In July I hiked the Trophy Mountain Trail to the alpine tarns area and back. I stopped to observe and photograph various flowering plants along the way, a few of which are shared here.
The first part of the trail winds through the forest, climbing to the sub-alpine zone. Wildflowers filled all the glades and open spots on the way. The first wave of early wildflowers was mostly done, but a second wave had stated in the forest glades and on the alpine ridges at higher altitudes. Portrayed here are wildflowers and flowering shrubs from the forest glades on the lower part of Trophy Mountain Trail – glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum), mountain arnica (Arnica montana), twisted stalk (Steptopus amplexifolius), alpine paintbrush (Castilleja rhexifolia), white bog orchid (Platanthera dilatata), slender orchid (platanthera stricta), white mountain rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum), red-berried elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), swamp currant (Ribes lacustre), queen’s cup (Clintonia uniflora), and black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata).
Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption/ID.
Along the way there were also flowering shrubs and other lichens, ferns, and forbs – mock azalea (Rhododendron menzesii), foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), witch’s hair (Alectoria sarmentosa), green orchid (Platanthera hyperborea), and oakfern (Gymnocarpium disjunctum).
On the open ridges in the alpine zone, other species were spotted. These are featured in a post to follow.
Information on some of these flowering plants can be found on this website. Use the Search bar for more information.
