Blazing Star (Mentzelia crocea)
Habitat: This is a foothill flower, peaking at around 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) elevation. You can usually find a large stand of it about half a mile into the Hite Cove trail. If it's in bloom, you won't miss it - it's a big, bold, and aptly named flower.
Flowering Season: April - June
Size: Plant up to two feet tall; flowers 2 - 3 inches across
Mentzelia crocea etymology: The Mentzelia genus is named for German botanist Christian Mentzel (1622 - 1701), who has a German Wikipedia page but not an English one. There are many free online courses that can help you learn German with only a few years of study, but just this once, you can read the Google translation of the German page instead.
Crocea is a reference to the flower's color; it derives from the Latin word croceus, which means "of saffron."
This Photo: Along the Hite Cove trail, late April
More Blazing Stars
 Front View |
 Flower Cluster |