Singin' the big blues

Mertensia ciliata, June 30, 2023

Green Mountain, 11,000’, August 2, 2023

Common & scientific name

Mountain bluebells, Mertenisa ciliata

Family

Borage, Boraginaceae

Location

Aspen grove below Highway 82, 8,700’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

Mountain bluebells grace wet areas with their delicate pink-to-blue flowers, bluish-green leaves, and sheer abundance. Standing several feet high, they are often found in the company of subalpine larkspur and monkshood (and here, Sambucus racemosa)

Upper Lost Man, 11,500’, July 11, 2023