Some examples of local blooms from left to right: fleabane, Santa Fe phlox, penstemons, blue flax and evening primrose. Illustration by Hanbi Park for Generation Next.
Some examples of local blooms from left to right: fleabane, Santa Fe phlox, penstemons, blue flax and evening primrose. Illustration by Hanbi Park for Generation Next.
Local blooms from left: fleabane, Santa Fe phlox, penstemons, blue flax and evening primrose.
Springtime in New Mexico opens the door to bad allergies and too much wind. But more importantly: Everything begins to bloom. The once dead and dispiriting plants become colorful and lively, and for careful eyes, the stunning wildflower season begins. As a wildflower enthusiast myself, I wanted to mark this change in seasons by creating a guide to local wildflowers around Santa Fe, so you are able to look out for them and identify them too.
Fleabanes, typically found in mountain ranges of west-central New Mexico, look like the common daisy. Their yellow center is surrounded by white petals. There are multiple varieties of fleabane, including Acoma fleabane, western daisy fleabane and running fleabane. Most varieties can be found on sandy slopes and beneath sandstone cliffs in piñon and juniper woodland.
Blue flax flowers start blooming in the spring and last through the summer. Occasionally they are able to rebloom during rain. They range from blue to lavender. These flowers are typically found among dry hillsides, grasslands and in semi-desert environments.
