Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • This wonderful alpine wildflower and member of the buttercup family is found at very high elevations in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta, and only shows itself in summer when the snow finally melts, preferring wet, gravelly soils, common at such altitudes. When pollinated, the the seedpods resemble large green furry mops turned upside down, where brisk alpine winds will disperse the seeds ensuring the next generation.
    Western Pasqueflower
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • The arctic gentian, also known as the whitish gentian, is a very pale yellow to white perrenial found in high-altitude, wet alpine habitats in the Rocky Mountains, Alaska, the Yukon and parts of Eurasia. This one was found at about 12,ooo feet on the Continental Divide, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Arctic Gentian
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • Icicle Creek is one of the numerous picturesque creeks to be found in Washington's Cascade Mountains. It flows through Wenatchee National Forest and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and winds its way down towards Leavenworth before merging with the Wenatchee River. With fresh snowfall, it's a hard to find a more beautiful sight!
    Icicle Creek - 2
  • Icicle Creek is one of the numerous picturesque creeks to be found in Washington's Cascade Mountains. It flows through Wenatchee National Forest and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and winds its way down towards Leavenworth before merging with the Wenatchee River. With fresh snowfall, it's a hard to find a more beautiful sight!
    Icicle Creek - 1
  • This common cold-loving member of the buttercup family is found at the sub-alpine and alpine elevations of the Cascade Mountains growing in wet meadows and bogs, usually at the edges of snowmelt. This one was photographed at dusk on Oregon's Mount Hood in early summer.
    Marsh-Marigold
  • An exquisitely rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -1.jpg
  • An exquisitely rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -7.jpg
  • Also known as the edible thistle, his Pacific Northwest member of the aster family is found in alpine and subalpine forested mountains. The peeled stems can be eaten, and the flowers and seeds are a common food source for butterflies, bees, and birds. This one was found just below the top of Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains of Washington.
    Indian Thistle
  • The marsh violet is a member of the viola family that is found all over the western United States, most of all of Canada and even throughout many parts of Eurasia. Also known as the alpine marsh violet - it is mostly found in wet habitats, such as these that were photographed near the edge of Gold Creek Pond in Washington's Snoqualmie Pass.
    Marsh Violet
  • An exquisitely beautiful pair of the rare and beautiful mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) in its natural environment! This native orchid  was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -4.jpg
  • An exquisitely beautiful pair of the rare and beautiful mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) in its natural environment! This native orchid  was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -3.jpg
  • An exquisitely rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -6.jpg
  • An exquisitely rare find for even such a rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This unusual crimson-lipped form (forma welchii) of the mountain lady's-slipper was found alongside a small colony of the typical white-lipped individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    Mountain Lady's-Slipper (Cypripedium..hii)
  • An exquisitely rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -2.jpg
  • An exquisitely rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -5.jpg
  • An exquisitely rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -9.jpg
  • An exquisitely beautiful pair of the rare and beautiful mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) in its natural environment! This native orchid  was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -10
  • An exquisitely beautiful pair of the rare and beautiful mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) in its natural environment! This native orchid  was part of a  small colony of individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    MountainLadysSlipper -8
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 7
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 5
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 2
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 1
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 6
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 4
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 3
  • The mountain death camas spends much of the year underground as an onion-like corm, until the spring when it emerges as a beautiful, multi-flowered stalk. It is distinguishable from other death camas from the greenish-yellow markings on the petals, and as the name suggests, it is very poisonous to humans and livestock. This one was found growing in the Rocky Mountains, just east of Aspen, Colorado on a chilly subalpine June morning at about 9000 feet.
    Mountain Death Camas
  • The mountain death camas spends much of the year underground as an onion-like corm, until the spring when it emerges as a beautiful, multi-flowered stalk. It is distinguishable from other death camas from the greenish-yellow markings on the petals, and as the name suggests, it is very poisonous to humans and livestock. This one was found growing in the Rocky Mountains, just east of Aspen, Colorado on a chilly subalpine June morning at about 9000 feet.
