Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Florissant, Colorado
Flowers of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
The color that wildflowers add to Rocky Mountain scenery is a favorite among summer sights in Colorado. Learning names for the wide variety of brilliant flowers is challenging and fun. Some of the most common flowering plants found at the Monument are described in this guide.
Colorado can be divided into several life zones defined by plants, animals and elevation. The plains life zone occupies half of the state. At the edge of the Rockies the foothills zone begins. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument lies within the montane zone. Between the 7500 feet and 9500 feet the montane stretches to the subalpine life zone. Timberline marks the point where subalpine meets alpine. The montane zone supports wildlife such as Abert squirrels and elk. Many plants and animals found in the montane also occur in the plains, foothills and subalpine zones. You will be able to use the Fossil Beds wildflower guide in other areas of the Rocky Mountains.
The wildflowers in this guide are separated into four color categories. Identifying characteristics are give in the following order: approximate blooming season, height range, life zones (foothills, montane, etc.) habitat (meadows, dry hillsides, etc.), distinctive characteristics, interesting facts, scientific name, plant family.
Enjoy the wildflowers of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and please leave them for others to enjoy. The National Park Service is charged with preserving natural and cultural areas for the education and enjoyment of the public. Petrified wood, carbon fossils, animals and plants are protected here and may not be harmed or removed.
Wildflower programs are held daily at the monument and special wildflower seminars are scheduled throughout the summer. Ask at the visitor center about our programs.
BLUE AND PURPLE FLOWERS
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- Tansy Aster
- August - September; 1-2 feet; foothills to subalpine; dry open areas, especially along trails and roads; yellow
central florets surrounded by purple ray florets; small leaf-like phyllaries at base of flower heads are sticky.
Machaeranthera pattersonii. Sunflower family.
- Blue Gentian
- July - August; 6-8 inches; plains, foothills, montane; dry meadows; flowers open completely only in bright
sunlight. Pneumonanthe affinis. Gentian family.
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- Larkspur
- June - July; 12-36 inches; montane, subalpine; meadows, aspen groves; both petals and sepals are deep
blue-purple; upper sepal extends as tubular spur; some species poisonous to livestock. Delphinium ramosum.
Buttercup family.
- One-sided Penstemon
- May - July; 1-2 feet; plains, foothills, montane; dry well-drained soil in open areas; showy flowers are pink to
magenta when fresh, fading to blue-purple; Native Americans used species of penstemon to make washes for eyes and
skin sores. Penstemon secundiflorus. Figwort family.
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- Monkshood
- June - August; 1-3 feet; montane, subalpine; wet meadows, aspen groves; dark blue petals forming a hood give the
flower its name. Aconitum columbianum. Buttercup family.
- Showy Loco
- July - August; 4-8 inches; montane; dry meadows; leaves soft, hairy with silver tinge; flowers reddish purple;
loco weeds often store selenium from soil which can be poison to horses and cattle. Oxytropis splendens.
Legume family.
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- Large-flowered Blue Lettuce
- June - September; 1-4 feet; plains, foothills, montane; meadows, roadside ditches; one blue head of rays on a
single stem; a seed spreading by root system; milky juice of roots used by Native Americans to form chewing gum.
Lactuca tatarica ssp. pulchella. Sunflower family.
- Harebell
- June - September; 10-18 inches; foothills to alpine; meadow and dry, rocky slopes; also known as Bluebell of
Scotland; moist soil and lower elevations may produce a tall plant with many flowers, whereas alpine conditions may
result in a small plant with one large flower per stem. Campanula rotundifolia. Bellflower family.
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- False Forget-me-not
- June - August; 1-3 feet; montane, subalpine; moist meadows, vicinity of coniferous forests; small blue flower
(1/4 in.) with yellow rim around center; fruit: hard nutlets with sharp, hooked prickles. Hackelia floribunda.
Borage family.
- Colorado Blue Columbine
- June - July; to 3 feet; montane, subalpine; partial shade and moisture of aspen groves, rock crevices; Colorado
state flower; nectar stored at tip of petal spurs. Aquilegia caerulea. Buttercup family.
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- Blue Flax
- June - August; 1 1/2-2 feet; plains to upper montane; dry to moist meadows; one flower per stem opens each day
and petals fall later in day; petal color occasionally white; stems slender, containing strong fibers used for
cordage by Native Americans; seeds used medicinally for laxative, burn treatment, colds. Adenolinum lewisii.
Flax family.
- Dwarf Lupine
- June - August; 3-6 inches; foothills, montane; dry meadows; flower is dark blue and white; hairy seed pods appear
while plant continues to bloom. Lupinus kingii. Legume family.
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RED AND PINK FLOWERS
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- Field Mint
- July - August; 1/2-2 feet; foothills, montane; moist meadows, streamsides; stem square in cross section (a mint
characteristic); glands secrete aromatic oils; menthol derived from a field mint variety. Mentha arvensis.
Mint family.
- Wild Rose
- May - July; 1-4 feet; mesas, foothills, montane; meadows, hillsides; flowers fragrant; fruits, called rosehips,
edible for people and wildlife, high in vitamin C. Rosa woodsii. Rose family.
