There are several species of Chaenactis native to the Death Valley area. In fact, Mary DeDecker in her Flora of the Northern Mojave Desert, California lists seven and statewide there are thirteen different species of Chaenactis according to calflora.org. Mojave Pincushion, also known as Dusty Maidens and Large-Flowered Pincushion, is fairly common throughout Inyo County. The specimen shown here was photographed at 5000 feet along the top of the Slate Range, just west of Death Valley National Park. (Click here for more info!)

      A single creosote bush may live thirty to ninety years, but a clonal colony which starts with a single bush may live thousands of years. In fact, the oldest identified clonal colony, known as King Clone and located within the Creosote Rings Preserve of Lucerne and Johnson Valley, is 11,700 years old. There are plenty of creosotes throughout the Mojave Desert, including Death Valley, as well as much of the desert southwest. They are so prevalent that one of the most common plant communities found in the desert (Creosote Bush Scrub Plant Community) is named after them. (Click here for more info!)

      Bastardsage is an actual name for an actual plant, but you can call it by its formal (scientific) name if you want to: Eriogonum wrightii. That said, it is interesting that so many plants have unusual names. I'm aware of all sorts of interesting plants with interesting names such as blue dicks, pussypaws, broomrape, tidy tips, lousewort, pussytoes, and now bastardsage. However, there are a few I can't mention which would be crossing current lines of decency. (Click here for more info!)

      This plant produces some beautiful flowers and rather interesting seed pods. It's a fairly common plant throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It can be used to make jelly or tea and it is often used to reseed forest areas after a fire. In fact, it got its name since it is one of the first plants to repopulate an area following a fire. Although this plant is also known by the common name rosebay willowherb, it has been reclassified a couple times and now has Chamaenerion angustifolium as its scientific name. Fireweed belongs to the Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family). (Click here for more info!)

      The common names for this plant are Bridges' Penstemon and Beaked Penstemon. It's found throughout the southwestern states and is particularly common in Tulare County and in the Sierra Nevada range in general, growing at elevations between 5000 and 11,000 feet. The flowers angle downwards to accommodate hummingbirds and to discourage bees. In fact, while filming this video I encountered quite a few hummingbirds. They seem to really like hanging out around patches of this plant. (Click here for more info!)

      Salix discolor is commonly known as pussy willow, especially during the spring when it produces catkins. During their early stages of development, male catkins look like little cats. While the native range of Salix discolor spreads across Canada and the northeastern states of the USA, the species of willow most prevalent in the southerwestern states of the USA is Salix exigua, otherwise known as sandbar willow, narrowleaf willow, or coyote willow. It produces catkins which are similar to those of Salix discolor and so the name pussy willow could reasonably be extended to it also. The willows shown in this video are all Salix exigua, growing in the southern Sierra Nevada range. (Click here for more info!)