Wildflowers, Red-Orange Pg1

Harsh Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort). There are over two-hundred species of Indian Paintbrush Western North America and this plant is edible in small quantities. Quote "They will absorb selenium, a potentially toxic, alkaline mineral compound in the soil. Where high amounts of selenium in the soil is not present, Indian Paintbrush can be enjoyed in moderation in salads." End quote. Various tribes used the flowering parts as a paintbrush. The Chippewa Indians were known to use Indian Paintbrush as a medicine to treat rheumatism and as a bath rinse to make their hair glossy. Both applications are useful due to it's selenium content." There were many other uses of Paintbrush by Indian tribes - such as a soother for menstral cramps, prevention of contraception, and used with other plants to color animal skins. Plant location: Ingalls Creek of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness region was the site where this plant was found. It was mid may of 2007. Bloom period: The bloom season can vary greatly - from April through August. I have seen some blooms still showing in Washington into late September.
Orange Honeysuckle -or- Western Trumpet Honeysickle (Lonicera ciliosa), family Caprifoliaceae. The plant is a native to forests areas of western North America with only about 20 species living here. Europe has about the same population of species. Compare this to China - it has over 100 species in residence! While many of the honeysuckle flowers produce a sweet nectar that can be ingested safely, some produce berries that are mildly toxic. So be careful in your harvesting out there! One of the most amusing factoids we have come across yet in our plant research is from WIKIPEDIA. Honeysuckle flowers in Victorian times were believed to spawn erotic dreams!! Teenage girls were forbidden, in those times, to bring the plants home!! Another creature in addition to homo-sapiens is affected by honeysuckle, cats. The honeysuckle species Lonicera tartarica contains the same substance (nepetalactone) that is in catnip. The wood from the plant is recuced and used to make up cat toys. On the medical front WIKIPEDIA has this on the genus: 'Lonicera xylosteum (Fly Honeysuckle) is a common homeopathic remedy, used for asthma, breathing difficulties and syphilis. Lonicera periclymenum (European honeysuckle) is an uncommon homeopathic remedy, used for irritability with violent outbursts.' End quote. This plant was a cool sighting. According to the book WILDFLOWERS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, the Orange Honeysuckle is not a commmon found plant in this region. Plant location: Seen on May 7, 2007 and er..we don't remember where we were!! But we learned a good lesson in naming our files using detailed file names! We can say this..we were in Washington state, probably within 50 miles of Seattle. Bloom period: late spring to early summer perennial. Mark took these nice views before we were taking technical photographs of plants for this website. Next year we will aim for better plant and foliage shots - if we can find these blooms again!
Touch-me-not -or- Jewelweed, also known as Cape jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). This plant is native to North America. WIKIPEDIA has this about it's distribution: 'Impatiens capensis was transported in the 19th and 20th by humans to England, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland, and potentially other areas of Northern and Central Europe. These naturalized populations persist in the absence of any common cultivation by people. This jewelweed species is quite similar to Impatiens noli-tangere, an Impatiens species native to Europe and Asia, as well as the other North American Impatiens. No evidence exists of natural hybrids, although the habitats occupied by the two species are very similar.' End quote. The name Touch-me-not is appropriate for the behavior of the plant. Again from WIKIPEDIA: 'The seed pods are pendant and have projectile seeds that explode out of the pods when they are lightly touched, if ripe, which is where the name touch-me-not comes from.' End quote. Plant location: Seen in the Columbia Gorge Oregon late in the season - September 2007. Photos by Mark Dixon. Bloom period: through the summer months.
Copper Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), family Malvaceae. We caught these plants early in their bloom. None of the flowers had opened fully yet, but still they were pleasing to look at. In our opinion they could be mistaken at first glance for wild begonia - look at the foliage to get an accurate ID. The following is a quote from WIKIPEDIA: 'Sphaeralcea coccinea (Scarlet Globemallow) is a perennial plant growing 10-30 cm tall from spreading rhizomes with a low habit. They have grayish stems with dense, star-shaped hairs and alternately arranged leaves. The leaf blades are 2-5 cm long, palmately shaped, and deeply cut, with 3-5 main wedge-shaped segments. The undersides of the leaves have gray hairs. The 2-cm-wide flowers are reddish-orange and saucer-shaped, with 5 notched, broad petals, in small terminal clusters. Plants flower from May to October[1]. This species is native to grasslands and prairies of the Great Plains and western regions of northern North America. The globemallows (or globe mallows) are members of the genus Sphaeralcea in the mallow family (Malvaceae). There are about 40-60 species, including annuals, perennials, and shrubs. Most originate in the drier regions of North America, with some known from South America. Another often-used common name is falsemallows.' End quote. Plant location: Seen on a hike in the Pawnee National Grasslands - Pawnee Butte, Trail #840 on May 26, 2008. This was an excellent hike for sighting wildflowers!! We identified no less than TWENTY-FIVE new species of wildflowers on this hike. Having just moved to Colorado, this was a wonderful introduction to the Plains wildflowers of Colorado. We highly recommend this specific hike. Bloom period: May to October.
