Wild Flowers: Alpine Sunflower
Wild Flowers: Alpine Sunflower
Old Man of the Mountain
During the summer of 2008, I had the opportunity to do high elevation trail maintenance in Colorado. I was enthralled by the wildflowers. I thought I would highlight some of my favorites, one at a time, so that you could learn a bit about each one. The information comes from both my experiences and the book “Guide to Colorado Wildflowers” by G.K. Guennel. I really found this book helpful in unmasking the identities of these beautiful flowers. I took the pictures; they don’t do the flowers justice. If you think my picture is good, go out and see them in person, it’s a hundred times better. Happy Trails!
The Alpine Sunflower, also known as Old Man of the Mountain, Mountain Sunflower, Alpine Goldflower, Sun God, and Rydbergia is part of the Aster Family.
Flower heads are very large (to 4″ across), single, and nodding, with bright yellow, notched ray flowers, a large, domed disk, and narrow, woolly bracts. The stems of the flower are pretty distinct as they are woolly, as if they have whiskers (making the flower seem a good bit like an old man).
You can find the Old Man of the Mountain in Alpine zone, anywhere between 11,500 and 14,400 feet in Colorado. Secrets to finding him, check on ridges and slopes, among boulders and in meadows. The best time to go on a hike and find the Old Man is July and August.
