Today’s post is the first of two (or, possibly three) blog posts that feature the wildflowers around Maroon Lake. When I left home, everything was brown due to the drought we are experiencing in Missouri. And with the multiple wildfires in Colorado, I wasn’t sure what to expect with regards to the foliage and wildflowers. But I was pleasantly surprised to find the landscape lush in the Maroon Bells area, and with many different species of wildflowers blooming in my campsite and along the trail that winds around Maroon Lake (if you missed seeing Maroon Lake with the twin Maroon peaks in the background, click on this link to see the overall landscape). Since I just returned home, I haven’t had the time to research the identification of most of these wildflowers, so if you know what any of the unidentified wildflowers are, please let me know.
This first wildflower is the beautiful Fireweed, which I am intimately familiar with from my travels in Alaska. These flowers start blooming at the bottom, and work up to the tip. In fact, in Alaska residents say that when the fireweed blooms have reached the top of the plant, it is time for winter to begin! Here are a couple of images I made of the fireweed:
Another wonderful wildflower I ran across quite frequently, especially along the wooded trails, is one I’m not sure what it is. A quick search makes me want to say this is a Monkshood … any identification assistance is appreciated:
And today’s last wildflower is another unidentified flower. Pretty, but not sure what to call it :o)
With tomorrow being Friday, I’m planning on holding the next Maroon Lake Wildflower post until next week so I can feature another “Fun Friday” post … stay tuned for another just-for-fun post!