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Bandelier National MonumentEvening Primrose
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Bandelier National Monument
Wildflowers
butterfly weed/ marine blue butterfly

NPS Photo by Sally King

Butterflyweed blooms in profusion along wet slopes and attracts a variety of insect life.

Bandelier's wildflower season usually lasts from mid-April until the first heavy frost (usually mid to late October). The volume and diversity of flowers in any given season is heavily dependent on precipitation. A winter with heavy snows often heralds a spring of abundant blooms as does a late summer with repetitive local afternoon showers. Some flowers bloom all season long, often becoming less abundant during the hottest part of summer only to resurge with the start of the rainy season. Other wildflowers can only be found during limited seasons and in specific areas of the park. 
 
antelope's horn
NPS Photo by Sally King
Antelope's Horn is one of several types of milkweed that grows in the park.
Pinon cone with nuts  

Did You Know?
Pinon nuts are rich in vitamins, flavor, and calories (3,000 per pound). Although produced in abundance only every 7 to 10 years, these nuts were a valuable native food source for the Ancestral Pueblo people.
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Last Updated: April 25, 2007 at 18:24 EST