Wildflower Walks

Pink mountain heather
Phyllodoce empetriformis
Description: Bright pink bell-shaped flowers growing in clusters from evergreen shrubs 8 to 20 inches tall. Found in most soil of higher mountains. Blooms late June to August. (”Peterson Field Guides: Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)
Recently seen: Stateline Trail to Illinois Peak, [...]

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Queen’s cup
Clintonia uniflora
Description: Three slender white petals and three similar sepals spread outward from a 3- to 8-inch stem with three green, lance-shaped leaves growing from the base. Grows in shaded forests or forest clearings. Blooms late May to July. (“Wildflowers of Montana,” by Donald Anthony Schiemann.)
Recently seen: Bass Creek in the Bitterroot Mountains.
The hike: [...]

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The Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club is planning its annual spring wildflower hike to Packer Meadows at Lolo Pass on Sunday.
The eight-mile hike on the Lewis and Clark/Nez Perce Trail will be led by horticulturist Adrienne Hopkins. Bring water and a snack. For more information, contact Hopkins at 543-3755 or e-mail John Wolverton at [...]

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After several cloudy, rainy and even snowy days last week, the camas is just starting to bloom in Packer Meadows at Lolo Pass.
The Lolo Pass Visitor Center information line – (208) 942-1234 – says it will still be a couple of days before the blue flowers begin to truly fill the fields.
To see the big [...]

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I ran my first Pengelly Double Dip half-marathon on Mount Sentinel and University Mountain on Saturday, and while the word “brutal” could be heard around the start/finish area, many people also took note of the beautiful wildflower display near the top.
The arrowleaf balsamroot, death camas, penstemon, larkspur and bluebells are putting on a good show. [...]

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Monkshood
Aconitum columbianum
Description: Purple-blue blossoms about 1 inch wide with one sepal that develops into a hoodlike cap. Flowers form a loose cluster atop stems 2 to 5 feet tall. Broad, alternate leaves are divided into three to five sections, each of which is toothed. Grows in wet meadows and along streams. Blooms late June to [...]

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Wildflower-related activities are planned this weekend by the Flathead Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society and the Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club.
On Saturday, join botanist Anne Morley and the Montana Native Plant Society for a two-mile wildflower identification hike along the Old Swan River Road near Bigfork. The hike will be from [...]

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According to the Lolo Pass Visitor Center phone message, the camas in Packer Meadows is partially in bloom. No word on when it’s expected to peak, but you won’t want to miss it when it does – it turns the fields into a sea of blue flowers.
Call (208) 942-1234 for updates.
The visitor center is [...]

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The Bitterroot National Forest will hold a wildflower walk Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. on the Blodgett Overlook Trail.
This moderate-level hike is three miles round trip. Meet at the Blodgett Overlook trailhead, just west of Hamilton. Bring water and wear appropriate clothing for the weather.
For more information, call Bitterroot forest botanist Linda Pietarinen at [...]

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Reader Ray Lanfear reports that trillium are in bloom along Blodgett Creek, west of Hamilton, “but so are the ticks.”
This is another one of my favorite spring wildflowers, standing tall with its three pointed white petals.
In Blodgett Canyon, look for these flowers along the trail in areas where it nears the creek in the first [...]

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