Aase’s Onion (Allium aaseae)
- Other Names: None
- Family: Lily family (Liliaceae)
- Season: March-April
- Color: Light pink-purple
- Habitat: Sandy, south-facing foothills
- Status: Native
Aase’s onion is a rare lily that grows in six counties in southwestern Idaho. It has small radially-symmetrical flowers with six tepals. The flowers grow low to the ground. The leaves are long, thin, and grass-like. It is found in Camel’s Back Park, Hulls Gulch, and Military Reserve.
Autumn Willowherb (Epilobium brachycarpum)
Other Names: Tall willowherb, autumn willowweed, tall fireweed
Family: Evening Primrose family (Onagraceae)
Season: July-September
Color: Pink
Habitat: Open places; dry ground
Status: Native
Autumn willowherb is a diminutive radially-symmetrical flower with four deeply-notched petals; petals may have reddish veins. Flowers sit atop thin stems with narrow, pointed leaves. The plants may grow to two meters in height. It is found in Camel’s Back Park, Hulls Gulch, and Military Reserve.
Crane’s Bill (Erodium cicutarium)
- Other Names: Storksbill, filaree
- Family: Geranium family (Geraniaceae)
- Season: April-June
- Color: Pink
- Habitat: Open places
- Status: Non-native
Crane’s bill has tiny flowers with five petals and distinctive seed pods. It grows in large mats along the ground. Each plant is 1-6 inches in height. The leaves are fern-like and feathery. The seedpods are long, thin, and sharp; they resemble a bird’s beak. It is found in Camel’s Back Park, Hulls Gulch, and Military Reserve.
Elegant Rockcress (Boechera sparsiflora)
- Other Names: Sicklepod rockcress
- Family: Mustard family (Brassicaceae)
- Color: Pinkish-purple
- Season: April-June
- Habitat: Sagebrush; rocky slopes
- Status: Native
Elegant rockcress has elongated clusters of tubular flowers in pink or purple. The flowers have four petals. The leaves are lance-shaped and hairy. The seed pods (or siliques) are 2-5 inches long and either curve upwards (top of plant) or downwards (bottom of plant). It is up to 2 feet in height. It is found in Hulls Gulch.
Hooker’s Onion (Allium acuminatum)
- Other Names: Tapertip onion
- Family: Lily family (Liliaceae)
- Color: Pinkish-purple to rose pink
- Season: May-June
- Habitat: Arid landscapes
- Status: Native
Hooker’s onion is a lily with puffball-like clusters of small radially-symmetrical flowers. Each rounded cluster is attached to a single stalk. The blossoms have six tepals. The plant smells strongly of onions (the bulbs are edible). This is one of our most common wild lilies. It grows to 14 inches in height. It is found in Camel’s Back Park, Hulls Gulch, and Military Reserve.
Longleaf Phlox (Phlox longiflora)
- Other Names: None
- Family: Phlox family (Polemoniaceae)
- Color: Pink
- Season: April-July
- Habitat: Arid foothills
- Status: Native
Longleaf phlox has radially-symmetrical flowers and thin, hairy leaves. The flowers have five petals; each petal has a slight indentation at the end. The stems sometimes have a reddish cast. The plant is 2-6 inches in height. It is found in Hulls Gulch and Military Reserve.
Narrow-leaf Collomia (Collomia linearis)
- Other Names: Tiny trumpet, slenderleaf collomia
- Family: Phlox family (Polemoniaceae)
- Color: Light pink to white
- Season: May-July
- Habitat: Moist gound; light shade
- Status: Native
Narrow-leaf collomia has clusters of 7-20 tubular flowers atop erect stems and hairy, sword-like leaves. The half-inch flowers have rounded petals and anthers tipped with white pollen. The plant is 3-12 inches in height. It is found in Hulls Gulch.
Oregon Checkermallow (Sidalcea oregana)
Other Names: None
Family: Mallow family (Malvaceae)
Color: Light pink to light blue
Season: Late June-August
Habitat: Moist meadows; streams
Status: Native
Oregon Checkermallow features tall clusters of radially-symmetrical flowers in delicate pink. The bowl-shaped flowers are translucent, with five notched petals. The plants have deeply-divided leaves of 5-9 narrow leaflets. It is found in Hulls Gulch.
Pale Evening Primrose (Oenothera pallida)
- Other Names: None
- Family: Evening Primrose family (Onagraceae)
- Color: Light pink
- Season: April-July
- Habitat: Sandy, arid foothills
- Status: Native
Pale evening primrose has four-petaled, radially-symmetrical flowers that bloom in the evening. The plant has striped buds and toothed leaves. The flowers are pollinated by moths. It grows to 16 inches in height. It is found in Camel’s Back Park, Hulls Gulch, and Military Reserve.
Pursh’s Milkvetch (Astragalus purshii)
- Other Names: Woolly pod locoweed
- Family: Pea family (Fabaceae)
- Color: Pinkish-purple
- Season: April-June
- Habitat: Foothills
- Status: Native
Pursh’s milkvetch grows in low mats early in the spring. Its pinkish-purple flowers are pea-like and bilaterally-symmetrical. The plant’s tiny, gray-green leaves are hairy. It is usually less than 6 inches tall. It is found in Camel’s Back Park, Hulls Gulch, and Military Reserve.
Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
- Other Names: None
- Family: Milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae)
- Color: Rose pink
- Season: May-July
- Habitat: Arid, sandy landscapes
- Status: Native
Showy milkweed has rounded clusters of star-shaped, five-petaled flowers. Its large leaves are grayish and velvety. Its stems exude a milky sap. Its large seedpods contain seeds covered in silky hairs. The plant is a relative of the common milkweed and is fed on by monarch butterflies. It is between 1-4 feet tall. It is found in Hulls Gulch.
Slender Phlox (Phlox gracilis)
- Other Names: None
- Family: Phlox family (Polemoniaceae)
- Color: Pink or white
- Season: April-June
- Habitat: Foothills
- Status: Native
Slender phlox grows in the foothills, often covering large areas. The plants are short, not more than 2 inches high. Each flower has five notched petals. The flowers sometimes grow in pairs. It is found in Hulls Gulch and Military Reserve.
Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)
- Other Names: None
- Family: Milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae)
- Color: Pink
- Season: May-July
- Habitat: Foothills
- Status: Native
Spreading dogbane has elongated clusters of bell-shaped flowers on reddish stems. The leaves are bright green and oval. The flowers have five curled petals and are striped with deep pink. It grows to 2 feet tall. It is found in Hulls Gulch and Military Reserve.
Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum)
- Other Names: Crane’s bill
- Family: Geranium family (Geraniaceae)
- Color: Pinkish-lavender
- Season: June-August
- Habitat: Moist areas; shade; meadows
- Status: Native
The flowers of the sticky geranium have five pink petals that are striped with vertical purple or reddish veins. The flowers are radially-symmetrical. The leaves are palmate. The leaves and the stems feel sticky to the touch. The plant grows upwards of 2 feet tall. It is found in Hulls Gulch.
Wood’s Rose (Rosa woodsii)
- Other Names: None
- Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)
- Season: May-June
- Color: Pink
- Habitat: Ponds; gulches
- Status: Native
Wood’s rose is a wild rose bush with numerous five-petaled rosettes. The leaves are shiny and serrated on the edges. The thorns are straight, not curved. The flowers are fragrant and have the quintessential smell of roses. The bushes can be upwards of 9 feet tall. It is found in Camel’s Back Park, Hulls Gulch, and Military Reserve.
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