Scarlet gilia is a colorful perennial flower that grows mostly on arid, south-facing slopes south of Kamloops. The bright red color and trumpet shaped flowers make it easy to identify. These were spotted on the rocky lower slopes of Okanagan Mountain in May.

It is sometimes referred to as sky rocket. Traditional people used the plant for medicinal purposes. The stems are hairy and sticky and skunky smelling if crushed. These ones were spotted near Painted Bluffs on Kamloops Lake.

When we travel to the southwest, we have spotted them in both spring and fall in Arizona and Utah where they are more robust. These were spotted on the Hermit Trail in Grand Canyon.