We have still been out everyday scouting and collecting.  Although it has finally felt like things are starting to slow down here in Southern Oregon.  There are a few exceptions, which are lending themselves to unique species that are late bloomers.  These late bloomers appear to have slipped below the radar in past years and we are able to make some collections that have not been made in previous seasons.

We spent yesterday up on Mt. Ashland (the largest mountain in Oregon east of the Cascades) standing at 7,533 feet and were amazed to see how many species were still ripe for the picking.  Some flowers, such as Monardella villosa (coyote mint), were still flowering! We haven’t seen flowers on this plant for about a month and a half, so finding this ecological pocket of botanical wonder gave us hope that we might be able to keep on collecting for a few more weeks!

Monardella villosa

Mentzelia laevicaulis

Rudbeckia glaucescens

Mimulus cardinalis