Guatemalan Foundation: CHAPTER 4 ... of the new book DIVINE VISIONS of NATURE from THE FOOTHILLS OF MOUNT TIMPANOGOS.

INTRODUCTION:

From the Foothills of Mount Timpanogos I send to all my friends

CHAPTER 4

of my new online book.

In this chapter we will first travel a bit south and take a quick tour of the middle canyon—BATTLE CREEK CANYON—of the western slope of Mount Timpanogos.

We see here
Grove Creek Canyon to the left, and Battle Creek Canyon on the right.
There we will learn about the unique history of Pleasant Grove, Utah and the second of the 3 western slope canyons.

In this chaper I will use some Autumn photographs taken when

actually putting together this chapter even though it will deal with my hiking activities built around my most difficult climb to the VALLEY VIEW SPOT on May 16th.

Then followed with a treasure trove of VISIONS of NATURE that

began in early summer.....with my discovery of each and then

followed through to

BLOSSOMING, and then to REPRODUCTION.

The photograph for the title page is actually of a very tiny wildflower introduced in this chapter 4, called #68-Shortstem Buckwheat. An entire small bush 15 inches wide of this plant is seen below that will give you an idea about the flower’s size and the lucky cover shot that was good enough to enlarge….a lot!

The detailed report about this gorgeous flower, including its edibility and medicinal uses, is located in the middle of this chapter.

But, at the end of that Chapter 3 I promised to begin Chapter 4 with a flight south to give you a little tour of

BATTLE CREEK CANYON,

and tell the critical history that in pioneer times was gaven that

name.

So, here is my ride that I would take to the canyon just south of

Grove Canyon.......

......and below I can see that I wouldn't be alone,

but taken on the flight by a very talented and experienced pilot.....

.....we'd best zoom in on him and find out for sure

that it's the right guy doing me the favor.

........and zoom in just a little more to be sure I'm not going to be

abducted by an alien!

Sure enough my good friend MIKE PACKARD didn't fail me

again, and so off we go swooping past the "G" on the hill for

PLEASANT GROVE....seen 5 o 6 pictures back in the panoramic

shot of Mount Timpanogos and its foothills. We swoop around past

Mount Baldy and down into

Battle Creek Canyon....

By the way you've all got to meet Mike and his wonderful father, Ted, one of my original HIGH UINTA TRAIL BUDDIES, who gratefully is still my friend & brother..........they are seen below with me on our last backpack together into the GRANDADDIES!

Oh, how I appreciate & love both of them.

NOW BACK TO

BATTLE CREEK CANYON

.......and we glide in for a landing at the mouth of the canyon below Pleasant Grove's water tank, where we find an

INTRODUCTION to

the historically important canyon.

As we proceed with the tour I will begin inserting in between pictures what greets you

on arrival at the parking lot, first an article on the subject of

Battle Creek Canyon, then my summary of this important

chapter in the history of the Utah Territory,

Utah Valley, and the Foothills of Timpanogos.

BATTLE CREEK CANYON MASSACRE

By Kade Dallin, Brigham Young University & Bryce Revelli, Brigham Young

Historical information regarding a skirmish between Utes and Mormon militia.

This site highlights the fraught relationship that often existed between white

settlers and Native Americans in Utah Territory. The Battle Creek Marker is in

what is now known as Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Here, on the morning of March 5, 1849, the relationship between Mormon settlers

and a local band of Timpanogos Indians deteriorated into brutal hostility.

On March 1, 1849, a company of men from Salt Lake City were called up

to find a group of Indians that were accused of stealing horses and cattle from

Mormon settlers. Their orders [from Brigham Young] were to find the band of thieves and to

“take such measures as would put a final end to their depredations in the future.”

Eventually the leader of the company, Captain John Scott, received messages

that stated the rogue Timpanogos had not taken any horses, but they had only

taken cattle.

However, he and his men were ordered to continue the expedition into

the Utah Valley. After a meeting with a local tribal leader and help from an Indian

guide, the armed company, apparently by then comprising from 35 to 50

Mormon settlers, found the cattle thieves’ camp. They surrounded the camp,

and attempted to negotiate a peace. The suspected cattle thieves refused,

and after the situation escalated, fighting broke out.

After the fighting ended, the Mormon company had killed 4 Indians, and sustained

zero casualties themselves. After the battle, the chief of the Indians that the company

had met with the night before, whose name was Little-Chief, came riding up

to the site of the battle. After seeing the massacre, Little-Chief was distraught.

Although he reportedly agreed that the killing of the thieves was justified,

he understood this would cause a rift to form between white settlers and local tribes.

The effects of this conflict were far reaching, and permanently damaged the

already delicate relationship between the Native American tribes and the

Mormon settlers. After this event, the creek and canyon

became known as Battle Creek.

Untitledhttps://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/waterfalls/american-southwest-battle-creek-falls/Untitledhttps://www.blackhawkproductions.com/fortutah.htmUntitledBattle Creek Markerhttps://utahhistoricalmarkers.org/c/uc/battle-creek/Skip Interactive Map

NOW MY COMMENTS

First a clarification of the authors comments of the previous history. This matter dealt with "Timpanogos" not "Ute" Native Americans. The difference:

The Timpanogos is a centuries-old band of the Snake-Shoshone. They are not members of the Ute Tribe and never were. The Timpanogos today live on the Uinta Basin Reservation in Utah and are distinctly different in origin, ancestral bloodlines, language, and customs.

Now to my summary of the history

On March 10, Brigham Young called for 30 families to leave and settle in Utah Valley. Part of them continued on to Provo, others remained near the site of the March 5^th skirmish and for a number of years the community was called BATTLE CREEK. Later it was changed to the present name of PLEASANT GROVE.

The Battle Creek Massacre was the first in a long chain of “massacres” and “wars” between the Mormon pioneers and the Native Americans. The next in 1850 was the PROVO RIVER MASSACRE that occurred near the site of Deseret Industries and the Provo River in North Provo. Eventually from 1865 to 1872 ensued the BLACK HAWK WAR in the Central Utah area, much of it seemingly stimulated by the governments effort to establish the Reservation system that ended with the establishment of the Uintah-Ouray Reservation in the Uintah Basin.

In 1863 occurred the The Bear River Massacre....that I should add was a U.S. military matter, not Mormon....north of the Great Salt Lake, near what's now Preston, Idaho, leaving roughly 350 members of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation dead, with about 100 survivors. This was the most deadly encounter between Native Americans and the U.S. military, 200 of which were sent from Fort Douglas in Salt Lake, with 23 dead among the soldiers. This became the bloodiest — and most deadly — slaying of Native Americans by the U.S. military, according to historians and tribal leaders.

NOW LET'S HIKE UP THE CANYON

I won't be identifying or saying anything about the beautiful

Visions of Nature

I'll be showing you, but will do so about the same plants and trees back in Grove Canyon and foothills.

Below we begin seeing the first in a number of varieties of trees like the MOUNTAIN MAHOGANEY , CLIFF ROSE and others we saw in the last chapter in Grove Canyon....that reproduce with each seed attached to a plume that the wind will carry far and wide.

Immediately we begin seeing wildflowers and beautiful plants ........

We see up above other trees loaded with

blossoming flowers with plumes.

And, below along the trail yet another tree with this fascinating system of reproduction and distribution of seeds.

Soon the climb up the canyon becomes a bit steeper and we see off to our right the beginning of waterfalls, culminated by the one called BATTLE CREEK FALLS.

Now we will begin going down the canyon,

seeing wonderful VISIONS of NATURE at every turn.

I will comment on the one below we have seen already......

......you know, the one you'd like to have growing in a pot in your sun room, or in your backyard. It has tiny whitish fruits like infinately small pumpkins.

You should remember, as in Chapter 2 I dedicated a lot

of space to this plant named:

POISON IVY!

NOW WE'LL HEAD BACK TO

GROVE CANYON,

and first focus for a moment on my 3rd 2023 climb to the

Valley View Spot.

