Fishing on the Net
By Bonnie Nelson
Colorado Flora
Ever tried to identify the wildflowers in Colorado, especially those that grow in the higher elevations? We have a variety of wildflowers in Colorado that grow in the foothills all the way to those that grow on the mountain tops.
In 1899 The Colorado Columbine was designated as the official Colorado State Flower. The flowers are white and blue with large spurs pointing behind the flower. It was named from a Latin word Columba, which means dove, as it looked like the bird of peace. The unique shape makes the plant well suited for attracting feeders, especially hawk moths and hummingbirds, and is a beauty in any garden. In 1925, the General Assembly made it the duty of all citizens to protect this rare species from needless destruction or waste. The law prohibits digging or uprooting the flower on public lands and limits the gathering of buds, blossoms and stems to 25 in one day. It is unlawful to pick the columbine on private land without consent of the land owner. (http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/ aboutflowers/stateflowers/colorado-state-flowers).
But many of our flowers bloom in the high country. Because of this these mountain top flowers are perennials--they live for more than one year. Some of these flowers could even be older than you are. Alpine and subalpine perennials are normally short and stout. This protects them from the winds. These flowers are found in elevations above 10,000 feet in elevation. One of the grandest is the ìOld Man of the Mountainsî. This is a type of sunflower, but the flowers are so large that they often hid the stems and leaves. You cannot miss these when hiking above the tree line. Old Man of the Mountain is often abundant on alpine tundra. The huge sunflowers almost always face east. and the stems and leaves of Old Man are a distinctive very densely hairy green. The plant was first collected for science by John Fremont in the early 1840s in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming (http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com).
Did you know that we even have a few endangered plants?
The following web site has a list of the plants that are on the endangered list (http://herbarium.biology.colostate.edu/ rare.htm). One of these is the Colorado Butterfly Plant. The Colorado butterfly plant is a 2-3 foot tall plant with reddish, fuzzy stems and flowers that turn from white to red with age. Only a few flowers open at a time starting at the lower parts of the stem and working their way up. The Colorado butterfly plant is related to evening primroses. This plant was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2000 (http://www. nativeecosystems.org/species/colorado-butterfly-plant/index_html/)
There are many more flowers native to Colorado that are not mentioned here. Check out your local bookstore, get a book on identifying wildflowers in Colorado and have fun this summer looking for them.
Bonnie Nelson is a freelance writer living in Fountain, CO. If you have any comments or questions, email her at waltbon@comcast.net
CONTACT THE WRITER • WALTBON@COMCAST.nET
BONNIE'S ARCHIVES
4-11-07 | 4-18-07 | 4-25-07 | 5-2-07 | 5-9-07 | 5-16-07 | 5-23-07 | 5-30-07
6-6-07 | 6-13-07 | 6-20-07 | 6-27-07 | 7-4-07 | 7-11-07 | 7-18-07 | 7-25-07
8-1-07 | 8-8-07 | 10-24-07 | 11-1-07 | 11-5-07 | 11-12-07 | 11-26-07 | 11-28-07 | 12-5-07
12-12-07 | 12-26-07 | 1-2-08 | 1-9-08 | 1-16-08 | 1-23-08 | 1-30-08
2-6-08 | 2-20-08 | 2-27-08 | 3-5-08 | 3-12-08 | 3-19-08 | 3-26-08 | 4-2-08 |
