ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-LUPINES
NootkaLupine(Lupinusnootkatensis)-aboveandArcAcLupine(Lupinusarc/cus)-leC.Bothspeciesareverypoisonousplants,especiallytheseeds.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-ESKIMOPOTATO
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-FORGET-ME-NOTS
Forget-me-notsarethestateflowerofAlaska.ThisistheBrookForget-Me-Not,(Myoso/spalustris)anintroducedrobustspecieswithsmooth,lightgreen,leavesandpaleblueflowers.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-BEACHPEA
ThelargepodsoftheBeachPea(Lathyrusmari/musssp.mari/musareeatenbothrawandcooked.CauAonshouldbetakenwiththePEAfamilyastheplantsreadilyabsorbseleniumfromthesoilandapotenAaltoxicity.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-WILDIRIS
Wildiris(Irissetosa)isfoundgrowinginbogs,wetmeadows+shoresoflakes+streams.Apoisonousplant,causingvomiAng.BecarefulNOTtoconfusewildiriswithcaVailwhichalsohaslongnarrowleavesandgrowsinstandingwater.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-CHOCOLATELILY
Duetotheunpleasantaromaoftheflowers,chocolatelily(Fri/llariacamschatcensis),hasbeennicknamed,skunklily+outhouselily.Immatureseedsaswellasbulbsareeatenraworcooked.
ALASAKANWILDFLOWERS-VIOLETS
ThisAlaskaViolet(ViolaLangsdorfii)isonemanyvioletspeciesinAlaska.Allpartsareedibleraworcooked.FlowersmaybedippedinsugarandcandiedforcakedecoraAons.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-FIREWEED
ThisisDwarfFireweed(Epilobiumla/folium).Theflowersareusedtomakehoney+jelly.Theleavesareedible,especiallythenew(red)shoots.InnerstemsaresoCandpithyinsideandareverynutriAous.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-DANDELION
AlthoughAlaskahasafewnaAvedandelionspecies(mostlysmallalpinevarieAes),thenon-naAve,introducedspeciesisrapidlybecomingaproblembycompeAngwithnaAvewildflowers
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-MOUNTAINASH
Mountainash(Sorbussitchensis)isoneof4ashspeciesnaAvetoAlaska.Theberriesofthisplantcanbeuseasafood,butarebiVerunAlfrozenandthawedseveralAmes.Theymaybestewedandsweetenedforatastywinterfruit.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-RED–BERRIEDELDER
AllpartsoftheRed–BerriedElderberry(Sambucusracemosa)exceptthepulpoftheberryandflowersarepoisonous.However,thepoisonisbrokendownbyboiling.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-COLUMBINE
Thered-floweredWesternColumbine(Aquilegiaformosa)isoneof2speciesofAlaskancolumbines.TheotheristheBlueColumbine(Aquilegiabrevistylla)isshorterwithsmallerlavenderandwhiteflowers.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-FALSEHELLEBORE
TheFalseHellebone(Veratrumviride)developsatallfloweringstalkwithbranched,droopingstemsofnumerousgreenflowers.Thisisaverypoisonousplanttohumansandifeaten,maycausevomiAng,paralysis,anddeath.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-ROSES
TworosespeciesarefoundinAlaska-PricklyRose(Rosaacicularis)andNootkaRose(Rosanutkatensis).Thepetalsareusedtomakejellyortea,whilethefruit(knownasa“hip”)isusedforjellies,jams,teasandinbakedgoods.ThesefruitsareveryhighinvitaminC.
ALASKANPLANTS-MOUNTAINALDER
MountainAlder(Alnuscrispa)iscommoninclearedandopenareas,edgesofwoodsupintothemountains.Individualplantshavebothmaleandfemaleflowers.Seedsoccurinacone.
ALASKANPLANTS-MOUNTAINALDER
Thismountainalderhasdroopingmalecatkins,anduprightfemalecatkins.Unrollingtheleafrevealsalarvaeprobablyofamoth.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-BLUEBELLS
Bluebells,(Mertensiapaniculata)isanedibleplantthoughsomewhatfishytasAng.Theusuallyblueflowerscanbefoundmixedwithpinkones.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-WILDSTRAWBERRY
SeveralspeciesofstrawberryoccurinAlaska,includingthiscoastalspecies(Fragariavirginiana).AllhaveverytastyredberriesthatripeninlateJulyandAugust.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-YELLOWPAINTBRUSH
TherearemanypaintbrushesinAlaska,mostofthemyellowlikethisCas/llejaunalaschensis.Otherspeciesbloompinkandred.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-DWARFDOGWOOD/BUNCHBERRY
Severalspeciesofdogwood/cornel/bunchberryarefoundinAlaska.SwedishDwarfCornel(Cornussuecica)hasreddish,purpleinnerflowerswhilethedwarfDogwood(Cornuscanadensis)aregreenish.TheedibilityofthefruitsisquesAonable,butnotdangerous.
