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Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) flowers

Bigelow's Sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii)

Family:  Sunflower (Asteraceae)

Habitat:  These flowers tend to show up in meadows and along streambeds. The meadows along Glacier Point Road are a good place to look. Most years you can find them (the flowers, not the meadows) in Summit Meadow near the road.

Flowering Season:  June - September

Lifespan:  Perennial

Origins:  Native (see distribution maps for California and US/Canada)

Size:  Plant 1 - 3 feet high, Flowers 2 - 3 inches across. It's easily spotted in the wild.

Helenium bigelovii etymology:  The Helenium genus is named for Helen of Troy. Bigelovii has nothing to do with HBO or polygamy; it actually honors American botanist John Milton Bigelow (1804 - 1878).

This Photo:  In Summit Meadow, mid July. (Summit Meadow is next to Glacier Point Road, about a mile west of the McGurk Meadow trailhead. There's a parking pullout and an outhouse here; you can't miss it.)

Other Resources:   CalFlora  ·  CalPhotos  ·  USDA  ·  eFloras.org

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