Alpine forget-me-nots by Erik Stensland. Published with permission

Estes Park photographer Erik Stensland shot these alpine forget-me-nots, above, in June 2015. But they can be found every summer in Colorado’s high country.

Forget-me-nots are my favorite alpine wildflower (tied with columbine), and their intense blue is only part of the reason. I’ve a great fondness for tiny things and due to the harsh weather at high altitudes, tundra plants like these forget-me-nots are quite small. How small? Here they are next to a dime:

How could anyone not love these exquisite miniature flowers?

I first became aware of them years ago when my brother sent me a paperweight with a mix of tiny Colorado wildflowers embedded in it. The forget-me-not was the star of the show, and though they grow in many states, they seem to me like Colorado’s reminder to “forget me not.”