Early Spring:
The first Darlingtonia flowers emerge early in the year, when
snow is still present in melting patches here and there, and the roads are
still only barely passable. Notice how the salmon glow of the petals penetrates
the greens sepals still in bud, and how the flower stalk has a reddish blush. This red pigment (anthocyanin)
has been hypothesized by some as being a sunscreen--very useful at this high-elevation site!
