Miss Penn's Mountain Seed
WILD MOUNTAIN SEED
High-Altitude Seed For The Mountain Gardener
The Store is OPEN for 2020!!
All wild seed listed below is hand collected by me. All seed is collected sustainably and responsibly. Much of the seed comes from my own mountain property. Elevation is noted on all seed so you can see who grows where. You do not have to match elevations - however, some things need to grow up high - other's need the heat of the Colorado Steppe or similar conditions to survive.
Some of this seed is very rare and hard to collect. New things will be added and some things might be taken down - so if it's listed - order before it's gone. Complete descriptions and pictures coming very soon. All seed packets on this page are $3 each.
To Order:
Go to the Store and search Wild Seed!
Thank you for considering my Bio-regional seed. You are on the path to food security and sustainability when you seek out locally grown and adapted seed.
Some of this seed is very rare and hard to collect. New things will be added and some things might be taken down - so if it's listed - order before it's gone. Complete descriptions and pictures coming very soon. All seed packets on this page are $3 each.
To Order:
Go to the Store and search Wild Seed!
Thank you for considering my Bio-regional seed. You are on the path to food security and sustainability when you seek out locally grown and adapted seed.
GARDEN FLOWERS AND HERBS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
WILD SEED LIST FOR 2020!!!!!
New wild varieties are being added right now!
Navajo Tea and Penstemon in my meadow.
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Seedpod of the Bush Morning Glory
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Mariposa Lily
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Miss Penn's Mountain Seeds
But first, the photos...
Mary in the wild.
I am proud to feature the stunning photographs of Mary L. Dubler DVM of Fort Collins, Co.
Click here to see her website: Wildflowers of Colorado.
Really, go - see her work - get lost in her pictures of our beautiful Colorado natives. www.wildflowersofcolorado.com
All of Mary's photos are marked "Wildflowers of Colorado".
Click here to see her website: Wildflowers of Colorado.
Really, go - see her work - get lost in her pictures of our beautiful Colorado natives. www.wildflowersofcolorado.com
All of Mary's photos are marked "Wildflowers of Colorado".
The Wild Things...
New For 2020!!!
Aconitum columbianum
Monkshood
(Wolfsbane)
Oooooolalala! Remember Snape in Harry Potter asking Harry if he knew another name for Wolfsbane? Hermione had her hand up madly and poor Harry knew nothing about plants? I was shouting "Aconitum, Aconitum!!!". Ah yes, raising boys....
So this glorious flower is completely poisonous - all parts. Although a powerful medicine, it has been a beloved garden flower since gardens were created and it is a great flower to add to a moist, shady place. I wear gloves when handling the plants and seeds and children should be taught to beware as it can cause skin irritation. Of course do not ingest any part of the plant.
I find it deep in the forest along the creek - almost growing out of the creek. We are usually eye to eye as it can grow 3-6'. It is very impressive in flower as you can see - plants tell us who they are. The leaves are similar to Delphinium.
Like Delphinium, the elk eat it to get high and I am often late to collect the few seedpods they leave me. Gorgeous. It can grow in the garden bed with ample water. It can throw the deepest blue/purple flowers to white and lavender/bi-color in between.
Although it is not necessary, you can cold-stratify for a couple of months, plant in fall or just try it as soon as you receive the fresh seeds - it wants to grow.
Perennial
Aconitum columbianum
Monkshood
(Wolfsbane)
Oooooolalala! Remember Snape in Harry Potter asking Harry if he knew another name for Wolfsbane? Hermione had her hand up madly and poor Harry knew nothing about plants? I was shouting "Aconitum, Aconitum!!!". Ah yes, raising boys....
So this glorious flower is completely poisonous - all parts. Although a powerful medicine, it has been a beloved garden flower since gardens were created and it is a great flower to add to a moist, shady place. I wear gloves when handling the plants and seeds and children should be taught to beware as it can cause skin irritation. Of course do not ingest any part of the plant.
I find it deep in the forest along the creek - almost growing out of the creek. We are usually eye to eye as it can grow 3-6'. It is very impressive in flower as you can see - plants tell us who they are. The leaves are similar to Delphinium.
Like Delphinium, the elk eat it to get high and I am often late to collect the few seedpods they leave me. Gorgeous. It can grow in the garden bed with ample water. It can throw the deepest blue/purple flowers to white and lavender/bi-color in between.
Although it is not necessary, you can cold-stratify for a couple of months, plant in fall or just try it as soon as you receive the fresh seeds - it wants to grow.
Perennial
Allium cernuum
Nodding Onion – 9-10,000’ - Limited Quantity
Edible, easy to grow, beautiful. What more could we want? This is such a cool plant. Great for rock gardens or under trees in dappled light. Grows along the forest edge, on roads cuts, amongst rocks.
Super adaptable. Reseeds easily. Lovely. Eat fresh or cook it for two very different flavors. Medicinal.
12-18" tall, nodding lavender flowers on slender onion stems. Even though I don't think anything is deer resistant, this is as close as this gets. Perennial.
Nodding Onion – 9-10,000’ - Limited Quantity
Edible, easy to grow, beautiful. What more could we want? This is such a cool plant. Great for rock gardens or under trees in dappled light. Grows along the forest edge, on roads cuts, amongst rocks.
Super adaptable. Reseeds easily. Lovely. Eat fresh or cook it for two very different flavors. Medicinal.
12-18" tall, nodding lavender flowers on slender onion stems. Even though I don't think anything is deer resistant, this is as close as this gets. Perennial.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Kinnick-kinnick - 9-10,000’
Perennial
"Bear Berry". Sometimes when I am collecting this, I find bear scat made up of solid berries. I realize the bear is probably sleeping nearby and I keep an eye on how far I am away from my car! During hunting season, since I wear a lot of black, I also wear orange over my seed apron...
This berry was used in pemmican, a mixture of pounded meat, fat and berries, and can also be prepared as tea. Leaves were smoked by indigenous people. Medicinal.
