Wildflowers grow in profusion in Yellowstone, providing one of the joys of short hikes throughout the area, especially between mid June and mid August. Some flowers prefer the warm steamy areas of the geyser basins, others thrive on the relatively dry slopes of mountains, and still others are most easily found in meadows or along streams.
A meadow just above Mammoth Hot Springs village turns yellow with helianthella or little sunflower.
Tall fireweed was incredibly prolific in the first years after Yellowstone's 1988 fires. I'm not sure whether the name comes from its being the first wildflower to follow a fire or from the shades of orange and red it turns in the fall.
Lupine (above) grows everywhere in and around Yellowstone. In late summer, lupine develops alkaloids that are poisonous to livestock. . . .Read the full nugget and see the pictures
Some delightful short hikes can be taken by going partway on a long backcountry trail. For example, start the Seven-Mile Hole Trail along Yellowstone Canyon's north rim or head toward Point Sublime on the south rim. The South Rim trail was reconstructed in 2008.
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