My Chapter 2 was built around my first hike to the

SPOT

going up Grove Canyon and then following the

trail switchbacking up.

Chapter 3 featured my second hike to the SPOT

pictured above as the

"LONGEST BUT SAFEST"

with two long switchbacks to the SPOT.

This Chapter 4 will

feature my attempt to go straight up the ridge we see

in the picture above ...to the SPOT....

...THE SHORTEST, BUT MOST DIFFICULT & DANGEROUS...

....for a "recovering cripple" who 4 years ago couldn't even walk, had lost all my balance, and my leg muscles disappeared. I had to learn all over again like a baby does and build muscle from the bone up, that story told with pictures in Chapter 1.

The actual hillside was very steep leading to the ridge, and frankly the ridge seemed to me much steeper than it looks in this picture.

Now we will move on to the

FOOTHILLS & MY CHALLENGE

You'll see it once we get up...."the mountain".... photos will show the kind of tough test this was for a "recovering cripple."

I repeat again below some of the challenges I faced

the summer of 2023 as I worked towards being an 88 year old

recovering cripple-mountainman.

On May 16, 2023

I decided to try and go straight up the mountain! For all of you it's likely just a hill, but for what I've been through it was

my mountain!

I bowed my head in prayer to the Lord...not for success in meeting my goal, but for wisdom as I headed up the trail on the left leaving the road......until getting to the main trail a short distance up to a big clump of sagebrush, and I did fine.

Then I looked up at the trail you see continuing up to get to the ridge, but at that time earlier in the season it was smooth, with no rocky footholds, and after just one attempt I decided it was too dangerous for my condition. My spine specialist warned me that a fall could kill me because of my misalighned spine.

NOTE: Later rains gouged out a bit the previous smooth trail which we see here that would have been much more possible for me. This picture shows that gouged out trail at least a month or more after I made my attempt.

So, I decided to hike a bit to the left to find my way up to a deer/elk trail that would switchback back up towards the ridge hoping to hit it above the steepist part.

As I worked my way back towards the ridge the hillside got pretty darn steep for an old cripple, but luckily I found footholds....which were the deep hoof prints of elk made at a time when it had rained and they saved me....for a while. I'll insert one of them below.

But I angled into the trail coming straight up the ridge too soon, with a real steep stretch ahead of me going up. I kept going over towards the actual ridge hoping for a safer pathway, but I all of a sudden got to a spot that was so steep that taking another step I almost lost my balance...... and stopped just in time. I literally was afraid to go forward, backwards the same, my only option going up....but for me it was pretty steep......and there flashed into my mind that I had prayed for "wisdom," so I just stopped, carefully leaned into the hill and sat down hanging onto a sagebrush!

After a few minutes of rest, all the while surveying my options, I rolled over and in a crawling position got to my feet and took a step around that sagebrush and low and behold, I found some deep elk tracks that I followed to where you see more level ground below.

I was finally on the ridge shown in the montage below could see both ways, to the right looking down into Grove Canyon and seeing snow covered Timpanogos, and to the left out acrossed the foothills and Utah Valley.

The picture above, on the left and right, both give a more accurate idea about just how steep the mountain was I was trying to climb.

Along the way I was real happy to find several examples of a wildflower I had never seen in the foothills...from Springville, and Provo all the way to the Foothills of Timpanogos.

It is the beautiful

61. MOTH or WAND MULLEIN

Moth mullein is an import from Eurasia that

has spread all across the U.S.

It might be worth while to quote the book

PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, page 200, about MOTH MULLEIN,

where it says:

"...it is generally considered non-toxic and safe for consumption in reasonable quantities. The leaves contain large quantities of mucilage, which is soothing to mucous membranes, and experiments have shown the leaves to be strongly anti-inflamatory. Leaves and flowers were traditionally used to make medicinal teas for treating chest colds, asthma, bronchitis, coughs and kidney infections. They were also used in poultices on ulcers, tumors and hemorroids. Chopped, dried leaves have been smoked for centuries to relieve spassmodic coughing. The roots are said to stimulate urination and to have an astringent effecrt on the urinary tract, so root tea was taken to tone the bladder, as an aid to perevent bed-wetting and incontinence.

It sounds like this is one we can hope is successful in the reproduction phase to get it growing thick enough so we can use it to help us with a "bed-wetting" problem, as well as "smoking its leaves" to avoid the deadly affects of tobacco, as well as helping relieve coughing from too much mucus--one of my present problems from my nasal turminates, and relieve all the inflamation causing all my pain, etc., etc. WOW!

The problem, so far involved almost risking death to find it....climbing what I've shown you

was a very steep mountain....for me! I just hope the

seed distribution system has it growing on lower, safer hillsides!

And, in 2024 I did find several plants fairly near the Trailhead that should make 2025 better for me and my problems....not bed wetting, rather a few of the other items mentioned.

Below I'll show you the plants I found lower in the hills, the seeds and what I discovered with them.

First of all last year...2023.. in December I got this picture and didn't know what it was, labeled as UNIDENTIFIED, but I kept track of where it was and began following this year what started to grow from that spot. The photos follow in sequence, first with my original photo below from early December 2023.

Google AI Overview tells us:

Moth mullein is species with yellow or white flowers and toothed leaf margins,

Leaf shape: Moth mullein leaves are often pointed at the tip, while wand mullein leaves have more rounded teeth.

Leaf size: Moth mullein leaves are 9 to 45 cm long and 3 to 15 cm wide.

Stems: Moth mullein stems are erect and stout, raching .61 to 1.5 mn tall.

Native range: Moth mullein is native to Eurasia, while want mullein is native to Great Britain, Italy, France and other regions.

Naturalized range: Moth mullein is now found throughout the U.S. and southern Canada , while wand mullein is naturalized in North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and other regions.

From here on are photos from 2024.

Interspersed between the following photos, I'll insert a fascinating article about his plant, by:

INVASIVE ALIEN.COM

DESCRIPTION

Common mullein is an erect herb. First year mullein plants are low-growing rosettes of bluish gray-green, leaves that range from 4-12 inches in length and 1-5 inches in width. Mature flowering plants are produced the second year, and grow to 5 to 10 feet in height, including the conspicuous flowering stalk. The five-petaled yellow flowers are arranged in a leafy spike and bloom a few at a time from June-August. Leaves alternate along the flowering stalks and are much larger toward the base of the plant. The tiny seeds are pitted and rough with wavy ridges and deep grooves and can germinate after lying dormant in the soil for several decades.

ECOLOGICAL THREAT

Common mullein threatens natural meadows and forest openings, where it adapts easily to a wide variety of site conditions. Once established, it grows more vigorously than many native herbs and shrubs, and its growth can overtake a site in fairly short order. Common mullein is a prolific seeder and its seeds last a very long time in the soil. An established population of common mullein can be extremely difficult to eradicate.

Looks like a lot good green leaves to eat or do something with!

DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES
Common mullein was first introduced into the U.S. in the mid-1700's, where it was used as a piscicide, or fish poison, in Virginia. It quickly spread throughout the U.S. and is well established throughout the eastern states. Records show that it was first described in Michigan in 1839 and on the Pacific coast in 1876, probably due to multiple introductions as a medicinal herb.

Then it started growing with tall stalks.

BACKGROUND
Common mullein is a monocarpic perennial (i.e., takes two or more years to flower and die). Brought over from Europe by settlers, it was used as a medicinal herb, as a remedy for coughs and diarrhea and a respiratory stimulant for the lungs when smoked. A methanol extract from common mullein has been used as an insecticide for mosquito larvae.

Soon I all of a sudden recognized it was

MOTH MULLEIN

like the one I found at a later date way up the mountain.

