I found this snow plant while walking a path in the Sequoia National Park forest. Strange and bright red little plant that reminded me of little alien space ships! I had no idea what they were until I came home and researched it. It’s probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Sarcodes are called the snow plant because it was thought to come up through the snow. But it really doesn't--it comes up after the snow melts or has mostly melted. It grows in conifer forests of California, and portions of western Nevada and northern Baja California. The roots contain fungi which extend into the conifer forest leaf litter in which Sarcodes grows. The snow plant is fed water and nutrients from the fungi