    Mountain Death Camas
  • The sudetic lousewort - also known as fernweed -  (Pedicularis sudetica subsp. scopulorum) is a non-native European import member of the Orobanchaceae family that is found primarily in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Like other louseworts, it is parasitic on the living roots of neighboring plants. These were found growing at approximately 12,000 feet on the continental divide, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Sudetic Lousewort
  • The sudetic lousewort - also known as fernweed -  (Pedicularis sudetica subsp. scopulorum) is a non-native European import member of the Orobanchaceae family that is found primarily in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Like other louseworts, it is parasitic on the living roots of neighboring plants. This one was found growing at approximately 12,000 feet on the continental divide, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Sudetic Lousewort
  • The sudetic lousewort - also known as fernweed -  (Pedicularis sudetica subsp. scopulorum) is a non-native European import member of the Orobanchaceae family that is found primarily in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Like other louseworts, it is parasitic on the living roots of neighboring plants. This one was found growing at approximately 12,000 feet on the continental divide, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Sudetic Lousewort
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 1
  • A favorite food source for hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A favorite food source for hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A close-up view of the interesting fused leaves that form a disk around the honeysuckles flowers (or buds in this case). This native vine is found all over much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle Buds
  • A close-up view of the interesting fused leaves that form a disk around the honeysuckles flowers (or buds in this case). This native vine is found all over much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle Buds
  • The smallest of all of North America's woodpeckers, the downy woodpecker is also one of the most widespread with a range covering most of the continent except for the most arid parts of the American Southwest. This adult female was found actively hunting for insects in the trees above Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains on a very cold, snowy January afternoon.
    Downy Woodpecker
  • Perhaps one of the most delicious wild berries one can ever find, the wild strawberry is about a half-inch wide, deep red and has an intense strawberry flavor that no commercially-grown strawberry can come close to reproducing. It is found in the wild in forests across most of Continental North America except the Southeastern States, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nevada and Alaska. This one was found, photographed and consumed for ecological integrity in the foothills of Mount Rainier above the Carbon River in Washington State.
    Wild Strawberry
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 2
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 3
  • This mid to high-elevation member of the rose family is associated with wet, rocky soils of the western states and provinces of North America. These were photographed on Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Mountain Meadow-Sweet
  • Found in the eastern and western thirds of North America, Carolina bugbane is absent from the center of the continent. Carolina bugbane is most often found growing in wet mountain meadows and wet forests from medium to high elevations, such as this one on Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Carolina Bugbane
  • A few-flowered shooting star blooms in a mountain bog on the northern face of Washington's Mount Rainier near Lake Mowich.
    Few-Flowered Shooting Star
  • Extremely common all throughout the Pacific Northwest, the queen's cup is a member of the lily family found in most forests and many wooded areas that receive a lot of rainfall, and often growing in vast carpets.
    Queen's Cup
  • The tall northern white bog orchid is a fragrant water-loving orchid found across all of Northern North America. This one was growing in a bog on the north face of Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Tall White Northern Bog Orchid (Plat..ata)
  • Queen's cups are a small plain white lily that often grows in vast carpets in the wet forests of the Pacific Northwest. After the flower wilts, a bright blue berry develops and although it is inedible for humans, it is eaten by grouse, who then spread the seeds for the next season.
    Queen's Cup
  • Close-up of the tall northern white bog orchid. These orchids can grow over three feet/one meter tall and are often found in huge colonies, the bright white beautiful in contrast against the color of the green bogs or wet meadows where they are most often found.
    Tall White Northern Bog Orchid (Plat..ata)
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-11.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-10.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-9.jpg
  • Close-up view of the leaves of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-8.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-6.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-7.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-4.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-3.jpg
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, these were found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, this one was found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, this one was found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, this one was found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • At approximately 6400 feet above sea level, Spray Park isn't actually a park but a large subalpine meadow and part of the greater Mount Rainier National Park. From here you are at the top of the tree line and get the most spectacular views of this active volcano and all of its glaciers. It may not be the easiest of places to get to, but the long climb is totally worth the effort!
