Harbinger of Spring
Species: Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris), Ponderosa pine
Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
Public Lands: Los Alamos County Open Space
Description: Pasque flowers announce the arrival of spring as one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the Ponderosa and mixed conifer forests of the Southwest.
The pasque flower is one of the earliest blooming flowers in the Ponderosa forests of the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. It depends on snowmelt and warm spring temperatures to open its large white and purple blossoms that attract pollinators. Pasque flower with its white cup-shaped blooms and dense, silky hairs, acts as a natural solar collector, creating a warmer microclimate around the plant.This warmth is particularly important for the plant's early spring blooming, as the flower's interior can be significantly warmer than the surrounding air, sometimes even up to 32-degrees warmer. The warmth is one devise the flower uses for attracting pollinators.
As the climate warms, spring is arriving earlier and snow is melting faster, forcing wildflowers to bloom before their pollinators are awake for the season. This mismatch in timing is beginning to impact the composition of forest communities across the West. Early snowmelt and slow subsequent soil warming can lead to this mismatch, potentially also reducing seed production.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton paper in warm or bright white, textured surface, archival quality.
Please note that print sizes are the inked area, the paper is larger to provide a 1” border to accommodate matting and framing.
13 × 19 paper, 11 × 17 inked area
16 × 24 paper, 14 × 22 inked area
Species: Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris), Ponderosa pine
Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
Public Lands: Los Alamos County Open Space
Description: Pasque flowers announce the arrival of spring as one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the Ponderosa and mixed conifer forests of the Southwest.
The pasque flower is one of the earliest blooming flowers in the Ponderosa forests of the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. It depends on snowmelt and warm spring temperatures to open its large white and purple blossoms that attract pollinators. Pasque flower with its white cup-shaped blooms and dense, silky hairs, acts as a natural solar collector, creating a warmer microclimate around the plant.This warmth is particularly important for the plant's early spring blooming, as the flower's interior can be significantly warmer than the surrounding air, sometimes even up to 32-degrees warmer. The warmth is one devise the flower uses for attracting pollinators.
As the climate warms, spring is arriving earlier and snow is melting faster, forcing wildflowers to bloom before their pollinators are awake for the season. This mismatch in timing is beginning to impact the composition of forest communities across the West. Early snowmelt and slow subsequent soil warming can lead to this mismatch, potentially also reducing seed production.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton paper in warm or bright white, textured surface, archival quality.
Please note that print sizes are the inked area, the paper is larger to provide a 1” border to accommodate matting and framing.
13 × 19 paper, 11 × 17 inked area
16 × 24 paper, 14 × 22 inked area
Species: Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris), Ponderosa pine
Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
Public Lands: Los Alamos County Open Space
Description: Pasque flowers announce the arrival of spring as one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the Ponderosa and mixed conifer forests of the Southwest.
The pasque flower is one of the earliest blooming flowers in the Ponderosa forests of the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. It depends on snowmelt and warm spring temperatures to open its large white and purple blossoms that attract pollinators. Pasque flower with its white cup-shaped blooms and dense, silky hairs, acts as a natural solar collector, creating a warmer microclimate around the plant.This warmth is particularly important for the plant's early spring blooming, as the flower's interior can be significantly warmer than the surrounding air, sometimes even up to 32-degrees warmer. The warmth is one devise the flower uses for attracting pollinators.
As the climate warms, spring is arriving earlier and snow is melting faster, forcing wildflowers to bloom before their pollinators are awake for the season. This mismatch in timing is beginning to impact the composition of forest communities across the West. Early snowmelt and slow subsequent soil warming can lead to this mismatch, potentially also reducing seed production.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton paper in warm or bright white, textured surface, archival quality.
Please note that print sizes are the inked area, the paper is larger to provide a 1” border to accommodate matting and framing.
13 × 19 paper, 11 × 17 inked area
16 × 24 paper, 14 × 22 inked area