On the high, treeless mountaintops of Wyoming and Colorado, another tiny, sturdy flower is still blooming in the harsh August sun. The cushions of alpine sandwort, Minuartia obtusiloba, can be found in similar environments to the moss campion that I wrote about yesterday. This cute, white flower can emerge from June to September, but only on the rocky slopes above treeline.
Also called twinflower sandwort or stitchwort, this species used to be known as Lidia or Areneria obtusiloba. It should not be confused with the Nuttall’s brittle sandwort, Minuartia nuttalli, shown in the picture on the right, which also grows high in the Rocky Mountains, but is slightly bigger and more star-like. Both of these species can grow on rocky areas that look impossible to sustain life. Nature finds a way!
fizzynotions 
nutsfortreasure
August 22, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Pretty day as well
🙂
axldebaxar
August 22, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Gotta love August in the mountains!
nutsfortreasure
August 22, 2012 at 4:24 pm
We have the White Mtns here in NH and in the cooler weather is when I take the dog hiking can’t wait to see what I find in my lens too
axldebaxar
August 22, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Soon it will be leaf-peeping time on your end 🙂
nutsfortreasure
August 22, 2012 at 5:20 pm
You know it! We have a few weeks to enjoy our state all to ourselves 🙂 Then slow crawling autos and motorcycles will point and oh and Aha 🙂 then the Ski Bums show up on roads Friday night and come back down Sunday night ah the changes in the SEASON 🙂