Beautiful white and pink bells come in spring followed by a brilliant red berry in fall. Evergreen plants sprawl on the ground throughout the forest floor.
Grows to 6" - 1'. This important plant grows all over the Rockies.
Kinnick-kinnick - 9-10,000’
Perennial
"Bear Berry". Sometimes when I am collecting this, I find bear scat made up of solid berries. I realize the bear is probably sleeping nearby and I keep an eye on how far I am away from my car! During hunting season, since I wear a lot of black, I also wear orange over my seed apron...
This berry was used in pemmican, a mixture of pounded meat, fat and berries, and can also be prepared as tea. Leaves were smoked by indigenous people. Medicinal.
Beautiful white and pink bells come in spring followed by a brilliant red berry in fall. Evergreen plants sprawl on the ground throughout the forest floor.
Grows to 6" - 1'. This important plant grows all over the Rockies.
Argemone polyanthemos
Prickly Poppy
Annual or Biennial 2-3' Collected at 7,888'.
I've loved this plant all of my life, marveling at the heat it can take and the ants that climb it and the bees that buzz it. This flower is bad-ass - the flower is as delicate and fragile as any poppy but the plant will bite you hard. Blue-green thistle-like spikey leaves ain't playin'. You will bleed if you mess around with it. Collecting seed is exciting! Plant it where it can be and reseed and make a stand. Gorgeous from the high heat to the mountain top.
Prickly Poppy
Annual or Biennial 2-3' Collected at 7,888'.
I've loved this plant all of my life, marveling at the heat it can take and the ants that climb it and the bees that buzz it. This flower is bad-ass - the flower is as delicate and fragile as any poppy but the plant will bite you hard. Blue-green thistle-like spikey leaves ain't playin'. You will bleed if you mess around with it. Collecting seed is exciting! Plant it where it can be and reseed and make a stand. Gorgeous from the high heat to the mountain top.
Arnica cordifolia
Heart-leaf Arnica
Found way up high in the forest, between 9-10,000', heart-leafed Arnica is hard to miss, absolutely stunning in half-shade to full sun. I see it running along the forest' edge - reaching toward the sun.
Heart-shaped leaves are clearly identifiable.
Yes, this variety is medicinal and it's native to Colorado but I particularly like it since my husband's name is Cord and the leaves are hearts. :)
I always want to roll around in it - grow some so you can too!
Artemisia frigida
Fringed Sage – 8-10,000’
Perennial - woody stem
I adore this plant. The Best Dog That Ever Lived - a red Dobie named Coco - used to roll upside down and backwards on a carpet of young plants to clean and perfume herself. Besides being beautiful, soft and aromatic, it is also good medicine.
Indigenous People used it for cold, gastritis, wounds, coughs, headache, heartburn, fever, etc.
It is a food source for White-tailed Jackrabbit, Sage Grouse, Elk, Deer and Pronghorn.
In spring, it grows a soft, silver, grey/green mound that shoots up flower stalks to bloom June, July, August. It grows happily here amongst the Blue Grama. Tiny, insignificant yellow flowers nod along the stem.
Essential. Yes, you can make it into a smudge stick and yes, it smells wonderful. I've known this plant all of my life, it grows in most places - including the high and the low. Excellent ground cover and soil stabilizer. Thrives in poor soil and is drought tolerant. Easy to germinate seeds or divide.
Provides nesting materials for native bees.
Also called Prairie Sagewort, Arctic Sage, Pasture Sage.
Fringed Sage – 8-10,000’
Perennial - woody stem
I adore this plant. The Best Dog That Ever Lived - a red Dobie named Coco - used to roll upside down and backwards on a carpet of young plants to clean and perfume herself. Besides being beautiful, soft and aromatic, it is also good medicine.
Indigenous People used it for cold, gastritis, wounds, coughs, headache, heartburn, fever, etc.
It is a food source for White-tailed Jackrabbit, Sage Grouse, Elk, Deer and Pronghorn.
In spring, it grows a soft, silver, grey/green mound that shoots up flower stalks to bloom June, July, August. It grows happily here amongst the Blue Grama. Tiny, insignificant yellow flowers nod along the stem.
Essential. Yes, you can make it into a smudge stick and yes, it smells wonderful. I've known this plant all of my life, it grows in most places - including the high and the low. Excellent ground cover and soil stabilizer. Thrives in poor soil and is drought tolerant. Easy to germinate seeds or divide.
Provides nesting materials for native bees.
Also called Prairie Sagewort, Arctic Sage, Pasture Sage.
Asclepias speciosa
Showy Milkweed
Perennial Collected at 7,000'.
Monarch Butterflies - come and feast! Be a part of the movement to help the Monarch recover from their decreasing numbers by feeding them along their journey.
2-3' glorious plant with 3" blooms often covered in butterflies. The seed pods are a thing of beauty as well - releasing their seed on glamorous parachutes.
Grows wild in Colorado, collected at 7,000'.
Showy Milkweed
Perennial Collected at 7,000'.
Monarch Butterflies - come and feast! Be a part of the movement to help the Monarch recover from their decreasing numbers by feeding them along their journey.
2-3' glorious plant with 3" blooms often covered in butterflies. The seed pods are a thing of beauty as well - releasing their seed on glamorous parachutes.
Grows wild in Colorado, collected at 7,000'.
Atriplex confertifolia
Saltbush - 5,000’
Saltbush - 5,000’
Bahia dissecta
Yellow Ragleaf
Biennial 2-3' Collected at 8,120'.
The common name does not do this beauty justice. Tall, willowy sprays of rounded yellow ray flowers grow out of rock if they want to. They reseed delightfully and pop up amongst the potted flowers as easily as it grows alone in the dry woods at 8,120'. Perfect in bouquets as it is 2-3' tall and the stem is long with a spray of these little flowers above.
The first year rosette has finely cut leaves, very pretty.
Yellow Ragleaf
Biennial 2-3' Collected at 8,120'.
