Yarrow: This is the Palouse

Wildflowers are a beautiful site in the Palouse throughout spring, summer and fall.  

This one is Yarrow. It's not one of my favorites, as it is so hardy, its behavior is more like that of a weed. 

But I do love the delicate, feathery Bachelor Buttons that grow along the roadsides.

I also love the California Poppies. They open up in the morning and then close up again at dusk. It's almost like magic to see it. I can stand by my mailbox and think there are no flowers along the road in front of me. But then, a moment later, it's like a million lights have been turned on.

Lupines are also very lovely.

So are the Asters.

This fuzzy plant is Mullein, or Flannel Mullein. There is a cultivated variety that is considered never to be invasive, however in our rich soil, it becomes enormous and acts like a pest. Mullein (as are all of the plants in this post) is native to the Palouse. Can you guess one of the uses the pioneers had for Mullein? Before toilet paper was invented?

This is also a native species, aka Dog Fennel. It is a pest, something that farmers spray to eradicate.

This last picture is one of the most noxious weeds of all, Morning Glory, or Field Bindweed.