The Boise Foothills, a hilly landscape largely dominated by shrubs and grasses, are a picturesque setting any time of the year. They are particularly beautiful in the spring when a wide array of spring flowering plants are in bloom, and then again in late summer and early fall when a smaller selection of plants flower. But even when there aren’t flowers to see, plants and other features in the Foothills continue to offer interest. Their beauty may be more subtle and not as immediately striking as certain flowers can be, but they catch the eye nonetheless. Appeal can be found in things like gnarled, dead sagebrush branches, lichen covered rocks, and fading seed heads. Because the lower Boise Foothills in particular have endured a long history of plant introductions, an abundance of weeds and invasive plants residing among the natives also provide interest.
This winter has been another mild one. I was hoping for more snow, less rain, and deeper freezes. Mild, wet conditions make exploring the Foothills difficult and ill-advised. Rather than frozen and/or snow covered, the trails are thick with mud. Walking on them in this state is too destructive. Avoiding trails and walking instead on trail side vegetation is even more destructive, and so Foothills hiking is put on hold until the ground freezes or the trails dry out. This means I haven’t gotten into the Foothills as much as I would like. Still, I managed to get a few photos of some of the interesting things the lower Boise Foothills have to offer during the winter. What follows is a selection of those photos.
See Also: Weeds and Wildflowers of the Boise Foothills (June 2015)
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The first issue of our new zine, Dispersal Stories, is available now. It’s an ode to traveling plants. You can find it in our Etsy Shop.Â
Lovely pictures of plants in winter, thank you! It is almost the same as what I see on my walk along the Poudre River at the edge of the foothills in northern Colorado. I also like the Yucca, Rabbitbrush, and the winter buds on the Poplar trees on my walk.
Thanks! Sounds like your foothills are beautiful as well. I have never been to northern Colorado, but I would love to check it out sometime.
Nice article. I love the Boise foothills, and have only been able to go just this week after 2 1/2 months of warm wet weather. Thanks
Thank you so much for this newsletter. I love reading it, and it always gives me something new to appreciate in this place I have lived all my life. Keep up the good work!
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Thank you for your kind words, and thanks for reading!