Orange Agoseris (Agoseris aurantiaca). This is was not a profuse flower in this area. It was the only specimen seen on this outing. Quoted from WIKIPEDIA: 'Agoseris is a small genus of about 10 plants which are very similar in appearance to the dandelion. They are native to western North America. They are sometimes called mountain dandelions or goat chicory. Like dandelions the stalks are juicy with milky sap, the flower heads are made up of many yellow florets, and the seeds are borne in a globe of achenes each with a white silky pappus. Selected species: Agoseris apargioides - woolly goat chicory, Agoseris aurantiaca - orange agoseris, Agoseris elata - tall agoseris, Agoseris gaspensis - Gaspe Peninsula goat chicory, Agoseris glauca - pale agoseris, prairie dandelion, false dandelion, Agoseris grandiflora - bigflower agoseris, Agoseris heterophylla - annual agoseris, mountain dandelion, Agoseris retrorsa - spearleaf agoseris. Plant location: seen in the Sunrise area of Mt Rainier Washington, July 7, 2007. Bloom period: June through August.
Scarlet Gaura (Gaura coccinea), family Onagraceae. This distinctive looking flower immediately captivated us with it's unusual conformation. Mark spotted it, nicely done, since it was not one of your larger showy flowers. In the arid landscape of it's surroundings, it appeared delicate and almost wistful looking. Lovely! This perennial is native to greater North America. WIKIPEDIA has this on the plant: 'Gaura coccinea is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by several common names, including scarlet beeblossom, scarlet gaura, and linda tarde. It is native to much of North America, especially the western and central sections. It can be found in many habitats, and is occasionally an urban weed. This is a perennial herb growing from a woody base and heavy roots. The stems may reach anywhere from 10 centimeters in height to over a meter and sprawling, and they are often covered in small, stiff hairs. The thin to thick clumps of stems are covered in linear to somewhat oval-shaped leaves one to seven centimeters long. Atop the stems are spike inflorescences of several flowers each. The flower has four long, stiff sepals which open and fall away from the flower to lie reflexed toward the stem. There are four spoon-shaped petals which are white to yellowish and may turn pink with age. Each flower has eight long stamens with large red, pink, or yellowish anthers arranged around a long stigma. The fruit is a woody capsule under a centimeter long.' End quote. Plant location: Seen on a hike in the Pawnee National Grasslands - Pawnee Butte, Trail #840 on May 26, 2008. This was an excellent hike for sighting wildflowers!! We identified no less than TWENTY-FIVE new species of wildflowers on this hike. Having just moved to Colorado, this was a wonderful introduction to the Plains wildflowers of Colorado. We highly recommend this hike, which is also known for it's raptor populations. Bloom period: Early spring through summer.
Skyrocket, Desert Trumpets, or Skunk Flower (Ipomopsis aggregate). The area was rather dry so the name Desert Trumpets hit the spot nicely. The flowers are supposedly easy to grow from seed. Another common name is the Scarlet Gilia - they were once classed n that family in error. Ipomopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae. Plant location: We found this specimen in the Cle Elum area on June 6, 2007. Bloom period: this plant enjoys a fairly generous time to show off - May through September.
Western Wallflower -or- Blister Cress -or- Plains Wallflower (Erysimum, species non-specific), family Brassicaceae (mustard). Note first that our specimen is quite orange in hue, and so we included it in this color group. But more commonly in most of our books we find the plant in the yellow sections. It is noted that the plant hybridizes easily with other wallflower species and the color difference is not surprising. This sighting of the orange varient (described by some botanists as tangerine, oh my) is more rare and was an exiciting find for us! Another quite interesting common name for these plants comes from the book WILDFLOWERS OF COLORADO FIELD GUIDE (by Don Mammoser and Stan Tekeila); Wormseed. According to this source American Indians would eat the seeds of the plant (very bitter to the taste) to rid themselves of intesinal worms. Ewwww! The genus Erysimum consists of 225 species, with hybridization making exact species identification difficult. Far be it for us to, er, ...guess...and mis-inform anyone! The plants of this genus can be annuals or perennials and are native from North America through Costa Rica, amoung others. A number of wallflowers are endemic to small specific areas, a few being endangered or almost extinct. Plant location: Coming home from the Rocky Mountains on Hwy 103. May 30, 2008 Bloom period: May through August.
