Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains

Introduction During the summer months, the Rocky Mountains come alive with color. The great variety of elevations, climates, soil types, slopes, directional aspects, and rock formations provide an abundance of habitats for a wondrous variety of wildflowers to grow and flourish. The opportunity to become acquainted with new wildflowers is nearly endless in this spectacular mountain setting. This book is a revision and major expansion of the previous edition, entitled Wildflowers of the Canadian Rockies, first published in 1986. The original book was written for several reasons. Laypeople who had attended my wildflower classes over the years found that most field guides assumed a level of botanical expertise they did not have, and wanted a wildflower book they could use and understand. I also wanted to commemorate the centennial of Banff National Park since the treasures there and throughout the Rockies have done so much to enrich my life. The principal reason, however, was to educate the curious-minded about the incredible natural wonders to be found there. I believed then, as I do now, that an informed public is paramount in ensuring the wise management of these areas at the present and in the future. The first edition received flattering reviews. More importantly, over the 20 years the book has been available, many readers have commented that being able to identify and learn about wildflowers has enriched their experience of the Rocky Mountains and given them great pleasure. The goal of this edition is to greatly expand the coverage, to update the information provided, and to add new features such as distribution maps and standardized common plant names. Most of the plants included here are the more prevalent ones that people will encounter in the Rockies. A few less common ones are included to challenge the users of this book to search for and enjoy some of our rarer plants. Millions of people visit or live near the many national parks, provincial and state parks, national recreational areas, national monuments, national forests, and wildlife management areas within the Rocky Mountains (Figure 1). This field guide was written to assist everyone in recognizing some of the wildflowers they may encounter along the highways and hiking trails or near campgrounds and in the towns. My goal has been to make this book user friendly, simple, enjoyable to read, and accurate in detail. Being able to recognize the plants encountered and to call them by name is an indispensable and exciting first step in a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world. Be forewarned that a flower-finding hobby can become addictive and develop into a lifelong voyage of discovery! The level of detail provided in this field guide is likely adequate for most users. For those who are inspired to learn more, and I hope there will be many, a few selected references are included at the end of this book. Accurate identification of wildflowers requires an examination of each plant and its component parts. Here are some tips for using this field guide. Look carefully at the characteristics of the flowers, leaves, stems, fruits and berries, or seeds of the plant in question. Flowers Are the petals in 3's, 4's, 5's or more? What shape are the flowers -- urn-like, tubular, 2-lipped, or other? Are the flowers symmetrical or irregular? Are the flowers arranged in spikes, racemes, panicles, umbels, corymbs, or cymes? Do the flowers have special features like hoods, spurs, glands, or markings such as dots or stripes? Leaves Are the leaves at the base of the plant or all along the stem? Are the leaves arranged alternatScotter, George W. is the author of 'Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains ', published 2007 under ISBN 9781552858486 and ISBN 1552858480.