how to photograph Texas Wildflowers. This pair of Prairie Fleabane flowers were ideal to photograph.

Rainbow Cactus

Rainbow Cactus

I posted the top view if the Rainbow Cactus yesterday. This view shows you the colorful bands of spines that are the reason for its name.

Rainbow Cactus

Rainbow Cactus

I photographed this Rainbow Cactus along Humphries Peak Road using the focus stack technique during a recent trip to the Big Bend area.

Cedar Sage

Cedar Sage

I was out doing some work near a creek on my property when I noticed quite a few Cedar Sage plants so I got my camera and photographed them.

Lone Tree

Lone Tree

I was photographing flowers in the Agua Fria area located near Big Bend NP when I ran across this lone tree and decided to photograph it.

Giant Spiderwort

Giant Spiderworts

Giant Spiderworts are hard to photograph using the focus stack method. There are too many parts that move in the slightest breeze.

Eastern Red Columbines

Eastern Red Columbines

I photographed these Eastern Red Columbines during a trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center using the focus stacking technique.

Longspur Columbine

Longspur Columbine

I photographed this Longspur Columbine at the Cattail Falls in Big Bend National Park during a trip to the area in the spring of 2017.

Feather Dalea

Feather Dalea

I captured this photograph of a Feather Dalea (Dalea formosa) while on a drive in the desert to an area called “Agua Fria Springs”.

Texas Bluebonnets

Texas Bluebonnets

Texas Bluebonnets against winter grass. I liked this because it is a symbol that spring has sprung and what has passed will be new again.

Texas Bluebonnet

Spring has Sprung

Spring has Sprung in Texas! The much warmer than normal temperatures has confused Mother Nature to the point that she has given up on winter

Crooked Gayfeather

Crooked Gayfeather

I photographed this crooked Gayfeather at the LBJ Wildflower Center last September. The Texas Gayfeather is one of my favorite wildflowers.

Grassy Sunrise

Grassy Sunrise

I photographed this Grassy Sunrise starburst during my last trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center last September.

Texas Gayfeathers

Gayfeathers

I photographed this very large clump of Texas Gayfeathers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center earlier this year.

Lichen Stump

Lichen Stump

I spotted this Wolf Lichen growing on a stump just down the path from where I captured some Wolf Lichen growing on some dead branches.

Fall in the Tetons

Fall in the Tetons

Fall in the Tetons is amazing. Aspens turn bright yellow-orange, grasses change from green to golden and the Cottonwood leaves to yellow.

Wolf Lichen

Wolf Lichen

I captured this photograph of Wolf Lichen (Letharia vulpina) at Artist Point in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone lower falls area.

Grass Clump

Grass Clump

One of the interesting things about my trip to Yellowstone NP is to see how a plant like this grass clump survives in a hostile environment.

Maximilian Sunflower

Maximilian Sunflower

The Maximilian Sunflower is a Texas Native prairie perennial. It is a very desirable range plant as it is consumed by livestock.

Yellow Waterlily

Yellow Waterlily

A Yellow Waterlily photographed earlier this month at the LBJ Wildflower Center. This aquatic plant grows in shallow water and wetlands.

Prairie False-Foxglove

Prairie False-Foxglove

The Prairie False-Foxglove is another great plant that attracts butterflies. I photographed this flower at the LBJ Wildflower Center.

Gregg's Mistflower

Gregg’s Mistflower

Gregg’s Mistflower is a common addition to gardens as it attracts butterflies. Their blooms coincide with the Monarch fall migration.

Sand Palafox

Sand Palafox

I captured this photograph of the Sand Palafox (Palafoxia hookeriana) flower during my last trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Jimsonweed

Imperfect Jimsonweed

I posted a Jimsonweed photo last week. I returned to the same location a few days later to photograph this imperfect Jimsonweed flower.

Seashore Mallows

Twin Seashore Mallows

I photographed these Twin Seashore Mallows at the LBJ Wildflower Center earlier this month. Seashore Mallows are beautiful flowers.

Seashore Mallow

Seashore Mallow

This is a Seashore Mallow flower and it is not commonly found in the wild in Central Texas but is plentiful on the gulf coast.

Mexican Primrose Willow

Mexican Primrose Willow

One of the things I like about the Mexican Primrose Willow is that it’s very symmetrical. It has four yellow petals flanked by green sepals.

Texas Gayfeather

Texas Gayfeather

My trip to the LBJ Wildflower Center was a very productive wildflower photography trip. I photographed this Texas Gayfeather on that trip.

Apache Plume

Apache Plume

Apache Plume gets its name from the pinkish feathery seed heads which appear after the flowers bloom in the summer.

Jimsonweed

Jimsonweed

This is Jimsonweed, a member of the Nightshade family. It is highly toxic to humans and animals. Flowers open from evening to early morning.

Swamp Rose-Mallow

Swamp Rose-Mallow

I found this Swamp Rose-Mallow specimen with a nice grasshopper during a recent trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Eryngo

Eryngo Flower

I photographed this Eryngo flower last week at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I thought it important to show the plant detail.

