This is Drummond’s Rockcress, Boechera stricta (also known as Arabis drummondii). It certainly does look like someone spray-painted it with yellow spray paint, but that’s not actually what’s covering it.
This plant normally produces a set of small, pretty four-petalled flowers which transform into elongated seed-pods that stand quite erect, pointing to the sky. Unfortunately for this plant, this reproductive development will not happen.
In fact, this Boechera is infected with a parasitic rust fungus called Puccinia monoica. The tiny yellow dots on the leaves are basically “pseudo-flowers” which attract insects by the dozen; mainly because the spermagonia produce a pungent odour and exude a sugary substance that attracts pollinators to spread the fungal spores all over the place. The yellow colouration also makes the leaves look like buttercups blooming in the spring. This is called “floral mimicry.” The spermagonia covers the leaves top and bottom and can cover the entire top two-thirds of a plant in some cases.
This was taken at Midland Provincial Park near Drumheller, Alberta, Canada on April 14, 2019. I used my Canon Rebel T6i DSLR with a Canon EF 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens attached to capture this small beauty.
These are quite shy birds. You hear them long, long, long before you ever get to see them. It took me a good 20 minutes to hunt this bird down with my camera, but I selfishly wanted to get a decent look at this cousin to the American Robin. Selfishly, because he stopped singing and flew away when I got too near…
Oh well. Live and learn.
Captured at J.J. Collett Natural Area (near Ponoka, Alberta, Canada) on April 30, 2017, using my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR with a Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens attached.
Can you guess what this beautiful wildflower is?
I’ll give you a hint: it’s the very first bloom that shows up in the spring.
That’s right, it’s the Pasque Flower or Prairie Crocus (Pulsatilla nuttalliana)!
I have a lot more photos to share of this lovely bloom as spring approacheth.
Taken on April 30, 2017, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR plus Canon EF 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens.
J.J Collett Natural Area, south of Ponoka, Alberta, is in the Aspen Parkland area. These Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) are part of a “climax” plant community, before going into White Spruce (Picea glauca). These deciduous trees form as a colony of daughter clones of the parent tree, making for a colony of genetically identical trees that can be hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.
Taken on April 30, 2017, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR plus Canon EF 100 mm f/2.8 macro lens.
It was quite the sight that greeted me when I noticed a few little plants of Small-leaved Pussytoes (Antennaria parvifolia) growing in amongst this matt of moss at the base of a white spruce tree. Usually, these little plants like to grow in drier areas than where moss usually likes to inhabit, however, I’m also reminded by this picture that Nature is always full of unexpected surprises.
Taken on September 2017 at the J.J. Collett Natural Area near Ponoka, Alberta, Canada with my (old camera) Canon EOS Rebel XS, EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens.