A Rose by Another Name
Kelseysa uniflora growing out of the side of a dolomite cliff in the Beartooth Mountains.
My favorite Wyoming wildflower happens to be one not many people have heard of and even fewer have seen. Kelseya uniflora is a low shrub in the rose family - the only one in the genus Kelseya - and it is endemic to the Central Rocky Mountain region. It grows in montane and sub-alpine regions out of cracks in limestone formations.
A collection of Kelseya plants growing out of dolomite in Wyoming’s Beartooth Mountains.
There are lots of places you can find Kelseya if you know where and when to look. The blooms are only visible for about a week in early spring and if you miss them, it is harder to identify the plant which then resembles a mat of green succulent vegetation growing out of the rocks.
The plant is not rare but its requirements for growth mean it does not appear on most heavily trafficked trails so the best way to see it is to do the research up front and then seek it out.
The “Flatiron” is visible in the center, left, of this image taken from a spot on my drive.
My favorite place to see Kelseya is on the top of the “Flatiron” formation that sits against the east front of the Beartooth Mountains a couple miles from my home. We try to make an annual journey up the mountain to find the flower, guessing when it will be in bloom in any given year.
Our neighbor is kind enough to allow us to drive across his land and park at the edge before the Shoshone National Forest, which limits our hike to about 6 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of approximately 2,300 feet.
A close-up of Kelseya uniflora in bloom.
The blooms themselves are approximately 1/4” in diameter. They seem to attract a host of pollinators ranging from ants to bee flies to swallowtail butterflies, all willing to visit the somewhat inhospitable environment for a chance to move from flower to flower.
To hear more about Kelseya and our annual trek up Flatiron, be sure to listen to my podcast on the subject by clicking the button below, or by downloading the latest episode from Apple Podcasts or Spotify.