A fall move to a different location in Santa Fe definitely took up more time than I would have liked. Photo ops were limited. Ideally I would have liked to capture more colors of the season. On an up note, this new location provided me with capturing some of the last bloomers of the season. There were Purple Aster and vibrant Indian Blanket wildflowers to be found close by.
A bit earlier the Chamisa (Rabbitbrush) burst to life with their yellow flower clusters. Hard to miss and very prevalent in this next of the woods. I’ve written several posts and captured multiple images of them in the past. But this little post is dedicated to the fall wildflowers instead.
Purple Asters
Against the golden colors of fall, these little purple wildflowers stand out with their daisy-like appearance and starry-shaped flower heads. They are considered perennials meaning they come back each year. These little, late season bloomers are also cold-hardy, thrive in full sun and appear to do well in our often dry conditions.
With their purple petals and bright yellow centers, they look happy as they line trails and dot the landscape. The bees who may be looking for some late season pollen belly up to the bar. The timing was perfect when this orange-belted bumble bee dropped in!
After the flowers have bloomed, they convert into these fuzzy, round seed heads. It’s funny to see the plant covered in all the little white poofs. They look like little cotton balls and it’s hard to believe they were once purple flowers with bright yellow centers. The cycle of flowers never ceases to amaze me!
Indian Blanket Wildflowers
Gotta give a few props to Indian Blanket wildflowers – sometimes referred to as “Firewheels” or “Sundance”. They are quite showy little flowers full of vibrant fall colors. These little fellas were new to me. They seem to be a bit more demure as I only found a few patches here and there. But once you spotted them, they were hard to miss!
Gathering some flower intel, it’s a Native American species of short-lived perennial in warmer climates and can act as an annual in colder regions. Blooming in other parts of the country in summer, I did not see them around here till late summer/autumn.
These flowering pinwheel shapes are vividly colored with red, orange and yellow. It has a rather hairy stem, and the leaves are located towards the bottom of the plant.
With a high drought tolerance and preferring sandy soils in full sun, it’s no wonder I found them in the areas I did along the arroyo.
Getting these plants was a bit tricky, but the few photos I was able to capture were worth it.
Looks like that will wrap up the flower photography season for this year. We shall see what new discoveries next year will bring! 🙂