BIOLOGY & SPREAD
During the first summer after germination mullein produces a tap root and a rosette of leaves. During this vegetative stage, the rosette increases in size during the growing season until low temperatures arrest growth sometime during the autumn and winter. Beginning the next spring, second year plants bolt into maturity, flower, produce seed during the summer, and then die, completing the plant’s normal life cycle. Flowers mature from the base to the tip of the stalk. The length of the flowering period is a function of stalk height; longer stalks can continue to flower into early October. It is estimated that a single plant can produce 100,000-180,000 seeds which may remain viable for more than 100 years. The seeds are dispersed mechanically near the parent plant during the autumn and winter. Seeds at or near the surface are more likely to germinate.

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
Although common mullein can be very difficult to eradicate, there are a variety of management methods available, depending on the particular situation. Because mullein seedling emergence is dependent on the presence of bare ground, sowing sites with early successional native grasses or other plants may decrease seed germination and the chance of successful emergence of mullein seedlings.

And below another MOTH or WAND MULLEIN nearby.

Manual and Mechanical
Mullein plants are easily hand pulled on loose soils due to relatively shallow tap roots. This is an extremely effective method of reducing populations and seed productivity, especially if plant is pulled before seed set. If blooms or seed capsules are present, reproductive structures should be removed, bagged, and properly disposed of in a sanitary landfill. Care should be taken, however, to minimize soil disturbance since loose soil will facilitate mullein seed germination.

Below I broke open some of the seed pods....

Here is an enlargement of the seeds....

But, in many of the seed pods I found dead beatles and just a lot of rot....

In some I found live beetles you see in a series of pictures below.

Biological
There are two insects that have possible biological control implications for mullein. A European curculionid weevil (Gymnaetron tetrum), determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be specific to mullein, has been introduced to North America. The weevil larvae matures in the seed capsules and can destroy up to 50% of the seeds. Another agent, the mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) has been tested in the U.S. and is considered to be a relatively safe control agent because of its consistent feeding and development on mullein species. Although tests showed limited feeding on other native species, the larvae did not survive significantly longer than those individuals tested in the absence of food.

Below is one on a penney to show you how small they are and how I had to carefully photograph them very close-up.

Now, it is clear that in the early stages of growth there is an abundance of tender, green leaves that, as explained in

PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS,

there is value in the plant that under the right conditions, like the wet Spring we had in 2024, an abundant harvest could be had.

I will add more information here about how the plant was used in Europe, and then by Native Americans once it spread out in America.

Google AI Overview:

Native Americans primerily used Moth Mullein for its

medicinal properties, most notably as a tropical treatment for skin ailments like burns, abscesses bruises, and rashes by crushing the leaves into a poultice and applying it to the affected area; they also sometimes smoked Mullein to alleviate respiratory issues like coughs, similar to other cultures around the world.

EDIBILITY?

Looks like eating it is out....except for cockroaches & mosquito larvae! Too bad, those leaves looked pretty good!

Google AI ("experimental") says

Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is mildly toxic and may cause physiological issues. However, some say that the flowering parts of the plant may have sedative properties.

Here are some other things to know about moth mullein:

Toxicity
Some literature mentions that some Verbascum species can be poisonous to livestock.
Uses
Moth mullein has been used as a cockroach repellent and to kill mosquito larvae. The name blattaria comes from the Latin word for cockroach, blatta.
Distribution
Moth mullein is native to Eurasia but is now widely distributed across the U.S. and Canada.
Harvesting
You can harvest moth mullein roots in the first fall or following spring, leaves at any time during the growing season, and flowers when they are in full bloom.

******************

All went pretty good going up the ridge and soon I saw off to my left the Earthquake detection monitor for the University of Utah and went over to check it out.

And, as always using my slow motion stalking pace, got a good couple of pictures of a doe and quickly growing fawn.

I made it to the VALLEY VIEW SPOT and said a word of prayer thanking the Lord for having blessed me with wisdom and the confidence that I would be alright if I kept calm, and exercised caution.

You can see in the panorama of Utah Valley and Utah Lake, that the scrub oak was just barely beginning to leaf out. I had a nice rest and picnic lunch, and began remembering the first flowers/plants photogrlaphed this season that I'll insert below with one or two new ones of each special wildflower.

First one we learned about in

Chapter 3: #32. Utah Milkvetch or Ladyfinger

and...

#33. DWARF CAT'S EYES

or Cryptantha Utahensis, Scented Cats-Eye

Edibility and Medicinal uses were explained in

Chapter 3

***************

Now we head for lower country....

....THE SAFE WAY....

....switchbacking down into Grove Canyon that you can see clearly is still early in the season (May 16), the Gambels Oak still mostly dormant, but we will soon find other vegetation is coming alive.

I also acquired seeds for the #27. YELLOW STAR THISTLE flower

and added a few pictures to that section in Chapter 2.

By the way, as I was returning from getting seeds and a few photos, I was quickly aware that close to my right a snake .....whose color first had me be very cautious....with some coloration similar to a rattlesnake, but this one was a safe....

GREAT BASIN GOPHER SNAKE

No rattles on its tail....

....the head narrow, rather than triangle shaped.

This pretty snake is Utah's largest snake, capable of getting to almost 6 feet long, and in other places as long as 8 feet, with a life span of around 15 years. Mine was about half of that.

It is not poisonous but when threatened it will attack with a closed mouth to frighten off predators. However, they can powerfully bite which can cause acute pain. Another of its defense mechanisms is to make the loudest hiss of any other snake in Utah.

Gopher snakes are considered beneficial as they help control small rodent populations.

Now is about time for them to go into hibernation that will last until about May.

************

Now I'll feature the unique wildflower:

62. GOLDEN CLEMATIS

This wildflower is as you will see below a fine,

climbing vine that will grow up over sagebrush, or any

other plant, or fence.

The fruits of Clematis should be avoided as they are toxic.

Googling it I learn:

Traditionally, Clematis medicine is used orally to treat syphilis, gout, reheumatism, bone disorders, and chronic skin conditions as a diuretic. . In folk medicine, Clematis is used topically for blisters and as a poultice to treat purulent wounds and ulcers.

Fresh clematis is UNSAFE to take by mouth. It can cause colic, diarrhea, and severe irritation to the stomach, intestines, and urinary tract. The fresh plant is also UNSAFE when applied to the skin. With extended skin contact, the fresh plant can cause slow-healing blisters and burns.

SOUNDS LIKE ONE YOU'D BETTER RESEARCH THOROUGHLY BEFORE USING IT FOR ANYTHING.

LET'S NOW JUST ENJOY VISUALLY

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THIS FASCINATING

VISION of NATURE.

GOLDEN CLEMATIS

now coming very soon to the end of its useful life for 2023 with the last of its thousands of seeds soon set adrift with the winds of Winter.

******************************

I'm now heading up the canyon again a bit later in the season,

and find myself encouraged to continue

with a hiker's positive invitation

to follow her and family.

It was just up around the bend where the trail divides from the road that continues to the diversion dam where earlier in the season a new find was made when searching for POISON IVY up above the dam where water is taken out for the potable needs of Pleasant Grove, the scene below: Poison Ivy is the beautiful green plant in the center with a climbing variety moving up the cliff..

...I then looked up....

......and I saw a lone plant climbing towards the sky. It is....

63. WOOLY MULLEIN

MINER'S CANDLE

due to what it develops into with yellow flowers.

Below I'll insert a couple of my pictures of Wooly mullein

from up a bit above the foothills on Maple Flats below Maple

Mountain, just south of Y Mountain......south of Timpanogos.

WOOLY MULLEIN

has a two year life cycle, the first year is what we see below that I've photographed along the road....and also in my backyard!

The second year will see it developing as we see

in the initial pictures above reaching for the sky.

The 2024 Season started in 2023 with new

Wooly Mullein

plants sprouting like we see above and below and surviving the

Winter to complete their life cycle in 2024..

In the 2024 Season they spring into action because this is the year when they shine, and reproduce the new generation of

Wooly Mullein plants

as we see below following them through the season

This magnificent Wooly Mullein plant leads the way.

