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    Rocky Mountain

    National Park Colorado

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Wildflowers

a photo of a Colorado columbine

Colorado Columbine

NPS Photo

An appreciation for wildflowers can carry with it an awareness and understanding for the seasons, insect and bird life, habitat, and other related factors. The lists that follow give the more commonly observed wildflowers, colors, scientific names, habitat and seasonal variables, and other helpful information.

Sources include William A. Weber/s “Rocky Mountain Flora,” 5th edition, 1976, Colorado Associated University Press, Boulder, Colorado, and W.A. Weber and Ruth Ashton Nelson, “Plants of Rocky Mountain National Park,” 1970, Rocky Mountain Nature Association.

 

The key to the habitat symbols:
M=montane S=subalpine A-alpine
d-dry w-wet

The lists are grouped by color category:

Yellow Blue
Pink Green
Red Purple
Orange White

Since there are over 900 different plant species found in Rocky Mountain National Park, there are often one or more other plant species closely related to the one(s) listed.

 
a photo of yellow saxifrage
Yellow Saxifrage
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

Yellow

M-d

Early

Creeping hollygrape

Mahonia repens

Barberry

Yellow

M-d

Sulfur flower

Eriogonum umbellatum

Buckwheet

Yellow

A-w

Snow buttercup

Ranunculus adoneus

Buttercup

Yellow

S-w

Globeflower

Trollius laxus

Buttercup

Yellow

M/S

Heartleaf arnica

Arnica cordifolia

Composite

Yellow

M-d

Mountain gumweed

Grindelia subalpine

Composite

Yellow

M-d

Dwarf sunflower

Helianthus pumilus

Composite

Yellow

A

Rydbergia

Hymenoxys grandiflora

Composite

Yellow

M

Black-eyed susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Composite

Yellow

S-w

Arrowleaf ragwort

Senecio triangularis

Composite

Yellow

M

Goldenrod

Solidago sparsiflora

Composite

Yellow

M

Salsify

Tragopogon dubius

Composite

Yellow

S/A

Western yellow paintbrush

Castilleja occidentalis

Figwort

Yellow

M/S-w

Yellow monkeyflower

Mimulus guttatus

Figwort

Yellow

M/S

Twinberry

Shrub

Lonicera involucrate

Honeysuckle

Yellow

A

Golden draba

Draba aurea

Mustard

Yellow

M

Early

Western wallflower

Erysimum asperum

Mustard

Yellow

M/S

Early

Whiskbroom parsley

Harbouria trachypleura

Parsley

Yellow

M/S

Golden banner

Thermopsis divaricarpa

Pea

Yellow

A

Alpine avens

Acomastylis rossil ssp. turbinate

Rose

Yellow

M/S/A

Shrubby cinquefoil

Shrub

Pentaphylloides floribunda

Rose

Yellow

M/S

Silvery cinquefoil

Pontentilla hippiana

Rose

Yellow

M-d

Early

Betterbrush or Anelope brush

Shrub

Purshia tridentate

Rose

Yellow

M/S/A-d

Yellow stonecrop

Sedum lanceolatum

Stonecrop

Yellow

M/S-w

Yellow pondlily

Nuphar luteum ssp. polysepalum

waterlily


Return to color table.
 
a photo of moss campion
Moss Campion
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

Pink

M-d

Early

Mountain ball cactus

Pediocactus simpsonii

Cactus

Pink

M/S

Fireweed

Chamerion angustifolium

Evening-primrose

Pink

M/S/A-w

Elephantella

Pedicularis groenlandica

Figwort

Pink

M-d

Wild geranium

Geranium caespitosum

Geranium

Pink

S

Broom huckleberry

Vaccinium scoparium

Heath

Pink

M/S

Early

Kinnikinnic

Shrub

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ssp. Adenotricha

Heath

Pink

M

Snowberry

Shrub

Symphoricarpos oreophilus

Honeysuckle

Pink

M/S

Nodding onion

Allium cernuum

Onion

Pink

M/S

Early

Fairyslipper

Calypso bulbosa

Orchid

Pink

M

Limber vetch

Astragalus flexuosus

Pea

Pink

M/S

Colorado loco

Oxytropis lambertii

Pea

Pink

M

Alpine clover

Trifolium dasyphyllum

Pea

Pink

A

Moss campion

Silene acaulis ssp. Subacaulescens

Pink

Pink

A

Early

Fairy primrose

Primula angustifolia

Primrose

Pink

S/A-w

Parry primrose

Primula parryi

Primrose

Pink

M/S

Wild rose

Shrub

Rosa woodsii

Rose

Pink

S/A-w

Early

Queens crown

Clementsia rhodantha

Stonecrop


Return to color table.
 
a photo of Kings Crown
Kings Crown
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

Red

M

Early

Narrow-leaved paintbrush

Castilleja linariaefolia

Figwort

Red

A-w

Kings crown

Rhociola integrifolia

Stonecrop


Return to color table.
 
a photo of false dandelion
False Dandelion
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

Orange

M/S

False dandelion

Agoseris aurantiaca

Composite


Return to color table.
 
a photo of tall chiming bells
Tall Chiming Bells
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

Blue

A

Early

Alpine forget-me-not

Eritrichum aretioides

Borage

Blue-Purple

M/S-w

Tall chiming bells

Mertensia ciliate

Borage

Blue

S

Late

Fringed gentian

Gentianopsis thermalis

Gentian

Blue or White

A

Tufted phlox

Phlox sibirica ssp. Pulvinata

Phlox

Blue

S

Jacobs ladder

Polemonium delicatum

Phylox


Return to color table.
 
a photo of alpine sorrel
Alpine Sorrel
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

Green

A

Alpine sorrel

Oxyria digyna

Buckwheat

Green

M/S

Meadow-rue

Thalictrum fendleri

Buttercup


Return to color table.
 
a photo of purple fringe
Purple Fringe
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

Purple

M/S

Mountain harebell

Campanula rotundifolia

Bellflower

Purple-White

M/S-w

Monkshood

Aconitum columbianum

Buttercup

Purple

M/S

Colorado columbine

Aquilegia caerulea

Buttercup

Purple

S-w

Subalpine larkspur

Delphinium barbeyi

Buttercup

Purple

M

Early

American pasqueflower

Pulsatilla patens ssp. Multifida

Buttercup

Purple

M

Late

Tansy aster

Machaeranthera pattersonii

Composite

Purple

M/S

Aspen daisy

Erigeron speciosus var. macranthus

Composite

Purple

M

Tall one-sided penstemon

Penstemon virgatus ssp. Asa-grayi

Figwort

Purple

M/S

Early

Wild iris

Iris missouriensis

Iris

Purple

M

Horsemint

Monarda fistulosa var. menthaefolia

Mint

Purple

M/S

Silvery lupine

Lupines argenteus

Pea

Purple

A

Sky pilot

Polemonium viscosum

Phylox

Purple

M/S-w

Shooting star

Dodecatheon pulchellum

Primrose

Purple

M/S/A

Purple fringe

Phacelia sericea

Waterleaf


Return to color table.
 
a photo of marsh marigold
Marsh Marigold
NPS Photo
 

Color

Habitat

Season

Common Name

Shrub

Scientific Name

Family

White

M

Miners candle

Cryptantha virgata

Borage

White

A

American bistort

Bistorta bistortoides

Buckwheat

White

S/A-w

Marsh-marigold

Caltha leptosepala

Buttercup

White

M/S/A

Yarrow

Achillea lanulosa

Composite

White

M/S

Pearly everlasting

Anaphalis margaritacea

Composite

White

M/S-d

Rocky Mountain pussytoes

Antennaria rosea

Composite

White

M-d

Big sagebrush

Shrub

Artemisia tridentate ssp vaseyana

Composite

White

M/S

Late

Smooth white aster

Aster porter

Composite

White

M

Early

Easter daisy

Townsendia exscapa

Composite

White

S

Parrots-beak

Pedicularis racemosa

Figwort

White

A

Late

Arctic gentian

Gentianodes algida

Gentian

White

M

Early

Wax currant

Shrub

Ribes cereum

Gooseberry

White

M/S

Red elderberry

Shrub

sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens

Honeysuckle

White

M

Early

Waxflower

Shrub

Jamesia Americana

Hydrangea

White

M

Mariposa lily

Calochortus gunnisonii

Lily

White

A

Early

Alp lily

Lloydia serotina

Lily

White

M/S

Early

False solomonseal

Smilacina stellata

Lily

White

M/S

Bedstraw

Gallium boreale spp. septentrionale

Madder

White

M/S-w

Brook-cress

Cardamine cordifolia

Mustard

White

M/S

Spotted coral root

Corallorhiza maculate

Orchid

White

M/S-w

Cow parsnip

Heracleum spondylium ssp. montanum

Parsley

White

M/A

Fendler sandwort

Arenaria fendleri

Pink

White

M/S/A

Field mouse-ear

Cerastium arvense

Pink

White

A

Alpine sandwort

Minuartia obtusiloba

Pink

White

M/S

Wild strawberry

Fragaria ovalis

Rose

White

M

Early

Chokecherry

Shrub

Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa

Rose

White

M

Early

Boulder raspberry

Shrub

Rubus deliciosus

Rose

White

M/S/A

Dotted saxifrage

Saxifrage bronchialis ssp. austromontana

Saxifrage


Return to color table.

Did You Know?

a photo of a lady playing golf in Moraine Park,a photo of a lady playing golf in Moraine Park

Moraine Park was once a booming settlement. As the rustic cabins grew into lodges, the inn keepers built more facilities to serve guests. Stead's Resort had both a swimming pool and a golf course.