Crimson or Sitka Columbine (Aquilegia formosa). Columbine has a widespread distribution and is commonly seen throughout the Pacific Northwest. If you want to attract hummingbirds, plant Columbine! They are a known pollinator of this beautiful plant. Plant location: This flower was photographed by Mark when we hiked Dog Mountain in July 2005. The plant and foliage were shot by Darice in the Nisqually Washington area in late June 2007. Bloom period: May through August.
Indian Blanket -or- Firewheel -or- Sundance (Gaillardia pulchella), family Asteraceae. One of the new books in our library, WILDFLOWERS OF COLORADO FIELD GUIDE (by Don Mammoser and Stan Tekeila) states that this is one of the prettiest flowers in Colorado. We can hardly disagree. Our specimen was growing all by itself and was still enough of a standout that we pulled off the side of the road to photograph it! Information from the same source says these plants attract butterflies and bees, and is heat and drought resistant. The American Indian tribes are known to have treated digestive and congestion problems with parts of the plant. Indian Blanket is an annual native to the central United States but is seen currently all the way from Mexico to southern Canada. Oklahoma has named it their state flower. The genus Gaillardia only hosts about 24 species, rather small in botanical terms. Per WIKIPEDIA the genus was named after M. Gaillard de Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany. Plant location: Seen outside Brighton Colorado, July 3, 2008. Note the highly chamouflaged critter in the inset photo. Pretty good hideout; one that provides nutrients! Bloom period: all through summer.
Tiger Lily -or- Columbia Lily -or- Oregon Lily (Lilium columbianum). Per WIKIPEDIA: 'The genus Lilium are herbaceous flowering plants normally growing from bulbs, comprising a genus of about 110 species in the lily family, Liliaceae. They are important as large showy flowering garden plants, and in literature. Some of the bulbs have been consumed by people. The species in this genus are the true lilies, while other plants with lily in the common name are related to other groups of plants. Lilium bulbs are starchy and edible as root vegetables, although bulbs of some species may be very bitter. The non-bitter bulbs of L. lancifolium, L. pumilum, and especially L. brownii (Chinese: ???; pinyin: baihé gan) are grown at large scale in China as a luxury or health food, most often sold in dry form. They are eaten especially in the summer, for their ability to reduce internal heat. They may be reconstituted and stir-fried, grated and used to thicken soup, or processed to extract starch. Their texture and taste draw comparison with the potato, although the individual bulb scales are much smaller. Although they are believed to be safe for humans to eat, there are reports of nephrotoxicosis (kidney failure) in cats which have eaten some species of Lilium and Hemerocallis' End quote. Soooo, keep your cats away!! Plant location: We first saw Tiger Lily when we hiked Dog Mountain in 2005. Since then we have seen them in various areas throughout Oregon and Washington. Bloom period: May through August.
Alpine Sorrel -or- Wood Sorrel -or- Mountain Sorrel (Oxyria digyna), family Polygonaceae (Knotweed). The pretty color of these interesting looking blooms are surpassed only by their nutritional value. Abundant sources of vitamins A, C, and E, they were used by Native Americans in the making of a dish like sauerkraut. Per WIKIPEDIA is this information: 'Oxyria digyna (mountain sorrel, wood sorrel, Alpine sorrel or Alpine mountainsorrel) is common in the tundra of Arctic. Further south, it grows in high mountainous areas like the Alps and Cascade Range. It grows in dense tufts, with stems 10-20 cm high. Both flowering stems and leaf stalks are somewhat reddish. Leaves are kidney-shaped, somewhat fleshy, on stalks from the basal part of the stem. Flowers are small, green and later reddish, and are grouped in an open upright cluster. The fruit is a small nut, encircled by a broad wing which finally turns red. Forming dense, red tufts, the plant is easily recognized. O. digyna grows in wet places protected by snow in winter. Oxyria (from Greek) means sour. The leaves have a fresh acidic taste and are rich in vitamin C, containing about 36 mg/100g. They were used by the Inuit to prevent and cure scurvy, and can be used in salads. It is called qunguliq in Inuktitut.' End quote. Plant location: Seen in the Rocky Mountain National Park on July 17, 2008. Bloom period: July through September.