The common name does not do this beauty justice. Tall, willowy sprays of rounded yellow ray flowers grow out of rock if they want to. They reseed delightfully and pop up amongst the potted flowers as easily as it grows alone in the dry woods at 8,120'. Perfect in bouquets as it is 2-3' tall and the stem is long with a spray of these little flowers above.
The first year rosette has finely cut leaves, very pretty.
Brickellia grandiflora
Tassle Flower
You will find Tassle Flower at the edge of trees like Piñon and Juniper. Subtle beauties have soft, lovely heart or lance-shaped leaves that seem to soften the dry shade under the trees.
We live on decomposed granite and this plant grows in the lean, rocky soil and pine mulch.
Perennial
Tassle Flower
You will find Tassle Flower at the edge of trees like Piñon and Juniper. Subtle beauties have soft, lovely heart or lance-shaped leaves that seem to soften the dry shade under the trees.
We live on decomposed granite and this plant grows in the lean, rocky soil and pine mulch.
Perennial
Calichortus gunnisonii
Sego Lily - Mariposa Lily
A bold beauty on a slender stem with grass-like leaves. Beloved tulip-shaped, exotically colored gem of the mountains. Collected at 9-10,000' in the grass under Aspen trees.
Takes years to bloom from seed, this will produce a delicious, edible bulb one day. Patience and love are required. Once the bulb is formed it will live many years. Needs stratification.
Sego Lily - Mariposa Lily
A bold beauty on a slender stem with grass-like leaves. Beloved tulip-shaped, exotically colored gem of the mountains. Collected at 9-10,000' in the grass under Aspen trees.
Takes years to bloom from seed, this will produce a delicious, edible bulb one day. Patience and love are required. Once the bulb is formed it will live many years. Needs stratification.
Castilleja integra
Paintbrush
Paintbrush
Cercocarpus montanus
Mountain Mahogany - 9,500’
Mountain Mahogany - 9,500’
Chicory
Cichorium intybus
Wild Chicory
Wild Food, Wild Medicine
Wild Chicory has naturalized it's away around the country, providing food, medicine, forage and nectar for all. It's medicinal properties are so vast and so important I cannot list them all here and as a food it is no slouch either.
Bitter leaves can be blanched and eaten cooked or young leaves can be eaten in spring. Roots are forced in the dark, producing chicons - blanched buds. The root can be dried and roasted and made in to a coffee-like drink. Another survival plant - learn what you can about this amazing beauty. Loved since I was a child.
Wild Chicory
Wild Food, Wild Medicine
Wild Chicory has naturalized it's away around the country, providing food, medicine, forage and nectar for all. It's medicinal properties are so vast and so important I cannot list them all here and as a food it is no slouch either.
Bitter leaves can be blanched and eaten cooked or young leaves can be eaten in spring. Roots are forced in the dark, producing chicons - blanched buds. The root can be dried and roasted and made in to a coffee-like drink. Another survival plant - learn what you can about this amazing beauty. Loved since I was a child.
Clematis ligusticifolia
Western White Clematis
6,500’-8,000’
This is that thing that climbs the trees all summer long in the wild, and then in the fall the whole vine is covered with soft puffball seed-heads.
This vine will ramble and climb delightfully so - it is a superstar of the mountains. It grows high and low. Sweet white flower clusters make this a showy vine in spring followed by a gorgeous display in fall.
Western White Clematis
6,500’-8,000’
This is that thing that climbs the trees all summer long in the wild, and then in the fall the whole vine is covered with soft puffball seed-heads.
This vine will ramble and climb delightfully so - it is a superstar of the mountains. It grows high and low. Sweet white flower clusters make this a showy vine in spring followed by a gorgeous display in fall.
Sugarbowl Clematis
Clematis hirsutissima var. scottii
Sugar Bowl Clematis
Such a flower - nodding heads of purple. Finely cut leaves make a mound with the purple bells rising above. They take patience to get established but then they live a long time.
Drought tolerant and they can take full sun to partial shade. 12" - 18" tall. Seed-heads are beautiful puffballs. I find them in mixed forests in dappled light. A great beauty. Stratify.
Sugar Bowl Clematis
Such a flower - nodding heads of purple. Finely cut leaves make a mound with the purple bells rising above. They take patience to get established but then they live a long time.
Drought tolerant and they can take full sun to partial shade. 12" - 18" tall. Seed-heads are beautiful puffballs. I find them in mixed forests in dappled light. A great beauty. Stratify.
Pic by Penn
Cleome serrulata
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Pic by Penn
Curcurbita foetidissima
Stinking Cucumber or Buffalo Gourd
5-6,000’
Stinking Cucumber or Buffalo Gourd
5-6,000’
Dalea purpurea
Purple Prairie Clover
Purple Prairie Clover
Delphinium occidentale
Larkspur - 10,000’
This flower takes my breath away when I meet it in person in it's natural habitat. It stands 3' tall and rocks out deep blue blooms a-plenty. The elk eat it to get high. I have to fight them for the seed. Not really - but they eat the seed pods with their little lips leaving a stripped stem with one or two pods left. That's what I get. So after they are done partying, I am lucky to find any plant with untouched seed - they know when it's ripe! And no - do not eat the seed - it is toxic.
Larkspur - 10,000’
This flower takes my breath away when I meet it in person in it's natural habitat. It stands 3' tall and rocks out deep blue blooms a-plenty. The elk eat it to get high. I have to fight them for the seed. Not really - but they eat the seed pods with their little lips leaving a stripped stem with one or two pods left. That's what I get. So after they are done partying, I am lucky to find any plant with untouched seed - they know when it's ripe! And no - do not eat the seed - it is toxic.
Dodecatheon pulchellum
Shooting Star
Erysimum capitatum
Siberian Wallflower
Butterflies love it - you will love it too. A perennial
for the mountains, Wallflower is an excellent
addition for color from May to July.
