A CNPS hike up Black Butte

What can I say? I'm a sucker for Western dogwood (C. nuttalli) and this one catches the light like the snow on Mt. Shasta.

The Shasta Chapter of the California Native Plant Society planned a walk up Black Butte, so we joined them on Saturday.  It was wintry-windy-cold, so Jeff and I didn't go all the way to the top.  But we went far enough to be rewarded with some stunning penstemon (P. newberryi) ...

and stands of mountain maple (A. glabrum) were showing off their beautiful scarlet seeds.  We also noted some canyon larkspur (D. nudicaule) and star-flower.  At the trailhead we found boo-koo Shasta lily and wild ginger, not yet in bloom.  Tobacco brush (C. velutinous) was in exuberant and bee-delirious flush of flower.

For more pix from this hike, go to More Photos