Marshmarigold
16. BUTTERCUPButtercup Family
Ranunculus sp.
A number of species of Buttercups bloom in these areas in early April or May on the Plateaus and later in the shady canyons. In their respective areas they are often the first flowers of Spring and are followed closely by the Springbeauties or sometimes preceded by the tiny white Indianpotato of the Parsnip Family.
A thrilling sight is to find the waxy flowers of the early Buttercups at the very edge of the receding snowbanks. The blooming season for Buttercups is very brief, as a general rule, but the different species come into bloom successively.
Buttercup
17. COLUMBINEButtercup Family
Aguilegia sp.
These beautiful flowers are well known because of their wide distribution and common use as cultivated species in flower gardens. They have conspicuously shaped petals with long, hollow spurs, which contain honey and thereby attract certain insects and especially the hummingbirds. Columbines are probably the most beautiful of the native flowers of Zion, Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks, as they bring forth very attractive displays during the summer months. The White Columbine at Cedar Breaks is extremely large.
Columbine