Siberian Wallflower
Butterflies love it - you will love it too. A perennial
for the mountains, Wallflower is an excellent
addition for color from May to July.
Frasera speciosa (Swertia radiata)
Monument Plant - Giant Gentian
This plant is an impressive thing to see en masse. For a green and
white flower, there are gorgeous close-up details you have to see to
believe.
The summer of 2105, in northern Colorado, I saw mountainsides of
this thing in all it's glory. A great beauty.
Monument Plant - Giant Gentian
This plant is an impressive thing to see en masse. For a green and
white flower, there are gorgeous close-up details you have to see to
believe.
The summer of 2105, in northern Colorado, I saw mountainsides of
this thing in all it's glory. A great beauty.
Gaillardia
Gaillardia Mix
(Gaillardia aristata, Gaillardia pinnatifida, Gaillardia 'Burgundy')
Blanket Flower
Perennial
Such a reliable flower - hard to beat for non-stop color in a Western flower.
Three kinds of Gaillardia in this mix - they all love the mountains and can take full sun. 12-18" in colorful mounds. Bright color!
(Gaillardia aristata, Gaillardia pinnatifida, Gaillardia 'Burgundy')
Blanket Flower
Perennial
Such a reliable flower - hard to beat for non-stop color in a Western flower.
Three kinds of Gaillardia in this mix - they all love the mountains and can take full sun. 12-18" in colorful mounds. Bright color!
Pic by Penn
Geranium caespitosum James var. fremontii
9,000’
9,000’
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
Wild Licorice - 7,000'
Wild Licorice - 7,000'
Pic by Penn
Hymenopappus newberryi
Wild Cosmos - 9,800'
I love this flower. So drought tolerant, it can grow out of a rock! I find it growing out of cuts on high mountain 4WD roads - with its silvery leaves and white flowers. It is a showy thing in person, one plant can have 3-8 flowers blooming at a time. The bloom time is nice and long and it obviously likes it lean.
Perennial - Native to Colorado
Wild Cosmos - 9,800'
I love this flower. So drought tolerant, it can grow out of a rock! I find it growing out of cuts on high mountain 4WD roads - with its silvery leaves and white flowers. It is a showy thing in person, one plant can have 3-8 flowers blooming at a time. The bloom time is nice and long and it obviously likes it lean.
Perennial - Native to Colorado
Pic by Penn
Ipomea leptophylla
Bush Morning Glory
Oh what a plant. "Manroot". Slow growing perennial with gorgeous purple-pink blooms that open in the morning. The plant is smothered in them. The root can get as big as a man's arm and several feet deep. The plants can live for many, many years. Patience is required to get them established. This plant likes it lean and sunny.
Bush Morning Glory
Oh what a plant. "Manroot". Slow growing perennial with gorgeous purple-pink blooms that open in the morning. The plant is smothered in them. The root can get as big as a man's arm and several feet deep. The plants can live for many, many years. Patience is required to get them established. This plant likes it lean and sunny.
Ipomopsis aggregata
Skyrocket Gilia - Fairy Trumpet - 8,000’
Skyrocket Gilia - Fairy Trumpet - 8,000’
Iris missouriensis
Blue Flag - 9,600’
Blue Flag - 9,600’
Winterfat
Krascheninnikovia lanata
Winterfat - 8,000’
Winterfat - 8,000’
Gayfeather
Liatris punctata
Dotted Blazingstar 7 – 8,000’
(AKA Gayfeather)
Dotted Blazingstar 7 – 8,000’
(AKA Gayfeather)
Lupinus perennis
Wild Lupine
Northern Wisconsin
If you ever get to Northern Wisconsin in summer - anywhere near the Big Lake, you will see Lupine as far as the eye can see. I have family ties there and my earliest memories are of those lupines. It wasn't until I was in this business when I remembered that the flowers from my childhood were Lupine - and Daisies. I had a chance to harvest some last summer and I am thrilled to offer them. The things dreams are made of.
Machaeranthera bigelovii
Tall Tansy Aster – biennial – 8,000’
Tall Tansy Aster – biennial – 8,000’
Medicago sativa
Alfalfa – 5,000’ and 8,000’
Alfalfa – 5,000’ and 8,000’
Mentzelia decapetala
Evening Star - 6,000'
(aka Blazing Star)
Evening Star - 6,000'
(aka Blazing Star)
New For 2020!
Mentzelia nuda
Bractless Evening Star
(AKA Bractless Blazingstar)
Panayoti calls them "Steppe Stars" - he says they are not Blazing Stars (the common name for Liatris), more like 'Evening Stars'...
This plant smothers itself in blooms on a 1-3' plant. I find it growing from 5-8000'. Sometimes my gulley has an exceptional year and it covers the banks, sending up a lovely scent in the evening. They open in the afternoon and explode with these glorious creamy flowers. The leaves are sticky - it is sometimes called, 'stickleaf', and is supposed to have inspired Velcro. The leaves have barbed hairs and can stick to your clothes.
This plant is Biennial or Perennial and has years where they are everywhere, and then not so much - common for some of our most intrepid natives. They can make a wonderful dome on good years, or only shoot up a few branches, but when they open, you will notice.
They bloom July - September. You can pre-soak the seeds to aid in germination. Allow it to reseed once you have it and then you'll be happy forever more.
Mentzelia nuda
Bractless Evening Star
(AKA Bractless Blazingstar)
Panayoti calls them "Steppe Stars" - he says they are not Blazing Stars (the common name for Liatris), more like 'Evening Stars'...
This plant smothers itself in blooms on a 1-3' plant. I find it growing from 5-8000'. Sometimes my gulley has an exceptional year and it covers the banks, sending up a lovely scent in the evening. They open in the afternoon and explode with these glorious creamy flowers. The leaves are sticky - it is sometimes called, 'stickleaf', and is supposed to have inspired Velcro. The leaves have barbed hairs and can stick to your clothes.
