At one of the stops along the road in Arches National Park I noticed the Common Paintbrush were blooming, and usually do from March to June. They are also called Slickrock Paintbrush or Early Paintbrush. The desert is a harsh land so plants find ways to survive in this arid land. This plant is hemiparasitic (partiallyhalf-parasite). It is a water parasite that survives drought by attaching to the roots of other plants using them as a source of water.
Strange as it may seem I was drawn more to the plants such as these Paintbrush and the twisted junipers. The rock formations were amazing but looking within inches of you was just this incredibly amazing world.
4 Comments
Mark
Amazing indeed Monte. These are really nice.
Monte Stevens
Thanks, Mark. Enjoy the weekend. They are predicting 1-3 inches of snow tomorrow. I’ll send ya some. 🙂
Tom Dills
What is it with you and snow this year, Monte? Although these plants with some snow on them would be interesting. We’ve got what are called Indian Paintbrush here, and while the flowers are similar they grow taller. And I don’t think they are parasitic.
Monte Stevens
I assume the harsh environment cause the parasitic trait. It is about survival. And, it is just starting to let up. Radar shows the system is moving out of the area. A low of 18 tonight and a high of 45 tomorrow. Yep, spring is here.