Trio

Bering chickweed, alpine chickweed, Cerastium beeringianum

An hour on the Spring Creek trail

A little spare time in the late afternoon, a short drive, cool green shade and flowers.

Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja miniata

Kinnikinnik, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Howell’s pussytoes, Antennaria howellii

Woodland Strawberry, Fragaria vesca

Yellow Coralroot, Corallorhiza trifida

This encounter made my day! It was the first time that I’ve encountered this saprophytic orchid. Its greenish tinge suggests that it may be capable of manufacturing at least a part of its food to supplement its normal diet of decaying organic material.

Smallflower Miterwort, Mitella stauropetala

Heart-leaf Arnica, Arnica cordifolia

Early Blue Violet, Viola adunca

Star-flowered Solomon’s-seal, Maianthemum stellatum

Feathery False Lily-of-the-valley, maianthemum racemosum

Western Gromwell, Lithospermum ruderale

Beyond the Fairy Slippers

Nearly all of my photos result from my frequent wanderings in the mountains and forests of western Montana. The wildflowers in my previous post were encountered on the way to a hike to view the peaks of the Cherry Peak roadless area, something I choose to do at least once every year. After a ten mile drive from the valley to a starting point at 5000 feet and a two mile hike from there up an old road to 6000 feet I arrive at my preferred viewing spot with an open view of the north side of the peaks. Mountains are always viewed best from high places.

The road at 6000 feet

Wood violets (Viola glabella) in bloom just below the snow level.

View to the northwest over the Clark Fork River.

View of Koo-Koo Sint Ridge north of the river from the access road.

Fairy Slippers ~ The little orchids called Calypso

A few days ago I mentioned that I had feared that I might have missed seeing Springbeauties this year. I also had that feeling about Fairy Slippers, having seen only two so far. Today as I returned from a hike up beyond Sheep Gap on the old road just north of Sunset Peak, just about a mile above the new trail head for the Sacajawea Peak Trail I found dozens of these beautiful little wildflowers in full bloom alongside Forest Service Road 7581; a cause for celebration. (Calypso, the goddess daughter of Atlas, was a beautiful sea nymph who was hidden in the woods.)

May wildflowers

After the late arrival of warm weather, the wildflowers in this part of Western Montana have been hurrying to catch up with spring. Here are more that have started blooming in May:

Miner’s Lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata

Unknown

Western Blue Clematis, Clematis occidentalis

Heart-leaf Arnica , Arnica cordifolia

Fairy Slipper, Calypso Orchid , Calypso bulbosa

Falsebox, Mountain Boxwood, Oregon Boxwood, Paxistma myrsinites

Blue-eyed Mary, Collinsia parviflora

Yellow Wood Violet, Viola glabella

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata

Serviceberry, Saskatoon, Amelanchier alnifolia

Antelope Bitterbrush, Antelope-brush, Purshia tridentata

Antelope Bitterbrush, Antelope-brush, Purshia tridentata

Sticky Purple Geranium, Sticky Geranium, Geranium viscosissimum

Woolly Groundsel, Packera cana

Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea

Largeflower Triteleia, Triteleia grandiflora

Meadow Death Camas, Common Death Camas, Zigadenus venenosus

Small-flowered Woodland-star, Small-flowered Prairie-star, Lithophragma parviflorum

Holly-leaf Oregon-grape, Shining Oregongrape, Tall Oregongrape, Berberis aquifolium

Unknown shrub

Common Hawkweed, Hieracium lachenalii

Two-lobe Larkspur, Upland Larkspur, Delphinium nuttallianum

Spring Beauties

Having not encountered any of these in my wanderings in the valley this spring, I feared that I had missed seeing them this year…

Lanceleaf Springbeauty, Claytonia lanceolata

but here they are, growing next to snowbanks where they like it most,

Big Hole Lookout trail

and as usual, these are blooming along with them.

Glacier Lily, Avalanche Lily, Erythronium grandiflorum