California Poppy.... (Eschscholtzia californica), family Papaveraceae. There are only 12 species in this genus. WIKIPEDIA has this on the plant: 'These flowers have the habit of closing in cloudy weather. The taproot gives off a colorless or orange milky juice. These plants are mildly toxic. The best-known is the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the state flower of California; another common in cultivation is E. lobbii, which is often sold as "Eschscholzia caespitosa", even though the two species are quite different.' End quote. The comment on the flowers closing up in cloudy weather is demonstrated in our photos. It was not only cloudy but raining off and on. We often appreciate the 'shiny' look that rain gives to flowers. Plant location: Seen June 28, 2007 by the Duwamish River in Tukwila Washington. Bloom period: February through September. This foliage shot seemed a good place to offer a view of the plant's 'guts' without petals. I think these 'naked' flower parts offer a wonderful and interesting look all their own, quite striking!
King's Crown -or- Roseroot (Sedum integrifolium), family Crassulaceae (Stonecrop). This is one stunning plant. The flowers just glow and the foliage in the fall becomes another show entirely. This plant has medicianl properties as well. Natives of the state of Alaska to this day chew the roots, spitting out the juice, to ease the discomfort of mouth sores, sore throats, and to bathe weary eyes. Parts of the plants are edible but can cause nausea if overeaten. WIKIPEDIA has this; 'Sedum is the large stonecrop genus of the Crassulaceae, representing about 400 species of leaf succulents, found throughout the northern hemisphere, varying from annual groundcovers to shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves and a typical form of blossom with five petals, seldom four or six. There are typically twice as many stamens as petals.' End quote. Plant location: We saw these gorgeous blooms on Mt Evans on July 20, 2008. The habitat is high altitude; subalpine and alpine zones. Bloom period: July and August.
Mexican Hat -or- Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera), family Asteraceae (Aster). Oh fun! We see so many of these Coneflowers but they are almost always the yellow variant. This is the prefect example of the other common name for the Prairie Coneflower, which is Mexican Hat. See the yellow variety on our Yellow Page 5. The leaves and flowerheads of this plant make a good tea, as well as providing a pleasing vista of color. The plant is drought and heat tolerant. To distinguish the Prairie Coneflower from it's cousin the Cutleaf Coneflower, note the length of the cone. The taller cone belongs to the Prairie variant. The genus Ratibida hosts only four species. The distribution of it's members, though, is widespread all through the United States as well as western Canada and parts of Mexico. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has this technical information: 'A plant branched and leafy in lower part with long leafless stalks bearing flower heads of 3-7 yellow or yellow and red-brown, drooping rays surrounding a long, red-brown central disk. Its sombrero-shaped flower heads, is usually 1 1/2 ft. tall but can reach 3 ft. Flower petals range from dark red and yellow, to all red or all yellow. The flowers central brown disk protrudes 1/2 to 2 in. above the drooping petals. Leaves on the lower portion of the stem are feathery and deeply cleft.' End quote. See that website for additional photographs of this perky looking flower. Plant location: Seen on Hwy 66 between Longmont and Lyons on September 7, 2008. Bloom period: June to September.
Spotted Coralroot -or- Western Coralroot -or- Summer Coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata), family Orchidaceae (Orchid). THANK YOU Ann Henson! Note Ann's comment posted to our guestbook regarding the identity of this plant. She said: 'These are the stems and seed capsules of the orchid- coralroot (probably spotted)- Corallorhiza maculata. The inferior ovary which became the seed capsule is the dominant feature inthe pic but you can still see the old flower dried at the tip.' End quote. Wikipedia has this: 'Corallorhiza maculata, or spotted coralroot, is a North American coralroot orchid flower. Varieties are also known as western coralroot and summer coralroot. It is found from Mexico to Canada, mostly in woodlands. This orchid is a myco-heterotroph; it lacks chlorophyll and gets food by parasitizing the mycelium of fungi in the family Russulaceae. The rhizome and lower stem are often knotted into branched coral shapes. The stem is usually red or brown in color, but occasionally comes in a light yellow or cream color. There are no leaves and no photosynthetic green tissues. The stalklike stems bear dark red scales and intricate orchid flowers. The flowers are small and emerge regularly from all sides of the stem. The sepals are dark red or brown tinged with purple, long and pointed. The side petals are reddish, and the lip petal is bright clean white with deep red spots. It is usually lobed or toothed on the side and 7-10 mm. In some varieties, the lip is plain white without spots. Several Native American groups historically used the stems dried and brewed as a tea for such maladies as colds, pneumonia, and skin irritation.' End quote. For photographs of the FLOWER, enter the genus and species name in the search box on the WIKIPEDIA website. Or try Google Image. Lovely little flowers! Plant location: These seed capsules were on the Hessie Trail near Eldora on a hike to Lost Lake in Colorado. August 17, 2008 Bloom period: Late May through.... we don't know.