A number of species of Mertensia are abundant throughout the blooming season in the Four Corners.  At lower elevations, Mertensia appear in April; in the San Juans and nearby mountain ranges, Mertensia appear as short plants in open meadows and woods in the spring, tall plants along streams at higher elevations in the summer, and dwarf plants above timberline.  On any plant, flower color of the dainty, drooping bells often varies from purples and blues to very light pinks depending on how long the flowers have been open.

     The most prominent display of Mertensia is along mountain streams where Mertensia form large, dense colonies with thousands of sweetly scented flowers.

     The genus was named by Albrecht Roth in the early 1800s for F. K. Mertens a German botanist  of the late 1700s and early 1800s.  (More biographical information.)

More Mertensia

Montane, subalpine.  Streamsides.  Summer.
Upper Calico Trail, July 12, 2004.

Mertensia ciliata can be identified from afar because of its blue-green leaves. Like its close cousin M. franciscana, M. ciliata produces massive clusters of stems with numerous flowers.

"Ciliata" is from the Latin for "small hair". Edwin James first named this plant Pulmonaria ciliata in 1825 and it was renamed Mertensia ciliata by Georg Don in 1838.

Montane, subalpine.  Streamsides.  Summer.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 16, 2003.

This photo covers an area about 60 feet long and wide along a mountain rivulet at tree-line.

Montane, subalpine.  Streamsides.  Summer.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 14, 2004.

These plants are over three feet tall and the photo covers just a small fraction of the thousands of square feet of Mertensia ciliata that perfume the air at tree-line.

Montane, subalpine.  Streamsides.  Summer.
Navajo Lake Trail, July 11, 2006.

Mertensia ciliata's blue green fills the top half of the photograph, and Mertensia franciscana's light green fills the bottom half. 

Montane, subalpine.  Streamsides.  Summer.
Horse Creek Trail, June 21, 2005.

Mertensia franciscana is common along streams, in moist meadows, and in open woods.  It grows as scattered individual plants, in small patches as pictured here, or in three or four foot diameter bush-like clusters with hundreds of flowers in bloom at the same time.  As the picture below shows, leaves are textured with prominent veins.  

"Franciscana" is for the San Francisco Peaks of Arizona which in turn honor St. Francis.  Amos Heller named this plant in 1899 from a specimen collected by L. F. Ward in Utah in 1875.

Montane, subalpine.  Streamsides.  Summer.
Horse Creek Trail, June 21, 2005.

Montane, subalpine.  Streamsides.  Summer.
Sharkstooth Trail, August 30, 2004.

Mertensia leaf color in late summer and fall is often a subdued but handsome blend of reds and purples as petals fall.