And ends with the production of many seeds.

Above Wooly Mullein plants are sharing the rocky area with

#THE BLAZING STAR PLANT

that was used on the cover of this book and we'll learn more about at the end of this chapter..

Oh, and by the way it is called "WOOLY" because of what the leaves look like as seen enlarged below in two pictures.

EDIBILITY & MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF

WOOLY MULLEIN

Google AI says:

While mullein is generally not considered edible, some parts of the plant are edible and can be used for medicinal purposes:

Leaves and flowers
Can be eaten in salads or brewed into a tea. Mullein tea can be used to treat coughs, sore throats, and other respiratory ailments.
Flowers
Can be infused into oil to treat earaches, sores, wounds, and boils. The flowers can also be used to make yellow, green, or brown dyes.
Seeds
Contain saponins, glycosides, coumarin, and rotenone, which can be used as a piscicide to stun fish. The seeds can also be used to expel tapeworms, but should be used with caution.

Mullein is a biennial herb that has been used for centuries for a variety of purposes:

Bushcraft: Mullein can be used to line shoes to keep out the cold, or the stalks can be used for torches and candles.
Herbal remedies: Mullein has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including pulmonary, skin, respiratory, digestive, and circulatory issues.
Ornamental: Mullein can be cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Pollinator: Mullein's flowers attract pollinators like wasps and bees.

However, the hairy leaves and stems of mullein can cause contact dermatitis. The foliage and seeds contain a mild narcotic that may cause sleep if eaten in large quantities.

********************

Back to the road we see in the picture below the routes dividing,

to the left the trail heading up the mountain, the road to the dam.

Up past the "rock & roll area" the trail eventually parallels the creek with a more forested and shady environment with many unique kinds of trees, bushes and wildflowers.

One I also included in our tour of Battle Creek Canyon, was found up the trail......the

64. PURPLE ASTER

I found this member of the Aster family up past the "Rock & Roll" area. In Chapter 6 I'll show more of the many varieties of Asters and and we will learn how to distinguish them from a similar variety of wildflower, the FLEABANES.

************

Below we see the

PENSTEMON family

with at least 14 different varieties that I have found from the deserts and foothills to the High Uinta Mountains. It is the largest genus of flowering plants in North America, and a common name for Penstemon species is Beardtongues.

They are not poisonous. A tea can be made by boiling the dried leaves and stems. Native Americans used the plant as a medicinal remedy to alleviate toothache, and poultices of the leaves treated cuts and burnes. The pioneers learned these uses from the Native Americans.

This one is the

65. SHRUBBY PENSTEMON

.....and below back down where the young mother invited me to persist.....another of the many varieties of

PENSTEMONS

that we also found in Battle Creek Canyon

This one appropiately named the

66. ROCK PENSTEMON

Gairdner's beardtongue

Then we come to the REPRODUCTION phase with enough

seeds to assure us of many more of these beautiful

wildflowers for the future in the Foothills of Timpanogos,

and also in the future landscaping of my home in American Fork.

Each one of these seed pods are full of seeds. I have collected an envelope full of them and will next year have this beautiful wildflower around my newly landscaped home with

VISIONS of NATURE from the FOOTHILLS of TIMPANOGOS.

EDIBILITY & MEDICINAL BENEFITS of PENSTEMON PLANTS

Penstemon plants, also known as beardtongues, have many benefits, including:

Attracting pollinators
Penstemons are a magnet for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, which helps maintain garden health and biodiversity.
Drought tolerance
Many species of penstemon are drought-tolerant, making them a good choice for low-water gardens.
Ease of care
Penstemons are generally low-maintenance plants that don't require complex soil amendments.
Aesthetic appeal
Penstemons come in a variety of colors, sizes, and forms, adding visual interest to gardens.
Biodiversity
Penstemons coexist with other native species and add biodiversity to plant communities.
Medicinal uses
Native Americans used the roots of penstemon to alleviate toothaches, and poultices of the leaves to treat cuts and burns.

Here are some tips for growing penstemons:

Choose a native or wild species.
Match the soil type with the desired species.
Provide good aeration and drainage.
Avoid planting in locations with standing water.
Test the soil moisture weekly.
Adjust watering needs based on recent precipitation.
Plant in full sun for optimal flowering.
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming.
Cut back the plant to its base after flowering to tidy its appearance.

Penstemon plants are not generally considered edible and can be dangerous to consume:

Health risks: Eating penstemon can cause serious health issues, including gastrointestinal distress, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and headaches. Selenium accumulation: Penstemon can accumulate selenium, which can be harmful to pets. However, some species of penstemon are technically edible and can be used for medicinal purposes: Tea
Boiling the dried leaves and stems of some penstemon species can make a tea-like beverage. However, drinking too much of this tea can have a purgative effect. Purgative salve
A strong decoction of the root of some penstemon species can be used as a purgative. Stomachic
A decoction of the outer bark of some penstemon species can be used to treat stomach issues. Dressing
The roasted and powdered stems and leaves of some penstemon species can be used to dress sores, cuts, and wounds. Blue dye
The flowers of some penstemon species can be boiled and rubbed on items to give them a blue color.

****************

67. EATON'S PENSTEMON or FIRECRACKER

I only found once or twice along the trail this stricking wildflower

in the Grove Creek area but could see others acrossed the canyon

with my telephoto lens. They were more numerous in Battle

Creek Canyon.

It is a perennial herb native to the Western United States.

Uses: Firecracker penstemon is chiefly used as a forb component for restoration and wildlife enhancement projects. It is not noted for having value as forage for livestock and forage use is limited by big game. Its showy flowers attract pollinators and other insects which provide a food source for birds and other animals. The fibrous root system and wide canopy cover make it a good plant for low-water use landscaping (i.e. roadsides) and other ornamental plantings.

Firecracker penstemon was used by Native Americans for the treatment of: spider bites, stomach troubles, to reduce bleeding, backache, snakebite, as a veterinary aid, and for healing of burns (Native American Ethnobotany Database)

There are 3 sub-species but I have seen only one in the foothills....but in the Uinta Mountains and their foothills I have found all three.

SEED PRODUCING STRAGE

*************

68. SHORTSTEM BUCKWHEAT

In that same area of the rock slides along the road there were quite a few developing plants, but here is one with few leaves that has blossomed with many tiny yellow and white flowers only about 1/10th inch in width. I consider my closeup photo one of the best I've ever taken. I'll insert first a whole rockslide of the plant, then get closer....and closer ....then the portrait of a cluster of these beauties.

There are lone plants, but patches of many growing together

to form a mass of tiny flowers.

As I was getting on my knees, using some foam knee pads I carry in my pocket, and using manual focus with my 400 mm. lense fully extended, I'm able to get within an inch or two and got a few good shots.

I dedicated myself to get a real good close-up

to show to the world the real

grace and loveliness

that very few have ever seen and appreciated

as we see below this tiny incredible

Divine Vision of Creation

If this photo, likely my favorite among many, has you thinking the tiny ones you see below grow real big, don't believe it. They are all tiny but the one above is a favorite because I was blessed by the Lord with this shot to have a steady hand, and the right adjustments with my camera.....resulting in all of it working together for our good and blessing with a VISION of CREATION that to me has me in AWE at the WONDERMENT THE CREATOR BLESSED US WITH, and has my faith grow in leaps and bounds!

THANKS, LORD,

for this beautiful blessing!

This tiny, but abundant flower is also attractive to bees and wasps,

as well as a VISION of NATURE seeker........

The season ends for Shortstem Buckwheat and I have to say

that it has been inspiring to watch this plant with uncountable...

...TINY DIVINE VISIONS of NATUIRE ...

...I have blessed to be able to see.....and watch each year expand in

this rockslide as though intending to help hold it in place.

We are looking up at the rock pinacle where they anchor one side of

the cable from which OUR FLAG....OLD GLORY is hung each year

to celebrate THE BIRTH OF FREEDOM I will share

with each of you in Chapter 5..

