So I’ll admit it, I am a plant nerd. Plants are neat! For those of you who also wonder about the little spots of yellow popping up across Chautauqua meadow and elsewhere I’ve got a few wildflowers you can see around Boulder now. Tulips and daffodils on Pearl Street Mall don’t count!

Golden Banner (Thermopsis spp.)

Golden banner is like the welcome banner of summer. This legume is scattered in large patches across the foothills and some in the plains.

Sand Lily (Leucocrinum montanum)

This pretty lily is all over the foothills spread out like little white stars in the sky.

Rocky Mountain Iris (Iris missouriensis)

Irises have just started to come up along streams and meadows.

Some other pretty wildflowers out right now around Boulder: Mouse-earred chickweed; Salsify; Horned larkspur; lance-leaf chiming bells; white locoweed; Oregon grape; wild plum.

Lizzie Etzel

Lizzie works as a seasonal for City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, spending her days among the flora and fauna of Boulder both on and off the job. When it comes to knowing what to do and whats going on in the numerous open spaces around Boulder, Lizzie is your girl. After graduating from the University of Texas with a Geography: Environmental Resource Management degree, she came to Salida, CO to work in the San Juan National Forest and surrounding areas on a trail crew. Previously she has worked for Boulder County Parks and Open Space, other trail crews, and as an environmental educator. She has a passion for spreading environmental knowledge and bringing nature straight to the people.