Sego Lily (Calochortus gunnisonii) Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja species) BIGHORN NATIONAL FOREST Also called “Mariposa MOUNTAIN MEADOW WILDFLOWERS Lily.” A white, tulip like flower with a purple band at the base of the petal. First flowers appear in

June, about the time young golden eagles start to feather out and prairie falcons leave the nest. The

bulbous root is sweet Named for a resemblance to a ragged Probably the best month to view the and nutritious. Bears wildflowers in the Bighorn Mountains is and rodents feed on brush dipped in paint. They come in various colors—white, yellow, pink, orange the month of June when the mountain the roots when green; meadows virtually explode with the color the seedpods are readily devoured by domestic and red. Splitleaf Indian Paintbrush (C. rhexifolia), a pinkish-red variety occurs in and fresh perfume of native flowering sheep and probably Bighorn sheep. plants. The following species are common our mountain meadows from June through Silvery Lupine (Lupinus argenteus) August. A creamy yellow variety, sulfur to the Burgess Junction area meadows, and are only some of the wondrous Dense heads of blue to Paintbrush (C. sulphurea) blooms in June and July. The bracts and upper leaves varieties on the Bighorn. purplish, pea-like flowers grow on long provide the color in this plant rather than the actual flower, which is rather dull. This Shootingstar (Dodecatheon L.) stalks. Linear leaves plant is semi parasitic. The roots penetrate fan out from a central node like the palm of a tissues of nearby plants, stealing part of their food. Wyoming Paintbrush (C. hand. Found in linariaefolia) is the state flower of Wyoming mountain meadows and is red in color. and on slopes. Primary flowering Forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris) season is June through These delicate August. The name sky-blue flowers lupine came from the with yellow Latin word lupus centers are truly meaning wolf, because unforgettable. It The flowers of the Shooting Star are like it was once thought occurs in dense deep purplish-pink darts that point in all that lupines robbed flower clusters, directions from atop a long stalk. The the soil of nutrients. sometimes more flowers are 3/4 to 1 inch long. The stamens It is now known that bacteria on root nodules than a foot across. of the Shooting Star are fused to form a take nitrogen from the air and convert it to Blooms first appear in late June when cow "beak" or "dart" pointing down. plant food, actually enriching the soil. Mice eat elk are starting their journey to higher Dodecatheon" comes from two Greek words the roots and seeds, bear consume the seeds, summer ranges with young calves. They "dodeka" meaning twelve and "theoi" pods, and roots, and elk relish the flowers and persist through early August. The name meaning gods, the plants protected by the seedpods. Myosotis comes from two Latin words gods.

meaning mouse ears, which the small, hairy leaves resemble. Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) Arrowleaf Balsamroot American Bistort (Balsamorhiza sagittata) (Polygonum bistortoides

Bright yellow with A plume of tiny white leaves shaped like flowers, this bloom arrow heads, they first makes its appear in late appearance in early spring and July, in high mountain continue blooming meadows through through the fall. August. The hefty rootstalks are eaten Also known as “Old by bear and rodents

Man’s Whiskers”, alike. Deer and elk flowers are terminal Yarrow (Achillea millefollium) forage on the leaves with one to nine A flat-topped and stalks. North flowers in a cyme. plant bearing American Indians The calyx is reddish-purple to pink or yellow many tiny used the root in in color. The 5 petals are light yellow, white, white flowers in soups and stews. pink, or red-purple tinged. When in bloom, an umbrella the flowers arch downward, but as the fruits like cluster. Larkspur (Delphinium bicolor) mature, the flower stands up, the fruits Feathery fern- become elongated, feathery achenes, giving like leaves send Rich blue-purple the appearance of smoking. Prairie smoke is a strong herbal odor through the air when flowers and deeply found in moist sagebrush plains and foothills, crushed. One of the first flowers in May, it is lobed geranium like to subalpine ridges and talus slopes. Native still blooming in September. Habitat is from leaves distinguish Americans boiled the roots to make a tea. low valleys to well above timberline. Achillea this plant. Larkspur is the name given to the plant used to minister ranges from the low False Dandelion (Agoseris glauca) the wounds of Achilles soldiers. valleys to high

mountains, This flower, similar Sticky Geranium (Geranium blooming April to in appearance to viscosissimum) July. The beautiful the common The plant gets its flower belies the dandelion, has a name from the sticky danger of this single flat yellow hairs that blanket plant, which flower head on a the stem and leaves. harbors a poisonous long stalk, which Flowers are a rose- alkaloid. The begins flowering in purple color with ingestion of flowering larkspur is one of the May and continues dark streaks through leading causes of cattle death on National through August at the petals. Blooms Forest lands, although domestic sheep are higher elevations. are prominent in not adversely affected. A milky juice open meadows May appears when the through July with the stem is broken. peak occurring just Bighorn National Forest nd Native Americans about the time that 2013 Eastside 2 St. chewed the dried young mountain bluebirds are leaving their Sheridan, WY 82801 nest and taking wing. It’s a major food item juices as gum. (307) 674-2600 for elk, moose, and deer.