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- Spreading Dogbane
- May - July; 1-2 1/2 feet; plains to subalpine; dry to moist open areas; white to pink flowers; (toothpick-like
seed pods burst open and seeds with silky hairs attached become airborne); leaves are bright yellow in fall; milky
sap thought to be poisonous. Apocynum androsaemifolium. Dogbane family.
- Globeflower
- July - August; to 10 inches; montane-subalpine; open forest and slopes; silky hairs on leaves and stems; seed pod
is rounded cylinder; no true petals, but colorful sepals (an anemone characteristic); sepal color varies from red to
greenish yellow. Anemone multifida var. globosa. Buttercup family.
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- Shooting star
- May - July; 6-12 inches; foothills, montane, subalpine; moist to wet soils on hillsides, streamsides, in open or
partial shade; Native Americans (California) roasted and ate roots and leaves; elk and deer browse on leaves in
spring. Dodecatheon pulchellum. Primrose family.
- Fairy Trumpet
- May - July; 1-2 feet; foothills, montane; dry soil of hillsides, meadows, roadsides; often hybridizes with white
species; may contain poisonous saponin, a soap-like compound. Ipomopsis aggregata. Phlox family.
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- Indian Paintbrush
- May - August; 4-12 inches; plains, foothills, montane; dry meadows, hillsides; leaf-like bracts are red, flowers
are small green tubes; often parasitic, attaching roots to sage or other plant roots; flowers eaten by Native
Americans, but large amounts may be poisonous if selenium present in soil. Castilleja integra. Figwort
family.
- Scarlet Gaura
- June - August; 5-10 inches; foothills, montane; dry open areas; four delicate petals are white; fading to pink
with age; petals grouped to one side of flower. Gaura coccinea. Evening Primrose family.
- Wild Geranium
- May - July; 10-18 inches; foothills, montane; meadows, open woods, creeksides; leaves and stems sticky and
aromatic; leaves turn red in fall; Native Americans used root mixture for an astringent; food for elk, deer,
bears. Geranium Caespitosum. Geranium family.
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YELLOW AND GREEN FLOWERS
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- Colorado Rubber Plant
- July - August; 4-18 inches; foothills, montane; dry meadows, rocky hillsides; leaves are divided into narrow
rubbery leaflets. Picradenia richarsonii. Sunflower family.
- Mountain Gumweed
- July - September; 12-18 inches; foothills, montane; hillsides, meadows, disturbed areas; flower heads sticky
before opening; used by settlers and Native Americans to treat a wide variety of ailments. Grindelia
subalpina. Sunflower family.
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- New Mexican Evening Star
- July - August; 1-3 feet; foothills, montane; dry meadows, hillsides; barbed leaves and stems stick to clothing;
cream-colored flowers open at night. Nuttallia rusbyi. Loasa or Stick-leaf family.
- Stonecrop
- June - July; 2-5 inches; foothills to alpine; dry, rocky hillsides; succulent leaves store water; Hen and
Chickens and Jade Trees are cultivated relatives. Sedum lanceolatum. Stonecrop family.
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- Little Sunflower
- July - August; 12-18 inches; montane, subalpine; ponderosa pine forests; small flower head (2 inches) is all
yellow; many hairy leaves at plant base, few stem leaves. Helianthella parryi. Sunflower family.
- Prairie Cone Flower
- July - September; 1-2 feet; plains, foothills, montane; meadows, roadsides; dark cone-shaped center surrounded by
yellow or purple drooping rays; flower head compared to Mexican sombreros. Ratibida columnifera. Sunflower
family.
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- Smooth Goldenrod
- July - August; 10-15 inches; plains, foothills, montane; meadows and forest clearings; many small (1/8 inch)
flower heads clustered together; leaves smooth, leathery; often blamed for allergies caused by ragweed pollen.
Solidago missouriensis. Sunflower family.
- Snakeweed
- August - September; 6-10 inches; plains, foothills, montane; dry, open areas; plant has been used to treat
snakebites. Gutierrezia sarothae. Sunflower family.
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- Large-leaved Avens
- June - August; 10 to 36 inches; foothills, montane, subalpine; meadows, moist soils; fine, delicate petals;
leaves divided into fan-shaped leaflets; mistaken for cinquefoil. Geum macrophyllum. Rose family.
- Golden Aster
- July - September; 8-14 inches; upper montane-subalpine; dry hillsides, meadows; all yellow flower head with large
leaf-like bracts below; leaves soft and hairy. Heterotheca fulcrata. Sunflower family.
- Western Wallflower
- May - July; 6-20 inches; plains, foothills, montane; dry meadows, hillsides; a large, showy mustard. Erysimum
asperum. Mustard family.
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- Tobacco Root
- June - August; 8-20 inches; montane, subalpine; dry hillsides and meadows; flowers are tiny and green; often
attract small dark insects called aphids which are tended and "milked" by ants. Valeriana edulis. Valerian
family.
- Yellow Owl Clover
- July - September; 4-10 inches; plains to subalpine; dry hillsides and meadows; the name Owl Clover may refer to
rounded petals looking life owl heads staring from a perch. Orthocarpus luteus. Figwort family.
