By the beginning of June, the wildflowers started to appear in Colorado, but it was still early for those growing at higher altitudes. In Summit County, Silverthorne, by late June, the surrounding hillsides were covered with Arrowleaf Balsamroot. In all of our visits in the past years, we’ve never seen them so prolific. We hiked up a small trail and were amazed at the variety of wildflowers growing so close to the city. Besides the yellow Balsamroot, there were Irises, Phlox, Green Gentian, and Larkspur to name a few.
In Fairplay, we hiked at Pennsylvania Mountain. The Snow Buttercups were just beginning to grow through the snow. Other than patches of Candytuft, and Snowball Saxifrage, little was blooming, but just seeing the panorama view of the surrounding mountains is always exhilarating.
In Southern Colorado, Dandelions and buttercups filled meadows surrounded by the mountains.
If in Colorado, get out and enjoy in the early morning the emerging wildflowers. To help identify what you are seeing, our pocket-sized paperback 4” x 6” Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Field Guide has over 285 wildflowers photographed, identified, and described by habitat, life zone, and flowering time. This award-winning book is available on Amazon, or order your signed copy shipped free, at www.HighCountryArtworks.com.