XRhodiola rhodantha - Queen's CrownX
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Queen's Crown -or- Red orpine -or- Rose Crown -or- Redpod Stonecrop (Rhodiola rhodantha), family Crassulaceae (Stonecrop)
We originally published Queen's Crown as Clementsia rhodantha. Clementsia is considered a sub-genus of Rhodiola by Flora of North America. Rhodiola is the most commonly found designation for the species. It was also called Sedum rhodanthum in 1862. You may wonder when first sighting the flowers of Queen's Crown whether you have found a beautiful red clover (which is actually pink in color). An immediate clue is that the foliage of Queen's is completely different. See side panels for a comparison. The genus Rhodiola consists of three species: integrifolia, rhodantha, and rosea. See integrifolia here.
USES: Plants For a Future and Montana Plant Life state: The leaves of rosecrown are edible, raw or cooked as a potherb. They can be chopped finely and added to salads. The leaves are best used when they are young.
Rhodiola rhodantha has also been mentioned as a survival food.
Flower -
Plant location: We have enjoyed a number of sightings of the lovely Queen's Crown, all in Colorado. The flower view came from a hike at Silver Dollar Lake, August 4, 2014. Plant view hiking Black Powder Pass on Boreas Pass on August 2, 2015. Foliage from Mt. Evans on July 20, 2008.
Flora of North America puts the elevation range of Queen's Crown 6562' from to 13,779' in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Montana and Wyoming. See the BONAP distribution map of rhodiola here. Plant -
Bloom period: June to August. Habitats include wet meadows, stream banks, rockfields and rock crevices - all locations where we have found the species.Foliage -
Black Powder Pass - Boreas Pass Colorado - August 2, 2015
Looking down but never in distain :) -
Boreas Pass - Black Powder Pass trail - Colorado - August 2, 2015
Continued...in our early days of plant identification we found a specimen of Queen's Crown (on Mt. Evans) with dark, solidly colored, corollas and mistook it for King's Crown. Queen's foliage (left) grows closer together on the stem and is more lance-shaped and narrow. King's Crown foliage (right) grows much further apart on the stem and is toothed. The foliage of both species is glabrous (smooth, hairless), as opposed to pubescent (bearing any kind of hairs).
**The Black Powder Pass trail was in the process of creation even as we did the hike and offered an outstanding showing of wildflowers as well as mountain views. The distance of the hike is only 3.4 miles round trip with a mere 677 feet of gain. Highly recommended hike. If breathing is an issue at the altitude, we would suggest going slow, but still try. Very rewarding hike.** -
Butler Gultch hike - Colorado - August 10, 2014
One of the less common sightings of Queen's Crown in a moist meadow rather than right next to a water source. -
Diamond Lake hike - Eldora Colorado - August 3, 2015
By the waters edge, one more time. While the Diamond Lake hike came in a distant runner up to hiking Black Powder Pass the day before, we still enjoyed a nice display of wildflowers, fresh air, and a stretch of the legs. The opposite side of the creek from the Queen's Crown hosted a fresh display of Brook Saxifrage. -
While the flower of Queens Crown may at first glance resemble clover, note the vast difference in the foliage.
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Mt Evans - Colorado - July 20, 2008
Our earliest sighting of Queen's Crown with immature flowers looking mostly red. As novice plant identifiers we thought we had King's Crown in this specimen. Clearly not, our bad. -
Boreas Pass - Black Powder Pass trail - Colorado - August 2, 2015
Fun find - The Crowns of Queen's and King's shoulder to shoulder.
**The Black Powder Pass trail was in the process of creation even as we did the hike and offered an outstanding showing of wildflowers as well as mountain views. Since our photo of King's and Queen's crown is a little soft we will have to suffer and return in 2016 for another try.** -
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Boreas Pass - Black Powder Pass trail - Colorado - August 2, 2015
A different view of King's and Queen's Crown growing in close proximity - neighbors on high. Elevation at this point was right around 12,000'. Note the distinct difference in the foliage of the two species. In our early days of plant identification we found a specimen of Queen's Crown (on Mt. Evans) with dark, solidly colored, corollas and mistook it for King's Crown. Oops. See a closer view of the foliages in the next frame, top right.
**The Black Powder Pass trail was in the process of creation even as we did the hike and offered an outstanding showing of wildflowers as well as mountain views. The distance of the hike is only 3.4 miles round trip with a mere 677 feet of gain. Highly recommended hike. If breathing is an issue at the altitude, we would suggest going slow, but still try. Very rewarding hike.** -