Hey, hey, we're the mustards!

Plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) are reliable spring bloomers in Sabino Canyon. We have, among others:

• Rock Cress (Boechera perennans) - pale pink
• Dryopetalon (Dryopetalon runcinatum) - tiny, white
• Gordon's Bladderpod (Physaria gordonii) - yellow 
• White Bladderpod (Physaria purpurea) - white 
• London Rocket (Sisymbrium irio) - tiny, yellow
• Jewel Flower aka Silverbells (Streptanthus carinatus) - silvery white
• and my favorite Lace Pod Mustard (Thysanocarpus curvipes) - tiny, tiny white

Cross the Bear Canyon bridge and turn left (instead of right into Bear Canyon); and you'll see many of these mustards on both sides of that road. Mustards tend to have inordinately large (and/or unusual) fruits for their flower size. Look for flowers and then fruits, as the season progresses.