Garrett's Firechalice

Sept 19, 2009 Davis County, Utah 4,820 ft , Epilobium canum var. (or ssp.) garrettii, shows the usually strongly toothed leaves and prominent lateral veins that in part distinguishs it from ssp. latifolium (ssp. latifolium does not occur in Utah). Flowers here are always scarlet and clearly "red" and never only orange.

Sept 29, 2010 SL Co Utah approx 4,950 ft., Epilobium canum var. garrettii; depicts the typical and quite consistent scarlet flower color of this taxon.

A picture showing flowers, developing fruits and leaves taken some six years ago at this same time of year of the always photogenic Epilobium canum subsp. garrettii (also treated as var. garrettii but that is not currently not the "mosted accepted" combination; other synonyms include Zauschneria garrettii and Z. latifolia var garrettii and more). The plant's stem was growing parallel to the ground from a rock crevice.The elevational ranges, distribution and flowering period for this taxon are almost never fully treated in technical and informal publications alike. While often indicated as flowering form July to September, in fact it blooms from late June to late October. It occurs at elevations from 4,700 ft. to over 10,000 ft. Its primary distribution is in Utah in the north-central portion of the state along the Wasatch Front but also occurs in eastern Washington County and western Kane Co. with some disjunct occurrences n the Abajos and Stansbury mountains. Outside of Utah it occurs in southern Wyoming, western Wyoming and in northwestern Arizona.Plants occurring in its range of distribution should not be referred to as simply Epilobium canum or other binomials (unless using the old and no longer accepted name, Zauschneria garrettii). The subspecies (or varietal if referring to it as a var. per Holmgren et al) identification is important.This is one of the relatively few locally native plant species that has gained some popularity in landscapes due to its increased commercial availability over the past decade. It was named for East High School science teacher, Albert O. Garrett (1870-1948), for whom the Garrett Herbarium on the University of Utah campus was named. Professor Garrett taught some summer courses at the University and/or was an occasional lecturer, but he was never on the U of U staff; his botanical specimens are however mostly housed there and he made significant scientific contributions to the understanding of the flora especially in northern Utah. This picture then appropriately was taken not far from where the Garrett Herbarium has been recently re-located in the new Utah Natural History Museum location in the Research Park area of the University of Utah campus.Sept, 6, 2008, George's Hollow, Salt Lake County, Utah, elev. approx. 5300 ft. Picture and accompanying text first posted on Sept. 11, 2014.

Oct, 16, 2010, SL Co. Utah, approx 4,950 ft.,Epilobium canum var. garrettii; the cauline-only leaves of this taxon are normally strongly and irregularly toothed or at least serrulate and not typically ovate, however, the leaves within the inflorescence can be entire as shown. The twisted coma hairs may be an undescribed character of this taxon.

Sept 29, 2010 SL County Utah approx 4,950 ft., Epilobium canum var. garrettii. Prmary distribution is north-central Utah along the Wasatch Front however it occurs as far south in Utah as Zion National park in eastern Washington Co. and adjoining eastern Kane Co., in the Abajos above 10,000 ft. in San Juan Co., in the Strawberry drainage barely entering the Uinta Basin, etc.; also occurs in southeastern Idaho, western Wyoming and northwestern Arizona where it is less frequent to rare. Named in honor of A.O. Garrett. Blooms from late June to late October even at lower elevations. Most typically has been collected by botanists in August and September (although the holotype by Garrett was taken in July) and most frequently at elevations in the 6,500 to 8,500 foot range but it occurs as low as 4,700 ft. and also at very high elevations as indicated above.