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Texas Wildflowers

Big Bend National Park, Focus Stacking, Grapevine Hills Trail, Texas Wildflowers

A Desert Marigold

A Desert Marigold photographed along the Grapevine Hills Trail in Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2023.

Big Bend Bluebonnet, Big Bend National Park, Focus Stacking, Texas Wildflowers

Big Bend Bluebonnets

Big Bend Bluebonnets photographed near the Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2023.

Big Bend Bluebonnet, Big Bend National Park, Focus Stacking, Grapevine Hills Trail, Texas Wildflowers

Big Bend Bluebonnet Flower

A Big Bend Bluebonnet flower that i photographed along the Grapevine Hills Trail in Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2019.

Blackfoot Daisy, Flowers, Focus Stacking, Melampodium Leucanthum, Texas Wildflowers

COVID-era Blackfoot Daisy

This COVID-era Blackfoot Daisy was photographed in Northwest Austin in the spring of 2020 prior to the virus spreading around the world.

Big Bend National Park, Focus Stacking, Grapevine Hills Trail, Texas Wildflowers

Desert Marigold

A Desert Marigold photographed along the Grapevine Hills Trail in Big Bend National Park. The flower was photographed during the spring of 2019.

Chihuahuan Flax, Focus Stacking, Linum vernale, Terlingua Creek, Texas Wildflowers, West Texas

Chihuahuan Flax

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

Big Bend National Park, Focus Stacking, Sierra Del Chino, Texas Wildflowers

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.

Focus Stacking, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Wildflowers

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.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Rock Rose, Texas Wildflowers

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!

Allionia incarnata, Ernst Tinaja, Flowers, Pink Windmills, Trailing Allionia, Trailing Four O'Clock, Trailing Windmills

Trailing Windmills

A pair of Trailing Windmills photographed in the fall of 2018 in the Earnst Tinaja area of Big Bend National Park.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Wildflowers

Autumn Sage

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

Butterfly Gaura, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Lindheimer's Beeblossom, Lindheimer's Gaura, Oenothera lindheimeri, Texas Wildflowers, 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.

Focus Stacking, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Gayfeather, Texas Wildflowers

Mature Texas Gayfeather

A mature Texas Gayfeather photogrpahed using the focus stacking technique at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX last week.

Berlandiera lyrata, Chocolate Flower, Chocolate daisy, Chocolate flower, Green-eyed lyre leaf, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Lyreleaf greeneyes, Texas Wildflowers

Chocolate Flower

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

Apache Plume, Fallugia paradoxa, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Ponil, Seedhead, Texas Wildflowers

Apache Plume Seedhead

An Apache Plume Seedhead photographed at the Lady Bird Jonson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX in the summer of 2018.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Eastern Purple Coneflower

I photographed this Eastern Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea) at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin last April.

Focus Stacking, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Mealy Blue Sage, Salvia Farinacea

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.

Focus Stacking, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Wildflowers

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.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

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.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Bluebonnet

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.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

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. 

Erigeron modestus, Focus Stacking, Prairie Fleabane, Texas Wildflowers

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

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, Texas Wildflowers

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, Salvia roemeriana, Salvia roemeriana Scheele, Texas Wildflowers

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.

Giant Spiderwort, Giant spiderwort, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Wildflowers, Tradescantia gigantea Rose

Giant Spiderworts

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

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Wildflowers

Eastern Red Columbines

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

Dalea formosa, Feather Dalea, Feather dalea, Featherplume, Focus Stacking, Texas Wildflowers

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”.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Wildflowers

Eastern Red Columbine

photographed this Eastern Red Columbine at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin a couple of weeks ago.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Gayfeathers

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

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Yellow Waterlily

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

Hooker palafoxia, Hooker's palafoxia, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Palafoxia hookeriana, Sand Palafox, Sand palafox, Sand palafoxia

Sand Palafox

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

Angel Trumpet, Datura wrightii, Jimsonweed, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Sacred Thorn Apple, Sacred datura, Thorn apple

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.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Twin Seashore Mallows

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

Hibiscus grandiflorus, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Large-flowered hibiscus, Pink swamp hibiscus, Swamp rose-mallow

A Mature Swamp Rose Mallow

I photographed this mature Swamp Rose Mallow flower at the LBJ Wildflower Center last week. It is one of the better specimens at the Center.

Kosteletzkya althaeifolia, Kosteletzkya pentacarpos, Kosteletzkya smilacifolia, Kosteletzkya virginica, Kosteletzkya virginica var. althaeifolia, Kosteletzkya virginica var. aquilonia, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Saltmarsh mallow, Seashore Mallow, Seashore mallow, Virginia fen-rose, Virginia saltmarsh 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.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 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, Fallugia paradoxa, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Ponil

Apache Plume

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

Hibiscus grandiflorus, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Large-flowered hibiscus, Pink swamp hibiscus, 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.

Ruellia occidentalis, Ruellia strictopaniculata, Ruellia tuberosa var. occidentalis, Western Wild Petunia, uellia nudiflora var. occidentalis

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.

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.

McKinney Falls State Park

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.

Castilleja indivisa, Entireleaf Indian Paintbrush, Indian Paintbrush, LBJ Wildflower Center, Scarlet Paintbrush, Texas Indian Paintbrush, 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.

ALCAC, Allium acetabulum, Allium canadense var. ovoideum, Allium canadense var. robustum, Allium continuum, Bull Creek, Canada onion, Meadow garlic, Wild Onion, 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.

Castilleja indivisa, Entireleaf Indian Paintbrush, Indian Paintbrush, McKinney Falls State Park, Scarlet Paintbrush, Texas Indian Paintbrush, 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.

Lepachys columnaris, Lepachys columnifera, Long-headed coneflower, Mexican Hat, Mexican hat, Prairie coneflower, Ratibida columnaris, Ratibida columnaris var. pulcherrima, Red-spike mexican-hat, Rudbeckia columnaris, Rudbeckia columnifera, Thimbleflower, Upright prairie coneflower

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.

Firewheel, Gaillardia pulchella, Gaillardia pulchella Foug., Indian Blanket

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.