As published in the Abiquiú News in 2026
See what is blooming in Abiquiú in
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In the past 10 years I have added 255 species of flowers and trees to the Bloom Blog. The chances of me adding many more are pretty slim so I will have to repeat flowers. I decided to use AI, Copilot, to create their images as a watercolor drawing from the original photo. Tap the image to see the photo.

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May 29, 2026

Pulcherrimus means extremely beautiful and this daisy is certainly that. It grows in dense clumps to 12 inches high with narrow, mostly basal leaves. There is only one flowerhead on a stem. Flowers are one inch across with a yellow disk and curling petals which can be white to pale lavender. Daisies are also called Fleabanes. Some early American settlers kept dried fleabane in their homes and in small satchels to repel gnats and fleas, which is how the plant got its common name. In fact, there is no evidence that supports fleabane as an insect repellent. Source.

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May 22, 2026

This is one of several species of Indian Paintbrush that grow in our area. Orange Paintbrush can grow to 20 inches tall, typically less, with long, purplish-green, rolled leaves and hairy stems. What appears to be flowers, the paintbrush, are actually modified leaves, bracts. The flowers are a narrow, greenish tube protruding beyond the bracts. The flower heads are red to orange to salmon. Native Americans found different uses for the plant; root bark was used with minerals to color deer skin black, dried bracts were mixed with chile seeds to prevent spoilage during storage, the plant was held by women for decoration during the harvest dance, a poultice of leaves was used to dress burns, a decoction of the leaf was taken during pregnancy to keep the baby small, for easy labor. Source. Read more about the Legend and Uses of Indian Paintbrush.

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May 15, 2026

Navajo Yucca is an evergreen shrub growing as a rosette of narrow, sharp-pointed, yellowish-green leaves with fibrous edges. The flower stem grows two to three feet tall. The large, waxy flowers grow in a long, drooping cluster. Flowers can be eaten raw or cooked, and can also be dried, crushed and used as a flavoring. The flower stem can be peeled, cooked and used like asparagus. A fiber obtained from the leaves is used for making ropes, baskets and mats. The leaves themselves can be used as paint brushes, brooms or woven to make mats. The roots are rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute. The Navajo people make extensive use of the yucca to make a wide assortment of useful and ceremonial items. Source.

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May 8, 2026

Blue Flax grows to over two feet tall with wiry, slender stems branching out from the base. It often can be found growing in large patches. Leaves are small and grayish-green. Flowers are one inch across and open in the morning for just one day. Color varies from pale blue to almost purple with a silky sheen. Native Americans consumed the seeds for their flavor and nutrients. A tea made from the stems and leaves was used to treat various medical problems such as eye infections, stomach disorders, and swellings. Livestock exhibits a state of drowsiness when feeding on Blue Flax. Blue Flax was used to make strong rope. Today a cultivated flax is still grown for its "linen" fiber and "linseed oil". Source.

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May 1, 2026

This is one of six species of Globemallow that grow in our area and is the earliest bloomer. Scarlet Globemallow grows from 4 to 16 inches tall in large patches, usually about 8 inches high. Leaves are deeply divided into three or five then divided again and can appear grayish-green from the fine silvery hairs that cover them. Sometimes the edges fold in making them appear even narrower. Flowers grow in a dense cluster at the end of the branches and have five orange petals forming a cup or saucer shape. The fruit produced is shaped like a cheese-wheel and splits apart into segments like an orange. Its common name of Cowboy’s Delight is said to come from the delight its bright colors gave to a cowboy in a dull, arid landscape. The Teton Sioux used it ceremonially. A paste was used as a cooling agent for burns, scalds, and sores. A tea was used as a lotion for skin diseases, and a tonic to improve appetite. The Navajo used a tea for improving the taste of bitter medicinal herbs. Crushed leaves were used as a poultice for skin irritations and as a shoe liner for blistered feet. Source.

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April 24, 2026

Cliff Fendlerbush is a many-branched shrub growing in a columnar shape from 3 to 10 feet tall with tough, dark stems. The leaves are narrow and thick. In spring, the branch tips are covered with a profusion of pink buds which mature into brilliant white fragrant flowers. Flowers have four petals which narrow to the center. It was used by early Native Americans to kill lice and taken after accidentally swallowing ants. It was also used to make arrows, forks, planting sticks, knitting needles and to make ceremonial items and in ceremonial medicine. Source.

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April 17, 2026

Four-nerved Daisy, or Perky Sue, is distinguished by the petal tips which have three notches. There are several varieties. This one is quite common in our area and grows to 10 inches with mostly basal, tightly clustered, narrow leaves pointing upwards. Stems and bracts under the flower are hairy but the leaves are not, unlike other species. See more Perky Sues in Wildflowers of the Southern Rocky Mountains. No traditional uses were found but related species were used medicinally for heartburn and in lotion for eczema, for 'coyote infection', for dreaming of being bitten by an 'alligator', and in a special ceremony for illness caused by a lunar eclipse. Source.

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April 10, 2026

Filaree grows to three inches high with creeping, reddish, hairy stems. The flower is less than ½ inch across. Finely divided leaves grow in a rosette and are grayish-green. The fruit resembles a stork's bill and is about one inch long. When ripe the seed pod bursts open in a spiral, sending the seeds (which have little feathery parachutes attached) into the air. The entire plant is edible with a flavor similar to sharp parsley, if picked young. Traditionally a leaf tea has been used to induce sweating and is diuretic. The leaves were also soaked in bath water to treat rheumatism. It has been used for uterine and other bleeding, roots and leaves were eaten by nursing mothers to increase milk flow, and externally used as a wash on animal bites and skin infections. A poultice of the chewed root has been applied to sores and rashes. A green dye is obtained from the whole plant. Source.

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April 3, 2026

I don’t know what effect this record-breaking heat and drought will have on the flora this season. The trees and shrubs have roots deep in the water table and are already blooming. This New Mexico Privet usually blooms here in mid-April and is blooming in March. It is native and quite common in this area. It is a straggly, multi-stemmed, shrubby tree growing to 15 feet tall with smooth, gray bark and lance-shaped, simple leaves. It can form dense thickets. Large shrubs were considered water indicators because wells dug where plants grew always produced water. The inconspicuous yellow flowers bloom before the leaves. Trees are either male or female, the flowers pictured here are female. The abundant berries are blue-black and are an important food source for wildlife. They are not toxic to humans in small quantities but not considered edible.

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