Wildflowers, Blue-Purple Pg4

Cascade Penstemon -or- Coast Penstemon (Penstemon serrulatus), was family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort), re-classed to family Plantaginaceae (Plantain). See WIKIPEDIA for a detailed account of the changes. This penstemon has finely serrated leaved. It grows in elevations of up to 6000 feet. The genus is huge with about 270 species in North America alone. These flowers were once considered as a candidate for the national flower for the United States but were not selected due to the fact that no particular state had chosen it as their state flower - sheesh! Do you have a toothache? Native Americans used Penstemon to treat this! Another interesting fact...although so common and abundant in North America, Europeans have been much more attracted to the genus and have created many hybrids. WIKIPEDIA has this on that: 'By 1860, a half-dozen French growers are known to have developed hybrids, most notably Victor Lemoine, while in 1857 the German Wilhelm Pfitzer listed 24 varieties. In 1861 the Royal Horticultural Society held trials in which 78 varieties were entered. The Scottish firm of John Forbes first offered penstemons in 1870, eventually becoming the biggest grower in the world; in 1884 their catalog listed 180 varieties. By 1900 Forbes had offered 550 varieties, while Lemoine had developed nearly 470 by the time of his death in 1911.' End quote. Sadly however, his work declined with his death and few of his species remain today. Penstemons are so hardy on their own that they frequently do NOT do well if overfertilized and some species will grow in almost total sand! Plant location: Seen hiking Larch Mountain, Oregon state, on July 1, 2007. This information is from WIKIPEDIA: 'They have opposite leaves, partly tube-shaped and two-lipped flowers and seed capsules. The most distinctive feature of the genus is the prominent staminode, an infertile stamen. The staminode takes a variety of forms in the different species; while typically a long straight filament extending to the mouth of the corolla, some are longer and extremely hairy, giving the general appearance of an open mouth with a fuzzy tongue protruding and inspiring the common name beardtongue'. End quote. Bloom period: June to early August - from the book NORTHWEST PENSTEMONS, by Dee Strickler. The plant is probably a herbaceous perennial, as most penstemons are.
Bluemat Penstemon (Penstemon linarioides ssp coloradoensis), family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort). It was a bit late in the season for this penstemon. Most of the same plants in proximity to our flowering example had already dried and showed seed pods. These were the only blooms still in evidence. Plant location: This lovely find was in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Seen on August 19, 2009. Bloom season: Unknown
Washington Penstemon (Penstemon washingtonensis), was family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort), re-classed to family Plantaginaceae (Plantain). See WIKIPEDIA for a detailed account of the changes. This thumbnail looks much like the previous panel. Look closely, there is a world of difference between the Cascade and Washington penstemons. This species lives in a very small area of Washington and has a short bloom span, making this a very cool sighting by Mark! Plant location: Seen outside of Twisp Washington on July 27, 2007. Bloom period: SHORT, July into August - from the excellent book NORTHWEST PENSTEMONS, by Dee Strickler.
Blue Wild Iris (Iris missouriensis), family Iridaceae (Lily). Plant location: Found blooming along the roadside in Boulder County Colorado on May 18, 2009. Bloom season: May to July.
Western Blue Flax -or- Prairie Flax (Linum lewisii), family Linaceae (Flax). The deep blue color of these flowers makes a very pretty show in a natural setting, so much so that they have become popular in tended gardens. The plants can be aggressive and will even seed into lawns so adding to established garden environments should be a carefully considered decision. The plant's flowers often close or fall off the plant as the day wears on making these look like spindly plants with no flowers! See the inset in the flower panel to get a look at a closing example. But even without flowers these plants offer great usefulness. American Indian tribes used the tough fiber of the plant's stems to make rope, cords, fishing lines and even nets. The bloom period of the plants lasts many weeks - another reason for their inclusion in cultivated gardens. Plant location: Sighted in the Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge, Arvada Colorado, 5.14.8 Bloom period: Spring and Summer
Alpine Mertensia (Mertensia alpina), family Boraginaceae (Borage). Plant location: Found on Cottonwood Pass near Granby Colorado on May 27, 2009. The elevation was 8904'. Bloom season: June to August.
Narrow Leafed Penstemon (Penstemon angustifolius), was family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort), re-classed to family Plantaginaceae (Plantain). See WIKIPEDIA for a detailed account of the changes. Due to new genetic research it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae. This delicate looking specimen is one hardy plant. Belonging to a huge genus, these Penstemons are also called Beardtongue, and thrive in sandy dry soil. They do just fine in arid habitats. The group is native to North America and some say that this specific species is native to Colorado. The plant is actually not tolerant of excessive water or fertilizer - so be harsh - it will still love you. The 'beardtongue' portion of the flower is actually the fifth stamen of the flower and is sterile. The flowers can be pink or lavender as well as our gorgeous blue example, depending on location. A beautiful bloom, the plant has a useful side as well. The following information is from the USDA Plant Database: 'Narrow leaf penstemon is a drought tolerant forb. It is helpful in preventing wind erosion on sandy dunes, plains and grasslands where it establishes. Wildlife: Narrow leaf penstemon provides a food source to small birds and mammals. It is heavily used by hummingbirds and various insects during flowering.' End quote. Native Americans are known to have used the roots of penstemon to treat toothache. Plant location: Seen in Weld County Colorado on the Pawnee Butte hiking trail #840 on May 26, 2008. Bloom period: Accurate bloom period is unknown. Our specimen was sighted mid spring.