ALASKANPLANTS-DEVIL’SCLUB
Devil’sClub(Echinopanaxhorridum)iscloselyrelatedtoGinseng.Extracts+poulAcesofthisplanthavebeenusedextensivelyasmedicinesbythenaAvesofsoutheasternAlaskaformanyillnesses+infecAons.Thisshrubformsdensethicketsinmoistwoodlands.Theberriesareconsideredtoxic.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-NAGOONBERRY
Nagoonberry(Rubusarc/cus)isoneofmanydifferentspeciesofAlaskanberries.Thetasty,butseedy,berryripensinlateJuly+Augustandmaybeyellow,orange,orred.Theyareafavoritefoodofbears,
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-HAIRYARCTICMILKVETCH
HairyarcAcmilkvetch(Astragalusumbellatus)isfoundgrowingonmoistslopes,intoalpine,meadowsandtundrahabitat.TheediblerootisusedbysomenaAvepeople
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-COWPARSNIP
Cowparsnip(Heracleumlanatum),isamemberoftheparsnipfamily.Thepeeledrawstems+cookedrootsareeatenbynaAvepeoples.IrritaAnghairsonstems+leavesmaycauseanitchyrash+sunsensiAvityresulAnginblistersthatmaylastforweeks.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-PURPLECRESS
Purplecress(Cardaminepurpurae)amemberofthemustardfamily,growsinwettundra+meadowsincentral+westernAlaska.TheleavesmakeatastyaddiAontoasalad.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-PIXIEEYEPRIMROSE
OneofseveralAlaskanprimroses.Pixieeyeprimrose(Primulacuneifolia)isfoundgrowinginrockyalpineareasofsouthcentral+westerncoastalAlaska
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-TALLCOTTONGRASS
Thereare14speciesofcoVongrassinAlaska,includingtallcoVongrass(Eriophorumrusseolum).Thisplantisactuallyasedgeandnotagrass.Lowerstems+rootareedible.EskimosraidmousecachesforthetastyAdbits,called“MouseNuts”.
ALASKANWILDFLOWER-FRIGIDCOLTSFOOT
TheleavesofFrigidColtsfoot(Petasitesfrigidus)havebeenusedbyIndiansasaseasoning.TheywouldburntheleavesandusetheresulAngashasasaltsubsAtute.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-GOATSBEARD
Goatsbeard(Aruncussylvester),amemberoftheRoseFamily,growsinmoist,openwoods,meadows,andalongstreams.Male+femaleflowersareonseparateplants.Themaleflowersarelarger+moreshowy.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-CAT’SPAW
Foundinthealpineregions,cat’spaw(Antennariamonocephala),isamemberofsunflowerfamily.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-NARCISSUS-FLOWEREDANEMONE
Narcissus-floweredanemone(Anemonenarcissiflora)isoneofmanyspeciesofAnemone.Itflourishesinalpinemeadows+slopes,andslightlysubalpineopenwoodlands+isamemberofthebuVercupplantfamily.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-8-PETALEDAVENS/MOUNTAINAVENS
8-petaledavens,(Dryasoctopetala)thrivesonrockyalpineslopes.Itisamemberoftherosefamilyandafavoritefoodofsheep.
AKASKANWILDFLOWERS-INTRODUCED“ARCTICDAISY”
ThetruearcAcdaisy(Chrysanthemumarc/cum)arefoundgrowinginrockycoastalareas,+marshesinSoutheastern,Southcentral,andWesternAlaska.Thewhitedaisies,likethese,thatgrowalonghighways+indisturbedareasareintroducedspeciesthathavenaturalzed.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-ALASKASPIRAEA
Alaskaspirea(SpireaBeauverdianna).Amemberoftherosefamilyofplants,bloomsinJune–July.It’sleavesmaybebrewedintoatea.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-PINKPYROLA
Pyrolaasarifolia,orpinkpyrolabelongtothewintergreenfamily.ThisplanthasaroseVeof1”-11/2’,round,soC,thickandshinyleaves.Itgrowsinmoistwoodlands+meadows.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-WILDGERANIUM
Alsoknownascranesbill,wildgeranium(Geraniumerianthum)commonlygrowsinwoodlands+meadows+intoalpineareas.BloominglateJunetoAugust,thisplantisoccasionallyseenwithwhiteblooms.
ALASKANWILDFLOWERS-LARKSPUR
Larkspur(Delphiniumglaucum),amemberofthebuVercupfamily,bloomsJuly+August.ItisaPOISONOUSplantthatshouldnotbeeaten.ItcanbedriedforuseindecoraAvearrangements.