Jeff Mitton
Like other animals, they are marking their territory, and being subtle about it would not serve their purposes.
The stunning flower, seen in Colorado’s high country, might be a distinct species or not; regardless, this is science at work.
In Rabbit Valley near the Colorado-Utah border, some signs indicate that aster could stymie the dominance of the invasive species.
Native Americans used the staple for many foods for thousands of years, and it is now recognized as the state grass in Nevada and Utah.
It’s complicated; shaggy parasols can be eaten by some people, not all, but only after cooking. I advise against taking a risk.
My hope for this expedition to the San Rafael Swell was to find flowers on scarlet monkeyflower, which grows in hanging gardens on vertical walls.
Pink spring beauties are ephemerals that sustained the earliest Americans, and selection pressure may hold the clue to color variation.
Native Americans have been associated with bison in North America for more than 15,000 years.
That potent aroma prized by humans serves many functions for the plant.
Mormons used the plant to make a caffeine-free hot drink, and Native Americans used it to relieve congestion.