Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • View from the ground in the middle of a native stand of desert fan palms in the Coachella Valley of Southern California. These towering trees are the only palms native to the western United States, and are also the largest native palm in the contiguous United States. Virtually unchanged for millennia, these living fossils provide shade from the unrelenting sun for many of the desert inhabitants, as well as the promise of nearby water.
    Coachella Valley Oasis
  • One of many gorgeous native western flag irises found growing in the L.T. Murray State Wildlife Recreation Area in Kittitas County, Washington. Historically important to many of the Western Native American tribes, this native iris was used to treat a number of ailments such as toothache or a boost to infant vitality via a poultice.
    Western Blue Flag Iris
  • This huge batch yellow flag iris was found growing along the Yakima River in great profusion the eastern bank of the Yakima River, just north of Selah, WA. Although incredibly beautiful, they are considered a pest as they completely take over river banks. Because they lack the diseases and wildlife that eat them found in their native Europe, they can multiply unchecked - crowding out North American native plants that don't enjoy such an easy advantage.
    Yellow Flag Iris
  • Golden currants ripening in the late afternoon sunshine in Cowiche Canyon, just to the west of Yakima, WA. These native wild edibles were (and still are) used as food for many of the Native American tribes across North America.
    Golden Currant
  • This beautiful native member of the pea family has an interesting story. Like all lupines, they have toxic properties, that vary from species to species. The silky lupine is highly toxic to sheep, and moderately toxic to cattle and horses. That said, bighorn sheep rely on it heavily as a food source, as do white-tailed deer, Columbia ground squirrels and other birds, mammals and insects. It seems that while it is toxic to imported domesticated non-native animals, it is completely safe and nutritious for native wildlife that has evolved alongside it.
    Silky Lupine
  • Angiosperms, Asteraceae, Asterids, beautiful, beauty, biennial, bloom, blooming, blooms, blossom, blossoms, botany, bud, bull thistle, Carduoideae, Cirsium, Cirsium vulgare, color, common thistle, Cynareae, dicot, flora, flower, flowers, forb, fresh, green, herb, invasive, native, natural, nature, non-native, Olympia, Onopordum acanthium, pink, plant, Plantae, plants, ruderal, Scotch thistle, Scottish thistle, spear thistle, summer, thistle, Thurston County, vulgare, Washington, west coast, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, Woodard Bay Conservation Area
    Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) 1
  • Angiosperms, Asteraceae, Asterids, beautiful, beauty, biennial, bloom, blooming, blooms, blossom, blossoms, botany, bud, bull thistle, Carduoideae, Cirsium, Cirsium vulgare, color, common thistle, Cynareae, dicot, flora, flower, flowers, forb, fresh, green, herb, invasive, native, natural, nature, non-native, Olympia, Onopordum acanthium, pink, plant, Plantae, plants, ruderal, Scotch thistle, Scottish thistle, spear thistle, summer, thistle, Thurston County, vulgare, Washington, west coast, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, Woodard Bay Conservation Area
    Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) 2
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • The prairie coneflower is a very beautiful member of the daisy family and is found nearly all across North America except Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Kentucky, Virginia and Northeastern United States and Canada and can be found in open prairies and along roadsides. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. The colors of the petals can vary from pure yellow to reddish-brown, or any variation of these colors. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. These were found growing in an open prairie in rural Cibola County in New Mexico, about an hour west of Albuquerque.
    Prairie Coneflower
  • Close-up detail of the western fairy slipper orchid. Like its counterpart - the eastern fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa var. americana), the western fairly slipper (Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis) is an incredibly unusual and beautiful native orchid is one of the first to bloom in the mountainous areas with rich soils and undisturbed evergreen forests. Historically, the corms (similar to a bulb) were eaten as an occasional food source for Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. This one was photographed along the shore of Lake Wenatchee in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • Closeup of salal flowers next to Deep Lake near Enumclaw, WA. Found in many places across the Pacific Northwest, this common native woody shrub is found in forests and woodlands and is of great historical importance to the native tribes who have inhabited the region for thousands of years. The delicious, intensely sweet edible berries that will come later in the summer were used to make dried cakes that would provide nourishment throughout the winter. It is said that cakes of pure salal were reserved solely for the chiefs to eat, and anyone else had to have theirs mixed with other local berries, such as huckleberries or elderberries as was the custom.