Eryngo

Eryngo

I made a trip to the LBJ Wildflower Center last week to photograph an Eryngo plant that I found growing near the Center’s courtyard.

Western Wild Petunia

Western Wild Petunia

I photographed this Western Wild Petunia using a new piece of equipment that I acquired called a bellows. It allows for higher magnification.

Heartleaf Hibiscus

Heartleaf Hibiscus

I photographed this Heartleaf Hibiscus at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center while practicing my manual focus rail technique.

Wild Poincettia

Wild Poinsettia

I mentioned that the summer heat has turned into tropical rain. I decided to photograph a Wild Poinsettia in a secluded area of the center.

Rock Rose

Rock Rose

I captured this image of a Rock Rose using the focus stacking technique. I used a manual focus rail instead of using the focus ring.

Buffalo Burr Spider

Buffalo Bur and Spider

I spotted a budding Buffalo Bur plant growing while mowing last week. I went out earlier this week and photographed the plant outdoors.

Blackfoot Daisy

Blackfoot Daisy

I photographed this Blackfoot Daisy at the LBJ Wildflower Center. As a member of the Aster family, it resembles many other Texas Wildflowers.

Turk's Cap

Turk’s Cap

This is another image taken in my studio with my white box. This time I photographed a Turk’s Cap that was growing in between some hedges in the front yard.

Purple Headed Gomphrena

Purple Headed Gomphrenas

I planted Purple Headed Gomphrenas in years past. They came up again on their own this year so I decided to photograph them before they wilt in the heat.

Engelman's Prickly Pear

Prickly Pear Flower

I captured this Prickly Pear flower at the Big Bend NP last spring. I like prickly pear plants because they are easy to spot and they have a lot of flowers.

Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus

Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus

This Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus image was taken during a hike on the Contrabando Trail at the Big Bend State Park during my visit to the area last spring.

Yellow Bells

Yellow Bells

We stopped alongside one of the park roads during last spring’s trip to Big Bend National Park where I captured this photograph of some Yellow Bells.

False Dayflower

False Dayflower

The False Dayflower is one of my favorite flowers. I like it mostly because the petals and stamens together give the flower the appearance of having a face.

Daylily

Daylily Flower

Daylilies are perennial plants, whose Daylily name insinuates that the Daylily flower typically does not last more than 24 hours. They do tend to wilt fast.

Texas Thistle

Texas Thistle

I captured this image of a Texas Thistle during my outing to the Pedernales Falls SP. A majestic plant with bright purple flowers is a magnet for insects.

Nyalas and Aloe

Nyalas and Aloe

Two things that were very common at the Safari Lodge that I stayed at were Nyalas and Aloe plants. Nyalas came into the lodge compound frequently during my stay.

Giant Spiderwort - St. Edwards Park

Giant Spiderwort

I was photographing flowers when I spotted a tiny insect on a Giant Spiderwort. I thought it was a bee or a wasp but upon further research it was a flower fly.

Eastern Purple Coneflower - LBJ WFC

Roadside Flowers

My maternal grandparents loved the LBJ family and, like Lady Bird Johnson, my grandmother loved wildflowers. She wrote a poem titled “Roadside Flowers”.

Texas Paintbrush

Texas Paintbrush

This photograph of a Texas Paintbrush is another one in the series that I captured while attending the Plant Identification course at the LBJ Wildflower Center.

Rattlesnake-Weed

Longhorn

I signed up for a Plant ID course at the LBJ Wildflower Center. I ran across this Double-banded Bycid hanging out on this Wild Carrot head during an outing.

Tree Cholla

Tree Cholla

I returned from my trip to Big Bend NP with hundreds of photos to process. In the meantime, I’ll share a Tree Cholla flower that we found along Highway 118.

Ocotillo Sunset

Big Bend #4

We usually stop at the “Ocotillo Fields” near the park entrance to photograph the sunset on our first day at the Park. The official road is Texas Highway 118 and it’s named “Panther Junction Road”.

Wild Onion

Wild Onion Blooms

You know it’s spring in Texas when you smell the Wild Onions. This is especially true if you are near a field that is being mowed, the aroma is amazing.

Red Poppy

Red Poppies

Red Poppies are not native to Texas. I normally only photograph Texas Wildflowers but the scene was so nice that I decided it would make a good photograph.

Texas Paintbrush

Natural Paintbrush

Spring in Texas is the best time of year. Temperatures are pleasant and the wildflowers are in full bloom. Among the colorful flowers is the Texas Paintbrush.

Greenthread - McKinney Falls

Wide Macro

I purchased a Laowa 15mm Wide Angle Macro Lens last year to photograph wildflowers. I struggled to get decent results when I had an idea of how to improve.

Bittwerweed

Bitter and Blue

This image of a Bitterweed in the foreground and the Texas Bluebonnet in the background was taken at Pedernales Falls State Park near the Bird Blind.

Texas Bluebonnet - LBJ Wildflower Center

Bluebonnet Time!

