When You Know Their Names

A friend once told me that when you know the names of wild plants you will meet friends everywhere you go. At the time I thought that was a very odd thing to say. Wild plants as friends? Sure buddy, whatever you say.

My grandmother had taught me about wild plants, most of which I promptly forgot. But I can still identify Miner's Lettuce and Wild Onions. Or is that Wild Garlic? Well, I remember some of what she taught me.

I never set out to learn their names but somehow I did. That dark brown bushy thing is Dock, the dusty green stuff blooming along the road is Wild Buckwheat. There's Scotch Broom, and Horehound, California Bay, Wild Anise, yes, and oh, hey, there's that Miner's Lettuce again!

Scotch Broom

So, yes, as it turns out when I'm walking in the meadow or forest I do meet friends everywhere!

Then the other day I saw some strangers. Hello, pretty little strangers, what are your names? Okay, no, I didn't expect them to answer me, but still I'd like to know. I took pictures of them.

These little red ones look a bit like Snapdragons.
Probably a member of the pea family?

A very delicate blossom. I want to call it a Windflower but it's probably not.

This one looks like a dandelion relative. Covered in bugs of some kind.
yellowflower&bugs.jpg

Pretty sure this is a variety of Scotch Broom but with red markings.
broomred&yellow.jpg

Some fluffy 3-petaled white flowers.

And then this one. Some kind of Trillium? So pretty!

Do you recognize any of them? Or know their names?
(They live in Southern Oregon.)