    Salal
  • An unusually bright red salmonberry at peak ripeness grows on the edge of Deep Lake near Enumclaw, WA. These native fruits are extremely common throughout the Pacific Northwest and have been important historically as a food source for thousands of years among the different tribes of Native Americans of the region.
    Salmonberry
  • sweet, foraging, food, berries, fruit, botany, nature, natural, beauty, beautiful, color, green, beauty, plant, beautiful, blooming, white, flora, wild, plants, fresh, color, plant, botany, native, wildflowers, wildflower, West Coast, flora, hairy, furry, hair, hairs, Gaultheria shallon, leathery, shrub, heather, Ericaceae, native, North America, salal, shallon, Gaultheria, Plantae, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Asterids, Ericales, Ericaceae, Gaultheria, , Gaultheria shallon, dicot, Ericaceae, perennial, shrub, subshrub
    Salal Berries
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • The prairie coneflower is a very beautiful member of the daisy family and is found nearly all across North America except Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Kentucky, Virginia and Northeastern United States and Canada and can be found in open prairies and along roadsides. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. The colors of the petals can vary from pure yellow to reddish-brown, or any variation of these colors. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. These were found growing in an open prairie in rural Cibola County in New Mexico, about an hour west of Albuquerque.
    Prairie Coneflower
  • The prairie coneflower is a very beautiful member of the daisy family and is found nearly all across North America except Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Kentucky, Virginia and Northeastern United States and Canada and can be found in open prairies and along roadsides. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. The colors of the petals can vary from pure yellow to reddish-brown, or any variation of these colors. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. These were found growing in an open prairie in rural Cibola County in New Mexico, about an hour west of Albuquerque.
    Prairie Coneflower
  • The prairie coneflower is a very beautiful member of the daisy family and is found nearly all across North America except Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Kentucky, Virginia and Northeastern United States and Canada and can be found in open prairies and along roadsides. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. The colors of the petals can vary from pure yellow to reddish-brown, or any variation of these colors. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. These were found growing in an open prairie in rural Cibola County in New Mexico, about an hour west of Albuquerque.
    Prairie Coneflower with Incoming Storm
  • The prairie coneflower is a very beautiful member of the daisy family and is found nearly all across North America except Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Kentucky, Virginia and Northeastern United States and Canada and can be found in open prairies and along roadsides. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. The colors of the petals can vary from pure yellow to reddish-brown, or any variation of these colors. Historically, it has been used as by Native Americans as a cold infusion to treat fever, as an emetic to induce vomiting, and even as an aid to wean nursing babies. These were found growing in an open prairie in rural Cibola County in New Mexico, about an hour west of Albuquerque.
    Prairie Coneflower
  • Although very beautiful and showy, the yellow flag iris is a pesky invasive European import that is known to block waterways and choke out native plants and wildflowers. This one was found growing along the Yakima River in great profusion, on the eastern bank of the Yakima River, just north of Selah, WA.
    Yellow Flag Iris
  • Smooth sumac spreads rapidly once the first plant becomes established in an area. This native member of the cashew family produces very beautiful bright green leaves in the spring that turn to bright scarlet in the winter. Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest traditionally smoked these dried leaves for medicinal uses, such as treating ulcers.
    Smooth Sumac
  • This beautiful native honeysuckle is commonly found in forests and disturbed areas throughout the Pacific Northwest. As an important food source for hummingbirds, the sweet nectar also attracts moths at night. Native tribes have used the vines for making baskets, and the leaves were used in women's health as a tea to encourage lactation and ease cramps.
