At this time of year, mountain meadows are awash with wildflowers. Here are four of the myriad species.
The pearly everlasting gains its name both from its appearance, and from the ease with which it can be dried for winter bouquets.
All parts of the Columbian monkshood are highly poisonous. Indeed, the genus name, aconitum, means without a struggle suggesting how its victim would expire.
The pink mountain heather is an evergreen shrub with a profusion of tiny flowers.
Bear grass is a majestic plant that grows from one to two metres in height and is festooned with hundreds of white to creamy flowers.
Lovely photos, thank you Alistair. This morning there was a piece on CBC radio about poisonous plants, one of which was Water hemlock, even touching it was dangerous. Do you know whether that grows in our area? You mention that the Columbia Monkshood is highly poisonous, is that only if it is ingested?
Birthe, my knowledge of poisonous plants is vanishingly small and shouldn’t be trusted. However, we do have water hemlock — see Cicuta_douglasii.
for aconitum: skin contact alone has not been reported to cause severe poisoning (e.g death) but has caused paraesthesia & mild toxicity (headache, nausea and palpitations). source: aconitum genus
Thank you Cynthia and Alistair. Fascinating information, I did not know that we had these plants in our area.
Bear grass are out! Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks so much for showing what I’m not in the alpine to enjoy, Alistair!
These flowers are all new to me and so beautiful. Thank you!