Friday Field Notes: What's Blooming in Missoula?

By now, you must certainly feel like we've turned the corner here in western Montana and are well on our way to Spring. Sure, we've seen this before. Only a few weeks ago, temperatures were peaking in the 60s, and what did Mother Nature serve us up next? A week of rain and snow! But the weather these past few days, along with the forecast for highs in the 70s this weekend, has me convinced that Spring is here to stay. There's something else that has tipped me off, too . . . wildflowers!

For the past few weeks, since the very first buttercups defiantly sprung up from the ground, things have been slowly - but surely - progressing. Now, there are number of different wildflowers out and about that you should look for on your next hike. Here's a collection of what is in bloom around Missoula:

Shooting Stars on Waterworks Hill

Waterworks Hill:
On the lower slopes of Waterworks Hill, Arrow-leaf Balsamroot is beginning to dominate the south-facing fields, with some Biscuitroot and Larkspur joining the burst of color. Higher up the trail, Shooting stars and Yellowbells are abundant, while a few hearty Lupine are starting to flower. On the upper, wind-exposed ridge, Missoula White Phlox and Rocky Mountain Douglasia are abundant. There are also countless basal leaves of Bitterroots, but no flowers just yet. Below in Cherry Gulch, there are a few Woodland Stars to be found.

Mount Jumbo:
During a recent trail run along the lower slopes of Mount Jumbo, the most abundant flower appeared to be Buttercups. It was apparent that Yellowbells and Shooting Stars were already on their way out for the season, as the few that were found looked pretty worn. The next wave of flowers set to take over are Biscuitroot, Lupine, Arrow-leaf Balsamroot, and Larkspur, though only a handful of plants were actually in bloom. To my surprise, I found a number of Oregon Grape plants already flowering.

Arrow-leaf Balsamroot on Waterworks Hill

Rattlesnake Creek:
Along Rattlesnake Creek, the towering Ponderosa Pines have provided enough shade to slow Spring down quite a bit. The only flowers to be found in bloom were Buttercups. On some of the hills above the creek, a few Glacier Lilies provided a welcome surprise. Other than that, things appear to be a few weeks behind where they were last year. This may not really be related to wildflowers, but I'm sad to report that I have yet to find morel mushrooms in the areas I discovered them last year. Hopefully, the warm weather of late will be more conducive to wild mushroom foraging!

Rocky Mountain Douglasia on Waterworks Hill.

Oh, and since I've already strayed away from wildflowers with my mushroom rant, here's a killdeer nest:

Killdeer Nest in the Upper Rattlesnake.

We would love to hear about your wildflower observations or any other Spring happenings you've come across in the comments!

Woods Gulch Hike

Now is definitely the time to go seeking out wildflowers!  A hike up Woods Gulch this past weekend awarded views of FIFTY-TWO plant species in full bloom.  Gorgeous!  Here's what you may see if you amble up that lovely little trail anytime soon:

side-flowered mitrewort

twisted stalk

false Solomon's seal (two species)

western trillium

black gooseberry

serviceberry

hawthorne

meadowrue

stream violet

dandelions

shooting stars

ninebark

clematis

stinging nettles

baneberry

arrowleaf balsamroot

desert parsley

blue-eyed Mary

pussytoes

Canada violet

false boxwood

mountain ash

kittentails

stoneseed

miner's lettuce

draba

groundsel

Oregon grape

prairie/woodland stars

kinnikinnick

Rocky Mountain maple

white arabis

purple arabis

bluebells

heart-leafed arnica

alumroot
wild strawberry

wood strawberry
glacier lilies

early blue violet

sitka valerian

waterleaf

fairybells

paintbrush

huckleberry

shooting stars
9-leaf desert parsley

collomia
lupine
penstemon
larkspur

What are you finding on your outdoor explorations?

