Summer Snow and Subalpine Wildflowers
Visitors to Colorado Springs may be surprised to see new snow on Pikes Peak in July, but longtime residents know that it may snow on our “Fourteener” any day of the year. Still, there is an element of surprise when afternoon rain clouds clear, revealing new snow on the Peak. Such was the case yesterday, July 8.
New Snow on Pikes Peak - July 8, 2010
It doesn’t seem that summer snows and freezing temperatures would be compatible with wildflowers. Yet, many species of wildflowers thrive above 10,500′ in the subalpine and alpine elevations of Pikes Peak. Every summer, I journey to Elk Park on the north slope of the Peak to seek out the beautiful bright flowers. Especially adapted to high altitudes, these hardy perennial plants bloom and form seeds quickly during their short growing season. Sometimes, I will find “bouquets” of wildflowers nestled against the pink granite rocks that provide some shelter from the wind and intense sunlight. This is where I found two of my favorite subalpine wildflowers, the purple Dusky Penstamon and blue Chiming Bells.
Dusky Penstamon and Chiming Bells
The Alpine Sunflower is so bright and showy that it is easy to find. Its large 3″ blossom tops its short stem, making it look top-heavy. The plant’s stem and leaves are covered with wooly-looking hairs that have led to the wildflower’s nickname “Old Man of the Mountains.” The white hairs serve as insulation, an adaptation that helps protect the sunflower from the frosts, summer snows and drying winds of the subalpine and alpine climate. The “Old Man of the Mountains” flowers always face the rising sun, receiving the sun’s warming rays after cold summer nights on Pikes Peak.
Alpine Sunflowers on Pikes Peak
Photo Credits: All three photos by Melissa Walker