Weather in early summer in the Bighorn Mountain region is perfect for a wild flower outing. If the visitor to the Buffalo area enjoys most outdoor activities like hiking and fishing, another reason for heading into the mountains is to enjoy the wild plants and flowers that carpet much of Wyoming this time of year.

If Mother Nature cooperates, the Cowboy State is often vibrantly colorful with the diverse hues of the deep purple lupine to the yellows and red of the state’s official flower, the Indian Paintbrush. There’s a wide range of wild flowers from the prickly poppy (Papaver argemone intermedia) found between Laramie and Cheyenne to the alpine for-get-me—not (Eritrichium howardii) found above timberline, to the wild columbine (Aquilegia coerulea) found in the Snowy Range, to the lupine (Lupinus argentineus) and balsamroot or mountain sunflower (Balsamoriza sagittata or hookerii) found in the foothills and mountains.

Looking for wildflowers is, to me, a type of treasure hunt. According to local residents who pursue their passion for finding and identifying the colorful flowers, "You never know where you are going to find them and you’re never sure if you’ll see the same kind from one year to the next.”

Strap on a backpack, grab some high-energy food, water and your hat and jacket to head for the hills. You can hunt for plants and flowers, pick berries and fish all in the same day. There’s no better place to spend one’s time.

Experienced wildflower “addicts” easily become so addicted to the colorful panorama of flowers they can even identify each type flower during the seasons when there’s nothing more to see than leaves and pods.

According to some experts, flower pressing, so popular a few years back has now taken a back seat to modern color photography.

A highly recommended book is “Meet the Natives,” a source for identifying Rocky Mountain area wild flowers, trees and shrubs. It’s perfect for beginning flower and plant sleuths.

“There are other good books including `Wild Flowers of the Northern Plains and Black Hills” and the “Audubon Field Guide to North American Wild Flowers. One thing unique about “Meet The Natives” is that it gives altitudes where certain flowers may be found.

Wyoming even has “orchids”. Though most of them are not very big, at least two, the fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa) and the lady slipper (Cypripedium montanum) are really quite showy.”

There’s more than just aesthetic value to having the kind of knowledge about plants which many possesses. The practical side is if you know the edible plants, berries and flowers, it’s possible to take them home and freeze for winter eating.

An example is the pollen head from cattails which may be eaten like corn if gathered early. Other edible plants include service berries, berry miners’ lettuce, yellow sorrel (sour grass), sego lily, yucca, rose hips, whortleberry and wild raspberries.

Use caution if not absolutely certain a plant is edible.“If in doubt, don’t eat it,” is a good rule of thumb. While many are edible, learn what they are and go from there. Remember, hemlock killed Socrates.”