Red and “blue” and now yellow too
Click for greater size and clarity.
I’ve long been fascinated by the combinations of colors in wildflower meadows, but I’m hardly alone in that: agencies and individuals in Texas often plant bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) and Indian paintbrushes (Castilleja indivisa) on the same plot of ground because their bold colors go so well together. What further distinguishes the mixture in today’s photograph is the presence of all the little yellow flowers, which almost certainly were not planted by anyone but themselves. They’re in the genus Krigia and are called dwarf dandelions because they stay close to the ground and their open flower heads are only about half the width of those of the Texas dandelion and European dandelion. This has been a good year for dwarf dandelions, and I’ve seen dense colonies in various places, including this one along US 281 in Granite Shoals on April 1.
© 2012 Steven Schwartzman
The shot gives me a very relaxing feel
ishooteditnblog
April 18, 2012 at 6:10 am
Now that’s a reaction I hadn’t expected, though it’s a welcome one.
Steve Schwartzman
April 18, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Another of those I’m sure I’ve seen, but only as a “yellow patch” in the countryside. Yet another reason to “stop, look and admire”.
shoreacres
April 18, 2012 at 7:07 am
I like the way you changed “listen” to “admire”.
Steve Schwartzman
April 18, 2012 at 1:04 pm
This speaks TX to me…but I wonder if this combination can be found in other states too. Beautiful. Just had to linger a while and admire.
georgettesullins
April 18, 2012 at 7:35 am
You’re welcome to linger, and linger longer, whenever you like. If you come across this combination of colors somewhere else, please let us know.
Steve Schwartzman
April 18, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Beautiful photo Steve, Nature certainly has a way with the color palette…no matter the combination, it always seems to work!!
dhphotosite
April 18, 2012 at 2:26 pm
Yes, the combinations of colors fascinate me, and so many of them are possible—enough to delight the heart of a math teacher as well as a photographer.
Steve Schwartzman
April 18, 2012 at 2:38 pm
what beautiful combination of colors!!!
laviebohemeart
April 18, 2012 at 9:38 pm
That’s certainly the way I saw it. I took other pictures there in which the red or the blue predominated, but this time I wanted to play up the yellow because these dwarf dandelions are so much less well known than the bluebonnets and the paintbrushes.
Steve Schwartzman
April 18, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Absolutely gorgeous! The flowers in your area are simply incredible and your photos are always outstanding!!
montucky
April 19, 2012 at 12:44 am
Texas thanks you and so do I.
Steve Schwartzman
April 19, 2012 at 3:57 am
I do miss the Texas bluebonnets. My favorite bluebonnet drive was US 290 from Houston to College Station. There were so many of them in good years that the Highway Patrol had to direct traffic out there because so many people were stopping alongside the highways.
Russel Ray Photos
April 25, 2012 at 2:37 pm
One remedy is to come back for a visit in a good spring. Three of the last four have been good (the bad one being the year of the drought, 2011).
Steve Schwartzman
April 25, 2012 at 5:19 pm