Two red wildflowers blooming in the Sandias right now seem quite similar at first glance.1 I know one of them as scarlet penstemon and I call the other skyrocket. Another common name for skyrocket is scarlet gilia.
Both feature multiple blossoms on single stalks which grow to between two and four feet in length. The flowers on each stalk are of similar sizes, between one and two inches long, and almost always nod toward the ground.
I’m often curious about what those nodding flowers really look like. If I were a small animal, a hummingbird, or an insect, what would I see?2
I was compelled to find out while I was hiking in the Sandias last week. It wasn’t the easiest process3 but, as you can see, I did manage to get shots of each flower from below.
Although I like many other penstemons quite a bit, scarlet penstemon has never been a favorite. On the other hand, a feeling of total delight steals over me each time I happen upon skyrocket. “Seeing” how the flowers look from ground level has only confirmed my preference, and I now better understand how those tiny star-shaped pops of red came to be called skyrocket.
The Sandias reopened about a week before the July 4th long weekend, several weeks earlier than I’d even dreamed would be possible.
The red color and long necks of both these flowers make them extremely attractive to hummingbirds.
My joints are still protesting.
Beautiful colors & we too are happy the Sandias are open again!
If the hummers like them both, I like them both!
Thanks Lisa, for these lovely close-ups. The cinquefoil presents a beautiful background.