Silvery lupine (Lupinus argenteus), family Fabaceae (Pea). Plant location: Found on Cottonwood Pass near Granby Colorado on May 27, 2009. Bloom season: May to August.
Purple Prairie Clover (Petalostemon purpureum) -or- (Dalea purpurea), family Fabaceae. What a charmer of a flower!! The interesting cone topper surrounded by a lovely necklace of tiny purple flowers with bright yellow stamens sticking out made for an enchanting looking bloom. It was our first sighting of this very lovely flower, with one and only one in sight. It kept good company, being in the presence of Indian Blanket and Prairie Coneflower at this roadside location. In truth we stopped for the larger and more showy Indian Blanket. This little darling was a sweet bonus! We caught the flower at a good time in our opinion. The bloom starts at the base and continues up the cone. We thought the cone 'tophat' made the flower quite captivating looking. The prairie clover plants make a high protein food for livestock but as a garden item they are best grown from seeds. The plant produces an extensive root system that makes successful transplantation difficult. The genus, Dalea, hosts quite a large number of species. We are not sure of the native origin of the plants, but it is a neighbor friendly plant. The root system may resist transplanting but it's widespread configuration adds generous doses of nitrogen to the soil it lives in, keeping it's environs fertile for other plants as well as itself. In fact the taproot of this plant can reach up to TEN FEET below the ground in it's quest for nutrients!! Its long taproot has been used to make a tea to reduce fever in measles sufferers. If this is not good enough for you, the flowers are also attractors for birds and butterflies. Lots going on with this very pretty flower. Plant location: Just outside of Brighton Colorado on July 3, 2008 Bloom period: May through July and sometimes through September.
Low Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), family Ranunculaceae (Buttercup). Poisonous plant!!! Quote: The plant is poisonous to cattle and can be poisonous to horses and sheep when ingested in higher amounts. In an experiment with Delphinium barbei (not found in Canada), six times as much plant material (per kilogram of body weight) was needed to poison sheep than to poison cattle. Why cattle are sensitive to larkspur poisoning is not understood. The alkaloid methyllycaconitine causes curare-like effects on the skeletal muscles and can cause motor paralysis, followed by death from asphyxiation. Plant location: Found on Cottonwood Pass near Granby Colorado on May 27, 2009. Bloom season: Flowers from spring to early summer.
Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), family Geraniaceae (Geranium). Plant location: Seen in the Rocky Mountain foothills in Colorado state at Hwy 72 and Plainview Road. The date was June 6, 2008. Sorry for the dreadful focus on the plant view!! Bloom season: February to November.
Whipple's Penstemon (Penstemon whippleanus), family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort). We have two other color variants of this species on the website; dark purple (called Dusky Beardtongue) - see Blue/Purple Pg1 - and the white version, see Whites Pg1. This species of penstemon is listed as native to the Pacific Northwest per Dr. Dee Strickler. Plant location: Another wonderful find in the Medicine Bow National Forest on July 21, 2009. Bloom season: July and August.
Western Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis), family Commelinaceae (Spiderwort). Plant location: Hwy 36 between Lyons and Estes Park Colorado. May 26, 2009 Bloom season: June and July.
BEST GUESS: Taper-leaved Penstemon (Penstemon attenuatus var. blue form), family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort). Numerous penstemons were examined online and in our reference books to arrive at an identification of this specimen. The most compelling of these came from page 158 of Dr. Dee Strickler's book Northwest Penstemons. There are four varieties of attenuatus described by Strickler as exceedingly variable and found in Central Washington, NE Oregon, W. Montana, S. Idaho, and Central Wyoming. Matching charactaristics include anther, staminode, flower conformation, and foliage. See what you think! More information on his book Northwest Penstemons can be found in our bibliography. Plant location: Again, this is a specimen from Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming. We had passed through Centennial, headed up into the park proper on July 21, 2009, when we saw these lovely plants on the left side of the road at the base of an embankment. Outstanding color. Bloom season: Late spring to early summer. Note: the larger portion of this image shows the basal rosette leaves of this specimen. The inset within is a close-up of the cauline leaves.
Purple Salsify -or- Oyster Plant -or- Goat's Beard, family Asteraceae (Aster). Plant location: Clear Creek Trail, Colorado - May 31, 2009. Bloom season: June through August
Sawsepal penstemon -or- Western Smooth Beardtongue (Penstemon glaber), family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort). Per the Lady Bird Johnson website: 'Stout perennial with large, trumpet-shaped flowers and glossy, dark green leaves. 18-20 in. tall on the average, but may be shorter or taller depending on environment. Flower color is also dependent on environment - brilliant blue in dry months, almost white during wet periods. Forms many-stemmed crown with age'. We saw an example of the many stemmed crown plant near the one we took for a technical photo. Look closely at the plant view, at the plant on the left. Native Americans long used penstemon roots to relieve toothache. Plant location: Seen on the Beartooth Highway near Yellowstone National Park. August 30, 2009 at an elevation of 8025'. GPS coordinates: N45.01.581 W109.53.238. Penstemon glaber is found in the following states: CO, MT, ND, NE, NM, SD, WY Bloom season: Commonly June and July. Our specimen was later.