This plant is Biennial or Perennial and has years where they are everywhere, and then not so much - common for some of our most intrepid natives. They can make a wonderful dome on good years, or only shoot up a few branches, but when they open, you will notice.
They bloom July - September. You can pre-soak the seeds to aid in germination. Allow it to reseed once you have it and then you'll be happy forever more.
Mimulus guttatus
Common Monkey Flower – 9,800’
Such a little beauty. You will find this in the high mountain streams, in the 'babbling brook', even the water running along the steep mountain road. Delightful, small mounds with yellow monkey faces decorate any waterway.
Plant it near any water, naturally moist places, or right along the creek. Sweet.
Common Monkey Flower – 9,800’
Such a little beauty. You will find this in the high mountain streams, in the 'babbling brook', even the water running along the steep mountain road. Delightful, small mounds with yellow monkey faces decorate any waterway.
Plant it near any water, naturally moist places, or right along the creek. Sweet.
Mirabilis multiflora
Colorado Four O’Clock - 6,500’
I grew up in Pueblo West, Colorado and right up against our house and in our driveway, grew the Four O'Clock. There was s huge one under a Juniper Tree, which is where you will find them far and wide. They like each other. Every afternoon at Four O'Clock, as the desert heat just began to wane, the sprawling glossy-leafed plant would burst forth in a spectacular display of purple, like you've never seen. It isn't just the color, it's that sunset in the desert is a thing to behold, spreading an apricot light over the land that seems to attach to your skin. When that happens, Four O'Clock gleams and burns in the apricot light, just coming alive for those brief moments. It's an incredible sight.
Plant in fall or stratify and try it in pots too. Direct seed it under or just outside of a Juniper Tree or in a hot, lean spot. I don't find it much higher than 7,000 - 7,500 ft. It likes the heat.
Colorado Four O’Clock - 6,500’
I grew up in Pueblo West, Colorado and right up against our house and in our driveway, grew the Four O'Clock. There was s huge one under a Juniper Tree, which is where you will find them far and wide. They like each other. Every afternoon at Four O'Clock, as the desert heat just began to wane, the sprawling glossy-leafed plant would burst forth in a spectacular display of purple, like you've never seen. It isn't just the color, it's that sunset in the desert is a thing to behold, spreading an apricot light over the land that seems to attach to your skin. When that happens, Four O'Clock gleams and burns in the apricot light, just coming alive for those brief moments. It's an incredible sight.
Plant in fall or stratify and try it in pots too. Direct seed it under or just outside of a Juniper Tree or in a hot, lean spot. I don't find it much higher than 7,000 - 7,500 ft. It likes the heat.
Pic by Penn
Monarda pectinata
Pony Beebalm - 8,000’
Pony Beebalm - 8,000’
Oenothera biennis
Evening Primrose - 8,000’
Evening Primrose - 8,000’
New For 2020!
Pedicularis bracteosa
Fern Leaf Lousewort (Bracted Lousewort)
Up to 3" tall, Bracted Lousewort is a beautiful, sturdy-stemmed yellow flower of the woods. Fern-like foliage shoots up beautiful blooms from June to August.
Grows on slopes or moist meadows. I find it from full sun to dappled shade.
Perennial
Pedicularis bracteosa
Fern Leaf Lousewort (Bracted Lousewort)
Up to 3" tall, Bracted Lousewort is a beautiful, sturdy-stemmed yellow flower of the woods. Fern-like foliage shoots up beautiful blooms from June to August.
Grows on slopes or moist meadows. I find it from full sun to dappled shade.
Perennial
Pedicularis groenlandica
Elephant Head - 9,700’
Elephant Head - 9,700’
New For 2020!
Penstemon auriberbis
Fuzzy Tongue Penstemon
Waves of soft, lavender clusters graced the mountains this year, making me pull the car over and get out. Bright golden-bearded throats are just beautiful up close. Grows 4"-12" and has narrow, linear leaves.
Claude Barr called it a 'rare jewel'. I found it stunning with the lavender and orange-yellow contrast. Native to the Arkansas River Valley. I see it
at 5-6000' and also at 7,888'.
Great rock garden plant. Sweet color. Plant in fall
or stratify in a moist medium for 30 days. Cover
lightly with sand.
Penstemon auriberbis
Fuzzy Tongue Penstemon
Waves of soft, lavender clusters graced the mountains this year, making me pull the car over and get out. Bright golden-bearded throats are just beautiful up close. Grows 4"-12" and has narrow, linear leaves.
Claude Barr called it a 'rare jewel'. I found it stunning with the lavender and orange-yellow contrast. Native to the Arkansas River Valley. I see it
at 5-6000' and also at 7,888'.
Great rock garden plant. Sweet color. Plant in fall
or stratify in a moist medium for 30 days. Cover
lightly with sand.
Photo by Penn
New For 2020!
Penstemon barbatus
Scarlet Bugler Penstemon
Scarlet red flowers adorn straight, upright reddish/purple stems that can reach 4'. Gracing the Rockies in June and July, this beauty has no problem growing up high. Long lasting flowers grow out of sandy, rocky road cuts, amongst rocky crevices and along roadsides. Can take drought conditions although if there is no snow in winter, water plants once a month.
Plant in fall or moist-stratify for 1-2 months. Barely cover the seed. No chocolate cake soil! This plant likes it lean - full sun is best but I see it with some shade along forests. Don't overwater.
Perennial
Penstemon barbatus
Scarlet Bugler Penstemon
Scarlet red flowers adorn straight, upright reddish/purple stems that can reach 4'. Gracing the Rockies in June and July, this beauty has no problem growing up high. Long lasting flowers grow out of sandy, rocky road cuts, amongst rocky crevices and along roadsides. Can take drought conditions although if there is no snow in winter, water plants once a month.
Plant in fall or moist-stratify for 1-2 months. Barely cover the seed. No chocolate cake soil! This plant likes it lean - full sun is best but I see it with some shade along forests. Don't overwater.
