Local author and past LPA board member Bill Dunmire leads spring hikes on the Placitas Open Space and identifies the many plants residing there. If you live in Placitas, there is a pretty good chance that many of these plants are in your yard.
Bill worked as a naturalist for the National Park Service for 28 years followed by several years as a biologist with the Nature Conservancy. In 1997 Bill produced a report on the Environmental Condition of the Placitas Open Space for the City of Albuquerque. The complete report is available at the Santa Ana Garden Center, 157 Jemez Dam Rd. Bernalillo, NM. The list of flower plants is found on the link below.
- Flowering Plants List for the Placitas Open Space (.pdf)
- Slide Show of Placitas Plants and Wildflowers by mike Raugh, from may 2010 Plant Hike Led by Bill Dunmire. Photos by George Ruptier and Mike Raugh
Also, take a look at Bill’s books written with Gail Tierney – Wild Plants of the Pueblo Province and Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners. You’ll find wonderful photos and descriptions of plants in our area.