    Mount Rainier from Spray Park
  • One of my favorite wildflowers of wet meadows and bogs, the grass of Parnassus is a very striking and delicate native that has a somewhat confusing name, as it isn't even closely related to grasses. That name for the genus came from Greek botanist Dioscorides who described it as a grass-like plant that grew on the side of Mount Parnassus. The description was wrong, but the name stuck. It is found in every state and province in continental North America from the Rocky Mountains and west, excluding Arizona. This beauty was found at a very high elevation in the Olympic Mountains on Washington's Hurricane ridge growing next to some carnivorous butterworts between permanently wet rocks.
    Fringed Grass of Parnassus
  • Unlike other glacier lilies found in the Rocky Mountains, glacier lilies of the same species found in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest have pure white anthers instead of rusty reddish brown. These were photographed<br />
 about a mile from the shore of Lake Wenatchee in the state of Washington.
    Glacier Lily
  • Glacier lilies are found in every western state in the continental United States except for Alaska, Arizona, and Nevada. They are also found in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. This one was photographed very literally on the Continental Divide in Wyoning's Yellowstone National Park.
    Glacier Lily
  • Like other members of the Indian paintbrush family, these vibrant, high elevation-loving wildflowers are hemisitic. They feed at least is some part on the roots of neighboring grasses and wildflowers. If you look closely, the bright magenta part isn't the flower, but are colored leaves called bracts. The actual flowers are the tiny yellowish-green tubes sticking out of the bracts. These were photographed in the subalpine heights on Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Magenta Indian Paintbrush
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-5.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-1.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-2.jpg
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, these were found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • Also known as the early coralroot, the yellow coralroot is unusual compared to other members of the Corallorhiza genus in that it is the only one that produces its own chlorophyll like nearly all green plants (hence the yellowish-green color) and is only partly parasitic on the surrounding plants for its nourishment and nutritional needs. Found all around the Northern Hemisphere, these were found in an area with several colonies that were mostly finished blooming and starting to go to fruit just outside of Aspen, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains at about 8000-9000 feet in elevation. The curious thing about the ones in this area is that the labellum on each flower was pure white and the rest of the flower and stem was pure yellow.
    Yellow Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • The purple-petal bog orchid (also known as the short-spurred bog orchid - a better name!) is another one of those difficult to ID members of the Platanthera family of bog orchids that not only look very similar to other species, they also hybridize to make identification even more confusing and difficult. Even the common name is misleading as the flowers are actually dark green, but some of them can develop a faintly reddish to purplish coloration. The most important keys to identifying this species are the width of the base of the lip, the short length of the spur and thick, blunt and wildly-positioned leaves. This one was part of a small colony found growing in standing water at about 12,000 feet in elevation in the Rocky Mountains at Independence Pass, just east of Aspen, Colorado.
    Purple Petal Bog Orchid (Platanthera..ens)
  • Male catkins of the Sitka alder on a summer afternoon at the very top of Snoqualmie Pass at the edge of Gold Creek Pond. These unlikely looking flowers supply the pollen that will pollenate the nearby cone-like female catkins - not with insect pollinators, but by the wind!
    Sitka Alder Catkins
  • Male catkins of the Sitka alder on a summer afternoon at the very top of Snoqualmie Pass at the edge of Gold Creek Pond. These unlikely looking flowers supply the pollen that will pollenate the nearby cone-like female catkins - not with insect pollinators, but by the wind!
    Sitka Alder Catkins
  • Female catkins of the Sitka alder on a summer afternoon at the very top of Snoqualmie Pass at the edge of Gold Creek Pond. These nondescript small "cones" patiently await pollen to be carried by the wind from the nearby male catkins to ensure the next generation of Sitka alders.
