Wildflowers
As the snow melts and rivers grow, the valley floor of Jackson Hole seems to change color overnight. Winter's white blanket slowly sinks into the ground, pushing new grasses and plants through dirt for their first breath of spring air. Even the contrast of red willow, orange Oak, and brown limbs on wintering trees against a white background make the valley seem full of vibrancy and color. But when trees fill themselves in and wildflowers begin to bloom, the color once seen in the winter seems minute and subtle. Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Whites, Pinks, Blues, and Purples carpet the ground and mountainsides. Here is just a sample of some wildflowers you may find around the valley and in the Grand Teton range.
From mid-June to early September Indian Paintbrush, castilleja inverta, is found anywhere on the valley floor to 11,000 feet. Its tubular and narrow flowers form in somewhat of a bunch that believe it or not look as if you could pick up and paint with. Red is the most common color but white, yellow, orange, and pink Paintbrush exist as well. The red Indian Paintbrush is Wyoming's state flower.
The Scarlet Gilia, gilia aggregate, may stand out as one of the most magnificent wildflowers because of its intense red color and distinguishing structure. Sometimes called a skyrocket, it has a trumpet shape tube with usually five lobes that spread out like a star. One will typically see white speckles on the lobes and a cluster of flowers on each stem. Scarlet Gilia grow in the summer and can be found anywhere from the valley floor to rocky slopes.
A common wildflower found in meadows and near sagebrush is the Silvery Lupine, part of the lupinus species. It is an easy flower to spot because of its size. Although the flowers themselves may be quite small they grow in a cluster shaped like an upside down cone. Each flower in this case is bluish purple and contains one broad upper petal, two lateral petals and two lower fused petals. It is typical to find a hairy pod close by which is the flowers fruit. Leaves are abundant at the base of this wildflower. Each leaf has five pointy leaflets, which give the flower even more body and thickness.
In open areas and sagebrush plains low Larkspur, D. nuttallianum, are a common finding. Typically deep blue or purple these wildflowers are recognized by their petal configuration. They have five petals, the top one which extends behind the rest to form a sort of spur or narrow cone. The low Larkspur blooms in the spring and seems to have fewer flowers than other larkspur.
Unlike many bright and colorful wildflowers the Heartleaf Arnica, arnica cordifolia, can withstand lots of shade and can survive from very low elevations to high mountainous areas. The flower gets its name from its heart shaped leaves. The flowers themselves are similar to a sunflower, very radiant in yellow color and about three inches wide. Used often for its healing qualities, the leaves of Arnica can be dried, ground and applied to wounds or muscle pains.
Many galleries in downtown Jackson display photograph and painting exhibits that have captured the brilliance of the many wildflowers in the valley. Its hard to imagine that any photographer with a passion for such detail and delicacy could travel very far down any given trail before having to turn back to get more film.
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