Tag Archives: Leopard Lily

Summer is when the Leopard Lilies bloom. Chris Pechal found this beauty recently.

Lilium pardalinum is their Scientific name and they are endemic to California. A legend warns that if you sniff these wildflowers, you will get freckles!

Thanks to Chris for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Fog over the ocean has kept the immediate coast very pleasant today and there is very little wind. As many other places are sweltering in high heat, I am always grateful for the summer fog that keeps the Mendonoma Coast cool.

The other day I showed you a photo of a Coast Lily, which bloomed several weeks ago. Today you will see a group of Leopard Lilies blooming inside a hydrangea bush. Pat Maxwell has this beautiful sight in her garden.

Here is a close-up of Leopard Lilies, Lilium pardalinum, taken by Mary Sue Ittner.

For comparison, here is a look at the Coast Lily, previously shared here, and taken by Craig Tooley.

Thanks to Pat, Mary Sue and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Fog hugs the immediate coast but it's sunny when you move just a bit inland.

Pat Maxwell found this Anise Swallowtail Butterfly on her appropriately-named Butterfly bush.

And Catherine Miller spotted this Pale Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on the geraniums in her garden recently.

The other swallowtail we commonly see here on the coast is a Western Tiger Swallowtail. This photo was taken some years ago by Peter Baye. This lovely butterfly is feeding on one of my favorite native wildflowers, the Leopard Lily.

 

Thanks to Pat, Catherine and Peter for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Today is simply one of the most beautiful days on the Mendonoma Coast - sunny, bright with a gently breeze.

Mary Sue Ittner trained her camera on a few of my favorite wildflowers. The first is Leopard Lily, Lilium pardalinum. They appear in the late spring. A fun myth is if you sniff this wildflower, you will get freckles!

Another late spring wildflower is Ithuriel's Spear, Triteleia laxa. It is named after Ithuriel, an angel in Milton's Paradise Lost.

And finally, Self Heal, Prunella vulgaris. They are members of the Mint family. They are known to have healing properties. As you can see from Mary Sue's photo, they love sun.

Thanks to Mary Sue for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

Here in Anchor Bay it is sunny and warm. But I can see a fog bank over the Pacific Ocean and I think Point Arena to our north might be foggy today.

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Barbara Gomes photographed a lovely, abundant group of Leopard Lilies, Lilium pardalinum. on The Sea Ranch.

Another wildflower that reminds me of Mother Nature's fireworks is a wildflower abundant on our property in Anchor Bay - Sugarscoop, Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata. It's the shape of this flower's seed capsules that gives it the common name of Sugarscoop.

On the 4th of July, I hope everyone will remember all the wildlife that gets scared of loud fireworks. Our pets get scared of them too. I'm going to celebrate with Rick by taking a walk down our forest path, walking along the tiny white "fireworks" display. Thank you, Mother Nature!