I started taking pictures of Colorado wildflowers a few years ago on my hikes and trail runs - primarily in the foothills. I rarely see red or orange flowers other than Paintbrush. The Paintbrush in the foothills is orange or red-orange; the Paintbrush I have seen at higher altitudes is red. There are also difference in the leaves. The orange Paintbrush has lighter colored leaves that are somewhat curled. The red Paintbrush is taller.
I learned a few interesting things about Paintbrush when trying to learn which scientific name matched my photos. One, according to
Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, there are a couple hundred different species, which makes it hard to distinguish them. Two, the colorful parts of the plant are actually leafy bracts. The other interesting fact is that Paintbrush are partially parasitic, obtaining some of their nourishment from nearby plants.
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| Desert Paintbrush - Mount Falcon Park |
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| Paintbrush-Rocky Mountain National Park |
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Indian Paintbrush - Chimney Gulch, Golden
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Indian Paintbrush - Buffalo Mountain, Summit County
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One of the few red Colorado wildflowers is a B List noxious weed, on
Jefferson County's weed list. Another truly red Colorado wildflower is Fairy Trumpet. The first time I saw Fairy Trumpet was in the mountains of Summit County. In 2015, I finally saw a couple of Fairy Trumpets in the foothills close to Denver.
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Houndstongue (noxious weed) - Apex Park, Morrison
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| Fairy Trumpet, Black Canyon of the Gunnison (North Rim) |
In 2014, I saw my first red coneflower next to the trail at Green Mountain. They are usually yellow. Western Wallflowers are also usually yellow but they may be orange.
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| Coneflower |
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| Scarlet Gaura |
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Western Wallflower - Chimney Gulch, Golden
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| Copper Mallow - Mount Falcon, Morrison |
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