    Orange Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • The incredibly beautiful and vibrant western azalea is a member of the rhododendron family and native to America's west coast from Southern Oregon area south to Mexico's Baja California. It is found in the forests of the coastal mountain ranges, and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. This one was spotted blooming near a peat bog just over the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon. The incredibly beautiful and vibrant western azalea is a member of the rhododendron family and native to America's west coast from Southern Oregon area south to Mexico's Baja California. It is found in the forests of the coastal mountain ranges, and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. This one was spotted blooming near a peat bog just over the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Western Azalea
  • The incredibly beautiful and vibrant western azalea is a member of the rhododendron family and native to America's west coast from Southern Oregon area south to Mexico's Baja California. It is found in the forests of the coastal mountain ranges, and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. This one was spotted blooming near a peat bog just over the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon. The incredibly beautiful and vibrant western azalea is a member of the rhododendron family and native to America's west coast from Southern Oregon area south to Mexico's Baja California. It is found in the forests of the coastal mountain ranges, and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. This one was spotted blooming near a peat bog just over the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Western Azalea
  • The incredibly beautiful and vibrant western azalea is a member of the rhododendron family and native to America's west coast from Southern Oregon area south to Mexico's Baja California. It is found in the forests of the coastal mountain ranges, and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. This one was spotted blooming near a peat bog just over the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon. The incredibly beautiful and vibrant western azalea is a member of the rhododendron family and native to America's west coast from Southern Oregon area south to Mexico's Baja California. It is found in the forests of the coastal mountain ranges, and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. This one was spotted blooming near a peat bog just over the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Western Azalea
  • Easily the most beautiful of all of the native currants that grow wild in the Pacific Northwest, the waxy current is also one of the most flavorless. I actually ate one of these after the shot and there was no sweetness or taste, just texture which I thought was very strange. Apparently not so to the hummingbirds, who take advantage of these early spring bloomers to feed on the nectar of the tubular white flowers where they might be the only flowers available to them at the time.
    Wax Currant
  • 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
  • Close-up of the tiny green flowers of the stinging nettle. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-3.jpg
  • This plant needs no introduction to most of us. I learned about it the hard way while unknowingly walking through a huge patch of it in shorts. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-1.jpg
  • Close-up of the tiny green flowers of the stinging nettle. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-2.jpg
  • This stunning native to western North America  is the only species of it is found natively east of the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, it often forms dense, large patches in low spots in pastures, where the tough leaves are avoided by cattle. This one and many others was found growing next to Umtanum Creek between Yakima and Ellensburg, Washington.
    Western Blue Flag Iris
  • Also known as the orange mountain dandelion, this native relative to the (non-native) common dandelion is found across most of Western Canada and the United States in mountain valleys and subalpine altitudes. The leaves are edible and can be used for fermented beverages! This one was found and photographed in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County on a hot summer day.
    Orange Agoseris
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flowers
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flowers
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • Also known as the orange mountain dandelion, this native relative to the (non-native) common dandelion is found across most of Western Canada and the United States in mountain valleys and subalpine altitudes. The leaves are edible and can be used for fermented beverages! This one was found and photographed in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County on a hot summer day.
    Orange Agoseris
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • This South African native succulent perennial with its very attractive bright pink and/or yellow flowers has found its way to both California and Florida thanks to the ornamental plant industry and has particularly found a foothold along Southern California highways, earning it the nickname "highway ice plant." Originally used as a soil stabilizer due to its matting, ground-cover nature it has unexpectedly spread into several sensitive ecological habitats such as coastal communities and desert dune habitats where it quickly outgrows and outcompetes threatened and endangered plants. This one was found growing in a sprawling mat across the sandy beach in Los Angeles, California next to the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Ice Plant Flower
  • While not a native to the Americas, this Eurasian import can be found in the wild across all of North America almost as far south as the US/Mexican border. This was one of many widely-spaced plants growing on the edge of the Umtanum Creek in a canyon in Central Kittitas County, Washington.
    White Campion
  • Native to Europe, this strikingly beautiful blue wildflower is now found growing wild all across North America and is a very important food for livestock, and as a coffee substitute or coffee-additive. Anyone familiar with some of the wonderful coffees from the New Orleans area will be very familiar with chicory coffee, which is very similar with a somewhat nutty taste, that is made from the roasted and ground roots. This one was found growing wild in at the edge of a field in Northern Arkansas.
    Chicory
  • Common across nearly all of North America, common burdock look slike just another thistle, except that it actually isn't a thistle at all. A native of Europe, bats have been known to die after becoming entangled in the burrs.
    Common Burdock
  • The parrot gladiolus is one of the ever-increasing number of once-invasive, now naturalized species of plants that have become wild and are commonly found throughout parts of North America. This gladiolus is native to South Africa and are becoming increasingly common throughout the American Southeast. This one was photographed south of Thomasville, Georgia. The largest populations I've seen in the wild were in the salt marshes of Florida's northern Gulf Coast.
