Natural History Wanderings

Mount Rainier National Park report on wildflower bloom as of June 12, 2015
Though blooming weeks earlier than normal, Avalanche Lilies are in peak bloom right now. In some areas, they carpet the meadows in as much white as the snow they replace. Particularly good areas to find them are around Reflection Lakes and upper parts of the Comet Falls trail and Mildred Point.

Wildflower Reports

• Comet Falls/Mildred Point/Van Trump: (6/9) colubine, bluebells, queen’s cup, arnica, candyflower, sitka valerian, sitka mountain ash, elderberry, false solomon’s seal, star-flowered false solomon’s seal, violets; peak: avalanche lilies – very dense!
• Reflection Lakes/High Lakes: (6/9) avalanche lily, shooting star, cinquefoil, lupine, columbine, bistort; early: pink mountain heather, sitka valerian, cliff penstemon, elephant head
• Paradise: (6/9) magenta paintbrush, Jeffrey’s shooting stars, cinquefoil, pasqueflower, glacier lilies, phlox, moss campion, speedwell; peak: avalanche lilies
• Stevens Canyon: (6/3) sitka mountain ash, beargrass, paintbrush, cinquefoil, lupine, alpine aster, sitka valerian, thistle, penstemon, arnica; peak: avalanche lilies
• Box Canyon: (6/3) vanilla leaf, devil’s club, trailing blackberry, cinquefoil, star-flowered false solomon’s seal, wild rose, avalanche lily, self-heal, beargrass; peak: rockslide larkspur, rusty saxifrage
• Box Canyon to SR123: (6/3) lupine, penstemon, thimbleberry, paintbrush; peak: crimson columbine
• White River: (6/3) sitka valerian, lupine, sitka mountain ash
• Sunrise: (6/3) early: pasqueflower, phlox, magenta paintbrush