Columbines on the Colorado Trail

This is the second year in a row our family stopped in Park county along Hwy 285 where the Colorado trail crosses at the Kenosha campground. This is the only place I’ve seen so may columbines. A short walk revealed many of the vibrant wildflowers and all the butterflies pictured below. I also included photos of flowers found on the trail to Agnes Vaille falls in Chaffe county.

Colorado Columbine, Aquilegia coerulea, Helleboraceae (Hellebore), Colorado trail, 06302017

Beardlip Penstemon, Penstemon barbatus, Scrophulariaceae (Figwort), Agnes Vaille falls trail

Whipple’s Penstemon, Penstemon whippleanus ,Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) colorado trail, 06292017

One-sided Penstemon, Penstemon unilateralis, Scrophulariaceae (Figwort), Chaffe county area 06292017

Yellow Monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, Phrymaceae (Lopseed), Agnes Vaille Falls, 06292017

Fendler Sandwort, Eremogone fendleri, Caryophyllaceae (Pink), Agnes Vaille falls, 06292017

Waxflower, Jamesia americana, Hydrangeaceae (Hydrangea) Agnes Vaille falls 06292017

Indian paintbrush, Castilleja sp., Orobanchaceae (Broomrape Family) Colorado trail 06302017

glandular phacelia (like Purple Fringe), Phacelia glandulosa, Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf), Agnes Vaille falls 06292017

Both in the rose family: Wild rose, Rosa woodsii, Rosaceae (Rose), Agnes Vaille falls 06292017, Shrubby Cinquefoil, Pentaphylloides floribunda, Rosaceae (Rose), Colorado trail, 06302017

Both in the rose family: Beautiful Cinquefoil, Potentilla pulcherrima, Rosaceae (Rose), Colorado trail 06302017, Boulder Raspberry, Oreobatus deliciosus, Rosaceae (Rose), Agnes Vaille falls 06302017

White Locoweed, Oxytropis sericea, Fabaceae (Pea), Colorado trail 06292017, unidentified Fabaceae family (pea)

yarrow, Achillea lanulosa, Asteraceae (sunflower), Colorado trail 06302017, Fendler’s ragwort, Packera fendleri, Asteraceae (Sunflower), Agnes Vaille falls 06292017

Richardson Geranium, Geranium richardsonii, Geraniaceae (Geranium) family, Colorado trail 06302017

Lousewort, Pedicularis sp., Orobanchaceae (Broomrape), Colorado trail 06302017

Purple aster, Erigeron sp., Asteraceae (Sunflower), Agnes Vaille falls 06292017

Possibly norway cinquefoil a weed

Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum, Alliaceae (Onion), Colorado trail, 06302017

Mouse ear chickweed, Cerastium strictum, Alsinaceae (Chickweed), Agnes Vaille falls trail 06292017

Harebell, Campanula rotundifolia, Campanulaceae (Bellflower), Colorado trail 06292017, Cutleaf Evening Primrose, Oenothera coronopifolia, Onagraceae (Evening Primrose), Agnes Vaille falls, 06292017

Cinquefoil, Potentilla sp., probably wolly cinquefoil, Potentilla hippiana, Rosaceae (Rose), Agnes Vaille falls 06292017

Buckbrush, Ceanothus fendleri, Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn), 06292017

Heartleaf bittercress, Cardamine cordifolia, Brassicaceae (Mustard) family, Agnes Vaille falls 06292017

caterpillar with branched spines, possibly a buck moth caterpillar. http://bugguide.net/node/view/1395298#2414975

black and white caterpillar- Meris alticola moth larvae. It eats penstemon spp. It mimics another caterpillar. Neoterpes graefiaria.

butterfly -variable checkerspot maybe, colorado trail 06302017

western tiger swallowtail maybe on white locoweed, colorado trail 06302017

another butterfly on cinquefoil flower

 

 

 

Rocky Mountain National Park wildflowers, shrubs, and bugs

A close up of Purple Fringe,  Phacelia sericea.  My friend Alice found this at the Alluvial fan.  It is also called purple pincushion — imagine the long stamens with yellow anthers are the pins. For this blog, I go with USDA plant database to chose between synonyms or to ID families, so I’ll call this a Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf). But one of my favorite websites, swcoloradowildflowers.com , puts this in the Borage family.

Purple Fringe,  Phacelia sericea . At the Alluvial fan.

Darn tick! Found this when I got home. The only tick in Rocky Mountain National Park is the Rocky Mountain wood tick. I believe this is a male. According to the fact sheet linked below, these can cause Colorado Tick Fever.

RMNP tick fact sheet

Pine Tiger Moth, Lophocampa ingens, photo credit to my friend Andrew.  ID through Bugguide.net. The caterpillars make “nests” that bind together the needles on the top of a  pine tree (or some other trees) and they feed on the needles. They pupate in early summer and moths emerge in July.  Here is information from CSU: Insects that feed on trees

Northern Fairy Candelabra, Androsace septentrionalis, Primulaceae (Primrose Family). I love the name of this tiny white flower. First photo is from Aluvial fan, second and third from Aspen Glen loop trail.

All the other cool stuff! Click on photos for slideshow with ID.