    Parrot Gladiolus
  • Also known as the holly-leaved Oregon grape, this member of the Mahonia genus can tolerate drier conditions than other native Oregon grape shrubs and is easily recognized by the distinctive waxy, holly-like leaves as well as the height it can grow - almost 9 feet tall! This one was was found growing in a forest near Olympia, Washington, heavy with fruit. While the fruit can be delicious, tart, pleasing and can be made into delicious jellies, jams and wines, caution must be taken as high doses of Oregon-grapes can cause nose-bleeds, kidney inflammation,  shortness of breath, or worse.
    Shining Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifo..ium)
  • 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
  • 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
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-12.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 -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
  • Newly budding bitterroots growing at the top of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington. A sometime food source of many of the Native Americans who inhabited the Western plains and sagebrush deserts where the bitterroot grows, the first European explorers found the roots too bitter to be palatable, so the first to arrive - the French named this plant the "racine amer" translated literally as bitter root. Not are these some of the most beautiful of all the flowering plants of the summer, these are also the toughest!
    Bitterroot
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." This one was found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lily
  • Among the first flowers to bloom each year, these beautiful white hanging flowers are a sign that spring is right around the corner. These were photographed at the edge of a wetland forest near Salem, Oregon on a rainy, chilly mid-March morning. In a few months, these flowers will be replaces with small purplish plums: a staple for the local, native wildlife.
    Indian Plum
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The American strawberry bush - also known by many other names such as the "hearts-a-bustin" and "hearts-bustin'-with-love", this member of the bittersweet family is one of those oddly beautiful plants you find sometimes in autumn while out in some of the more remote places in the Untied States. Found in all of the eastern states (excluding New England), most of the lower Midwest states, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma, it literally looks like a strawberry growing on a shrub that is bursting with bright red seeds exposed within. As with many red-colored fruits in nature, this is best not to be eaten, as it has been reported to induce severe diarrhea in humans. The leaves, bark and stems are enjoyed by deer and other native wildlife who spread the seeds after consumption. This was found in Florida's Ocala National Forest near Juniper Springs.
    American Strawberry Bush
  • The American strawberry bush - also known by many other names such as the "hearts-a-bustin" and "hearts-bustin'-with-love", this member of the bittersweet family is one of those oddly beautiful plants you find sometimes in autumn while out in some of the more remote places in the Untied States. Found in all of the eastern states (excluding New England), most of the lower Midwest states, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma, it literally looks like a strawberry growing on a shrub that is bursting with bright red seeds exposed within. As with many red-colored fruits in nature, this is best not to be eaten, as it has been reported to induce severe diarrhea in humans. The leaves, bark and stems are enjoyed by deer and other native wildlife who spread the seeds after consumption. This was found in Florida's Ocala National Forest near Juniper Springs.
    American Strawberry Bush
  • 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
  • Found only in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the hooded pitcher plant is one of the smaller of our native pitcher plants found at the edges of bogs and wet pinelands. Like all carnivorous plants, nectar glands inside the hood and white translucent "windows" attract insects where a series of hairs inside the pitcher (a modified leaf) encourages the insect downward into the tube until it cannot turn around and escape. These insects will in turn be dissolved and deliver the essential nutrients that are needed in such a plant that grows in such nutrient-poor soils. This one was found and photographed during the summer rains in the Osceola National Forest in North Florida.
    Hooded Pitcher Plant
  • Showy phlox is one of the prettiest and widespread of the native phloxes and can be found from the American Southwest north to British Columbia, and is most often found in rocky sagebrush deserts, open grasslands, dry pine forests, and some mountain forests with lots of available sunlight. Distinctive to this species are the deeply notched pink petals. This one was found growing in Cowiche Canyon, just east of Yakima, Washington.
