Sand Bladderpod: Tiny Early Spring Prairie Flower

Today's winner in the tiniest wildflower category also takes a prize in the odd name group: Sand Bladderpod, Lesquerella arenosa.

Sand Bladderpod flowers are only about one quarter of an inch across, so they're easy to miss on prairie hillsides, especially when only one sprawling stem with one single bloom peeps above dry grass.

Once other blooms open, this native plant should be easier to spot... Singly or in groups, though, this flower is a great test of a macro lens — especially on a day when the wind races up to 70km/hr...

Tiny Sand Bladderpod flower, about 1/4 inch across. © SB

Prairie Wildflower: Sand Bladderpod, 

Location: Above the Qu'Appelle Valley, near Southey, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Photo Dates: May 12, 2013. 

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