WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

Long, white, spreading hairs cover the stems and leaves of this 16–36-inch tall, leafy plant. Note the long, tubular hairy flowers and prominently veined leaves.

FLOWER: July–September. Curved or coiled clusters on branching stem tips; flowers 2–3-inches long (50-75 mm), trumped-shaped, greenish-yellow, densely hairy; stamens extend beyond petals. Hummingbirds are the primary pollinators, as well as hawkmoths. The southern var. viridiflora is pollinated by hummingbirds with short bills and has shorter flowers than the northern var. thurberi, pollinated by  longer billed hummingbirds.

LEAVES: Basal often withering by flowering; stem leaves alternate. Blades lance-shaped, 3/8–4-inches long (1–10 cm); margins entire, surfaces veined, hairy.

HABITAT: Rocky slopes, riparian areas, woodlands; pine-Gambel oak, spruce forests.

ELEVATION: 6,270–8,858 feet

RANGE: AZ, NM.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The long, tubular, yellowish-green flowers and oval, hairy, veined leaves distinguish this species from other puccoons

NM COUNTIES: Western half of NM in mid- to high-elevation elevation, forested habitats: Catron, Cibola, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance.