Favorite plant pics from my summer in Colorado
Western Blue Flag (Iris missouriensis), Ridgway, June 11th
As I mentioned in a recent post, I spent the summer working on a farm on Colorado’s Western Slope this year. I often went camping or hiking on my weekends (Wednesdays and Thursdays at my request, to avoid the crowds) and my primary interest was plants, especially whatever happened to be blooming at the moment.
If I try to do ID-to-species-level on the spot, I use an offline app that allows you to browse candidates by characteristic. If you know family or genus, you can also enter that to further narrow down your search. It’s basically a field guide in app form. Wildflower Search is the company that makes it, and they put out versions by state. It’s free and I highly recommend downloading the ones that apply to your region.
1st screenshot: Choosing attriburtes; 2nd: the list of candidates; 3rd-5th Info on one species. Note the graph showing bloom times in 4th, which is super helpful; 5th describes the plant using all the botanical terminology, only some of which makes sense to me, but this is a way to learn.
I don’t use, nor to I like, the plant ID apps that function by taking a photo and running it through algorithms. The first time I saw someone use one, the app was wrong, which I knew because I had gone through the trouble of ID’ing that particular plant already. The app got the genus right, but not the species, because it was only considering the flower not the leaf shape. When I told the person the app was wrong, they were very hesitant to believe me. “But that’s what it says,” she pointed out.
If you use one of those apps, please keep in mind that they’re not infallible. In most cases you can probably trust them to the level of genus, but I wouldn’t take their word if the plant has poisonous look-alikes. Which you might not know, of course!
Most of the plants in this essay I identified later by using the app in conjunction with iNaturalist, and occasionally web searches beyond that. I don’t have formal education in botany. I’ve picked up what I know from books and people. It’s been fun because I really really love plants and just want to know more about them.
Without further ado, these are some of my favorite plant photos I took this year, arranged chronologically. Enjoy!
Scarlet Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)
Family: Mallow (Malvaceae)
The genus Sphaeralcea contains 40-60 species, mostly found in North America. I first met Globemallows in the Mojave Desert. Most are orange, which is my favorite color. This specimen is pictured on a rocky slope above the Uncompahgre River in a Montrose park, April 23rd.
Notch-leaf Scorpionweed (Phacelia crenulata)
Family: Waterleaf (Hydrophyllaceae)
Over 200 species of Phacelia are found in the Western Hemisphere, with the highest concentration in California. I also first encountered Scorpionweeds, aka Heliotropes, in the Mojave Desert. This specimen is just a few feet from the Scarlet Globemallow above the same day. Castle walls with battlements are described as “crenelated,” e.g. “notched.”
Rockcress (genus Boechera)
Family: Cabbage (Brassicaceae)
The 100 or so species in the genus Boechera are tricky to tell apart, and I don’t know which one this is. Rockcresses are short-lived annuals common in dry disturbed areas. The “cress” in the name is the same as in “watercress,” a group of plants who are also in the Cabbage Family. Same day and place as above.
Fleabane (genus Erigeron)
Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
The genus of Erigeron (~460 species) is “cosmopolitan in distribution,” meaning it’s found all over the world. Like with Boechera, I find it difficult to distinguish similar species from each other. I achieved the intriguing light effect by using a flash. Same day/place.
Milkvetch/Locoweed (genus Astragalus)
Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
Astragalus is a vast genus, with over 3000 species found throughout the northern hemisphere. Some are toxic, hence the name “locoweed,” though Astragalus mongholicus is a completely safe herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Last photo from that day along the river in Montrose in April.
The next five photos are from a visit that Nikki Hill and I took to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on April 25th. This was before the wildfires that happened there later in the summer.
Lanceleaf Springbeauty (Claytonia lanceolata)
Family: Spring Beauty (Montiaceae)
This plant appears dainty but is perennial, growing from an edible tuber that was a traditional food for various Native American tribes. The leaves can also be eaten, though you’d be better off finding this plant’s sibling, Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), which produces a lot more foliage and is a common garden weed in some areas.
Sagebrush Bluebell (Mertensia oblongifolia)
Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
Fans of this plant family will recognize the characteristic mix of blue and purple/pink among the blossoms, as well as their drooping habit. The genus is named after German botanist Franz Karl Mertens (1764-1831). Mertens was an accomplished individual who made valid contributions to science, but this tradition of honoring particular humans by naming more-than-human species after them should be recognized for what it is—conceited—and we should move on. Instead, I offer Kodonlampros which is derived from the Ancient Greek words for “blue” and “bell” (yes, the Greeks had a word for “blue”). Or Tintinnabulum, a Roman word for “a wind chime or assemblage of bells,” which evokes this plant’s whimsy.
