thought to be vs thought of as

[ivy]

Hello,

The mountain cornfloss, native to the Rocky Mountains from Colorado to Canada and (thought to be/thought of as) the most beautiful of all wildflowers, grows on steep ledges and in deep cracks on remote mountaintops.

Which of the given options is idiomatic? Are both of them idiomatic?

Thanks very much! :)

[tim]

I believe either can be correct depending on the context. "thought to be" indicates a fact, whereas "thought of as" indicates an opinion..