Spring is just around the corner which for us Texans means that it’s Texas Bluebonnet time! This year, we are seeing Bluebonnet blooms much earlier than usual.

Clematis lanuginosa

Clematis

I planted a vine 9 years ago and each year the vine blooms with giant purple flowers. I never researched what I planted. It turns out it is a Clematis,

Havard's fiddleleaf - Big Bend NP

Fiddleleaf

The flower below, Havard’s fiddleleaf (Nama havardii) was one of the flowers that was new to my collection and is a rare plant as well.

Whitethorn Acacia - BBNP

Thorny

This thorny plant was pointed out to me by a friend during our trip to BBNP. We completed our sunrise shoot and turned our attention to flowering plants.

Big Bend NP - Sotol Stalk

Sotol

The Sotol plant is very prominent throughout the Big Bend NP. It was during a trip to the park that I photographed the now dead and empty stalk.

BBNP - Yellow Lichen

Gold Cobblestone

I was hiking the Lost Mine Trail in the Big Bend National Park the other day with some friends and I noticed this wonderful Gold Cobblestone Lichen.

Bamboo in the Garden of Eden

Bamboo

Bamboo is an amazing plant. It’s not only the largest member of the grass family but it is also the fastest growing plant in the world.

Aperture Setting Impact

Soft

I have discussed the importance of soft backgrounds on some of my posts. In photography, this is referred to sometimes as Bokeh.

Spot Sided

I was out in the front yard trying to find some material for my blog when I ran across this Spot Sided Coreid minding his own business.

Sunflower and Honey Bee

Golden

This is another image of the same Western Honey Bee (also known as European Honey Bee) that was part of my “Western” post the other day. I titled this one “Golden”.

Sunflower and Honey Bee

Western

I posted a Bee and Sunflower Tryptic made of images of flowers that are growing around the property and the Western Honey Bees harvesting the pollen.

Bee amd Flower Triptych

Triptych

I decided to take a walk around the house to see if there was something interesting to shoot when I walked by a bunch of Sunflower Goldeneye flowers.

Maximilian Sunflower

Sweat

I posted an image last week of Maximilian, a Maximilian Sunflower that was sporting a very nice creature. This is a different kind of creature. My best guess is that this is a Sweat Bee

Maximilian Sunflower

Maximilian

Maximilian was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire. But that’s not the Maximilian I wanted to showcase. It’s the Maximilian Sunflower that is the subject of this post.

Texas Gayfeather

Feathers and Butterflies

Feathers and butterflies are not usually associated in the same way that bikes and flowers are as well. Texas Gayfeathers are know for attracting butterflies.

Texas Gayfeather

Bikes and Flowers

I was invited by a friend of mine to do an unusual combination of mountain biking and Texas Wildflower photography. Bikes and flowers don’t normally go together.

Rock Rose

Rock-n-Rose

Well, it’s not really Rock-n-Rose but rather Rock Rose. This flower (Pavonia lasiopetala) is a native Texas Wildflower.

Quartet

Quartet

There was a flower arrangement that was about to start wilting so I decided to take this quartet of purple mums into my light box and capture them for posterity.

Spiny Hedgehog Cactus - Big Bend NP /Cattail Falls Trail

Fruit Rollups

The Spiny Hedge Hog is found throughout Texas. I found this specimen during my trip to Big Bend earlier this year. The stigma looks like fruit rollups.

Engelman's Prickly Pear Cactus - Big Bend NP / Cattail Falls Trail

Prickly Baby

I was hiking In Big Bend when I ran across this Engelmann’s Prickly Pear Cactus on the way to see Cattail Falls. I was fond of this little prickly baby bud.

Mexican Hat

Mexican Hat

On of my favorite Texas Wildflowers is the Mexican Hat. Not only do I think that the name is cool but so is the flower.

Soaptree Yucca

Soapy Asparagus

I’m sure the title “Soapy Asparagus” conjures up terrible childhood memories. The combination of soap and asparagus is not something any of us care to think about. But, those words are not what they seem.

Buffalo Cactus

During my recent trip to Buffalo I was able to visit the Buffalo Botanical Gardens in addition to visiting the Basilica. My favorite part of the tour was the cactus exhibit. I named this one Buffalo Cactus.

Indian Blanket - WMG Estates

Indian Blanket

Indian Blanket is one of my favorite Texas Wildflowers. It grows in the late spring and early summer and is one of the more colorful wildflowers in this area.

Engelman's Prickly Pear Cactus - Big Bend NP / Cattail Falls Trail

Very Prickly

While doing some editing I ran across this Engelmann’s Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii) and I thought this very prickly image would make a good post.

Rain Lily

Rain Lily

I spotted this Rain Lily (Cooperia pedunculata) back in May growing in the wild area of my property. I was about to have knee surgery so I could not kneel down to shoot it.

Purple Horsemint

Spider, Spider on the Flower!

I began taking Texas Wildflower photographs early in 2015 after a discussion with some of my photography friends. At first I did not think that I would be interested in “taking pictures of flowers”, but, it was fun and intriguing.

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