Day 263: "Common in south Puget Sound prairies," says the field guide, but Nuttall's Larkspur occurs only sporadically along the Yelm-Tenino Trail, and only in a stretch which extends about a mile on either side of the town of Rainier. The intense blue is a stoplight for bicyclists and walkers when it occurs at trailside: "What is that?" Oftentimes, tall grass almost conceals the spikes, giving casual observers the impression that this is just another species of vetch vining through the prairie. Like other members of the delphinium family (domestic and wild), the flowers come with their own "bees," a cluster of smaller petals in the center. These petals are often bearded, giving the "bee" a fuzzy look.
