Desert Evening Primrose
I grow
in the bajadas
alone rocky slopes
pushing aside
dry gravel
in search of sun.
No rain
shortens my growth,
hastening
my buds
to open early
in the cool
of the evening,
closing by
mid-morning.
I am
a primrose,
oenothera primiveris
by name.
Tufted Evening Primrose — Image by kenne
I’m by no means a wildflower expert and the extreme conditions of the desert rocky slopes can make identification difficult. This beautiful wildflower was photographed midmorning in Kings Canyon at about 3,200′ elevation. My guess is that it is a tufted evening primrose, which blooms for only one night, pure white, turning to pink before closing by mid-day. If I have guessed wrong, please let me know.
kenne