Perennial
Penstemon strictus
Rocky Mountain Penstemon - 7,888'
Rocky Mountain Penstemon - 7,888'
Phacelia tanacetifolia
Bee's Friend or Fiddleneck - 8,000’
Bee's Friend or Fiddleneck - 8,000’
Broadleaf Plantain
Plantago major
Broadleaf Plantain - 9,000'
Wild food, wild medicine. Known to Native Americans as "White Man's Footprint" as it was brought by colonists. Oval-shaped leaves with green/brown spikey minuscule flowers.
This plant can save your life if you are lost in the woods or wounded. It is one of a handful of plants I teach my sons to recognize as a survival plant for food and medicine. High in Calcium, Vitamins A, C and K.
You can eat young, fresh leaves in spring but later they need to be cooked. Chock full of nutrients and incredible healing properties.
Plantain grows all over the world.
Broadleaf Plantain - 9,000'
Wild food, wild medicine. Known to Native Americans as "White Man's Footprint" as it was brought by colonists. Oval-shaped leaves with green/brown spikey minuscule flowers.
This plant can save your life if you are lost in the woods or wounded. It is one of a handful of plants I teach my sons to recognize as a survival plant for food and medicine. High in Calcium, Vitamins A, C and K.
You can eat young, fresh leaves in spring but later they need to be cooked. Chock full of nutrients and incredible healing properties.
Plantain grows all over the world.
Self-Heal
Prunella vulgaris
Self-Heal - 9,000'
Perennial Herb
Self-Heal or 'Heal-All' is an edible herb well-known for it's medicinal properties and health benefits.
Eat young leaves raw in salad or cook as a potherb. Aerial parts of the plant can be dried, powdered and infused for a dose of Vitamins A, C and K.
Easy to grow.
Self-Heal - 9,000'
Perennial Herb
Self-Heal or 'Heal-All' is an edible herb well-known for it's medicinal properties and health benefits.
Eat young leaves raw in salad or cook as a potherb. Aerial parts of the plant can be dried, powdered and infused for a dose of Vitamins A, C and K.
Easy to grow.
Pterospora andromedea
Pinedrops - 10,000’
Perennial
I love running into this plant in the deep woods. It grows under pines and in mixed forests, poking up amongst the greenery. Lacking chlorophyll, this mysterious plant has a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi. This association is with only a handful of fungi in the genus Rhizopogon - some commonly known as 'False Truffles'.
Needless to say, these need to grow where mushrooms grow.
This plant is very cold-hardy. Allow to naturalize.
For best results, plant in fall or cold-stratify.
Pinedrops - 10,000’
Perennial
I love running into this plant in the deep woods. It grows under pines and in mixed forests, poking up amongst the greenery. Lacking chlorophyll, this mysterious plant has a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi. This association is with only a handful of fungi in the genus Rhizopogon - some commonly known as 'False Truffles'.
Needless to say, these need to grow where mushrooms grow.
This plant is very cold-hardy. Allow to naturalize.
For best results, plant in fall or cold-stratify.
Ratibida columnifera
Red Mexican Hat - 7,888’
Red Mexican Hat - 7,888’
Ratibida columnifera
Yellow Mexican Hat - 7,888’
Yellow Mexican Hat - 7,888’
Rosa woodsii
Wild Rose
New For 2020!
Rudbeckia laciniata
Cutleaf Coneflower 9,000'
Oh mighty one, I have to reach up for your seeds. This beauty can grow 24-72" in dappled light. I find it near waterways, dry or wet. Beautiful cut-leaf foliage, with bright yellow sunny coneflowers with brown centers. Peak of bloom is July, can grow in sand and loam and rocky places - although it will grow taller near water. Absolutely stunning!
Plant in fall to early spring or cold stratify in a moist medium for a month before planting.
Perennial
Rudbeckia laciniata
Cutleaf Coneflower 9,000'
Oh mighty one, I have to reach up for your seeds. This beauty can grow 24-72" in dappled light. I find it near waterways, dry or wet. Beautiful cut-leaf foliage, with bright yellow sunny coneflowers with brown centers. Peak of bloom is July, can grow in sand and loam and rocky places - although it will grow taller near water. Absolutely stunning!
Plant in fall to early spring or cold stratify in a moist medium for a month before planting.
Perennial
Senecio longilobus
Threadleaf Groundsel – 8,000’
Threadleaf Groundsel – 8,000’
Solidago spathulata nana
Dwarf Goldenrod - 9-10,000’
Dwarf Goldenrod - 9-10,000’
New For 2020!
Sphaeralcea parvifolia
Small Leaf Globe Mallow
Can grow hot and dry, and the glowing orange color is something to behold when this beauty puts on mass displays.
Collected at about 6,500 - 7,000' in dry, sandy soil. Plant in fall for best results or stratify for a month before planting. Scarification is also helpful as it has a hard seed coat. Patience might be required, depending on conditions. Stunning! Perennial.
Can grow 3' tall and 4' wide.
Sphaeralcea parvifolia
Small Leaf Globe Mallow
Can grow hot and dry, and the glowing orange color is something to behold when this beauty puts on mass displays.
Collected at about 6,500 - 7,000' in dry, sandy soil. Plant in fall for best results or stratify for a month before planting. Scarification is also helpful as it has a hard seed coat. Patience might be required, depending on conditions. Stunning! Perennial.
Can grow 3' tall and 4' wide.
Pic by Penn
New For 2020!
Stanleya pinnata
Prince's Plume
Growing up in Pueblo West as a small child, I met Stanleya - my what a spectacular plant. A true desert beauty. I see it as high as 6,500'-7,000' but not much higher. It can be grown as an annual at higher elevations or in a protected warm, sunny spot. Full, blazing Colorado sun and lean, lean soils are required to make this happen. A real show stopper - and the pollinator's love it! Spring blooming.
