The Amen of nature is always a flower.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. -
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. -
Check this page on a regular basis to see what's new and in bloom in Lambert Park!
April 30, 2019
Last day of April. Such a shame. It's been a great month for flowers. The Groundsel, also known as Ragwort, is up. Its bright yellow flowers can be seen everywhere, but especially on the north side of Lambert Park The delicate little Western Waterleaf has just popped up. It looks much like its cousin the Ballhead Waterleaf, but it's blossoms occur above the basal leaves instead of below them! The Star Flowered Lily of the Valley is also called Star Flowered False Solomon's Seal. It is like its cousin False Solomon's Seal, but has tiny 6 pointed petals instead of a group of flowers raising up on a stem in the middle They will be prolific and beautiful next month, mainly on the north side of Lambert Park! |
April 25, 2019
It's a beautiful day for plant watching! We can barely keep up with them! This pretty white Ballhead Waterleaf was found on Rodeo up. There are two kinds of Waterleaf in the park. They can be distinguished by where the bloom occurs. The Ballhead Waterleaf blossom occurs below the leaves, while the Western Waterleaf blossoms above the basal leaves. The Bonneville Pea is our own special legume. It may be ubiquitous here in Utah, but it only grows in two other states--Idaho and Nevada. The Bonneville Pea grows in all areas of Lambert Park, but will be making an especially beautiful purple carpet along Corkscrew and other trails on the south end of the park. |
April 22, 2019
Time to get out and smell the wildflowers! They are exploding in Lambert Park. This week we have 5 new yellow flowers and one purple one in bloom! The Arrowleaf Balsamroot is just coming on now. It is one of the showiest flowers in the park and will be here for about a month. Another common name for this flower is Oregon Sunflower, Nearly all parts of this plant are edible for wildlife as well as humans! Don't eat the Curveseed Butterwort! This tiny little invader from Eurasia is a member of the buttercup family, and is poisonous like its cousins! It is only a few inches tall, but very delicate and pretty! Oregon Grape is just beginning to bloom. Its attractive yellow blooms turn to blue berries in the fall! The berries are tart but edible. Add a lot of sugar to make jelly out of them! The waxy, holly-shaped leaves are part of the appeal of the plant! Our purple plant of the day is Browse Milkvetch! This looks like a terrific year for milkvetch in the park. While it is not good browse for cattle, this pretty plant provides a beautiful carpet of purple for hikers to enjoy! The dreaded myrtle spurge has raised its head in many areas of the park. Despite efforts to eradicate this invader, it continues to persist. Watch out for it on the trails. If you pull it, use gloves, as the sap can be toxic to the skin! The lemonade trees are starting to bud out! Aromatic Sumac is the most common shrub in Lambert Park. The seeds have a lemony flavor that some hikers like to add to their water bottles. The seeds will turn deep red in summer, but for now, enjoy them in their yellow finery |
April 13, 2019
Spring is here and we have some great flowers in bloom already! One of the most delicate and beautiful plants in Lambert Park is the Glacier Lily. It only blooms for a few weeks, and can only be found at the intersection of Rodeo Down and Spring Trails. Hurry over if you want to see it! The Bird's Eye Speedwell is a tiny little blue flower with four petals. It is prolific this year along the Black Dog trail. It is also blooming almost a month earlier than last year. Let's see if it lasts well into May! The Redstem Filaree is a delicate little purple flower growing close to the ground. It continues to grow all summer and actually gets a little taller by mid-summer! It can be found everywhere in Lambert Park! The Longstalk Springparsley is also prolific in early spring. It also is a ground-hugger that provides a splash of color all over the park! Don't miss the Shortstyle Bluebells, sometimes called Wasatch Bluebells. They grow mainly on Rodeo Up and Rodeo Down pathways, but are also found on Spring and Highbench trails. They will be most fun to see in a few weeks when they are prolific along those trails! |