Wyoming | Beautiful Flower Pictures Blog

Indian Cucumbers, Mandarins, and Fairy Bells – Some Native Lilies

by hankinslawrenceimages | Feb 18, 2014 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, Wildflowers, Wyoming

Every now and then when I’m photographing wildflowers, I’ll see a delicate flower – and not know what they are. Once I check my collection of wildflower identification books – I can usually figure it out. I recently realized that three of my unknowns were all members of the lily family native to the US – so here they are – Indian Cucumbers, Mandarins and Fairy Bells.

Indian Cucumber – medeola virginiana – photographed in the Great Smoky Mountains Naitonal Park

Mandarins – prosartes maculata – another spring blooming wildflower found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Fairy Bells – prosartes trachycarpa – closely related to the Mandarins – photographed at Grand Teton National Park

Aren’t these delicate wild lilies amazing?

Fireweed – Chamerion angustifolium

by hankinslawrenceimages | Aug 26, 2013 | Colorado, Flowers, Montana, Onagraceae Family, Wildflowers, Wyoming

One of the wonderful western wildflowers I’ve photographed in several locations is Fireweed (chamerion angustifolium). The bright magenta flowers of this summer blooming member of the Onoagraceae (evening primrose) family are easy to spot. I’ve photographed it at Yankee Boy Basin in Colorado, and in Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Fireweed is native to Canada and a few northern or mountainous states in the US, including Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota and Indiana. Fireweed is also known as willow herb and french willow.

Fireweed can grow to a height of five feet tall. The bright magenta four petaled flowers are about an inch across. Stems are reddish with alternate leaves.

Fireweed grows in moist soil in areas with lots of sun. It is commonly found along roadsides and in clearings. It is one of the plants that first grows back in burned wooded areas – hence it’s name – fireweed.

More information about fireweed can be found at

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Plant Profiles

Alpine Paintbrush – castilleja rhexifolia

by hankinslawrenceimages | May 6, 2013 | Flowers, Montana, Orobanchaceae Family, Photo Locations, Wildflowers, Wyoming

There are many varieties of paintbrush flowers growing in the Western United States. I always love seeing them and photographing them – the challenge is identifying which one is which!

From the descriptions I’ve read – I believe I photographed Alpine Paintbrush – castilleja rhexifolia – at both Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. Of course – I very well may have misidentified them – since no two sources have similar photos for the same wildflower! So I apologize in advance if I’d misidentified which paintbrush these photos are of.

Alpine Paintbrush are summer-blooming perennial members of the Figwort Family (scrophulariacaea). They grow to between 4 and 16 inches tall – and have bright pink or reddish flowers. I’ve found them in meadows and in open areas along the sides of the roads in the parks.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Alpine Paintbrush photos. Please feel free to share this post on social media.

Photos from the Road: Yellowstone National Park

by hankinslawrenceimages | Sep 17, 2012 | Flowers, Photo Locations, Wildflowers, Wyoming

Continuing the series of posts with photos that were posted to Facebook while I was on the road this summer . . .

After several days in Glacier National Park, Bill and I headed to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. I had visited Yellowstone last summer – and saw lots of snow. Like Glacier – Yellowstone is a completely different place when it isn’t covered with snow!

At Yellowstone – I finally found the western wildflowers I’d heard so much about. In some parts of the park – there were hillsides covered with flowers – in others – there were just a few flowers – but they were also quite beautiful.

Rosy Paintbrush (castilleja rhexifolia) and Silvery Lupine (lupinus argenteus) – and yes I did get asked where was the grizzly bear as I was photographing this set of flowers

Rosy Paintbrush – Castilleja rhexifolia

Showy Daisy – Erigeron Speciousus

Narrowleaf Fireweed – chamerion angustifolium

Lewis’ Monkeyflower – mimulus lewisii

I’ll post a few more photos from Yellowstone National Park next week.

Low Larkspur – delphinium nutallianum

by hankinslawrenceimages | May 14, 2012 | Flowers, Ranunculaceae Family, Wildflowers, Wyoming

One of the beautiful wildflowers I photographed at Grand Teton National Park last summer was Low Larkspur. It is related to the dwarf larkspur I’ve photographed along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. It was a great splash of color among the greens and browns of the grasses in the field where I spotted it. And I love being able to see both a beautiful little wildflower and the grand mountains in the view.

Low Larkspur (delphinium nutallianum) is a member of Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. It is native to much of the western United States and Canada.

Depending on where you find it will likely determine how tall it is. At Grand Teton National Park, the Low Larkspur was less than 12″ tall. It can grow to as tall as 30″ tall in the southern part of its range. It is known for having only one stem, with blue-violet flowers.

Like many other members of the delphinium family, low larkspur is highly toxic to humans and animals, especially cattle. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids than can be fatal for humans – and often are fatal for cattle. AVOID EATING ANY PARTS OF THE LARKSPUR PLANTS.

Despite the toxic nature of the plants, they have been used by Native American tribes as a stain for arrows and in ceremonies.

More information about Low Larkspur can be found at

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Native American Ethnobotany

The Wildlife News – Larkspur Strikes Again

USDA Plant Profiles

USDA Plants Poisonous to Livestock in the Western States

New Photo: Prairie Smoke

by hankinslawrenceimages | Dec 31, 2011 | Flowers, New Photos, Photo Locations, Wildflowers, Wyoming

I’ve recently added a new photo – Prairie Smoke – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

One of my favorite wildflowers I discovered my trip to Yellowstone National Park in June was Prairie Smoke (Geum Triflorum). When I first spotted it – I had no clue what it was – but I knew I wanted to take lots of photographs of it. I couldn’t remember ever seeing a wildflower with the combination of uniquely shaped flowers, fuzzy texture and fascinating leaf structure that reminded me of antlers!

I photographed the prairie smoke in the Lamar Valley section of Yellowstone National Park, which is where I found most of the wildflowers I photographed there. Next summer, I’m planning on spending more time in the Lamar Valley than I did on my trip this year. I’m really looking forward to discovering more Yellowstone wildflowers.

This photograph is available as either at 10 X 10″ or 20 X 20″ gallery-wrapped canvas. You can order Prairie Smoke from my website.