Special Collections
Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains
The distribution of vegetation in the Rocky Mountains correlates directly to elevational changes, which influence the temperature and availability of moisture. Different plant communities characterize each zone (such as foothill, montane, subalpine, and alpine) from the base of a mountain to the top, and each zone may contain several types of plant communities. More than 5,000 plant species occur in the Rocky Mountains. The wildflowers begin to bloom in early spring, as soon as the snow starts to melt. The peak bloom season is mid-summer. This collection highlights some of the most common wildflowers found in the Rocky Mountains.Printer Friendly: Species List | List with Images | List with QR Tags to Mobile
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |
Mimulus lewisii | Purple Monkeyflower Great Purple Monkeyflower Lewis Monkeyflower Lewis's Monkeyflower | |
Monarda fistulosa | Wild Bergamot Beebalm | |
Orthocarpus luteus | Yellow Owl's-clover | |
Penstemon angustifolius | Broadbeard Penstemon Broadbeard Beardtongue Whorled Penstemon Whorled Beardtongue | |
Pedicularis groenlandica | Elephanthead Lousewort | |
Phyllodoce empetriformis | Pink Mountain Heath Pink Mountain Heather | |
Phlox pulvinata | Cushion Phlox | |
Phacelia sericea | Silky Phacelia Purple Fringe | |
Primula parryi | Parry's Primrose | |
Pulsatilla patens | Eastern Pasqueflower American Pasqueflower | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |