Slender Phlox: The 31st Flower of Spring!

[best appreciated at full size against black]

Another wonderful find from my flower hunt the other day, this tiny beauty is a truly miniscule flower. It is perhaps the smallest flower I have photographed, with a diameter of about 1/16"!! This is the kind of flower I adore taking pictures of because so few people can even see them. They are the flowers I loved most as a child, carefully picking an itty-bitty, miniature bouquet that was the right scale for my Barbie dolls! :D

Slender Phlox is so small that its scientific name is "Microsteris"! This annual herb is found all over the western United States down to Mexico and parts of South America, and blooms from March through August.

If you would like more information about this wonderful plant, Wiki has a great source here: Wiki: Slender Phlox

This image was taken in April, 2012.