Alpine wildflowers – a little quiz!

July and August in the nursery are slower times – very little plant propagation and a lot of watering – so it’s a good time to head for the hills and seek out flowers in the higher parts of the mountains.  This year there is still quite a bit of snow at the upper elevations, especially along the Cascade crest.  The high meadows and the margins of the receding snow fields are great areas to find low profile alpine plants just coming into bloom.  Test your wildflower knowledge with these photos, taken this week close to the Pacific Crest Trail near the headwaters of the Little Wenatchee River.

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Answers below…..

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1.  Western pasqueflower (Anemone occidentalis), with glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum) in the background

2.  White marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala)

3.  Elephant’s head (Pedicularis groenlandica)

4.  Snowpatch buttercup (Ranunculus eschscholtzii)

5.   Subalpine spirea (Spiraea densiflora)

6.   Huckleberry (!) (Vaccinium spp.)  I think this is the oval-leaf blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium);on the same hike was found Cascade blueberry (V. deliciosum) and black huckleberry (V. membranaceum).  Lots of blooms and busy bees on the first two species, so I’m hoping for good picking this September!