- Mounument Plant
- May - August; 1-5 feet; forest clearings; large, soft leaves look life "deer's ears" which is another common
name; green flowers blend in with the stalk but attract many insects. Frasera speciosa. Gentian family.
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- Shrubby Cinquefoil
- June - August; 6-30 inches; montane, subalpine; moist soil of meadows and by ponds; a favorite landscaping shrub
for variety of climates; flowers all summer. Pentaphylloides floribunda. Rose family.
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WHITE FLOWERS
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- Miners candle
- June - July; 6-24 inches; foothills, montane; dry hillsides, meadows; tiny flowers resemble forget-me-nots; lower
growing branched relative called Cryptantha. Oreocarya virgata. Borage family.
- Mouse-ear Chickweed
- May - August; 2-10 inches; foothills to subalpine; dry open areas; plant usually blooms for many weeks; a common
native perennial in flower gardens. Cerastium arvense. Sunflower family.
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- Death Camas
- June - August; 6-24 inches; montane, subalpine; meadows, rocky slopes, forests; grass-like leaves; green gland at
base of cream-colored petals; bulbs poisonous to livestock and people. Anticlea elegans. Lily family.
- Mariposa Lily
- June - July; 6-12 inches; foothills to lower alpine; dry meadows and forest clearings; the bulb served as a
primary food for Native Americans and settlers; Utah State flower. Calochortus gunnisonii. Lily Family.
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- Cow Parsnip
- June - September, 1 1/2-5 feet; foothills, montane; wet meadows, stream sides, swamps; tiny flowers are grouped
together on a many-branched flowering stalk called an umbel; large leaves help to distinguish the plant from Water
Hemlock, a deadly poisonous plant. Heracleum sphondylium ssp. montanum. Parsley family.
- Scorpion Weed
- June - July; 4-24 inches; foothills, montane; dry areas, roadsides, disturbed ground; leaves, stem and coiled
flower stalk are hairy. Phacelia heterophylla. Waterleaf family.
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- Colorado Thistle
- June - August; 4-30 inches; montane, subalpine; meadows with damp soil, streamsides; 2 types exist: (1) a
stalkless variety with large, prickly leaves encircling flowering heads, (2) a tall, stout stalk that is unbranched;
flower color may be cream, pink or light purple. Cirsium coloradense. Sunflower family.
- Porter Aster
- July - September; 6-18 inches; foothills, subalpine; meadows, sunny hillsides; forest clearings; yellow center of
flowering heads turns brown with age; common white aster or the montane zone. Aster porteri. Sunflower
family.
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- Yarrow
- June - September; 6-24 inches; foothills, montane; open areas; many small flowering heads grouped together in a
flat-topped cluster; leaves are soft, fern-like and aromatic; sometimes called "nosebleed plant" because settlers
found it effective in stopping bleeding. Achillea lanulosa. Sunflower family.
- Sandwort
- July - September; 3-12 inches; foothills to alpine; dry hillsides, pine forest clearings; 10 stamens form tiny
red dots against bright white petals; under alpine conditions plant forms a low mat and is sticky. Eremogone
fendleri. Pink family.
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- Northern Bedstraw
- June - August; 6-18 inches; foothills - subalpine; dry hillsides, roadsides; many tiny, fragrant flowers; square
stem; four leaves encircle stem at each node; dried bedstraw has been used as a substitute for straw in mattresses;
coffee and gardenias are relatives. Galium septentrionale. Madder family.
- Ground Plum
- May - June; to 5 inches; plains to foothills, montane; meadows, dry soils; keel-shaped petal with purple tip;
seed pod resembles green and red plum or grape. Astragalus crassicarpus. Legume family.
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- Trailing Fleabane (Daisy)
- May - July; to 5 inches; plains to subalpine; grassy slopes, meadows; small white daisy with yellow center; leafy
stem trails along ground; very common. Erigeron flagellaris. Sunflower family.
- Rocky Mountain Loco
- June - August; 6-15 inches; plains, upper montane, subalpine; gravelly soil of slopes and meadows; leaves have
silver hairs; keel-shaped petal has purple spot; hybridizes with Lambert Loco, a deep pink color, resulting in
colonies ranging from white to shades of pink. Oxytropis sericea. Legume family.
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- Peppergrass
- June - July; to 16 inches; plains to montane; dry open areas; small four-petaled flower is typical of mustards.
Lepidium montanum ssp. alyssoides. Mustard family.
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Donations from the Colorado Native Plant Society and Monument visitors have made this National Park Service publication possible. The illustrations are by Janet Wingate, text by Lynn Riedel and layout by Cindy Deswick.
This resource is based on the following source:
National Park Service. No date. Wildflowers of Florissant Fossil Beds National
Monument. Janet Wingate, Lynn Riedel, and Cindy Deswick. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
National Park Service. No date. Wildflowers of Florissant Fossil Beds National
Monument. Janet Wingate, Lynn Riedel, and Cindy Deswick. Unpaginated.
Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govflorwild.htm
(Version 30DEC2002).
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Bird Checklist for Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
