NewPlaces

I need your help. In the begining of July I took many pictures of wildflowers along route 550 and now I have a hard time to identify some of them. Can those of you familiar with wildflowers help me out? Thank you
http://tinyurl.com/9lezwa

BeachGirl247

This may help:

http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/

Melnq8

Hi NewPlaces -

I'm from CO, but I don't know my flowers, so can't help. I LOVE your photos though, especially those of our state flower, the Columbine.

There's a poster over on the Australian board who might be able to help - her name is travel4flowers.

NewPlaces

Thank you both.
Melnq8, I appreciate your kind words. I really enjoy wildflowers everywhere I travel. I'll try to find travel4flowers.
BeachGirl247, this is a great and very helpful site. I googled for wildflowers in Colorado and never found this one. It's going to take me some time to find matches but I already identified Alpine Parsley and American Vetch. I think!

furledleader

I can help with some.

#1 is a wild rose

#4,5, & 6 are blue columbines (the state flower)

#7 is a penstemon of some kind.

#15 I believe is a Death Camus

#16 & 17 are Richardson Geraniums

#20 looks like showy milkweed

#21 is wild blue flax

and

#22 is wild onion

furledleader

I belive #11 is black tipped senecio (senecio atratus)

and to clarify, # 7 looks like the purple variety of Whipples Penstemon.

By the way, nice pictures. The columbine and blue flax are particularly impressive.

BeachGirl247

Yes, beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing!

NewPlaces

furledleader, thank you so much for taking your valuable time and identifying a number of wildflowers for me. This is really a fantastic help. I remember you from my previous post when I asked about Gunnison Black Canyon and you provided an amazing amount of information. I'll be staying for 2 nights in Gunnison in the beginning of July and hopefully can see more wildflowers and go at least on one hike. In the summer of 2010 I want to spend a whole month in Colorado.

NewPlaces

Thank you BeachGirl247 and again also for the link which I already found very helpful

SoloNoMo

The 8th one is a Cinquefoil (Potentilla), 10 looks like a Golden Alexander (Zizia), 12th is Arnica, I believe, 14 is an Ox-eye Daisy.
It's been a while since I lived in the mountains out there -- beautiful pictures!

furledleader

#3 could be yellow monkeyflower (mimulus guttatus)

#13 could be bittercress (cardamine cordifolia)

#14 I agree is ox-eye daisy

Correction: #20 is Kings Crown (Rhodiola integrifolia), not showy milkweed.

Clarification: #22 is a Geyer Onion (Allium geyeri)

Another website I like to use for identification is:
http://www.denverplants.com/wflwr/index.htm
In the right hand column, click on a flower color under "Wildflowers by Flower Color" heading. When the next page pops up, you can click on a flower name to get a big picture and description, OR you can just scroll over the names to bring up a quick thumbnail picture.

NewPlaces

SoloNoMo, thank you for your help.
You have to be right about Cinquefoil. I see plenty of them on Appalachian Trail but they are much smaller than those in Colorado.

Furledleader, thanks for clarifications, corrections and all additional information. I'm in a process of learning about wildflowers and I greatly appreciate all your help. I'll be checking out the link you included right now. I think #3 is monkeyflower. I see them in Alaska and Vermont too.

Melnq8

NewPlaces -

As you enjoy wildflowers, you really should come to Western Australia between August and November. I found myself clicking away like mad this past spring and I'm not even a flower enthusiast.

http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/D...day_Guide.aspx

NewPlaces

Melnq8, thanks for invitation but unfortunately that won't be possible. I have to admit I never knew this about Australia. Maybe one day. Thank you for the link. Wow! Looks like wildflowers are amazing. Enjoy them

The most surprising and spectacular wildflowers we saw last March were in Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks

SoloNoMo

NewPlaces, are you an Easterner? (You mentioned the Appalachian Trail.) If you're ever in the mountains of N.C. in midsummer, check out the Blue Ridge Pkwy. The wildflowers there are really beautiful! You'll see Fire Pinks (Silene virginica), Turks Cap Lilies (Lilium superbum), Phlox (Phlox paniculata), Beebalm (Monarda), etc. There's even a spot right along the road where sundews grow. An Joyce Kilmer Mem. Forest isn't too far off the parkway -- 600 year-old Tulip Poplars are a sight!

Virgogirl

NewPlaces, if you come back to Colorado, please visit Colorado Springs! If you drive up the Pikes Peak toll highway, you'll see many of these wildflowers along the way, as well as some pretty mountain lakes. You can also visit the lovely Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and Seven Falls. Once, when I was a tourist, before I moved to the city, I saw a bear loping through the zoo grounds from the mountainside! We have beautiful daisies and sunflowers growing wild in the fields behind my house. Altogether, it's a spectacular state!

NewPlaces

SoloNoMo
I hiked a few times on Appalachian Trail between TN and NC and tried to be there in June when Catawba Rhododendrons and Flame Azaleas are blooming. Unfortunately, crowds of people have the same idea. How can I blame them? This is a gorgeous sight with blooming rhododendrons and flame azaleas. In the end of June I also took pictures of beautiful but rare Gray’s Lilies. After reading your post I think I’ll try again this year and would like to know where is a spot right along the road where sundews grow. Can you share this information with me? As to Joyce Kilmer Memorial I went there once but I can’t recall any wildflowers. I‘ll never forget those big trees.
Did you ever visit Roan Mountain? Here is a link to pictures I took a couple years ago on Roan Mountain
http://tinyurl.com/8wjyft

Virgogirl
In the beginning of July I’ll be driving cross country and based on some suggestions of posters here on this forum I already adjusted my itinerary so I can stop in Crested Butte and see wildflowers in the area. I’m staying in Gunnison for two nights before wildflower festival takes place. You know, I’m seriously thinking about spending a whole month of July 2010 in Colorado. I think for hikers there are enough trails in Colorado to keep me busy for a month. Wildflowers are great addition to all my visits anywhere. Colorado Springs looks more and more promising.
That must be a great feeling to wake up in the morning and see beautiful daisies and sunflowers growing wild in the fields behind your house

Thank you both for great suggestions