Natural History Wanderings

Mount Rainier National Park  reports

Currently Blooming – Updated July 29, 2016
Berkeley Park and Glacier Basin are reported to be at peak bloom, with nice displays along Crystal Peak Trail. Mowich Lake is also close to peak bloom. White Rhododendron, also known as Cascade Azalea, is a common shrub found in the park on open slopes and meadow edges above 3,500 feet (1,066 meters). Unlike the large, many-petaled flowers of domesticated rhododendron, this wild species has simple five-petaled white flowers.

Wildflower Reports

• Mowich Lake (7/27) – lupine, rosy spirea, subalpine daisy, bear grass, pink mountain heather, white heather, grays lovage, birds beak lousewort, sitka valerian, jeffrey’s shooting star, partridgefoot, wild strawberry, slender bog orchid, fringecup, arrowleaf groundsel, white rhododendron
• Silver Forest Trail (Sunrise) (7/23) – fan leaf cinquefoil, cusick’s speedwell, magenta paintbrush, tiger lily, alpine aster, gray’s lovage
• Paradise (7/22) – glacier lily, cusick’s speedwell, avalanche lily, scarlet paintbrush, magenta paintbrush, buttercup, cinquefoil, sitka valerian, bracted lousewort, cascade blueberry, bear grass, arnica, pink heather, white heather, pasqueflower, marsh marigold, sitka mountain ash, jeffreys shooting star, alaska and leatherleaf saxifrage, partridgefoot, willowherb, elephanthead lousewort, agoseris, jacob’s ladder, lovage, rosy spirea, Lewis and mountain monkeyflower, bistort, bluebells, goat’s beard, edible thistle, subalpine daisy, groundsel, cow parsnip.
• Carbon River (7/19) – corydalis, bleeding heart, single delight, lupine, Queen’s cup, foam flower, twin flower, gnomeplant
• Ipsut Pass (7/18) – valerian, cow parsnip, selfheal, tiger lily, grays lovage, buckwheat, arnica, sagewort, scarlet and harsh paintbrush, larkspur, western columbine, baneberry, waterleaf, penstemon, yarrow, pearly everlasting, stonecrop, goat’s beard, red elderberry, thimbleberry
• Spray and Seattle Park (7/18) – western bog-laurel, slender bog orchid, pink and white mountain heather, jeffreys shooting star, many avalanche lilies
• Paradise Valley Road (7/13) – avalanche lily, rosy spirea, pearly everlasting, bog orchid, pink and white heather, jeffrey shooting star, sitka mountain ash (early), penstemon, partridge foot

See photos and more information on Mt. Rainier Wildflowers at Discover Wildflowers – Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)