Streambank Globemallow in Idaho, Clark CountyStreambank Globemallow in Idaho – Nikon D500, f14, 1/500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

While I am out searching for and photographing birds I also look for wildflowers to photograph and this trip I was able to photograph a few. Some of those wildflowers I still haven’t identified and I won’t post those here on my blog or my photo galleries until I do.

I saw these beautiful pink flowers going up a mountain three evenings ago so I remembered its location and photographed it while coming back down.

Streambank Globemallows are perennial forbs that belong to the Malvaceae family which can be anywhere from 3 to 6 feet tall but in drier environments may be shorter.  This plant was right next to the gravel and dirt road in between an area of sagebrush steppe and the edge of a small aspen stand.  They typically have 24 to 80 inch stems with white to pink flowers growing in a loose terminal cluster or raceme but one stem of the plant I found had a tight, compacted flower growth that reminded me of the pendulous way that lilacs bloom which I don’t believe is normal for this species.  The photo above is that stem and it is what originally caught my eye.

Idaho Streambank Globemallow, Clark County, IdahoIdaho Streambank Globemallow – Nikon D500, f14, 1/320, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The rest of the Streambank Globemallow flower stems looked like the photo above. I do wish I had found this plant earlier in the day instead of early evening for better light.

Streambank Globemallow has a few common names including Wild Hollyhock, Mountain Hollyhock, Mountain Globemallow and Streambank Wild Hollyhock, the scientific name is Iliamna rivularis and “rivularis” refers to its habit of growing and being found near streamsides.

I only took a few photos of the Streambank Globemallow before heading out to see if the Red-naped Sapsucker chick was still in the nesting cavity but it had fledged sometime during earlier in the day because the cavity was quiet and empty although I could hear the sapsuckers in the conifers nearby I never got a clear view of them that evening.  I wish I had seen the sapsucker fledglings leave the nesting cavity.

Life is good.

Mia

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