Arabia Mountain in spring

 We returned to Arabia Mountain and hiked the boardwalk and into the section north of Klondike Road.

The elf-orpine, Diamorpha smallii, looks like red pools on the granite. The wooly ragwort, Packera dubia, was blooming on the rock, as were violets, Viola sororia.

The cross vine, Bignonia capreolata, was also blooming. I love the yellow and maroon flowers, which remind me of Indian blankets, Gaillardia pulchella, so common in Texas.

Ecosystems are usually bewilderingly complex, but the system on a mountain of granite is simple. It’s a story of how simple plants adapt to granite, water and sunshine and, in dying and decaying, build up layers of soil that supports more complex forms of life.

I’m fascinated by that succession. For a longer version, see “Arabia Mountain, a magical place,” Feb. 15, 2023.