Provide 1-2 months stratification or plant from fall to March in areas with winter. Plant seed lightly. (1/16th")
Perennial
Stanleya pinnata
Prince's Plume
Growing up in Pueblo West as a small child, I met Stanleya - my what a spectacular plant. A true desert beauty. I see it as high as 6,500'-7,000' but not much higher. It can be grown as an annual at higher elevations or in a protected warm, sunny spot. Full, blazing Colorado sun and lean, lean soils are required to make this happen. A real show stopper - and the pollinator's love it! Spring blooming.
Provide 1-2 months stratification or plant from fall to March in areas with winter. Plant seed lightly. (1/16th")
Perennial
Blue-Eyed Grass
New For 2020!
Sysyrinchium montanum
Blue-Eyed Grass - 9,000'
This lovely little flower stops me in my tracks. If you are not paying attention, you could walk through the grass and not notice it - unless it has a great year. Blades of grass-like leaves produce this beautiful little flower in deep blue/purple with a bright yellow eye. Grows in the Montane in moist meadows or next to water. Grows only to 20". Not really a grass, Sysyrinchium means "Iris Like", just in the miniature. A great beauty - in a small package. In the Iris family.
Perennial
Sysyrinchium montanum
Blue-Eyed Grass - 9,000'
This lovely little flower stops me in my tracks. If you are not paying attention, you could walk through the grass and not notice it - unless it has a great year. Blades of grass-like leaves produce this beautiful little flower in deep blue/purple with a bright yellow eye. Grows in the Montane in moist meadows or next to water. Grows only to 20". Not really a grass, Sysyrinchium means "Iris Like", just in the miniature. A great beauty - in a small package. In the Iris family.
Perennial
Pic by Penn
Thelesperma filifolium
Navajo Tea - 8,000’
Navajo Tea - 8,000’
Thermopsis montana
Golden Banner – 9,500’
Golden Banner – 9,500’
Photo by Penn
New For 2020!
Townsendia hookeri
Easter Daisy
Spring has sprung when Easter Daisy shows itself in mid to late April. It can show up in lower elevations even earlier. You don't even know it's there because it is so tiny and low to the ground, until it blooms. Stem-less with more flower than leaves, these mat forming beauties burst forth here at 8,120', no problem. Common to the front range, this beauty is reliable.
Plant in fall or spring.
Perennial
Townsendia hookeri
Easter Daisy
Spring has sprung when Easter Daisy shows itself in mid to late April. It can show up in lower elevations even earlier. You don't even know it's there because it is so tiny and low to the ground, until it blooms. Stem-less with more flower than leaves, these mat forming beauties burst forth here at 8,120', no problem. Common to the front range, this beauty is reliable.
Plant in fall or spring.
Perennial
Tragopogon porrifolius
Yellow Salsify - Oyster Plant – 8,000’
Yellow Salsify - Oyster Plant – 8,000’
Pic by Penn
Yucca glauca
7,888’
7,888’
GARDEN FLOWERS
Alcea rosea
Hollyhock Mix - 8,000’
Hollyhock Mix - 8,000’
Cosmos sulphureus
Cosmos – white and magenta 7,200’
Cosmos – white and magenta 7,200’
Lathyrus latifolius
Perennial Sweet Pea - 5,000’
Lavatera trimestris
Rose Mallow
Leucanthemum x superbum
Shasta Daisy – 7,200’
Shasta Daisy – 7,200’
Nicandra physalodes
“Ebony” - Ebony Shoo-fly – 8,000’
Ebony Shoo-fly is a 3-4 foot annual flowering shrub. Morning glory-like flowers leave Chinese lantern-like seed pods behind - beautiful! Can get much bigger in the greenhouse. Starts easily and reseeds easily from seed.
“Ebony” - Ebony Shoo-fly – 8,000’
Ebony Shoo-fly is a 3-4 foot annual flowering shrub. Morning glory-like flowers leave Chinese lantern-like seed pods behind - beautiful! Can get much bigger in the greenhouse. Starts easily and reseeds easily from seed.
Papaver orientalis
Oriental Poppy – 7,200’
Oriental Poppy – 7,200’
Santolina chamaecyparissus
Cotton Lavender - 5,000’
Cotton Lavender - 5,000’
HERBS - GARDEN AND WILD
Achillea millefolium
White Yarrow
White Yarrow
Allium tuberosa
Garlic Chives – 8,000’
Garlic Chives – 8,000’
Anethum graveolens
Dill - 8,000’
Dill - 8,000’
Calendula officianalis
Pot Marigold - 8,000’
Pot Marigold - 8,000’
Leonurus cardiaca
Motherwort - 8,000’
Motherwort - 8,000’
Marrubium vulgare
Horehound – 6,000’
Horehound – 6,000’
Nepeta cataria
Catnip - 8,000'
Origanum majorana
Sweet Marjoram – 8,000’
Sweet Marjoram – 8,000’
Petroselinum crispum
Italian Flatleaf Parsley – 7,200’
Italian Flatleaf Parsley – 7,200’
Large African Marigold
Tagetes erecta
Large African Marigold - 8,000' Annual
Crackerjack
Very tall, 3' big ol' puffballs. These can grow up out of the vegetables for awesome companion planting. Big color, big flowers, big impact.
Blooms easily from seed. Easy to grow.
Protect your garden with these giant beauties.
Large African Marigold - 8,000' Annual
Crackerjack
Very tall, 3' big ol' puffballs. These can grow up out of the vegetables for awesome companion planting. Big color, big flowers, big impact.
Blooms easily from seed. Easy to grow.
Protect your garden with these giant beauties.
Tagetes patula
Cottage Red Marigold - 8,000' Annual
origin - Mexico
Penn's favorite Marigold of all time.
Long-stemmed red marigolds are of great help in the vegetable garden. They are tall enough to tower over tall vegetables like potatoes or broccoli. Beautiful Marigold 'trees' branch dozens of deep red blooms to brighten any spot in the garden. Bees love 'em.
Makes a great cut flower. Stems are red too. Easy to grow from seed or starts.
Marigolds are the workhorses of the vegetable garden and protect the garden from the bugs we don't want while attracting the ones we do.