And many seeds are produced to keep this task of

DIVINE CREATION

moving along to AWE and INSPIRE each of us.

GOOGLING it we learn:

Buckwheat was an important medicinal plant for Native Americans. Kumeyaay (who called it Hamill) boiled flowers or leaves into a tea to be used as an eyewash, a mouthwash and a remedy for headaches, stomach aches and bladder infections.

***********

**********************************

It was in this same rocky area along the road

that I began following the development of

a very exotic looking plant

that fascinated me.

I'll insert my first few photographs of this plant....

Can you imagine what this plant develops into?

I will show you in Chapter 6

to maturity, blossoming, and then reproduction.

************

I finally make it down to the Trailhead for a bit of cold refreshment

and a ride back to some rest in my tiny home......

........but I see nearby another unique plant, I have seen before in the

foothills of Springville, with about as unique a flower head as you

could ever imagine.

You couldn't likely invent this one in your wildest dreams. It is

named:

69. SMALL or SALAD BURNET

This plant, usually about 2 feet tall is known as a good forage food for deer, elk and livestock, and has edible and medicinal value for humans. It is a perrenial plant that remains green throughout the summer and into the fall, some plants living as long as 20 years.

Experts say its seeds are viable for 30 years!

After a forest fire this is one of the plants that sprouts quickly afterwards.

Googling it:

I learned that the leaves have a nutty flavour and slight taste of cucumber and as a garnish in salads. For MEDICINAL PURPOSES: It is said that, it is useful for ulcerative colitis, diarrhea, dysentery, and bladder problems, as well as for swollen veins, and varicose veins. Traditional Chinese Medicine indicates it moight work as a drying agent to help stop bleeding.

Once again, I recommend highly you first do your research before using it.

Below we'll back up to an earlier stage in its development and then WOW you with its unique development.

Each of those green buds are full of tiny white flowers,

each on a red leash as we see below when they mature

and begin spilling out into the light.

I wasn't careful enough to keep track of what happens next,

but I'll remedy that next year, and complete the story of this unique plant.

Below is a series of photos taken a few years ago in the

Springville/Provo foothills that seem to show a bit of variation

in the plant's coloration but it's the same plant.

Hanging from a red thread are very tiny white .....seemingly flowers we sort of asume develop into seeds for the propagation of the species.

The purpose of them each hanging from the red filament thread I'm not sure.

Maybe before being turned lose, each needs to mature some, or dry out, to assure their viability? I'll hope to learn more next year.

I followed this exotic plant all the way through the season as you see below from the perrenial plant sprouting in a picture that shows deer had been browsing on the plant, then all the way to seed production that surprised me.

It is clear that the tiny white flowers hanging from a red filament do not turn into seeds. The flower head eventually turns into rough looking seed pods. Think of them like the the pit of a peach inside of which is the seed.

I just got out of my seed bag you see below.....

......with 25 varieties in the plastic bags, and 21 more in the

envelopes, the Small or Salad Burnet tiny pits or stones

I wanted to disect carefully to see what was there.

We can see clearly on the bottom the seed that came out of the pit that is in pieces above. Sorry, I damaged the seed as you can see. The seed is about 1/8" long or less. Another split open is seen on the upper right, and enlarged below.

The seed is in the bottom half on the left...the seed is also damaged. The upper half of the pit on the right shows the bed where the seed had been protected. As with peach pits, or apricotes....the protective pit is quite hard and would require very warm, damp conditions for the germinating seed inside to break out into the world and grow into a beautiful plant to begin the life cycle all over again.

You probably are imagining correctly, that I will be experimenting in the Spring and Summer of 2025 to observe this happening....and then, since this is an online book, I will add what I learn here with more wonderful pictures of the

VISIONS of NATURE!

************

On my next hike, heading from the Trailhead, north up into the foothills,

I found in the early part of the season.....mid-May,

70. YELLOW MEADOW SALSIFY

There is also a Purple Salsify,

which I have found in the Provo/Springville area,

but I haven't seen one yet in the Foothills of Timpanogos.

Yellow meadow Salsify blossomed about mid-May. The flowers open early in the morning but close in the afternoons. On cloudy days they may not open at all.

Salsify's blossoming only lasting at best one month prior to....

.....the reproduction phase we see below......

......seeing again the

"parachute system of distribution"

of the seeds.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEADOW SALSIFY?

Meadow salsify (Tragopogon pratensis) has many benefits, including:

Edible: The roots, leaves, and flower buds are all edible. The roots have a sweet, nutty flavor and can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in soups. The flower buds can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in vegetables.
Medicinal: Meadow salsify has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including:
- Digestion: An extract from the roots can relieve indigestion, heartburn, and poor appetite.
- Liver and gallbladder: Meadow salsify can help with liver and gallbladder problems because it has a detoxifying effect.
- Coughs and bronchitis: A syrup made from the root can help with coughs and bronchitis.
- Blood sugar: Meadow salsify is high in inulin, a nutrient that doesn't raise blood sugar levels.
Potassium: Meadow salsify is high in potassium, which can help improve blood pressure, establish strong bones, and improve cognitive health.
Pollinator: Meadow salsify attracts bees and flies with its nectar-rich flowers.
Pest and disease-free: Meadow salsify is generally pest and disease-free.
Hardiness: Meadow salsify is hardy and blends in with grass when it's young.

Interestingly I found today, November 6th,

a Salsify plant seen below that is again....months later..

.. attempting to react to the urge to reproduce...again!

Visible is the evidence that some months ago it produced seeds, and is now working on more reproduction.

It is backdropped by a plant we haven't dealt with yet, but will in this Chapter in just a moment, it being the Western Ragweed which plant has taken all summer to finally go through the blossoming and reproduction stages.

NOTE: About #71 Western Ragweed, I was previously wrong in the first publishing of this chapter, calling it Wild Geranium. I remembered the plant as the leaf seemed to be like the geranium my mother used to grow around the house, but right in remembering geranium as the wild plant I learned about from

Dr. Michael Quinn on television's wonderful series.

I loved Dr. Mike and that series so will leave my comment as it introduced an important following item.

NOTE: I've shown you already in Chapter 3 that it is surpisingly #47 Stinging Nettle, one of the more well known medicinal plants

I learned about.....guess where? From DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN, with lovely Jane Seymour. in a segment I inserted in Chapter 3.

While wrong on the plant, I one day was actually daydreaming about the plant and beautiful Jane Seymour when I was abruptly interrupted by the ROAR of a mud-bike!

......and I was rudely brought back to reality, and noticed

way down below me a wonderful

HUMAN VISION of NATURE,

and zoomed in to notice she had her baby,

led by her "comfort dog!"

Many of them love to come to the Grove Canyon Trailhead and hike daily....some not understanding that to gather up their pet's stuff and put it in a colorful plastic bag to be left along the trail as we see below.....

....isn't colorfully adding to our

VISIONS of NATURE,

nor is it appreciated by those who love nature.

You are "LITTERBUGS" which.....

....IS NOT NOBLE as you might ERRONEOUSLY THINK,

but rather you are violating

THE LAW OF THE WILDERNESS

to "LEAVE NO TRACE!"

Nature will actually appreciate you letting your dogs do like the coyotes, bobcats, rabbits and squirrels do.....fertilizing our wonderful
VISIONS of NATURE
for even more inspiring hikes in the hills in the future!

I'm sure she is not one of those "law breakers" and also understands

it wouldn't be "noble" nor nice to leave her baby's disposable dirty

diapers along the trail....the equivalent of leaving your dog's stuff

along the trail in plastic bags!

She, and others.....

.....ALL OF US.....

ARE BEING WATCHED,

so LET'S ALL DO WHAT IS RIGHT and

"LEAVE NO TRACE!"

or THUMPER might just come looking for you!

