The rare green gentian is blooming in Colorado. See it while it lasts.

In the middle of a field outside Aspen, towering above the grasses and flowers, looms an elusive green giant.

Why it matters: Known as the green gentian, or monument plant, it lives 20 to 60 years but blooms only once, sometimes reaching nearly 10 feet, before it dies.

What to know: It's flowering in Colorado this summer, particularly in the mountains near Aspen.

The intrigue: This typically occurs four to five years after a good snow year, says Adam McCurdy with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.

• The pepper-speckled white flowers and spiky yellow stamen begin to form about three years before blooming, research from the R​​ocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic shows.

Of note: We have 2019's historic snowpack to thank for making the plant come alive this year.

🗯 My quick take: I found dozens of green gentians in a five-year-old burn scar on a recent hike on the Ditch Trail near El Jebel. And its life cycle generated surprisingly deep thoughts about life and nature while on the trail.