Grand Teton National Park - Wildflowers

The wildflowers of Grand Teton National Park usually bloom May through September. There are only about 60 frost-free days a year in Jackson Hole, so the growing season is very short and the most prominently blooming flowers change quickly from week to week. Arrowleaf Balsamroot (pictured) is one of the dramatic, early bloomers in Jackson Hole. Grand Teton National Park can be separated into three distinct zones: the sagebrush valley, the forest floor, and the alpine zone. Skyrocket gila, larkspur, and indian paintbrush bloom in the valley as temperatures rise. Flowers like fireweed, columbine, monkshood, and the rare calypso orchid enjoy the moist environments found in forests.

The flowers of the alpine zone grow close to the ground and the flowers are very small; examples include moss campion, alpine forget-me-not, and sky pilot. To learn more about the flowers of Grand Teton National Park consider taking a ranger-led wildflower walk from Taggart Lake Trailhead. This interpretive program meets at 9:30 a.m. everyday from June through August. Also, a number of field guides to the area wildflowers are available at the bookstores in the park. Remember that observing and photographing wildflowers is achieved by bringing your eye to the wildflower and not the wildflower to your eye. Wildflowers within the national park are not to be picked so that they may be enjoyed by future visitors.