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca)
Family: Pine (Pinaceae)
The cone of a Douglas-fir provides 100% certain identification. No other cone has these three-pointed bracts, which totally look like the back legs and a tail of a mouse burrowing in to get a seed. So charming! I’m quite familiar with this tree species from my time in Oregon, where it’s quite common, and where the name is often shortened to “Dougfir.” On Colorado’s Western Slope its range is limited to higher elevation ravines and other moister spots.
White Point-Vetch (Oxytropis sericea)
Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
Also known as White Locoweed, this plant contains swainsonine, a toxic alkaloid that can kill livestock. Human consumption should also be avoided. I didn’t know this when we saw it; I was just charmed by the creamy white flowers with the “banner and keel” arrangement typical of this plant family.
Prairie Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana)
Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)
I had never seen this flower before and was immediately entranced by it. I found only one patch of them all spring, in a shadowy spot on a slope above the Uncompahgre River near Ridgway. The genus contains only 33 species but they are spread around the Northern Hemisphere. In India, a different species is used to induce abortion. “Pulsatilla” comes from a Latin word meaning “beaten by the wind,” which apparently refers to the appearance of wispy seed heads of the spent flowers. April 27th.
Saltcedar (genus Tamarix)
Family: Tamarisk (Tamaricaceae)
Nikki Hill and I have written about this genus of trees before. All I’ll say here is look how pretty the flowers are! Observed June 4th in Confluence Park in Delta.
I saw the next three plants in Escalante Canyon on June 5th.
Brown-spined Pricklypear (Opuntia phaeacantha)
Family: Cactus (Cactaceae)
When people picture Colorado they think mountains and snow, not cacti, but these spiny plants are found throughout the state, even at elevations above 8000’. On iNaturalist, 33 species have been observed. I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting cacti to be so common, so it was thrilling to find some blooming in the spring.
Scarlet Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)
Family: Mallow (Malvaceae)
Another Globemallow! I never get tired of them.
White-stem Evening Primrose (Oenothera albicaulis)
Family: Primrose (Primulaceae)
Primrose blossoms often have very prominent reproductive parts, as seen here. The single female pistil is tipped with an “X” and is the longest thing we see here. The other half a dozen or more parts are the male anthers, which dispense pollen.
Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
Family: Dogbane (Apocynaceae)
I took this photo on June 12th, but I don’t know where. This species is called “showy” but as far as I’m concerned all Milkweed flowers are ostentatious, with their distinctive “hooks and hoods” arrangement of petals. Bees love Milkweeds, as seen here.
Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata)
Family: Phlox (Polemoniaceae)
Also known as Scarlet Trumpet and Skyrocket. These long-tubed red blossoms are hummingbird magnets, so of course I’m drawn to them. “Ipomopsis” means “like Ipomoea” which is a genus of Morning Glories.” The flowers are similar for sure. June 18th near Ridgway.
Rocky Mountain Beardtongue (Penstemon strictus)
Family: Veronica (Plantaginaceae)
I found this patch of flowers the same day, just a little further down the river, which is the Uncompahgre. “Beardtongue” refers to hairs on the lower, tongue-like portion of the flower.
The next six plants are from a June 19th trip up and over the Grand Mesa from the west (up Land’s End Road) to the north (down Hwy 65).
View from near the top of the Grand Mesa, 2024
Tuber Starwort (Torreyostellaria jamesiana)
Family: Pink (Caryophyllaceae)
Also known as James’ Chickweed, this perennial grows from tubers that were traditionally eaten by some Native American peoples. James refers to Edwin P. James (1797-1861), a US American botanist, who was a student of John Torrey (1796–1873), after who the genus is named. The “stellaria” part is another genus, Stellaria, that of Chickweed the common garden weed, and which means “star” in Latin, referring to the shape of the flowers. Having two dudes jammed into this one name takes up a lot of space that could be used to describe, say, attributes of the plant itself instead.
Richardson’s Geranium (Geranium richardsonii)
Family: Geranium (Geraniaceae)
I saw this plant everywhere on the Western Slope, from mountains to valleys, from shade to full sun, as long as there was some moisture present. The pink-tipped pistil stands out.
Owlsclaws (Hymenoxys hoopesii)
Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
Also known as Orange Sneezeweed (the plant causes an allergic reaction for some people) and Yerba del Lobo (Wolf Plant).