***************

Now we come to a plant I confidantly identified from

the beginning, as the leaf looked like the geranium plants my mother would plant around the house. I furthermore said I had been awakened to it's medical use by Native Americans....learned on the series DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN about it's critical medical uses.....but I was wrong, it is rather:

71. WESTERN RAGWEED

It is another of the more prolific plants in the foothills germinating

as early as March ..........

........ and taking all summer to go through its life cycle as we will see.

Rather than what I wrongly imagined,

it is famous for causing fall-time hay fever...symptoms: Cough, runny

nose, and an itchy throat....in 23 million Americans including

your's truly, it is called

RAGWEED!

In June it begins to form its flower/seed head.

Working on it all summer.

On the

Bellarmine University

website

we learn of positive uses by the Native Americans:

Preparations made from leaves and roots of ragweeds have been used by native peoples as astringents, skin disinfectants, emetics, antidotes, and fever reducers. Teas or tinctures have been used for the treatment of fevers, pneumonia, nausea, intestinal cramps, diarrhea and menstrual disorders.

And Google tells us:

Herbalists use ragweed to relieve nausea, menstrual discomfort, and fever

I'm showing you a whole summer of evolution of the flower

and seed heads.

By October 23rd the plants had become like this.

And by November 6th some really got the spirit of Autumn!

Others on that date looking like this,

and below by November 20th like we see below.

In nature the system is apparently to have each plant produce literally thousands of seeds

to make sure that after the birds, the mice, the squirrels, the rabbits, the insects, etc..

...ALL GET THEIR SHARE...

.....enough are left over randomly distributed to assure a future crop.....of HAY FEVER!

***************

Now back....just up from the Trailhead..... we first begin seeing a beautiful wildflower that doesn't do too well in our desert-like environment, but it is nice to see anyway as it gives me an excuse

to show it in more hospitable environments. It is the

72. WESTERN BLUE FLAX

This perrenial wildflower began coming alive in mid-February, the picture below taken on the 21st (2024).

It began blossoming in Grove Canyon on May 24th,

had a good month or two, and then the flowers began mostly

disappearing.

Blue Flax seems to do better at higher elevations, seen below up near Deer Creek Dam in Provo Canyon.....

......and is a wonderful VISION of NATURE

in the Quaking Aspen belt around the High Uinta Mountains,

as seen below.

By the end of June seed production begins....

....and still today in early November, I still see these tiny little seed pods

with black seeds inside some of them in November.

The seed pods are about 1/4th of an inch in diameter.

The tiny black seeds can be seen inside some of the pods.

The seeds of Western blue flax are edible cooked.

The seeds contain cyanide, so to be edible they need to be cooked which destroys the cyanide. So they are used for food, and have a pleasant nutty taste and are very nutritious. The seed has a high oil content and can be eaten on its own or used as a flavoring but the seeds are very tiny so it would require a lot of plants and labor to gather enough to be worthwhile. The fibers of this ancient plant have been used to make cloth, rope and paper.

POSSIBLE MEDICINAL USES

A tea can be made from the stems and leaves to treat various medical problems such as eye infections, stomach disorders, and swellings.

Above I show you one of the better photographs of a

Western Blue Flax from our foothills,

and interestingly it was taken on September 30, 2023

more than 4 months after the first blossoming, so throughout

the season it seems there were always

a few hanging around usuallly in the shady areas near the creek.

What you see behind the Blue Flax flower....

......ARE NOT THE STEMS, rather.....

Russian thistles.

So is the case with new plants germanating,

or sprouting from already established plants as it is perrenial,

pictures like the one above taken from mid-September,

through October and into December.

Blue flax plants live for 3-5 years.

**********************

Now we come to a wonderful flowering plant

mentioned in the first section on Battle Creek Canyon:

On July 15, 2023 I was coming back down the foothills from a hike much higher up and all of a sudden I saw up to my left a

DAZZLING FLASH OF GOLD.

I was tired, but nothing could have stopped me from hiking up a steep hill to investigate. I found for the first time

in the hills near Grove Canyon a marvelous

DIVINE VISION of NATURE

that was

73. GOLDENROD!

It looks like we are continually finding new and marvelous candidats for

MOST BEAUTIFUL VISION of NATURE!

Is GOLDENROD good for anything?

I have a bag full of seed and will have some of it growing

around my home, along with many others of the wonderful

VISIONS of NATURE I have enjoyed the past few years at the foot of Mount Timpanogos. Additionally Google tells us:

Tells us:

Goldenrod has been used for many purposes, including:

Diuretic: Goldenrod can help the body get rid of excess fluid.
Anti-inflammatory: Goldenrod may help reduce inflammation and relieve muscle spasms.
Wound healing: Goldenrod has been used to heal wounds on the skin.
Urinary tract health: Goldenrod may help with urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, and bladder problems.
Pollinator attraction: Goldenrod attracts butterflies and is beneficial to native bees and honeybees.
Tea: Goldenrod leaves and flowers can be used to make tea. Some say that drinking goldenrod tea can help rejuvenate the body.

Additional it tells us:

Goldenrod is used to reduce pain and swelling (inflammation), as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and to stop muscle spasms. It is also used for gout, joint pain (rheumatism), arthritis, as well as eczema and other skin conditions.

To harvest goldenrod, you want to catch it as the flowers have just started blooming. Select plants that look healthy and free of mildew and disease. Bring along a pair of scissors and snip off the plume of flowers. It's okay to get some leaves.

The above-ground parts of the goldenrod plant are dried and used for medicine.

Her Latin name solidago means “to make whole again” and the golden starburst of this beautiful flower brightens the hilly landscape with a sense of purpose and clarity. The essence helps to strengthens your inner resolve to recover from illness or trauma and to find your wholeness again.

GOOGLE will give you an unending chain of information.

Do your research.

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/goldenrod#intro

On August 28th, 2023

....and on November 4

STILL DISTRIBUTING ITS SEEDS....

.....and if you look closely above there is still a blossoming flower.

ITS MISSION COMPLETED!

*************

As we near the end of Chapter 4, I close with two absolute beauties that some of you would choose as

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL!

First,

74. WOODS' ROSE

As you can see, it is a bush that can grow from 6 to 10 feet tall.

Scattered around, here and there in the foothills

it is a pleasant surprise and a very literal

DIVINE VISION of NATURE

A bush with a totally lovely flower called

Woods' Rose

There is another similar wild rose called DOG ROSE with a difference we can see by borrowing a portion of a picture of the

Dog Rose....from the TREE GUIDE UK

Compare this picture with the Woods' Rose above and its easy to note the difference.

This one is the DOG ROSE

THE ORIGEN OF ITS NAME

We learn from:

By Orla O’Callaghan,

I'll insert a few fascinating paragraphs about this

WONDEROUS VISION of NATURE (C.A.)

The Woods’ Rose got its common and botanical names from Joseph Woods, an Englishman who was an architect and a botanist. In 1818, he published an extensive study of the Rose family in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, a prestigious society of botanists and other scientists in England

The fruit of the Woods’ Rose is commonly called a hip (some call it a "berry"). The technical term for the fruit is a pome. Woods’ Rose hips are round. They turn a glossy red in the fall and persist throughout the winter. You can use the hips to identify the Woods’ rose, even when the flower is long past. Rose hips have many medicinal uses. Native Americans used medicine derived from the rose to treat diarrhea, indigestion, colds, wounds, and as an eye wash for snow blindness.

Rose hips are packed with vitamin C. Early western pioneers planted roses near their homes to help prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency. Whenever I am out hiking in Colorado, if I see a rose growing in a clearing, I look for the foundations or ruins of a pioneer or mining cabin. Today, scurvy is rare, because we have easy access to vitamin C; however, in the past, scurvy was a deadly disease. Sailors suffered and died from scurvy. Prior to 1753, the threat of scurvy limited how long, and how far people could travel at sea. In 1753, a British Naval doctor, James Lind, showed that scurvy could be prevented and treated by adding citrus fruits into the sailor’s diet. During World War II, citrus fruits were hard to come by. People collected rose hips and made syrup from them to ensure people had adequate vitamin C. My parents grew up in Ireland during the War. As children they had severe food rations, and no access to citrus fruits. My Dad told me the first time in his life that he ever saw an orange was when a German U-Boat was destroyed off the coast of Ireland and a crate of oranges floated ashore. The whole village came down to the shore and divided the oranges up. My Dad said those few orange sections he got were the sweetest thing he had ever eaten.

