Plants

Lupine (Lupinus argenteus)

Posted on by UW-NPS
a stalk of purple flowers, backlit by sunlight coming through the forest canopy

Lupine (Lupinus argenteus)

Lupine, specifically, Silvery Lupine is typically found in Grand Teton National Park during the months of June through August. These flowers belong to the pea family and each flower has 5 petals: one keel, two wings, and two banners. A great diagram of these parts and more facts about flowers within the pea family can be found at https://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/Plant_Families/Fabaceae.htm.

Because their petals are so discrete, it is quite easy to tell what plants belong to Family Fabaceae once you learn what the petals look like! If you want to find some Silvery Lupine and observe on your own, keep an eye out on the meadows and mountain slopes for these gorgeous flowers. Once the lupine blooms, they are easy to spot, even while passing by on the road. But, even before the flowers do bloom, they have recognizable leaves. They are a compound leaf with anywhere from five to nine leaflets that have a crease that runs down the middle of them.

Aside from being pretty plants, Lupine species keep soils fertile by fixing nitrogen, thus aiding other plants as well. Lupine was cultivated in different cultures like in Egypt, areas in the Mediterranean, Rome, and Native Americans to keep their soils rich. The Native Americans also used the leaves in a col tea for some medicinal uses.  Do you know any fun facts about these plants?

Written by Anna Cressman
PC: Anna Cressman

Low Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)

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Deep blue flowers growing up from the forest floor

Low Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum)

Low Larkspur is a native plant that can be found in Grand Teton National Park through spring and early summer. Although different species of larkspur can take on different color variations, like pink and white, the low larkspurs found in Wyoming typically are a dark shade of purple. In the Grand Tetons, be sure to check out the Grand View Point hike to get spectacular views of the mountains and see these beautiful flowers in bloom, as well as the myriad of other species of flora. Also keep an eye out for low larkspur in the sagebrush and grassy shrub land areas throughout the park.

Every part of it is toxic. The levels of alkaloids within the make them toxic, but these levels vary within each geographic location. Cattle are highly susceptible to the toxicity of these plants. You can read more on the USDA’s website to learn about the signs of poison in cattle and how you can reduce your losses.

Written by Anna Cressman
PC: Anna Cressman

Alpine Forget–me-not (Myosotis alpestris)

Posted on by UW-NPS
a stem with a bundle of small purple and blue flowers

Alpine Forget–me-not (Myosotis alpestris)

Alpine Forget-Me-Nots are some of the most beautiful perennials found in the park each year. The scientific name was derived from the Greek word for what botanists thought the petals resembled: a mouse’s ear! Forget-me-nots can be found from spring into early summer and are located in woodland and meadow areas. To find these flowers in GRTE, try your luck at Pilgrim Creek and on the Death Canyon trail in June!

Despite being a beautiful flower, some of the species of Forget-Me-Nots are often confused with an unbearable weed in wetland areas, like the scorpion weed (Myosotis scorpioides). To identify the weedy plant versus the high alpine flowers, take a look at the hairs along the calyx tube. The calyx is the collective sepals of the plant, or the outermost whorl of the plant. Alpine Forget-Me-Nots have hook shaped hairs at the end whereas the scorpion weeds’ hairs are straight. Check out https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/myosotis_asiatica.shtml for more information on Myosotis alpestris.

Written by Anna Cressman
PC: Anna Cressman

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)

Posted on by UW-NPS
a stem covered in brilliant purple flowers

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)

Fireweed is commonly found throughout the temperate northern hemisphere between the months of June through September. It gets its name from its fast colonization after a fire burn and from its unique appearance. These flowers grow up to 4-6 feet tall, with bright pink showy flowers (USDA). Once the flowering period ends for fireweed, these plants can produce up to 80,000 seeds to be dispersed from the original plant (USDA). The seeds have a fluffy appearance, giving them the ability to travel far in the wind.

Not only was the fluffy part of the seed used in dispersion, but native people would use it for weaving. This plant also offers other nutritional value to native people, especially those in parts of Canada and Alaska, where the plant is abundant. The leaves are used in making tea, the shoots – a delicious vegetable – provide high concentrations of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, and the rich nectar can yield honey, jelly and syrup (USDA).

Written by Anna Cressman
PC: Anna Cressman

Harebells (Campanula sp.)

Posted on by UW-NPS
Small, purple bell-shaped flower

Harebells (Campanula sp.)

Harebells are a common plant species in North America. These flowers are known by many common names, including bluebells, bellflowers, heathbells, and witch bells. Not only do they take on many common names, but they also do well in a variety of environments. Harebells are found in meadows, woods, beaches, etc. They do well in low to moderate moisture environments, in either full sun or shade, and they are also found at both low and high elevations!

The name “witch bells” may be associated with the story that witches were able to transform into hares, which were a symbol of bad luck in Irish folklore. These witches supposedly drained the juice from the flowers in order to transform themselves into a hare (USFS). The Haida Indians also had some tales about the harebell. They called them “blue rain flowers” and believed that if you picked these flowers, rain would soon fall (USDA).

Written by Anna Cressman
PC: Anna Cressman

Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Posted on by UW-NPS
small white flowers

Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow can be found right on the AMK property! These flowers grow in clusters of white, small flowers with five petals. They also have distinct foliage, with feather-like leaves that grow all along the stem. Yarrow has a wide geographic range and it is found all throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as in regions in Europe and Asia. Yarrow not only looks good in the wild, but it is also well-known in home gardens. It can also take on different color variants including red, pink, and yellow, which are popular decorative garden flowers!

Yarrow was historically known for its healing properties. The indigenous people of Canada valued Yarrow for its medicinal purposes, considering high elevation Yarrow more potent than the Yarrow found at lower elevations (Pojar & MacKinnon, 2013, p. 261). Yarrow gets its name specifically because of its usefulness on the battlefield. Its genus name “Achillea” is derived from the namesake of the famous Greek warrior, Achilles, and its nickname, “the military plant” was inspired by legend. As the story goes, our hero is said to have used Yarrow to stop the bleeding of his soldiers in the Trojan War, no doubt contributing to their eventual victory at the Siege of Troy. (Pojar & MacKinnon, 2013, p. 261).

Written by Anna Cressman
PC: Anna Cressman