Bright patches of yellow and green among the rocks are apt to be fringed-leaved cinquefoil (Potentilla flabellifolia). The flowers that resemble buttercups and the leaves that look like fringed “three-leaved clovers” signify this species.
A number of shrubs bloom in the Garfield rock gardens while snow is yet deep on the slopes below. Two species of bushy currants are found side by side in some places. Both develop racemes of creamy-white tubular flowers at about the same time. The waxy currant (Ribes cereum) has small smooth leaves. The gummy currant (Ribes viscosissimum) has larger sticky leaves. Although the service berry (Amelanchier florida) is dwarfed along the Garfield Trail its blossoms of white strap-shaped petals almost cover the bushes. The leaves of the service berry are easy to recognize because they are oval to almost round and notched about half the margin that is away from the twig.
Large areas of the open rocky slopes are carpeted by two creeping shrubs that produce their flowers while snowbanks remain closeby. The rigid, brick-red branches, conspicuous among the glossy, leathery evergreen leaves and the racemes of dainty bell-like pale pink flowers make the pinemat manzanita (Arctostaphylos nevadensis) an attractive ground cover. The lovely pattern produced by the small, holly-like, deep green, shiny leaves and the puffs of tiny lavender flowers of the squaw carpet(Ceanothus prostratus) is equally attractive.
The damp soil of the mountain meadows at first appears almost destitute of life. Here and there the clumps of brilliant red growing tips of Newberry’s knotweed (Polygonium newberryi) push above the uniformly brown surface of the ground. This plant is least attractive during its flowering season. The tiny, papery white flowers that cluster in the axils of the leaves are so inconspicuous that a person looking directly at the plant in full bloom often asks what the flowers are like. Nevertheless, each delicate flower proves to be a delightful surprise to one who chances to examine one with the aid of a hand lens. Following the blooming period, glory returns to the knotweed as its dying leaves turn scarlet. If one chances to view these leaves against the sun they appear translucent like stained glass windows. But this is a picture of late August, not early June.
Among the patches of red tips of growing Newberry’s knotweed, steer’s head, (Dicentra uniflora) is an attractive surprise to anyone who discovers it. The single rose-colored flower, held at an angle barely clearing the ground, suggests a tiny steer’s head even to many who do not know its name. Each flower is surrounded by two or three finely divided gray-green triangular leaves that lie flat on the ground.
Spring beauties (Claytonia lanceolata) are the most abundant flowers on the open slopes. As they push through the earth, the two lance-shaped leaves are held tightly together, like hands over their heads. Soon they separate and are lowered to their characteristic position opposite buds. As the buds open one at a time, the peduncle straightens and holds up the flower that looks like a deep saucer of delicate pink-striped china.
The rosettes formed by the deep-green spatulate leaves of pussypaws (Spragus umbellata) are at first small and tight against the ground. The first dense cluster of tiny flowers are greenish. As the season progresses, the clusters become more fluffy and the flowers turn white, then red, all the while the rosettes of leaves are increasing in size.
A small yellow violet (Viola venosa) with gray-green leaves is so inconspicuous that it is easily overlooked. Close examination, however shows it to be an unusual violet that often makes the most of complementary colors, since the back of the upper petals may be purple and the other petals are purple-violet.
The rainbow colors of the spider-web paintbrush (Castilleja arachnoides) blend perfectly into the pumice slopes. The paintbrush tips enlarge as the flowers bloom farther and farther down the stem. This plant is covered by a fine cobwebby pubescence that adds a delightfully soft texture to its delicate coloring.
Dense, cottony plots of alpine antennaria (Antennaria media) look like irregular sections of a patchwork quilt on these mountain meadows. Tiny stems with reduced leaves and clusters of papery white flower heads rise a few inches from each basal clump of leaves. Other plants that may be found in bloom in the mountain meadows during the early summer are: varied-leaved phacelia (Phacelia heterphylla), alpine agoseris(Agoseris alpestris), blue stickseed (Hackelia jessicae), and several species of sedges(Carex sp.).
Three shrubs that are common about the springs or along streams begin to flower while patches of snow still remain; the catkins appear on the Eastwood willow (Salix eastwoodae), the deep rose of the flower buds make spots of color on the mountain spiraea (Spiraea densiflora), and the yellow twin-flowers blend with the yellow-green leaves of the black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata). In soggy reaches along the streams and about the springs, the ground is often covered with the tiny Gormon’s buttercup (Ranunculus gormandii). Taller plants soon extend their flowering racemes above the mat of mosses and buttercups. The elephant’s heads, (Pedicularis groenlandicum) make conspicuous patches of rose color, as do the alpine shooting stars(Dodecatheon alpinum). The slender stalks of the green and white bog orchids (Habernaria stricta and H. dilatata) with their sweet-scented exquisite flowers add much to the beauty of the scene. At this time a few white flowers are peeking out of the flat terminal flower clusters of the northern valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), and the white flowers in the dense, slender heads of the bistort (Polygonum bistortoides) are also in evidence.
By the time the snows are gone, most of these flowers have already produced their first fruits. Many of them have a system of flowering that enables them to keep producing flowers farther up the stem as long as the moisture and temperature conditions are favorable, thus a long season results in abundance of seed, yet a short season permits maturity of a few fruits at least. The early spring scene shifts rapidly, so a markedly different one greets the visitors during July and August. Some year come early, see the early spring flowers!