    Showy Phlox
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • These native beauties are very common in the springtime in the Pacific Northwest and can be found in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia anywhere with moist soil and lots of shade. One interesting feature of the Pacific bleeding heart is how it is spread. The one to two inch pod contains large black seeds with a bit of white fat attached to each one. Ants love this fat, and carry the seeds away. When the seed is discarded, it has a chance to grow in a new location! These were found growing in an old coniferous forest near Deep Lake in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Pacific Bleeding Hearts
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • Easily one of the coolest plants to be found in the Chihuahuan desert, and goes by a long list of common names, such as the Rose of Jericho, resurrection plant,  dinosaur plant, siempre viva, stone flower, doradilla, resurrection flower and many more. This attractive member of the spikemoss family looks almost like a lush, green fern during the rainy season in its native habitat of Northern Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, but during dry spells, it desiccates into a brown dormant ball that looks like a tumbleweed, only to rehydrate back to bright, vibrant green after it rains again. These were found in abundance after the springtime rains in West Texas' Big Bend National Park.
    Resurrection Moss
  • Close-up view of the teddybear cholla in flower. This common and impressive native cactus of the American Southwest is found Southern California, Nevada and Arizona, as well as most of Northern Mexico. Casual passing contact will not only cause immense sharp pain, but the piece of the cactus touched will detach from the main part of the plant and tag along for the ride. This evolutionary and reproductive tactic is why this cholla is often called the "jumping cholla" - it will hop a ride with anything that touches it, eventually fall to the ground and once it roots, grow a whole new cactus. This one was found growing (without touching) along the side of a dried-out arroyo in a nameless canyon in Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert in San Diego County.
    Teddybear Cholla
  • Engelmann's prickly pear is one of the most (if not the most) widespread of the prickly pear cacti. It is found in all of the American Southwestern States (except Colorado) and can even be found as far east as Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri and is widespread throughout much of Mexico. Oddly enough , it has become an invasive species in Kenya! The sweet, juicy fruits are a traditional and still very important food source wildlife an for many tribes and nations of the Native Americans and is commonly used in Latin American cuisine.
    Engelmann's Prickly Pear
  • This cactus is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus and is common from mid-to-high elevations, favoring volcanic soils. The cylindrical stem of this cactus may branch to form large colonies. Rusty-red flowers with darker purplish maroon midstripes and greenish-yellow anthers grow from the middle third of the stem and do not open very wide. Found in the United States only in Brewster County in the Big Bend area of Texas, this one was found growing below the Chisos Mountains near the Rio Grande.
    Brown-flowered Cactus
  • This cactus is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus and is common from mid-to-high elevations, favoring volcanic soils. The cylindrical stem of this cactus may branch to form large colonies. Rusty-red flowers with darker purplish maroon midstripes and greenish-yellow anthers grow from the middle third of the stem and do not open very wide. Found in the United States only in Brewster County in the Big Bend area of Texas, these were found growing below the Chisos Mountains near the Rio Grande.
    Brown-flowered Cactus
  • This cactus is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus and is common from mid-to-high elevations, favoring volcanic soils. The cylindrical stem of this cactus may branch to form large colonies. Rusty-red flowers with darker purplish maroon midstripes and greenish-yellow anthers grow from the middle third of the stem and do not open very wide. Found in the United States only in Brewster County in the Big Bend area of Texas, this one was found growing below the Chisos Mountains near the Rio Grande.
    Brown-flowered Cactus
  • This cactus is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus and is common from mid-to-high elevations, favoring volcanic soils. The cylindrical stem of this cactus may branch to form large colonies. Rusty-red flowers with darker purplish maroon midstripes and greenish-yellow anthers grow from the middle third of the stem and do not open very wide. Found in the United States only in Brewster County in the Big Bend area of Texas, these were found growing below the Chisos Mountains near the Rio Grande.
    Brown-flowered Cactus
  • The common red elderberry is found throughout most of North America, excluding the Gulf coastal plain and the states of South Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas. Not as often used as it once was in the past, elderberries are known to make fantastic jellies and wines. The very fragrant white flowers in spring attract many species of hummingbirds and butterflies. Traditionally used medicinally by Native Americas - the inner bark was sometimes used as a diuretic or as a way to induce vomiting. These were found and photographed in the North Cascades just east of Mount Baker in Washington State.
