What’s Blooming Now?
By Richard Cretcher

As the wildflower season nears its end, this last What’s Blooming Now? column turns to plants that bloom late or are preparing themselves for the coming year.

Aceitilla, the Spanish/Mexican common name for begger’s tick is setting its spiny little seeds for distribution now. The cluster of seeds, which looks like a fireworks display, will stick to anything that moves. There is no doubt that we will see this bloom about the same time next year. 

Another plant preparing for next year is the flor de tierra (soil flower), which is going underground now to emerge in February or March as the bazaar display shown in the photograph.

But the prize goes to the little ojo de pollo (eye of chicken), which has been looking up at us most of the season and will continue to as long as it can find enough warmth and protection to survive. This has been a good wild flower season and it seems fitting that the plants can rest a while in order to return, fresh and new again next year.

Other wildflowers blooming now include—toloache, the dayflower mal de ojo, hierba del pajarito, and peonia.

Richard Cretcher has published the wildflower pocket guide Flores Silvestres that is available at the Biblioteca, El Charco, El Tecolote, Border Crossings, La Conexion and Terra.