The Longhorn Steer's Head Plant (Hardwear Sessions)

Illustration by Karl Urban. To see more of Karl's coloring book drawings, visit the National Park Service's Northwest Wildflower Drawings Coloring Book website.

Story by Cynthia Houng

Sierra hikers with a sharp eye for detail may have noticed strange, skull-shaped pink blossoms dotting the subalpine forest floor.

These flowers belong to the longhorn steer's head (Dicentra uniflora), a close relative to the familiar bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), a common garden plant.

Only an inch or so in height, the Longhorn Steer's Head is a jewel-like plant with lacy green leaves and delicate, almost dusty rose blooms. It is an early season bloomer, and like the snow plant, is often found near patches of retreating snow.

In May, while hiking in Sonora Pass, I came across dozens of Dicentra uniflora plants. At around 9000 ft., the snow was just beginning to melt, and small fern-like plants were just beginning to emerge on the forest floor. Tiny pink flowers hovered an inch or two above the litter, almost invisible.

It grows in well-drained subalpine soils from California north to British Columbia, and is only found west of the Rockies. The plant forms tiny capsule-shaped fruits, and can be grown from seed, but is difficult to cultivate.

The flowers really do resemble little longhorn skulls, with two distinctive "horns" and a little snub nose. With those two open eye sockets and that smooth, bone-like texture, the Longhorn Steer's head could easily double as Day of the Dead decorations.

These fairy-tale flowers have a short bloom period. As spring deepens into summer, the flowers fade, and the delicate plants disappear from view, hidden by other, taller woodland flowers. Next spring, keep one eye on the forest floor. You might discover a small reward.