Many of the native plants of Wyoming catch me by surprise because of their fragile beauty against the backdrop of rugged prairie and harsh conditions. This fragile elegance often disguises astonishing resilience and vigor. Take the case of Lewisia rediviva found in dry sagebrush habitat, displaying vivid pink blooms lying on the hot soil. Leafless, almost stemless, and breathtaking in it’s extravagance.

Also called Bitterroot, this native plant of Wyoming, Montana, and much of the arid west, takes resilience to a new level. Legend has it that a sample taken by Meriwether Lewis himself, after years of sitting in some dry and dusty herbarium, sprang to life when some water spilled on the specimen. Well, that’s the version I heard.