Setting Sun

On September 2, 2018August 7, 2018 By Mike and Christy7 Comments

Setting Sun

There is nothing more beautiful than a great sunset. The same could be said of wildflowers. Photographed on a hike near Schofield pass CO.

Wildflower Monochromes: 1

On August 30, 2018August 2, 2018 By Mike and Christy11 Comments

A little black and white bouquet of wildflowers seen this past summer.

Lupine after an early summer rain.

Prairie Smoke

Green Gentian

Yellow Salsify

On Joe Pye

On August 20, 2018August 20, 2018 By Mike and Christy19 Comments

The Joe Pye Weed is in full bloom and this painted Lady Butterfly is happy about that. Although known for attracting butterflies we have noticed others to find Joe Pye quite to their liking as well.

Dragonflies like Joe Pye.

As well as this wasp.

And this lovely looking bee with pincers you don’t want to mess with like Joe Pye.

A hub of activity with lovely flower to boot.

Monument Plant: Frasera speciosa

On August 7, 2018August 7, 2018 By Mike and Christy6 Comments

This version of Green Gentain called Monument Plant or more specifically Frasera speciosa is one of our favorite wildflowers.

From it’s humble beginnings…

Monument plant grows into a beautiful, tall, cone shaped plant which produces innumerable intricate sculptural flowers each a work of art in their own right.

Frasera speciosa is also commonly called elkweed as it is good browsing material for both deer and elk but the little guys seem to find Monument Plant to their liking as well.

And to top it all off a couple of photographers find Green Gentian fascinating as well and never tire of photographing it when it appears in the open meadows and grasslands each spring.

Yellow Bells:Fritillaria pudica

On May 28, 2018May 21, 2018 By Mike and Christy13 Comments

In addition to the Glacier Lillies carpeting the forest floor these small Yellow Bells, which are also in the Lilly family, have kept us company this spring. The plants are only 10-30cm tall and usually contain a single flower. They grow scattered in patches both in open areas as shown below and in more forested areas as well.

The bulb of yellowbells is edible, raw or cooked. It can also be dried for later use. Since it is rich in starch, it is best used in the autumn, however, many tribes picked them in May and boiled them alone or with bitterroot. The raw bulb tastes like potatoes, when cooked it tastes like rice. It can be eaten as a vegetable or be added to soups etc. Several tribes used them for food. The green seedpods can be eaten, boiled as a wild green, but are said to be bitter.

We found flowers that ranged from the typical yellow to some that were a deep orange.

A small treasure that springs from the ground and one to look forward to again.

Blue Tips

On October 29, 2017October 20, 2017 By Mike and Christy12 Comments

Blue Tips

A bit of blue still lingering as snows have come and gone this fall. The beauty of the summer flowers dressed in fall colors never ceases to delight the eyes. Photographed near Crested Butte, CO several weeks ago.

Prickly Poppies

On September 11, 2017September 11, 2017 By Mike and Christy9 Comments

Prickly Poppies are a wonderful wildflower to have around. On our daily walks we can rest assured we will find some in bloom. Once found, we can stop for a moment and enjoy the show as beetles, bees and ants do their work pollinating these delicate flowers. Even now, as fall approaches and most of the other wildflowers have lost their blooms, a few Prickly Poppies are still going strong.