The Mighty Monument Plant and Death By Exhaustion

The Monument Plant is monumental in size and reproductive ability. This giant that has graced Colorado mountain slopes this summer creates a huge seed bank when it flowers.  The thousands of seeds found on the gorgeous seed head represent a mighty effort at survival for the green gentian know  as “ big bang” reproduction or “death by exhaustion”.  In this podcast I discuss the natural history and interesting facts about the Green Gentian, formally Frasera speciosa, also called the monument plant or elk weed. This giant grows in mountain meadows and can reach 9 feet tall and live as long as 60 years. At the end of its orgiastic season of flowering, the giant plants die immediately and leave thousands of seeds to carry on their genetic legacy should their “babies” be fortunate enough to survive.