Why do I say that? Well, if I told you I saw a herd of Little Pink Elephants on top of Mount Evans, you might think I had been drinking!
No, no alcohol. But I did see Little Pink Elephants, also called Elephant Heads (Pedicularis groenlandica) … wildflowers, that is. This is a very unusual wildflower and I was thrilled to see my first one. Here is what the plant looks like:
And here is a closeup view:
Do you see them? This plant is in the Figwort family and consists of a dense, vertical spike of distinctive magenta flowers that resemble little elephant heads! The upper petal bulges at the top, then tapers and curves upward, resembling an elephant’s forehead and trunk. Three other petals form the ears and lower lip. Can you see them, now? The plant grows from 6″ to 24″ high (these were approximately 18″ high). Each flower is about 1/2 inch wide. They grow in moist and wet marshy meadows, in the montane to alpine areas, and bloom late July and August. Oh, and several plants often grow together in a small clump (like the first photo), forming “herds” of these little beauties.