Grand Mesa Penstemon (Penstemon mensarum)
Family: Veronica (Plantaginaceae)
Also known as Tiger Beardtongue, this is a rare species that is only found on the Grand Mesa, from a few dozen locations. (The species name, “mensarum” comes from the Latin word, “mensa,” which like “mesa” means “table.”) So I was really fortunate to see it, though I didn’t know that at the time. That shade of blue is quite striking!
Wyoming Paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia)
Family: Broomrape (Orobanchaceae)
Like the Globemallows, I love all the Paintbrushes I meet. Also like the Globemallows, most are brightly colored and really stand out on a landscape. This species is also called “Prairie Fire.” As with many other species in the (confoundingly namedi) Broomrape family, Wyoming Paintbrush is hemiparasitic, meaning it gains some of its nutrients by penetrating the roots of other plants with its own roots. Now, parasitism in nature, especially among plants, is poorly understood in our culture, where the “parasite” label is pinned on any number of groups, both above and below one self on the social ladder. But in the plant world, things are more nuanced and the reflexive assumption of harm is not warranted. It’s not in the interest of a parasitic plant to kill its host, especially if the plant (like Mistletoe) is fully parasitic. All the typical talk about “stealing nutrients” is the projection of a particular type of human society where, unfortunately, greed and cruel competition really are facts of life. Not so for Castilleja and their neighbors. (See “The Effects of Hemiparasitism by Castilleja Species on Community Structure in Alpine Ecosystems.”)
Flowery Phlox (Phlox multiflora)
Family: Phlox (Polemoniaceae)
This flower was so thrilling to see because it was clearly at its peak over a whole part of the landscape. Each plant was rounded like a half-buried stone, like the half-buried stones they grew among. The heart really feels something from an expanse of flowers like this.
Though most of the blossoms were white, a few pinkish ones winked out here and there.
Plains Pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha)
Family: Cactus (Cactaceae)
A widespread species in western North America, from Mexico into Canada. The flowers vary in color and are often yellow where I saw them this year, so this bright pink one really stood out, and the peach one even more so. The green tipped organ in the center is phallic in shape but is actually the female portion of the flower: the stigma on the style. All the powdery yellow things around her are the males: the anthers. Quite the harem she has! Individual Opuntia flowers often stay open for only one day, so be grateful when you see one! I observed both of these and many others on June 25th by the Uncompahgre River north of Ridgway.
Dusty Beardtongue (Penstemon comarrhenus)
Family: Veronica (Plantaginaceae)
This species has a somewhat limited range, being mostly around the Four Corners, and extending just a bit into Nevada. Even for a Penstemon, the flower of this species looks especially like an open mouth. I find the coloration really attractive, with the scarlet stripes on the three lobes below and the white margins like eyebrows above.
The specific epithet (the second part of the name), “comarrhenus,” is derived from Greek and means “hairy nose” lol. I saw this patch of plants the same day as the Pricklypears above, closer to the water.
Manyflowered Stoneseed (Lithospermum multiflorum)
Family: Borage (Boraginaceae)
This is a case where the common name is a direct translation of the scientific name, which is entirely made up of Latin roots in this case. “Litho” = “stone,” “spermum” = “seed,” “multi” = “many” and “florum” = “flower.” I saw this on June 26th growing in profusion by the Lower Beaver campground on the San Miguel River, but nowhere else the whole summer. I didn’t know that any plants in the Borage family didn’t have blue or pink flowers. Some Native Americans made a purple dye from the roots.
Prairie Woundwort (Stachys pilosa)
Family: Mint (Lamiaceae)
Also known as Hairy Hedge Nettle. I observed this on July 3rd by Beaver Creek, which flows into the Gunnison River just above Blue Mesa Reservoir, a little west of the town of Gunnison. Different species of Stachys grow all over the world, on all continents except Antarctica. I’ve met several species on the West Coast but this one was new to me.
The next three plants were growing by Coal Creek where I camped with a friend July 16th.
Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus gunnisonii)
Family: Lily (Liliaceae)
I’m familiar with the genus Calochortus because the bulbs of Mariposa Lilies are a traditional Native American first food, but I hadn’t seen this species before. As with the whole genus, the flowers are exquisite.
Native Lavender Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia)
Family: Mint (Lamiaceae)
A subspecies of Wild Bergamot, aka Bee Balm, a well-known medicinal plant with a long history of use by Native Americans for lung and throat health. Used by contemporary herbalists for treating colds and flu. The flavor of the leaves is akin to Oregano but super-charged. I already knew this plant from gardening, but wasn’t aware of all the sub-species until researching for this photo esssay.
Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans)
Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
I took special notice of Thistles this summer. A couple of perennial species were very common weeds at the farm. Others that were biennial, like this one, were reliably found in human-disrupted areas by roads and paths. Thistles get a bad rap because they are frequently encountered in agricultural settings but of course ecologically they play important roles. As early succession species they contribute to recovery in disturbed places and as robust bloomers they provide nectar for bees and other pollinators. Over time they would be shaded out by shrubs and trees if a place were left alone but the man-made clearings where they are most at home—farm fields, roadsides, railroad and powerline corridors, parking areas, etc.—are by their function perpetually kept cleared and open. As such, we can’t blame Thistles for thriving in places where we continually maintain growing conditions that are perfect for them.
Salt Spring Checkerbloom (Sidalcea neomexicana)
Family: Mallow (Malvaceae)
I was so thrilled to find this patch of flowers near Ridgway on Aug. 23rd. I knew Checkerbloom when I saw it, even if I didn’t know which species. I had to clamber a few steps down a steep-ish slope to get close look and snap some photos. Checkerblooms are related to Hollyhocks (genus Alcea), and you can see the similarity in the shapes of the flowers and the shape of the plant
Northern Paintbrush (Castilleja septentrionalis)
Family: Broomrape (Orobanchaceae)
Most of the Paintbrushes are red or reddish, so this creamy species stands out. I understand it can also be bright yellow. The species name “septentrionalis” is just the Latin word for “northern” believe it or not. Observed July 24th on the Grand Mesa near Overland Reservoir.
Nodding Ragwort (Senecio bigelovii)
Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
This flower looks exotic but is actually just an Aster I was surprised to find out. Some flowers in the Sunflower/Aster/Daisy family, like this one, only have disc flowers and not ray flowers; picture a daisy with the white petals plucked, leaving only the yellow composite center. Observed near the Northern Paintbrush, above, the same day.
Redroot Buckwheat (Eriogonum racemosum)
Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae)
Ok this is probably only exciting to me, but this is a species of Eriogonum that I had never seen before. This North American genus contains at least 250 species with flowers ranging in color from white, creamy or pink to yellow, orange or red. They are typically found in arid environments and seem quite hardy. I’m not the only one who nerds out on this genus. There is actually an Eriogonum Society with membership dues! Seen Aug. 13th near Ridgway.
Pleated Gentian (Gentiana affinis)
Family: Gentian (Gentianaceae)
This genus is found all over the world and it has a long history of use as a medicine and also as an ingredient in the after dinner style of liqueur called bitters. This species is widespread throughout the US American West and into south central Canada. Found the same day as the Redroot Buckwheat, a little further down the river.
These final two were observed on the Front Range, when I visited some good friends in Manitou Springs and we went for a hike one day (Sept. 24th).
Hoary Tansyaster (Dieteria canescens)
Family: Sunflower (Astreaceae)
I’m a big fan of the all the simple Asters, and this year I noticed how many kinds were blooming at the end of summer when so many other plants were done. This species is found all over western North America from British Columbia to Baja California and as far east as the Dakotas. I’m not the only one who likes this plant. Its flowers attract lots of insect pollinators and its seeds are popular with many birds and small mammals. Hoary Tansyaster is found in a variety of ecological settings from low to high elevation but is most common in arid or semi-arid places with well-drained soil. It thrives in disturbed areas including anthropogenic zones.
Lupine (genus Lupinus)
Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
The genus is found throughout the Americas and Europe. The name is derived from the Latin word for “wolf” because people noticed that it grew on poor sites and believed the plant stole fertility from the soil the same way wolves prey on flocks. However, this was a classic mistaking of correlation for causation. In reality, Lupines are just tolerant of poor soils and what’s more, through nitrogen fixation, they are actually improving fertility. I love Lupines for their showy inflorescences.
Fall colors in Kebler Pass, Oct. 1st:
The Uncompahgre River near Ridgway, Oct. 2nd:
Cottonwood (genus Populus)
Family: Willow (Salicaceae)
The word “populus” is Latin for “people.” The Romans gave the tree that name because they thought the distinctive sound of the wind in the leaves sounded like a crowd, which it indeed does. As I was preparing to leave Colorado at the end of the season, the Cottonwoods in the valleys were all hitting peak golden, which I found breathtakingly beautiful. This particular specimen was at a friend’s place near Hotchkiss, as seen on Oct. 9th,
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