The gorgeous flowers of bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) seemingly pop onto the soil surface in April in much of our region. The blooms can vary in color from a deep rose to lighter shades of pink and even pure white and can be as large as 2″ across, quite the sight when densely spread across a otherwise barren […]
What’s in a name? Or, who keeps changing these scientific names?!
The binomial (Genus + species) used for identifying all species, including plants, is very useful and clear. Each species can have only one scientific name, while many common names can be applied to it, often leading to confusion. For example, Philadelphus lewisii refers to Lewis’ mock orange, a lovely and fragrant shrub of the Hydrangea family […]
Columbia lewisia – cheerful and helpful!
Central Washington has some gorgeous species from the Portulacaceae, among them the Western spring beauties (Claytonia lanceolata) that begin the season, the striking flowers of bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) that appear to pop out of rocks, the awesome Tweedy’s lewisia (Lewisia tweedyi), and the rare and unforgettable alpine spring beauty (Claytonia megarhiza), one I was introduced […]