By Virginia Volkman, Library Director
Sedona AZ (May 1, 2015) – This spring the hiking trails are offering a magnificent display of wildflowers. Each one has its unique assortment and arrangement of shapes and colors, with a surprise around every corner. My favorite trail is a blanket of white; it’s covered with blackfoot daisies as far as the eye can see, interspersed with magenta cactus flowers, pale lavender mariposa lilies, and flowers in various shades of yellow.
While many of the early bloomers are starting to fade, you can still find Indian paintbrush and verbena at their peak in hidden corners. Four o’clock flowers have come into full bloom with their spectacular purple blossoms on bushy plants.
If you’re curious about the flowers you see and want to learn more, visit a wonderful website to help identify them. The Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants database was created by Master Gardener volunteers and contains photos and descriptions of native plants found in Yavapai County. It is available at cals.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/index.php, and the link is also available from the Library’s website. Because this database is designed for amateur botanists rather than plant taxonomists, it’s easy to use. One great feature is the inclusion of drawings of plant characteristics in the search screen, so you don’t have to know technical terms in order to search for a plant. Other plant identification websites you might want to visit are: plants.usda.gov and www.naturesongs.com/vvplants.
As I walked along the Thunder Mountain trail last week, I was delighted to find what has been an elusive wildflower this year, locally called tidytips. It can be mistaken from a distance for many other flowers. I went to the Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants database so that I could be more precise in my identification. I learned that the scientific names for two of my sightings are Layia glandulosa for the whitedaisy tidytips and Melampodium leucanthum for the plains blackfoot. For almost any flower there are a number of common names.
This year’s annual wildflower display at the Library was brought to us by Marlene and Jack Conklin and Linda Schermer. We’re pleased to see that the butterfly bush planted in memory of Phyllis Lindberg, a longtime contributor to the wildflower display, is thriving in its location in front of the Library.
The wildflower identification books that Phyllis created are available in the Library’s reference area. Their photographs are a good way to learn about local plants. There are many other books that you can check out to help you on your quest to learn about Arizona wildflowers.
The Library’s Culture Pass program is also a great way to learn about the plant life in Arizona. By checking out a Culture Pass, you receive free admission for two people at participating arts and cultural institutions, including the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix and the Arboretum in Flagstaff. The Arboretum is open seasonally, May through October, and Arboretum passes will be available at the Library during these months. Of special note: There will be free admission to the Arboretum for everyone on Friday, May 8, in celebration of National Public Gardens Day. On Sunday, May 10, all mothers will receive half-price admission in honor of Mother’s Day.
You’ll find information about Culture Passes, which are available on a first-come, first served basis, on the Library’s website, with links to each location. It’s a good idea to check hours and any special restrictions that may apply at a particular location before you make your plans
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The land on which our beautiful library sits was donated, and the library building was constructed with private funds and is entirely debt-free. Donations and grants allow us to continue to offer free and innovative services to residents and visitors. Your tax-deductible donation may be sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.
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