In addition to being a great source of vitamin C, roses have many other medicinal and culinary uses. If properly prepared, most parts of roses are edible, including the petals, stems, roots, and of course the hips. Rose hips can be made into teas, syrups, jams and jellies. Parts of the hips can be eaten raw. If you are interested in the edibility or medicinal uses of the Woods’ Rose, I recommend you check out Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies by Linda Kershaw. Never eat a plant unless you are certain what plant it is and how to safely prepare the plant, and its parts, to make it safe.

Whether or not you choose to plant them in your garden, you should appreciate the Woods’ Rose for its beauty, fragrance and healing properties. It is a pretty amazing plant. So get out and hike the foothills in Pueblo County and see if you can find the Woods’ Rose (or one of its hybrids – sorry it is the attorney in me). All you casual botanist go enjoy our amazing native plants!

One strange characteristic of Woods' Rose is that, as Sagebrush, Rabbitbrush, Gamel's Oak, etc. the

plants also have MOSS GALLS. We see below what

we can now call

MOSSY ROSE GALLS

The black items are old dead Galls

To learn about them I found a good explanation at:

I'll quote a number of short paragraphs inserted between pictures of the GALLS.

The English novelist, Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton, actually said, "Love thou the rose, yet leave it on its stem." I adjusted his quote to illustrate how to control bizarre looking mossy rose galls. The hairy-looking galls are produced under the direction of the gall-wasp, Diplolepis rosae (family Cynipidae). Ridding roses of the galls rids them of the wasp.

The wasp occurs both in Europe and North America and will produce their characteristic galls on several species in the Rosa genus. They are most commonly found in Ohio on hybrid tea roses; however, I've also seen them on multiflora rose. Old galls look like a ball of moss stuck on the rose stems, thus the common name.

Cutting the galls open will reveal individual chambers, each housing a single wasp larva. The overall size of the gall depends on the number of larval chambers. Single-chambered galls usually measure less than 1" in diameter. Multi-chambered galls may measure over 2" in diameter, filaments included.

The wasps have one generation per year. Females initiate gall formation when they use their ovipositors (= stingers) to insert eggs into leaf buds in the spring. The resulting wasp larvae exude chemicals that further direct gall formation.

The galls change color from light green to crimson red as the wasp larvae mature. Late instar larvae spend the winter in dark reddish-brown galls and new adults emerge in the spring. Spent galls become grayish-brown and often remain attached throughout the season

As with most plant galls, mossy rose galls cause no harm to the overall health of their rose hosts. In fact, I believe they add ornamental value to roses, but I may be gall-biased: love thou the rose gall. Of course, if the galls detract from hybrid tea display roses, just apply my adjusted form of Bulwer-Lytton's quote. The gall-makers can be effectively managed by pruning and destroying developing galls. What a pity.

UPDATE February 15, 2024

On MOSS GALLS

On February 15, 2024 on my now daily hikes in the foothills I found a wintering Wood's Rose loaded with galls, and decided to take a large one home to disect and show what is developing inside.

This was a large one about 2" in diameter.

Home I began clipping off the moss filaments from one side. The filaments were totally dry.

The gall inside the moss had a hard shell. I'll get another one, trim off all the filaments and show what the hard shell is like and insert below.

I cut off one side revealing inside several chambers with larvae.

Then I cut it more or less in half.

I counted 12 larvae. The entire Gall would have had at least 24.

I'll keep an eye on this plant near the Trailhead, and see what develops in the

Spring and very likely add more information and photos.

Below we see the hips, berries or fruit that has seeds inside.

As explained above they are loaded with nutrition and can be eaten.

Below I opened one up to show its contents....the seeds.

They were a bit shriveled up as I had them for a week or so before doing this.

I will of course plant these seeds, some in large containers,

others in the ground in landscaping my home with all of the best

DIVINE VISIONS OF NATURE

from the

FOOTHILLS of MOUNT TIMPANOGOS.

**********

Backing up to early summer and my hikes to discover new plants to begin following them as well as do follow-up on all the previous ones found, the next one photographed and seen below in previous years in the foothills of Springville and Provo was declared by me at that time as

"THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WILDFLOWER OF THE FOOTHILLS."

It is

75. Holy Clover or Sainfoin

Tells us:

It is from the Pea family. The Google info goes on to say:

Sainfoin is a legume, with a bright pink flower (although they can also be white or purple), and leaves with 11-21 leaflets. It may grow a little taller than alfalfa in certain environments, but a lot of times we are seeing similar production results.

************

Holy Clover is today planted and

harvested much the same as alfalfa.

The flower doesn't last too long, and eventually follows the law of nature on to the

REPRODUCTIVE STAGE

with interesting seeds that I saved a bunch of to see if

I can replace the disliked weeds I have around my tiny house.

HEALTH BENEFITS

https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/sainfoin/

explains:

HEALTH BENEFITS

Support diabetes, neurotic disorders, hypochondriacal conditions, sleep disorders, impotence, constipation, colitis and menopause

DO YOUR RESEARCH TO LEARN MORE

& HOW TO USE IT

NOTE: In past years in the foothills in the Springville/Provo area I came to know this wildflower as Steppe Sweetpea but now in 2023 I'm not sure how I concluded that. The point is that I now realize the real identity of this plant is Holy Clover or Sainfoin. I'm doing my best to go through the book and correct this mistake and others.

***************

A SHOCKING DISCOVERY!

Poisonous - noxious weed -Prohibited its sale!

#76. MYRTLE SPURGE

Euphorbia myrsinites

On May 6, 2024 I was doing my hike up the canyon. After

doing enough to keep my heart working right, avoiding more mini-

strokes and keeping my legs from going into deep sleep, I headed

down and in the slide area below where the trail takes off from the

road, I noticed way down to my left a plant that looked new.

I skooted down off the road and got to a trail that comes off of the

road, where they work to take the flag down....you'll see in the the

next chapter...and was shocked to find a

POISONOUS PLANT

not seen before in my area of study, but knew it

from the Springville foothills.

Myrtle Spurge

The sprouts around the base of each plant confirmed its identity.

Actually a quite beautiful plant as you'll see below.

It blossomed on May 21st.

But it didn't develop more as I had seen it do with a vengence in the Springville area I'll show you in the next few photographs

It's really a very beautiful plant as shown in the previous photographs.

But there are real dangers as explained below in the

Microsoft Word - Fact sheet 041317

Myrtle Spurge Fact Sheet Distinguishing Features: Flowers: Inconspicuous flowers with showy yellow bracts. Seeds: Plants spread primarily by seed and are capable of projecting seed up to 15 feet. Leaves: Blue-green triangular shaped leaves with white milky latex. Flowering Time: April – June. Warning!! All parts of myrtle spurge contain a caustic latex sap that can result in skin irritation, redness, swelling, and blisters. Caution must be taken not to get any of the sap on the skin or in the eyes. If contact does occur, rinse the area thoroughly. Impacts: Myrtle spurge is an escaped ornamental that quickly crowds out native plants. Although it is touted as deer resistant and an extremely drought tolerant, it has escaped its original planting and is rapidly invading our foothills and wild lands along the Wasatch Front. It poses a threat to children and adults who come in contact with its caustic sap. Myrtle spurge is a Utah State listed noxious weed and therefore is restricted for sale within the state. Control: Small infestations can be controlled through multiple years of digging up at least 4” of the root. Myrtle spurge is best controlled in the spring when the soil is moist and prior to seed production. Make sure to dispose of all the plant parts in the garbage instead of composting. For larger infestations, myrtle spurge can be effectively controlled with products containing 2, 4-D and dicamba (i.e. Weed B Gon) applied in late fall. Euphorbia myrsinites Euphorbiaceae Family

I kept monitoring the plants...above on July 10th.... that only blossomed on a small scale once, and attacked by insects so I don't know if seeds were produced or not.

