Are You a Parry's Primrose or a Pasqueflower?

I discovered it last year while hiking by myself. Just past “Willow Alley” on the Lamoille Lake trail I was stopped in my tracks by incandescent pink! A glance up the granite slope to the left drew my attention. Splashes of Parry’s Primrose bright pink everywhere on the mountainside. Fuschia against gray. Definitely a “Notice-me statement!”
Some people are like that. Showy, dramatic, they take up a lot of space, make a lot of noise. Parry’s Primrose folks.

On both sides of the creek after the snow melts, a wide blanket of pink fills the gully and sweeps down with the rushing water. Parry’s Primrose. Dramatic, “Watch me!”
Other folks are quieter, take a little more time to be noticed. Their beauty appears only after patient time and diligent listening.

I happened to catch a soft blue bud out of the corner of my eye in the shadow of the boulder below the trail. My mind quickly went through its files, came up with “no-match,” and alerted my conscious mind.

I scrambled down with my faded copy of “A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John Craighead.

I’ve hiked these mountains so much I’m familiar with the flowers at every switback. Special gardens have names. On the Island Lake trail there’s the English Garden, Death Switchback, the Rose Garden, and St John’s Pocket. Lamoille Lake trail has Willow Alley, and Primrose Grotto.

But that day I saw a new face, Pasqueflower.

The bud before blooming is a soft blue, which opens to a cup-shaped blossom with no true petals, just blue and violet sepals that look like petals. It blooms quite early—late this year because of all the snow we’ve had–and is usually gone by the time most people start hiking the mountains. I haven’t seen it anywhere else in the Rubies. Doesn’t mean it’s not here, probably means I just haven’t come on it. After blooming the flower surprises by turning to a wispy, feathery “Dr. Seuss” seed pod.

Our world is richer for both Parry’s Primrose and Pasqueflower. We’re richer when we become aware enough to look for the quieter dispositions, too. Many things wait in quiet corners for discovery. It’s a fortunate day when we happen upon them…

Come explore granite boulders, wildflowers, hummingbirds, and pastel-hued snow banks with us! (Why is that snow “pink?”)