Mules Ears in the Forest

The Soup Springs Campground in the Modoc National Forest provided grand vistas and beautiful flowers. A surprise was Mule's Ears, named for the long, ear-shaped leaves. The flowers are a cross between a giant daisy or a very small sunf lower. They are bright, cheerful, and very common along the hiking trail. On our hike home, the flowers provided a welcome food source or resting place for a wide variety of insects. I was happy to see the insects on the flowers, and not around our hiking party.