Dense Flowered Willow Herb

So far, every time I visit Jackson Bottom Wetlands, I find at least one new wildflower blooming! I know this can't go on for too much longer as the area is really starting to dry out. We have had no rain at all for the entire month of July, so the wetland bonanza is waning!

Nevertheless, one of the new plants in bloom now is the Dense Flowered Willow Herb (Epilobium densiflorum). It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California, where it is found in a variety of habitats. There are more than 160 species in the Epilobium genus, so many similar plants are called "willowherb." A previous posting covered Fireweed, which is also a member of this genus.

These were growing along the Bobcat path at Jackson Bottom and are about 18 inches tall (7/18/2013).