Natural History Wanderings

Wildflowers of Rocky Mountain National Park has a new wildflower report for the Alpine Tundra on West Ute Trail

This hike and photos were taken about two weeks ago so some of the flowers are expected to be gone now. However, it is a still great representation of the mid-season blooms on the tundra.

Here is the plant list for flowers seen on the he West Ute Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park

• Orange Agoseris (Agoseris aurantiaca)
• Alpine Lousewort (Pedicularis scopulorum)
• Parry Lousewort (Pedicularis parryi)
• Bracted Lousewort (Pedicularis bracteosa)
• Elephantella (Pedicularis groenlandica)
• Alpine Clover (Trifolium dasyphyllum)
• Parry Clover (Trifolium parryi)
• Alplily (Lloydia serotina)
• Narcissus Anemone (Anemone narcissiflora)
• Alpine Avens (Acomastylis rossii)
• American Bistort (Bistorta bistortoides)
• Black-Headed Daisy (Erigeron melanocephalus)
• Black-Headed Daisy (Erigeron melanocephalus)
• Alpine Fleabane or One-Headed Daisy (Erigeron simplex)
• Alpine Fleabane or One-Headed Daisy (Erigeron simplex)
• Pinnate-Leaf Daisy (Erigeron pinnatisectus)
• Brook Saxifrage (Saxifraga odontoloma)
• Subalpine Buttercup (Ranunculus eschscholtzii)
• Snow Buttercup (Ranunculus adoneus)
• Alpine Harebell (Campanula uniflora)
• Mountain Candytuft (Thlaspi montanum)
• Brook Cress (Cardamine cordifolia)
• Draba (Draba sp)
• Golden Draba (Draba aurea)
• Mountain Dryad (Dryas octopetala)
• Spore-Producing Structure of Horsetail (Equisetum sp)
• Fendler Sandwort (Eremogone fendleri)
• Fendler Sandwort (Eremogone fendleri)
• Alpine Starwort (Stellaria longipes)
• Alpine Forget-Me-Not (Eritrichum aretioides)
• Goldbloom Saxifrage (Saxifraga chrysantha)
• Goldbloom Saxifrage (Saxifraga chrysantha)
• Pygmy Bitterroot (Lewisia pygmaea)
• Lance-Leaf Chiming Bells (Mertensia lanceolata)
• Moss Campion (Silene acaulis)
• Different Groundsel (Packera dimorphophylla)
• Different Groundsel (Packera dimorphophylla)
• Whipple or Dusky Penstemon (Penstemon whippleanus)
• Subalpine Jacobs Ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum)
• Sky Pilot (Polemonium viscosum)
• Blue-Leaf Cinquefoil (Potentilla diversifolia)
• Purple Fringe (Phacelia sericea)
• Scarlet Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)
• Rosy Paintbrush (Castilleja rhexifolia)
• Western Paintbrush (Castilleja occidentalis)
• Clover-Leaf Rose (Sibbaldia procumbens)
• Snowball Saxifrage (Saxifraga rhomboidea)
• Snowlover (Chionophila jamesii)
• Alpine Sorrell (Oxyria digyna)
• Alpine Sunflower or Old-Man-of-the-Mountain (Rydbergia grandiflora)
• Triangle-Leaf or Arrow-Leaf Senecio (Senecio triangularis)
• Alpine Speedwell (Veronica wormskioldii)
• Alpine Speedwell (Veronica wormskioldii)
• Mountain Blue Violet (Viola adunca) and Northern Rock Jasmine (Androsace septentriolanis)
• Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatum)
• Bog or Swamp Laurel (Kalmia microphylla)

See photos and older posts at:  Wildflowers of Rocky Mountain National Park.