Yellow & Orange Flowers

Old Man of the Mountain	Yellow Stonecrop	Heart-Leaved Arnica
Golden Banner	Plains Prickly-Pear Cactus	Snow Lily
Blanket Flower	Western Yellow Paintbrush	Snow Buttercup
Western Wallflower	Alpine Avens
Sulphurflower	Yellow Pond-Lily

 

Old Man of the Mountain

NPS

Old Man of the Mountain

Scientific name: Hymenoxys grandiflora

Family: Aster family (Asteraceae)

Habitat: Alpine tundra

With bright yellow flower heads that are 2-3 inches in diameter, these are the largest flowers that grow on the alpine tundra. To help protect their flower heads from the strong winds found above treeline, this flower has a unique adaptation. The flower heads all face east, away from the prevailing westerly winds that can blow with gusts over 50 mph.

While Old Man of the Mountain can withstand harsh cold winters, these plants are very fragile and take a long time to grow. For 10 to 20 years, this plant will only grow their roots and leaves until conditions are just right to produce their bright yellow flowers and seed followed by senescence, or the plant's death.

 

Golden Banner

NPS

Golden Banner

Scientific name: Thermopsis divaricarpa

Family: Pea family (Fabaceae)

Habitat: Montane and subalpine meadows and streamsides

Golden banner blooms from late May to mid-July with bright yellow pea like flowers. Each flower has five petals - a banner, two wings and two keel petals. In late June, curved pea pods start to form from each flower.

 

Blanket Flower

NPS

Blanket Flower

Scientific name: Gaillardia aristata

Family: Aster family (Asteraceae)

Habitat: Open, sunny montane meadows

Stems are hairy and hold a showy solitary flower head. The large flower heads have deep yellow rays with dark red disk flowers. The pappus is composed of scales with bristle like tips. Blanket flower blooms from mid-June to late August.

 

Western Wallflower

NPS photo

Western Wallflower

Scientific name: Erysimum capitatum

Family: Mustard family (Brassicaceae)

Habitat: Sunny Montane, subalpine, and alpine areas

The flowers have four petals, which range from lemon yellow to orange (occasionally rusty red) in color. Flowers are in rounded clusters at the top of each stem that can reach a height of 2ft. (60cm). Wallflowers have a wonderful fragrance, which is attractive to bees.

 

Sulphur-flower

NPS photo by D. Biddle

Sulphurflower

Scientific name: Eriogonum umbellatum

Family: Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae)

Habitat: Dry montane fields and rocky hillsides

Flower heads are bright sulphur yellow in June and change to a rustic orange red in late August when they become dry. The flowers grow in dense clusters and the leaves grow at the base of the plant.

 

Yellow Stonecrop

NPS

Yellow Stonecrop

Scientific name: Amerosedum lanceolatum

Family: Stonecrop family (Crassulaceae)

Habitat: Dry, sunny montane to alpine slopes.

The succulent leaves are small and stems grow close to the ground. The bright yellow flowers are star shaped and sit in clusters on top of short stems. Before blooming, the leaves and flower buds are bright red. Stonecrop blooms between mid June and mid August.

 

Plains Pricklypear

NPS photo by R. Smith

Plains Pricklypear

Scientific name: Opuntia polyacantha

Family: Cactus family (Cactaceae)

Habitat: Dry, sunny montane slopes.

The stems are flattened succulent pads with scattered pointed spines. Showy bowl shaped yellow to peach colored flowers form at the top of each flatted stem.

 

Western Yellow Paintbrush

NPS photo

Western Yellow Paintbrush

Scientific name: Castilleja occidentalis

Family: Snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae)

Habitat: Subalpine meadows to alpine hillsides

The woolly unbranched stems bear leaves that are ascending with slender tips. Tiny greenish flowers are hidden within the showier yellow bracts.

 

Alpine Avens

NPS photo

Alpine Avens

Scientific name: Guem rosii ssp turbinata

Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)

Habitat: Alpine areas

This common alpine plant has bright yellow saucer shaped flowers and compound dark green leaves. In August the leaves turn brilliant red, covering the tundra in swaths of color. Alpine avens is the favorite food of pikas, who gather and dry this plant for winter consumption. Alpine avens blooms from June to August.

 

Yellow Pond-lily

NPS photo by B. Hoppe

Yellow Pond-lily

Scientific name: Nuphar lutea ssp polysepala

Family: Waterlily family (Nymphaeaceae)

Habitat: Shallow montane and subalpine lakes

The large yellow bowl shaped sepals protect the smaller petals inside. The large leaf blades float at the surface of the water. Yellow pondlily blooms from mid-June to mid-August.

 

Heart-Leaved Arnica

NPS photo

Heart-leaved Arnica

Scientific name: Arnica cordifolia

Family: Aster family (Asteraceae)

Habitat: Dry montane and subalpine forests

This is one of the taller arnicas, with stems reaching a height of 7-31in (20-80cm). Each flower head is deep yellow with 10-16 rays that surround a cluster of disc flowers. Leaves are opposite and are heart shaped. Arnica blooms beginning in late May in the montane through mid-August in the subalpine.

 

Snow-lily

NPS photo by D. Pinigis

Snow-lily

Scientific name: Erythronium grandiflorum

Family: Lily family (Liliaceae)

Habitat: Wet high subalpine sites as snow melts.

The bright yellow flowers have three petals and three petal like sepals that curve backwards. The anthers and pistil protrude and hang from the center of the flowers. Two long shiny leaves grow at the base of the stem. This lovely plant is not easily found in the park because it grows in remote backcountry areas.

 

Snow Buttercup

NPS photo by D. Biddle

Snow Buttercup

Scientific name: Ranunculus adoneus

Family: Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae)

Habitat: Upper subalpine to alpine areas with melting snow

The saucer shaped flowers have five bright yellow petals. The leaves are divided into deeply cut narrow lobes. Look for snow buttercup along the margins of melting snowdrifts between early June and early August. This plant is only found in the southern Rocky Mountains.

 

References

Beidleman, Linda H., Richard G. Beidleman, Beatrice E. Willard, and Ruth Ashton Nelson. Plants of Rocky Mountain National Park: A Complete Revision of Ruth Ashton Nelson's Popular Manual. Helena, MT: Rocky Mountain Nature Association & Falcon Pub., 2000. Print.

Kershaw, Linda, A. MacKinnon, and Jim Pojar. Plants of the Rocky Mountains. Edmonton: Lone Pine Pub., 1998. Print.