Tag Archives: fiddleneck

photographing wildflowers

The next photo walk is Sunday March 8th. We will discuss tips for capturing wildflowers.
Click here for details.

Desert Wishbone Bush
Desert Wishbone Bush

Common Fiddleneck
Common Fiddleneck

I shot the above photos in my yard this morning. Our neighborhood borders the Preserve so you should be finding these on the trails now! The close-ups show two tips. 1. Fill your frame. 2. Use a large aperture. Below is an excellent video regarding photographing flowers! Her presentation is useful for both compact and SLR camera users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ce4uptRss

what was blooming in the desert today?

The desert is blooming VERY early this year. I saw the following today.

Chuparosa
Chuparosa
Wolfberry
Wolfberry

Jojoba - male
Jojoba - male
Jojoba - female
Jojoba - female

Deer Vetch
Deer Vetch
Stork Bill Filaree
Stork Bill Filaree

Common Fiddleneck
Common Fiddleneck
approx 2 in tall. Still looking for identity
approx 2 in tall. Still looking for identity
Golden Eye
Golden Eye
Poppy! We only saw one and I botched the capture :-)
Poppy! We only saw one and I botched the capture 🙂
Lacepod
Lacepod
Rattlesnake Weed
Rattlesnake Weed

Fiddleneck

common fiddleneck
The common Fiddleneck is in the borage or forget-me-not family “Boraginaceae”. That’s hard to remember but anyone who has walked through a patch of this plant knows that it has sharp hairs on its stems which can irritate our skin. Another fact (if we can trust Wikipedia), is that the foliage of the fiddleneck is poisonous to livestock BUT the native peoples used the shoots, seeds and leaves of several species for food.