Spotlight On...Rubber Rabbitbrush

Rubber Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus nauseosus

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Quick ID:  

In general, Rabbitbrush appears similar to Big Sagebrush--a scrubby shrub with grayish-tinged, woolly leaves.  Like sagebrush, it's found in dry, open plains or disturbed sites, and grows about 1 to 6 feet high.  The leaves are linear and alternate on flexible stems.  The yellow flowers bloom late (August-October), blanketing the plains and slopes with the type of brilliant display most flora exhausted months ago.  Being in the Asteraceae family, each flower is actually a loose cluster of mini-blooms known as "disc flowers", like the ones in the eye of a sunflower or daisy.  The "ray flowers" that we know as petals in other Asteraceae species are absent in Rabbitbrush.  

Range:

Found up to 10,000', from Canada to Mexico, east of the Pacific mountain system and stretching to the Great Plains.  Look for it growing near dryland bunchgrasses and shrubs like Big Sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata), Basin Wildrye (Leymus cinereus), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) and Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Pseudoregenaria spicata).
What's in a Name?

A quick note on taxonomy:
It's the most fickle sport among scientists, always in flux and impossible to keep up on.  It's not so easy to remember all this archaic Latin binomial nomenclature, and once you think you've got it down, a new taxonomical relationship is discovered or refuted, groups are shuffled around, and the 15 syllable name you've been proudly slipping into casual conversation and engraving onto your garden signs is now obsolete.  So if you're the type to stick with what you know and ignore all the newfangled monikers, I, for one, won't judge you.

That said, Rubber Rabbitbrush is technically known as "Ericameria nauseosa (Pallas ex Pursh) G.L. Nesom & Baird", but in my heart of hearts, it will always be Chrysothamnus.  Chryso- means gold, -thamnus a thicket.  The "nauseous" root in the specific epithet is in reference to the strong smell the plant gives off, rather than the idea that ingesting it will make you sick.  In fact, the plant's thick latex has been used for centuries as a sort of chewing gum (hence the "Rubber" part).  It provides shelter for and is eaten by rabbits and other small mammals.
In some southern parts of the country, Rabbitbrush is known almost exclusively as Chamisa, from the Spanish word for brush or kindling, and ultimately derived from the Latin chama (-->flamma-->"flame").        

Tidbits:

The presence of Rabbitbrush, which often grows on very poor soils, and is considered a useful indicator that land is eroded or overgrazed.  It can be an important winter forage for antelope, mule deer and elk on depleted rangelands, but is sometimes reported to be toxic to livestock.
The plant has a few adaptations that allow it to thrive in arid, inhospitable places.  It's tolerant to a wide range of soil types, alkalinity, salinity, cold and drought.  The felt-like fuzz covering the stems (technically known as trichomes) acts as insulation and reduces water loss.  The light gray stems also reflect more heat than dark green leaves would, keeping the shrubs cool as a cuke in the harsh summer sun of the open prairie.
Historically, Rabbitbrush has been used to make yellow or green dye, and prepared as a tea to help coughs and colds.  The flexible twigs are good for baskets, and the seeds can be ground and used much like cornmeal.  
People have been looking for a way to use the natural latex found in the roots and inner bark to produce rubber since the 1930s, but haven't found a commercially viable way to extract it.  There is currently an investigation underway by the University of Nevada, looking at the potential of Rabbitbrush as a multi-use industrial crop for biomaterial and bioenergy applications.  Here's the interesting project summary.

Wild Gardening:  Plants need about 4' of space, and take about 4 years to mature.  They tend to produce about a million branches, generally arising from a common point and not overtaking neighbor plants.  Overwatering or fertilizing can produce leggy, sprawling plants.  New plants sprout up from the roots and can be divided, and the seeds germinate easily.
Being a late bloomer, Rabbitbrush fills an important niche both as an ornamental perennial and a fall pollen source for bees, flies and butterflies.  To see this plant in late fall, spilling over with brilliant color and buzzing with hundreds of hungry and deprived insects, is really incredible.  It tolerates fussing-over, but seems to delight in neglect: no extra water, no soil amendments, no pruning or deadheading.  The soft, pale branches complement the muted palette of a xeric landscape perfectly, and provide a safe haven for nesting birds and other small animals.

    Spotlight On... features Montana native plants that are currently on display in our natural areas.  Have a plant that you'd like to see featured?  Let us know!

Spotlight On...Red Baneberry

Red Baneberry

Actaea rubra

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Quick ID:  

Look in rich, moist thickets and shaded forests for this striking, relatively uncommon plant.  It can grow up to three feet high, with flowers appearing in early to mid-summer as fluffy clusters atop tall stalks.  The white flowers have lots of antenna-like stamens that wave out past the small petals.  Soon, the flowers fade and stalks of bright red berries take their place.

The species and subspecies of Actaea are closely related and not always easy to distinguish.  There is a white baneberry (A. pachypoda), but the red baneberry species (A. rubra) sometimes bears white fruit as well.  True white baneberries have thicker pedicels (flower-bearing stalks) than the "red" species.  You can recognize Actaea berries by the little buttons on their ends.  The white berries, with their pupil-like spots, have been used in the past as eyes for children's dolls, hence one of the common names for the plant, "Doll's Eyes".      

Range:

Found through the northern temperate zones of North America and Eurasia.  In Montana, it's most likely to be spotted in the southern and western parts of the state (see the USDA range map)

What's in a Name?

The family name Ranunculaceae comes from the Latin rana, frog, in reference to its members' affinity for wet places.  Actaea is the Latin name for a generally strong-smelling plant.  The Greek aktea is the word for the elderberry tree (Sambucus sp.), whose leaves the baneberry resembles.  Rubra is a ubiquitous species name meaning "red".  The common name "baneberry" refers to its toxicity--bane ultimately comes from the ancient root gwhen-, "to murder or wound".

You might also hear baneberry called red cohosh, necklaceweed or snakeberry.    

                                                         Tidbits:

All parts of this plant are poisonous, with the toxin protoanemonin most concentrated in the berries and roots.  Symptoms include "the usual"--vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, stomach cramps--but the toxin ultimately acts on your heart, and can cause circulatory failure.  So don't eat it!  That said, people have been eating this plant for thousands of years.  North American Indian tribes have used a decoction of the roots to treat rheumatism, coughs and colds, and to improve the appetite.  It is said to increase milk production after childbirth, and decrease excessive menstrual bleeding.  A poultice of chewed leaves was used to soothe wounds, and there are several references to it being ingested to soothe stomach pains caused from swallowing hair. (Huh?)  But once again, unless you're a trained professional, please, don't eat it.  Eating as few as two berries can cause severe pain, and a few more can mean respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.

Baneberry is not, however, poisonous to livestock.  Sheep and horses will graze on it when there's not much else around, and elk will eat the foliage in the fall (Actaea foliage stays green late in the season, after most plants have withered in the frost).  Birds like Grouse, Gray Catbird (seen here), and American Robins also relish the berries, as do mice, squirrels, chipmunks and voles.

Wild Gardening:

Despite its murderous name, baneberry makes an excellent woodland garden perennial.  The foliage is lush, the flowers and fruit are highly ornamental, and it can take part to full shade.  It provides cover for small mammals and will attract songbirds to your yard.  Plants are not hard to find at nurseries, particularly those specializing in natives.  If you do decide to try propagating from seed, remember that, like many wildflowers, they need a period of cold stratification before they'll germinate, and it might take two seasons to get them to sprout.  Naturalize along with other moisture-loving species like twinberry, horsetail, thimbleberry, sedge, alder and aspen for a lush, verdant woodland garden.

Spotlight On... features Montana native plants that are currently on display in our natural areas.  Have a plant that you'd like to see featured?  Let us know!