    Red Elderberry
  • The black huckleberry is considered by many to be the prize of the mountain berries. These juicy, sweet member of the blueberry family are found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean (with a few isolated locations eastward) and have been enjoyed by wildlife and humans for millennia. This official state fruit of Idaho is a particularly important food source for grizzly and black bears, and traditionally the Native Americans have been eating them in dozens of different ways: fresh, dried, smoked, crushed up in soups or mixed with salmon roe - to name a few. These huckleberries were photographed (then eaten) just below the tree line at the edge of a subalpine meadow in the North Cascades National Park, near the Canadian border in Washington State.
    Black Huckleberry
  • The zephyr lily - also known as the atamasco or rain lily, is a gorgeous springtime white native amaryllis found throughout the American Southeast. It range reaches from Maryland to Mississippi - including any state between that borders the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. They are usually found in coastal wetland areas with in or near swamps or bogs with acidic soils. This one was found growing in the Florida Panhandle just south of Tallahassee in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
    Zephyr Lily
  • The zephyr lily - also known as the atamasco or rain lily, is a gorgeous springtime white native amaryllis found throughout the American Southeast. It range reaches from Maryland to Mississippi - including any state between that borders the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. They are usually found in coastal wetland areas with in or near swamps or bogs with acidic soils. This one was found growing in the Florida Panhandle just south of Tallahassee in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
    Zephyr Lily
  • The desert cottontail (Audubon's cottontail) is a common rabbit native to the American Southwest, very similar to other cottontails around the world, but adapted to live in arid, desert-like environments. It gets all of its water from the grasses, cacti and other forbs. It is also a very important food source for the many carnivores of the desert including golden and bald eagles, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans. This one was photographed early on a summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Desert Cottontail (Audubon's Cottontail)
  • Given its somewhat similar appearance and fragrance to an orange blossom (besides the four petals vs. the orange's five) the mock-orange is the State Flower of Idaho and is native to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia and Alberta. First collected by Meriwether Lewis himself on the famous Lewis and CLark expedition to find an overland route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, it was later named after him in his honor. This one was found growing halfway up a steep arroyo above the Cowiche Creek in Yakima County, WA.
    Mock-Orange
  • Chia is a common member if the mint family found throughout much of its native range in the Southwestern United States. Very popular in today's health food trends, it has a long history of use among American Indian tribes, and was often planted alongside corn. The tiny nut-like seeds were mixed with water and herbs to make a minty beverage, they were ground and mixed with water to make a sticky poultice for wounds, and today it is often used as a treatment from diabetes. This particular plant was photographed in a washed-out arroyo in Southern California's Joshua Tree National Park.
    Chia
  • These beautifully bright red woolly Indian paintbrushes were found growing in the desert at the base of the Chiricahua Mountains in Southeastern Arizona near the Mexican border. Easily identified by the short dense hairs on the leaves and stem, this semi-parasitic native wildlflower gains supplimental nutrients from neighboring plants.
    Woolly Indian Paintbrush
  • Edible Indian plums growing in a wooded area in Southern King County in Washington, ready to eat! These small native fruits grow west of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest from British Columbia to California. Caution is recommended as in all wild edibles, as the distinct flavor in these fruits (like that in almonds) comes from high amounts of hydrogen cyanide. Best practice - consume in moderation.
    Indian Plums
  • A common western member of the lily family photographed here in Northern Oregon, this plant was historically a critical food source many groups and tribes of North American native Americans. It is documented that Lewis and Clark depended on the cooked bulbous roots of this plant for survival on their historic journey to find an overland route to the Pacific Ocean.
    Common Camas
  • The harsh paintbrush is one of those unusual plants that are found in association with particular species of other native wildflowers. Because it actually feeds on the roots of its neighbors, it is actually at least semi-parasitic.
    Harsh Paintbrush
  • The western blue flax is a widespread native member of the flax family and is found across nearly all of the western half of North America, from Mexico to the Arctic circle. This one was photographed in rural central Wyoming.
    Western Blue Flax
  • A native of the western side of the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest, Scouler's corydalis is a water-loving spring bloomer that is usually found on the western-sides of mountains where the running water flows down from the melting snow.
    Scouler's Corydalis
  • This large beautiful canna was found unexpectedly growing in the Corkscrew Swamp. It is native to Florida and often found in the Everglades.
    Golden Canna
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