Hidden to all except the most observant or determined hikers and amateur botanists, moonwort is a funky plant that is a rare and exciting find.
It grows in areas that have seen past disturbance like retired logging roads, avalanche chutes, ski areas, and meadows grazed by deer and elk. They form associations with mycorrhizal fungi.
In order to spot these plants, you need to scan the ground between the wildflowers and plants that usually draw your eye. Moonworts bloom in July.
The shoot structure of moonworts is rather simple — one photosynthesizing branch and one spore-producing branch. Once the spore germinates, the plant will form underground for several years before emerging.
Moonworts only grow to about an inch in height, making detecting them very tricky.
Moonworts can be found in the Colorado Rockies and Archuleta County.
Archuleta County Weed and Pest is your local resource for managing noxious weed populations and controlling other pests.
