Ipo, Ipo Everywhere

One of the rarest treats of the Holy Ghost Canyon is the existence of the Holy Ghost Ipomopsis, an endangered flower.  Some years have been rather grim, and at times we thought we were going to lose the plant.

 
Last year, the Forest Service created an area where they planted numerous Ipomopsis flowers.  They are trying to increase its population, as it only grows in certain areas, mostly road cuts on the north side of the Canyon.  When we were there in July, we were not optimistic about the prospects of a good flower year.  Despite good rains in April and May, June and July were so very dry that many plants in the canyon were crispy.

Imagine how pleased we were last week to see an entire hillside of Ipomopsis.  The plantings on the hill bloomed, and we had more plants than we have ever had before.  Additionally, we had some growing in places on the road where we had never seen them.

Finding the new Ipomopsis plants was truly a joy, and I am hoping they continue to proliferate.