And here on September 5th. The yellow flower seen is not from Myrtle spurge, but from a Curlycup gumweed plant behind.

Below was in early December, the plant dead and dry, but there were small sprouts around the base.

Myrtle Spurge is drought resisent with an extensive root system and

apparently does not require good quality soil. It is a native of

Eurasia, brought here for landscaping purposes. bit it escaped and

has spread all over.

More information & a series of photographs at:

BACKGROUND

A native plant of Eurasia, leafy spurge is an aggressive invader of pastures, rangeland, stream banks, and waste areas. It reproduces by seed and rootstock. It is toxic to cattle and may result in their death.

DESCRIPTION

This creeping herbaceous perennial plant grows up to 3 feet tall. The leaves are narrow, and 1 to 4 inches long. In late spring, yellow-green flower bracts appear, which cup tiny, inconspicuous flowers that develop in early summer. Seeds are contained in a three-celled capsule, with one seed per cell. When dry, capsules can shoot seeds up to 15 feet from parent plant. Stems exude a milky fluid when damaged. An extensive root system, up to 20 feet long and more than 14 feet deep, with multiple shoot-producing buds, makes this plant very difficult to control.

CONTROL

Biocontrol is extensive and control is fair to excellent. Herbicides can offer fair to good control, especially when combined with biocontrol. Apply herbicides from spring to the killing frost.

NOTE: Information in the above article with its visuals seems to perhaps be out of harmony with what I discovered.....explained below.

HAVE I FOUND MORE PLANTS IN THE

GROVE CREEK AREA?

As the 2024 Season progressed my mind kept wandering back when

in mid-April I was attracted to a woman climbing up a ridge

with her dog.....and SINGING HER LUNGS OUT! I was

way down below in the parking lot and got a long telephoto shot, but

could hear her distinctly. She was having one great time!

I finally climbed up there where I got the wonderful photos of exotic

#115 White horehound described in Chapter 7

On November 2lst I decided I'd try going up that ridge to get to the Valley View Spot, but came at it from a higher point on the trail that had me coming to the rock outcropping from the north where the arrow is pointing.

Approximately at that point I came upon some dried up plants, then looking for details around their base, and found they were

Myrtle Spurge

It was a quite large plot of the plant, and I noticed some stalks had seed pods that apparently never developed on the plants in the canyon. I of course put some in a plastic bag to take home to photograph the results.

Short Youtube video on:
Myrtle spurge
by

*******************

Another report by KSL RADIO gives us more info.

*****************

Along the road and trail up the canyon we see the

plant I used on the cover of this book...

77. SMOOTHSTEM BLAZINGSTAR,
also known as
Smoothstem Blazingstar, Giant Blazingstar, Evening Star, Stick Leaf

Mentzelia laevicaulis

We see it below in various stages of development that wonderously fulfilled its purpose as we'll see below.

CLICK for full details

Tells us:

Note: I will insert a few photos in the paragraphs of the article.C.A.

The blazingstars or stickleafs (Mentzelia) are sometimes known as nature’s Velcro because of the ease with which their leaves become fastened to fur or fabric. These sticky qualities derive from numerous hairs found on the leaf surface, each of which is ringed by barbs or downward-pointing bristles. The adaptive value of this stickiness is poorly known, though the authors of the Intermountain Flora have suggested that the force of an animal tugging against the plant may be sufficient to shake seeds out of the fruit capsules.

Smoothstem blazingstar (Mentzelia laevicaulis) is a biennial or short-lived perennial with whitish stems up to 40 inches tall and wavy-margined, sticky leaves. It ranges widely across western North America from southern Canada to California, Utah, and Colorado, inhabiting barren slopes and disturbed roadsides. This species is unusual within its genus of 60 species (nearly all found in the western United States) in having exceptionally large flowers (1½ to 3 inches across) with just 5 yellow petals. Most other species in the genus have 8 to ten or more petals, with the extras derived from modified stamens. Similar to cultivated, multi-petaled roses, the filament stalks of the stamen have become widened and enlarged into petal-like structures and have lost the pollen-producing services of the anther. The flowers of smoothstem blazingstar open at dusk and remain open overnight and into early morning before closing for the afternoon. Hawkmoths are thought to be the primary pollinator.

If pollinators are absent, smoothstem blazingstar is capable of self-pollination. Typically, the stigma is held above the fertile anthers when the flower first opens. As the blossom closes in the afternoon, loose pollen is knocked into the floral envelope and can contact the stigma. Whether cross or self-pollinated, this species produced numerous, flat, wing-margined seeds within a woody capsule. Native Americans consumed these seeds for food. Indigenous peoples also utilized the roots of smoothstem blazingstar to treat pain from arthritis, rheumatism, and bruises.

Intrepid botanical explorer David Douglas (of Douglas-fir fame) made the earliest scientific collection of smoothstem blazingstar near the Great Falls of the Columbia River in 1825. Douglas initially named the species Bartonia laevicaulis after Benjamin Smith Barton, one of the leading American botanists of the early 19th Century and a mentor to Meriwether Lewis. Unfortunately, the genus name Bartonia was already taken, and the name was changed to Nuttallia to honor Thomas Nuttall, the 19th Century British botanist who discovered and named a large number of western plant species. Alas, this name too was later changed when Nuttallia was subsumed into the genus Mentzelia. No genus name now honors Nuttall.

So, we are introduced to the

DIVINE VISION

with which we'll end Chapter 4. It is known as the ....

#77-SMOOTHSTEM BLAZINGSTAR

(among others),

Mentzelia laevicaulis

.........for which we all have to be very grateful....looking to the heavens with gratitude for all of our

BLESSINGS and the VISIONS of NATURE

that warm our hearts and inspire us to likewise share with those around us all that is good.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

It has many benefits, including food, medicine, and erosion control.

Native Americans ate the seeds as food. The Paiute cooked the seeds in water for gravy.

MEDICINE:

Indigenous peoples used the roots to treat pain from arthritis, rheumatism, and bruises. The Cheyenne used the roots to trerat fevers, mups, measles, smallpox, and other diseases. The Gosiute applied an infusion of the roots to bruised sweelings. The Montana and Mendicino made a decoction of the leaves to treat skin diseases and stomachaches.

Note: The Paiutes were a nomadic tribe from Southwestern Utah, roaming the Great Basin for their survival. There is today the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribes Reservation near Reno, Nevada, but new opportunities are making their presence visible back in the Utah area.

***********

REPRODUCTION

Each flower eventually converts into a seed pod....

....with many of them on each plant.

Each seed pod is full of seeds that eventually get

scattered by the wind or shaken loose by birds and animals.

And, next season the plants are multiplied, as is our

AWE and GRATITUDE

for such a wonderful Vision of Nature.

You might think that with all the marvelous

VISIONS of NATURE

already seen, there couldn't be much more from

our tiny little section of the

Foothills of Timpanogos...

....but, I promise you that there is much, much more of the

WONDER OF THE LORD'S CREATIONS

that will WOW and AMAZE all of us....

....even from our small corner of creation in upcoming

CHAPTERS 5 - 9

*******

FOR the NEXT CHAPTER & INFORMATION ON MY BOOKS

click to

RETURN TO HOME PAGE

Pages

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

CHAPTER 4 ... of the new book DIVINE VISIONS of NATURE from THE FOOTHILLS OF MOUNT TIMPANOGOS.

Bellarmine University

BACKGROUND

DESCRIPTION

CONTROL

No comments:

Post a Comment

Followers

Blog Archive