    Sitka Alder Catkins
  • Glacier lilies are an important source of food for many animals in the American west. The leaves and bulb-like structures (corms) are rich in nutrients and are eaten by deer, bears, bighorn sheep, elk and several rodents such as ground squirrels. Native Americans have long used the leaves as a (or part of) salad and eat the corm either boiled or fresh. This was photographed<br />
 on the eastern side of Washington's Cascades Mountain Range.
    Glacier Lily
  • There is some variety among individual populations of the glacier lily. In Wyoming, individuals have reddinsh/rusty brown anthers as seen here, and some populations I've seen elsewhere in the United States have pure white anthers, even though they are the same species.
    Glacier Lily
  • This glacier lily was part of a rather large, loose colony I stumbled into by accident in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. As I got out of the truck to take a picture of the roadside sign letting me know I was standing on the Continental Divide, patches of yellow stood out in bright contrast in the pines nearby. The sign let me know I was at exactly 7988 feet above sea level.
    Glacier Lily
  • A pair of yellow glacier lilies bloom inder a stand of ponderosa pines in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park.
    Glacier Lily
  • One of the most beautiful wildflowers of the Pacific coastal subalpine ranges, the arctic lupine can grow in the cold summer mountains in such profusion that whole meadows will turn a bluish-purple color. These were photographed near the top of Hurricane Ridge in in the northern part of the Olympic Mountains in Washington.
    Arctic Lupine
  • The native and uncultivated woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) and is found through out much of Europe and parts of Asia, where there is eveidence of humans gathering and eating this small vibrant red strawberry from the stone age. This one in flower was photographed in Steven's Pass in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
    Woodland Strawberry
  • A view of the Olympic Mountains as seen from atop Hurricane Ridge. Not only are the peaks white and snow-capped all year long, there is a surprising amount of wildlife - particularly in the early morning hours.
    The Olympic Mountains
  • The broadleaf lupine is one of my favorite wildflowers on Mount Rainier. They can be so numerous at the sub-alpine level that they can create a sea of blue mixed with spatters of other well-known wildflowers of other vibrant and contrasting colors. These were photographed on Mount Rainier's southern face close to the tree line.
    Broadleaf Lupine
  • Avalanche lilies growing on the edge of snowmelt on a sunny summer day on Mount Rainier.
    Avalanche Lilies
  • A close up of one of the most beautiful of all of the Pacific Northwest's wild lupines. These bright blue high-elevation-loving members of the pea family range from the Rocky and Cascade Mountain Ranges then west to the Pacific Ocean in places where elevations are high enough to stay cool in summer.
    Broadleaf Lupine
  • Standing snow in the North Cascades on a chilly August late afternoon at the tree line, where thick forest opens into subalpine meadow. In most of Washington's mountain ranges, standing snow is common year-round.
    North Cascades National Park
  • Found in nearly all of the western states and provinces of North America, the silvery lupine is very tolerant of many conditions and can be found in a suprising number of different habitats. This one was photographed at a rather high elevation in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park.
    Silvery Lupine
  • A lone avalanche lily photographed in the rain late in the summer season on the southern slope of Washington's Mount Rainier. It is easily distinguished from its close relative the fawn lily by the fact that the leaves are uniform green, and not mottled like so many other members of the Erythronium genus.
    Avalanche Lily
  • Close-up detail of avalanche lilies growing at the snow line on Mount Rainier on a beautiful sunny summer day.
    Avalanche Lilies
  • One of the most beautiful native lilies found in North America, this combined image of several large images stitched together is of a big clump of avalanche lilies in full bloom on Larch Mountain in Oregon. This massive print is at full natural size an enormous 10.75 feet x 2.1 feet (3.3m x 0.66m) and was created from five images.
    Avalanche Lily Panorama
  • Easily one of the most recognizable mountain wildflowers on the West Coast, the red columbine has an astounding range. It can be found as far north as Alaska and the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, all of the western states within the Cascade and Rocky Mountain ranges, and south down into Mexico's Baja California. This was was growing on Mount Hood in Oregon.
    Red Columbine
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