Cottage Red Marigold - 8,000' Annual
origin - Mexico
Penn's favorite Marigold of all time.
Long-stemmed red marigolds are of great help in the vegetable garden. They are tall enough to tower over tall vegetables like potatoes or broccoli. Beautiful Marigold 'trees' branch dozens of deep red blooms to brighten any spot in the garden. Bees love 'em.
Makes a great cut flower. Stems are red too. Easy to grow from seed or starts.
Marigolds are the workhorses of the vegetable garden and protect the garden from the bugs we don't want while attracting the ones we do.
Tagetes patula
French Marigold – 8,000’ Annual
The workhorse of the veggie garden, farmers have included marigolds in their fields for generations. Marigolds attract the beneficial bugs and repel the bugs we don't want. Add easy mixed color on compact plants - perfect for edging.
French Marigold – 8,000’ Annual
The workhorse of the veggie garden, farmers have included marigolds in their fields for generations. Marigolds attract the beneficial bugs and repel the bugs we don't want. Add easy mixed color on compact plants - perfect for edging.
Tanacetum parthenium
Feverfew – 8,000’
Feverfew – 8,000’
Valeriana officinali
Common Valerian
Common Valerian
Trees
Gleditisia triacanthos L.
Honey Locust – 5,000’
Honey Locust – 5,000’
Pinus edulis
Piñon Pine Tree - 8,000'
Piñon Pine Tree - 8,000'
The Complete List:
Asclepias speciosa – Showy Milkweed - 7,000’
Argemone polyanthemos - Prickly Poppy - 7,888’
Bahia dissecta - 8,000’
Brickellia grandiflora - Tassle Flower - 8,500’
Calochortus gunnisonii - Sego Lily – Mariposa Lily – 9-10,000’
Castilleja integra - Paintbrush – 8,000’
Cleome serrulata - Rocky Mountain Bee Plant - 8,000’
Dalea purpurea - Purple Prairie Clover - 8,000’
Delphinium occidentale - Larkspur - 10,000’
Erysimum capitatum - Wallflower 9,000’
Frasera speciosa (Swertia radiata) – Monument Plant – Giant Gentian - 9,600’
Geranium caespitosum James var. fremontii - 9,000’
Hymenopappus newberryi – Wild Cosmos – 9,800’
Ipomea leptophylla – Bush Morning Glory – 5,000’
Ipomopsis aggregata - Skyrocket Gilia – Fairy Trumpet - 8,000’
Iris missouriensis - Blue Flag - 9,600’
Krascheninnikovia lanata - Winterfat - 8,000’
Liatris punctata - Blazing Star 7 – 8,000’
Machaeranthera bigelovii - Tall Tansy Aster – biennial – 8,000’
Mertensia ciliata – Tall Fringed Bluebells 9,600 – 10,000’
Mimulus guttatus - Common Monkey Flower – 9,800’
Monarda pectinata – Pony Beebalm - 8,000’
Oenothera biennis - Evening Primrose - 8,000’
Pedicularis groenlandica - Elephant Head - 9,700’
Penstemon strictus – 7,888’
Phacelia tanacetifolia - "Bee's Friend" or Fiddleneck - 8,000’
Pterospora andromedea - Pinedrops - 10,000’
Ratibida columnifera - Red Mexican Hat - 7,888’
Ratibida columnifera - Yellow Mexican Hat - 7,888’
Solidago spathulata nana - Dwarf Goldenrod - 9-10,000’
Thelesperma filifolium – Navajo Tea - 8,000’
Thermopsis montana - Golden Banner – 9,500’
Cactus:
Yucca glauca 7,888’
Garden Flowers:
Alcea rosea - Hollyhock Mix - 8,000’
Cosmos sulphureus - Cosmos – white and magenta - 7,200’
Lathyrus latifolius - Perennial Sweet Pea - 5,000’
Leucanthemum x superbum - Shasta Daisy – 7,200’
Lupinus perennis - Wild Lupine - N. Wisconsin
Papaver orientalis – Oriental Poppy – 7,200’
Santolina chamaecyparissus - Cotton Lavender - 5,000’
Tagetes patula - Cottage Red Marigold - 8,000'
Herbs:
Allium tuberosa - Garlic Chives – 8,000’
Anethum graveolens - Dill - 8,000’
Calendula officianalis - Pot Marigold - 8,000’
Leonurus cardiaca - Motherwort - 8,000’
Marrubium vulgare - Horehound – 6,000’
Ocimum basilicum - Italian Mountain Basil – 8,000’ Limited Quantity
Origanum majorana - Sweet Marjoram – 8,000’
Petroselinum crispum - Italian Flatleaf Parsley – 7,200’
Tagetes patula – French Marigold – 8,000’
Tanacetum parthenium - Feverfew – 8,000’
Wild Food:
Allium cernuum - Nodding Onion – 9-10,000’ - Limited Quantity
Medicago sativa - Alfalfa – 5,000’ and 8,000’
Tragopogon porrifolius - Yellow Salsify - Oyster Plant – 8,000’
Shrubs:
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - Kinnick-kinnick - 9-10,000’
Artemisia frigida - Fringed Sage – 8-10,000’
Atriplex confertifolia - Saltbush - 5,000’
Cercocarpus montanus - Mountain Mahogany - 9,500’
Ipomea leptophylla - Bush Morning Glory – 5,000’
Mirabilis multiflora - Colorado Four O’Clock - 6,500’
Nicandra physalodes – “Ebony” - Ebony Shoo-fly – 8,000’
Senecio longilobus - Threadleaf Groundsel – 8,000’
Vines:
Clematis ligusticifolia – 6,500’-8,000’
Ground Cover:
Curcurbita foetidissima - Stinking Cucumber or Buffalo Gourd – 5-6,000’
Trees:
Gleditisia triacanthos L. - Honey Locust – 5,000’
Pinus edulis - Piñon Pine - 8,000'