Early summer is when you start to see these amazing flowers show up in the sub-alpine meadows and forests. They are a favorite meal for deer. The flowers are not fully developed here...the stems are about 3 ft. tall on their way to 6 ft. The flowers look like big Q-tips from a distance, but to really appreciate their true beauty you need to get close. The eventual 6-inch flower head is composed of many tiny, delicate, individual flowers. (I will try to get a better picture this summer...I hadn't dreamed of sharing them with the world when I took these pictures in 2004.)