Subalpine Wildflowers - Pink/Red

Bird's Beak Lousewort Elephant's Head Magenta Paintbrush Pink Monkeyflower

Pink Mountain Heather Spreading Phlox Subalpine Daisy

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Full resolution versions of wildflower photos available on flickr.

 

Bird's Beak Lousewort

NPS Photo

Bird's Beak Lousewort
Pedicularis ornithorhyncha

This shorter flower grows to about 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) tall, with narrow, toothed, lobed leaves. Common in meadows and moist slopes throughout the park, between 6,000 and 7,000 feet (1,800-2,100 meters)

 

Left: Elephant's Head flowers; Right: Close-up of the distinctive elephant-trunk flower head.

NPS, Steve Redman

Elephant's Head
Pedicularis groenlandica

A species of lousewort; grows to 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall, with mostly basal leaves with slender toothed lobes. The flowers have a distinctive beak that curves down and out like the trunk of an elephant. Common in wet meadows.

 

Left: A Magenta Paintbrush plant. Right: Close up of a Magenta Paintbrush flower.

NPS, Chris Roundtree

Magenta Paintbrush
Castilleja parviflora

Easily identifiable by it's bright pink "magenta" color, this paintbrush is one of many species of paintbrush found in the park. Plant grows to about 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) tall, and leaves have 1-2 slender lobes. Abundant in subalpine meadows, particularly in the Sunrise area.

 

Pink Monkeyflower

NPS Photo

Pink Monkeyflower
Mimulus lewisii

Also known as Lewis's Monkeyflower, this plant forms clumps of stems 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) tall, with oval, toothed leaves. It is found along streams, springs, and wet meadows throughout the park.

 

Pink Mountain Heather

NPS Photo

Pink Mountain Heather
Phyllodoce empetriformis

Forms low, branched mats with stems 4-16 inches (10-40 cm) tall and covered with alternating, needle-like evergreen leaves. Common in subalpine meadows between 5,000-8,000 feet (1,500-2,400 meters).

 

Spreading Phlox

NPS Photo

Spreading Phlox
Phlox diffusa

As indicated by its name, this plants spreads widely along the ground, and is common along roadsides, rocky ridges, and talus slopes. Leaves are narrow and less than an inch long (1-1.5 cm). Flowers are tinged blue when initially opening, then transition to pink-white as the blossom ages.

 

Subalpine Daisy

NPS Photo

Subalpine Daisy
Erigeron peregrinus

Very common in subalpine meadows, with spoon-shaped basal leaves and unbranched stems 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) in height. It is easy to confuse this flower with the Alpine Aster (Aster alpigenus), but the Aster has fewer petals and appears more purplish in color, while the Daisy has many layered petals ringing the flower head.