This time of year at Derby Canyon Natives we have a lull in activity before fall shipments and propagation begin, so I have time for building projects, maintenance… and art! Last month I finished painting the new nursery building we constructed in late 2016. The expanses of white siding called out for something so I […]
Alpine Springbeauty – Wow!
I don’t get botanical “Wow!” moments often, but last week I had one of them. On Thursday I hiked to Van Epps Pass, past the Esmeralda Peaks at the head of the North Fork of the Teanaway River. This part of the Wenatchee Mountains has many areas of serpentine-derived soils, often covered with the rusty […]
Red-flowering Currant
It happens every year. As soon as the red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) blooms in the nursery there is a rufous hummingbird on it. I saw my first male hummer of the spring on Saturday, checking out the spot where the feeder at home hangs each year, making me realize that this little guy was here last […]
My Tronsen Ridge Suite
Last week I made a seed collecting foray to Tronsen Ridge above Blewett Pass, escaping the smoke-filled Wenatchee Valley. This area is easily one of the top spots for wildflowers in Central Washington, filled with a great diversity of species, including many uncommon and endemic ones. There are great views of the Stuart Range, Mt. Rainier […]
Endemic Plants: Special Ones from the Wenatchee Mountains
Thompson’s clover (Trifolium thompsonii) Endemic plants are those found only in a limited geographic area. The Wenatchee Mountains of Chelan and Kittitas Counties have the greatest concentration of endemics found in Washington as well as being one of the top areas for endemics in the US. The map below was compiled by Joe Arnett, Rare […]