I've always enjoyed OceanDiver's reports of wildflowers in the prairies on her island. So imagine my excitement to discover a little remnant of preserved prairie inside the Port Townsend golf course. We explored a bit last Sunday (March 29th).
Common Camas (Camassia quamash)
The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Snails, fish, insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located.
Follow me along the meandering track we took around this little patch of prairie.
The Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society has worked to restore and maintain this prairie. The 1.4 acre prairie is a remnant of the landscape that emerged after the retreat of the ice age glaciers. It survived development because of benign neglect, having been set aside as a "rough" in the golf course. It was recognized as a unique botanical site in 1986 and the Kah Tai Preserve was officially created in 1987. Volunteers are preserving the native prairie species, including having managed a couple of controlled burns over the years.
Sign briefly explaining the history and plants of Kah Tai Prairie (click to enlarge).
Let's see what was blooming on March 29, 2015. All photos are in lightbox mode, click on them to enlarge.
Grass widow or Satin flower (Olsynium douglasii)
Fine-leaf Desert Parsley (Lomatium utriculatum)
Chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis)
Closeup of Naked broomrape (Orobanche uniflora)
Bunch of broomrape
Now that I've discovered this treasure, I'll be back frequently during the summer to see the prairie grow and change.
Your turn! Any wildflowers coming up where you are? What else are you observing?
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