Natural History Wanderings

Mt. Rainier National Park reports currently blooming  on July 16, 2015:

Pink and yellow monkeyflower are thriving along many of the park’s streams and creeks, such as around Sluiskin Falls in Paradise. Pink monkeyflower (Mimulus lewisii), also know as Lewis monkeyflower, grows in dense clumps of stems and flowers. Stems are 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) tall with oval, toothed leaves. Similar in appearance, yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is generally found at lower elevations than pink monkeyflower, which favors the subalpine regions of the park. Both are commonly found growing together along waterways in the park.

Wildflower Reports

• Paradise: (7/12) Past peak, but best wildflowers to be found on west side of Panorama Point, upper Golden Gate, and the upper east side of the Skyline Trail.
• • Lower Paradise trails: Late summer-like conditions prevail with few flowers: False Hellebore, Gray’s Mountain Lovage, American Bistort, and Subalpine Daisy.
  • Deadhorse Creek and West Side of Skyline Trail: Very few flowers. All lupine have gone to seed. Few Pasqueflower Seedheads, Bistort.
  • West side of Panorama Point: A few nice areas on the climb up to Pan Point of Lupine, Paintbrush, Bistort, Pink Mountain Heather, and Phlox still in bloom.
  • Upper Skyline Trail: Alpine environment, realm of cushion plants: Alpine Lupine, Saxifrage, Golden Fleabane.
  • Upper East Side of Skyline Trail: Bistort, Lupine, Paintbrush, Pasqueflower Seedheads, Pink and White Mountain Heather still hanging on. Lewis (pink) Monkeyflower in wet areas.
  • Creek Crossing above Sluiskin Falls on Skyline Trail: Large area of Lewis (pink) Monkeyflower.
  • East Skyline Trail from Paradise Glacier Trail down to Lakes Trail: Bistort, patches of Lupine, Pasqueflower Seedheads, Sitka Valerian, Bracted Lousewart, Cascade Aster, Arrowleaf Groundsel.
  • Lower East Skyline Trail down to Myrtle Falls: Cascade Aster, Fireweed, and Cliff Paintbrush.
• Sunrise: (7/12) peak: corn lily/false hellebore, rainiera, yarrow; past peak in general but better at higher elevations, like at Berkeley Park, Forest Lake, and Upper Palisades.
• Bench & Snow Lake Trail: (7/6) peak: white rhododendron, gray’s lovage, yellow monkeyflower, lewis (pink) monkeyflower, corn lily; late/few: fireweed, scarlet paintbrush, mountain bog gentian.

See photos at Mt. Rainier National Park.