Wildflower Walks

False hellbore

Veratrum viride

Description: Yellowish-green flowers about one-half inch across clustered on branches atop 3- to 6-foot stem. Four- to 12-inch oval leaves with coarse, parallel veins grow from base. Found in wet meadows and open areas. Blooms June to early August. (“Peterson Field Guides’ Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis)

Recently seen: Two Medicine Lake Loop in Glacier National Park; Jewel Basin east of Bigfork.

The walk: The Two Medicine Lake South Shore Trail begins next to the boat dock at the end of the road, about 4 3/4 miles inside Glacier National Park from the Two Medicine entrance station. Follow the trail in and out of the trees, across Aster and Paradise creeks, and through the brush at the base of Sinopah Mountain for 3.4 miles to a junction. Look for large, leafy, green false hellbore in low, moist areas past the end of Two Medicine Lake. Continue on the path to the west for half a mile to Two Medicine Creek and another junction. Turn northeast and hike about a quarter mile to another junction. Turn east and follow the North Shore Trail about three miles back to the Two Medicine campground. From here walk on the road through the campground and back to the parking area at the boat dock. Along the way, there are several short side trails that lead to Paradise Point (under half a mile from the main trail), Aster Falls (one-tenth of a mile), Rockwell Falls (just over a mile) and Twin Falls (one-third of a mile). Of these, Rockwell Falls is most worth the extra effort.

Justin Grigg