Tall fringed bluebells.  Mountain bluebells.  Tall chiming bells.  Languid ladies.  Streamside bluebells.  Fringed lungwort.  Whatever you want to call them, Mertensia ciliata var. ciliata provide a pretty addition of blue to montane or subalpine landscapes.

On second thought, please don’t call these lovely flowers fringed lungwort.  That’s yet another insult to nature’s beauty.

Mertensia ciliata blooms are quite similar to the prairie bluebells, Mertensia lanceolata, that I found in lower, drier areas earlier in the spring, but grow much lusher and usually in greater numbers.  I think the next picture is M. lanceolata, even though it is from the relatively high elevation of Rocky Mountain National Park, CO.  The leaves of the ‘prairie’ species are narrower and a brighter green compared to the distinctive blue-green of the tall fringed bluebells.

These bluebells can grow quite high (hence the “tall” part), and at high elevations with nice views (“mountain”).   They also enjoy their share of moisture (“streamside”) and are lazy (“languid lady”).  They may blow in the wind, but they do not actually chime.  As far as I’ve heard.

The Snowy Range sometimes has clusters of tall fringed bluebells in every direction.  Just when you think the mountains can’t get any prettier, add a bouquet in front!