Ipomopsis!

With the drought in the Holy Ghost Canyon that was bad enough to close the forest for the month of July, I worried about the health of the endangered Ipomopsis. I love that bubble-gum pink flower, and the lack of water could not be good for it.

Or so I thought.

Last week I went back to the cabin for a few days. The rains had returned, and the canyon was as green as ever. There weren't many wildflowers - even the purple fleabane and aster that are prolific at this time of year were sparse. It appears as if there will be few rose hips in September, and the other fall flowers were in short supply. This did not bode well for my Ipomopsis.

Or so I thought.

When I took my traditional walk the morning after I arrived, I was shocked to see Ipomopsis in places where it had never been. Although I know some of it was planted in a few of the places, I know for sure that it wasn't all planted by hand. The plants in the traditional places were more full of flowers than I have ever seen, and many plants were in unexpected places. They were so beautiful!

My picture does not do the plants justice, but you can pick up their beautiful pink color amidst the other greenery on the hillside.

This picture is just one plant . . . and it is not the pinkest, fullest flower there. But see how many blossoms are on it? Most years, only a few plants bloom so beautifully, but this year, most of them were like this. It appears as if the Ipomopsis likes drought.