Spotlight On...Fairyslipper Orchid

Fairyslipper

Calypso bulbosa

Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

Quick ID:  

The Fairyslipper orchid is not easily confused with any other Montana plant.  Look for it growing low along moist, shady forest floors.  Although small-statured, it's a dramatic and striking flower that never fails to elicit a shriek of delight, crumbling my facade of stoic and objective scientific observer.  In western Montana, you can usually find them blooming mid-May through June.

The flower is in typical orchid form:  three petals and three sepals (which usually look just like petals, so they're called tepals), which are divided into a sort of upper and lower deck.  In this case, the lower "lip" petal, known as the labellum, is enlarged, slipperlike, sometimes bearing a yellow throat beard, and covered with a hood.  While many orchids grow on a raceme (a long flower stem with many blooms), the fairyslipper grows singly, nodding on a pedicel just a few inches above one elliptical leaf.     

Range:

Calypso can be found encircling the globe at northern latitudes--in the western and northern US states, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia and Japan.  It grows in deep, moist woodland shade, where there is a thick layer of decaying plant material covering the ground.

What's in a Name?

Calypso was a sea goddess in Greek mythology, who was banished to the island of Ogygia after raising a ruckus with her father, Atlas, during the War of the Titans.  She's best known for her role in Homer's Odyssey, in which she imprisons Odysseus on her island.  Like the ancient sea goddess, Calypso bulbosa is enchantingly beautiful, and can only be found in secluded haunts. Interestingly, the word "calypso" comes from the Greek kalyptein, "to cover", which is also the root of the word apocalypse (apo- means "away from"; apocalypse = revelation, disclosure).

The word orchid (from the Greek orkhis) literally means "testicle", from the shape of the root of some species.  The specific epithet bulbosa is less glamorous; it references the bulb-like corms from which the flower springs. 

Tidbits:

We could, of course, go on and on about orchids.  They are they most morphologically diverse and highly evolved family of monocots, and contain well over 25,000 species (this is twice the number of bird species in the world, and four times the number of mammals).  They occur in every part of the world except Antarctica, inhabiting most any terrain, from rain forests to glaciers.

When I think of orchids, I usually conjure up a steamy cloud forest, with showy flowers clinging to the side of damp trees.  These are called epiphytes--plants that grow in the air, attached to another plant, rather than in the soil.  It's not a parasitic relationship; they gather moisture and nutrients from the air, falling rain, and occasionally organic debris that accumulates around their perch.  Of course, this wouldn't fly in Montana's dry summers.  The orchids you find here are called terrestrial orchids, and they're rooted in the earth like any other plant.  Folks are surprised to discover that Montana has at least 30 different species of terrestrial orchids, ranging from 3" to over 3 feet tall.  Some are unassuming, like the green Bluntleaved Orchid (Platanthera obstusata), others are extremely showy, like the Yellow Ladyslipper (Cypripedium parviflorum-seen above).  While you can find many species (like the Hooded Ladies' Tresses, Spiranthes romanzoffiana) quite easily in moist areas, there are others--Giant Helleborine (Epipactis gigantea-below), Sparrow's Egg Ladyslipper (Cypripedium passerinum), Roundleaf Orchid (Platanthera orbiculata)-- that elude all but the most diligent orchid hunter.  

Orchids have evolved some of the most fascinating pollination mechanisms on earth.  Calypso gives off the scent of nectar, but doesn't actually produce any.  When a bee lands on the inflated landing pad of a labellum, it slips down the throat, squirming about in search of the nonexistent food source, then buzzes its pollen-dusted body on to the next trickster flower.  Bees are quick to learn and remember this deception; the slight morphological differences in the varieties of Calypso bulbosa may be an adaptation to avoid recognition and extend the ruse. 

Wild gardening:

Not recommended.  Although Fairyslippers are quite common, they are extremely sensitive to environmental disturbance.  They form intricate relationships with soil fungi that are difficult to establish in the home garden.  Enjoy them in their natural habitat; it's a good excuse to get out there and see what's blooming.  

Spotlight On... features Montana native plants that are currently on display in our natural areas.  Have a plant that you'd like to see featured?  Let us know!