Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Canada's British Columbia is absolutely beautiful in wintertime. This view of the Illecillewaet River looking eastward towards the incredible rocky peaks of Rogers Pass was taken on a bitterly cold January morning, just north of Revelstoke, BC.
    Illecillewaet River and the Mountain..Pass
  • The eastern part of the Cascades mountains in Washington state couldn't be more different from the western side. Instead of wet, green and cloudy slopes, there are dry, columnar igneous rock structures, desert scrub plants and big skies!
    Basalt Cliffs at White Pass
  • The thatched barnacle is common barnacle found along the Northern Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, but is most common on the rocky shores of Washington state and Oregon. It is easy to identify by the interesting vertical ribbing on the six wall plates that form its shell. This one was found at low tide on a rocky outcrop in Washington's Deception Pass.
    ThatchedBarnacle2020-1.jpg
  • 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)
  • 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 red-flowering currant is a beautiful red to pink (based on location) deciduous shrub native to the Pacific Northwest. This one was photographed in the late spring in a forest in Steven's Pass, Washington.
    Red-flowering Currant
  • The thatched barnacle is common barnacle found along the Northern Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, but is most common on the rocky shores of Washington state and Oregon. It is easy to identify by the interesting vertical ribbing on the six wall plates that form its shell. This one was found at low tide on a rocky outcrop in Washington's Deception Pass.
    ThatchedBarnacle2020-2.jpg
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • A rare yellow color-form of the typically red to orange Indian paintbrush growing on the roadside on the western side of Washington's Stevens Pass, just east of Seattle.
    Yellow Harsh Paintbrush
  • This group of yellow stream violets are blooming near the edge of Gold Creek Pond with common horsetails in late spring at the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass.
    Stream Violet
  • A close-up of a western trillium at the top of Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains in Washington.
    Western Trillium
  • One of the most vivid and striking autumn trees in the Pacific Northwest is the vine maple. The image was made at the top of Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains.
    Vine Maple in Autumn Blaze
  • The tiny western heart-leaved twayblade (Neottia cordata var. nephrophylla) growing beside an alpine lake in Stevens Pass, Washington. I found this one by accident as I was lying on the ground photographing another  orchid when I noticed this one in full flower between my elbows as I was shooting!
    Western Heart-leaved Twayblade (Neot..lla)
  • The Cascades frog is a high altitude-loving frog found in both theCascade and Olympic mountains of the Pacific Northwest. This one was seen in August in Washington's Stevens Pass near the edge of a beautiful and remote subalpine mountain lake.
    Cascades Frog
  • One of many of the wondrous sub-alpine wildflowers found in the Pacific Northwest, this Colombian lily (also known as the small-flowered tiger lily) was found growing high up in the Cascade Mountains in Steven's Pass near the tree line on a cool August day.
    Columbia Lily
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • Humpback Creek on a beautiful sunny and snowy winter day near the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass east of Seattle on the Annette Lake Trail.
    Humpback Creek
  • 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
  • New vine maples leaves in the soft afternoon sunlight at the top of the Cascade Mountains in Washington's Snoqualmie Pass.
    Vine Maple Leaves
  • New vine maples leaves in the late afternoon sunlight at the top of the Cascade Mountains in Washington's Snoqualmie Pass.
    Vine Maple Leaves
  • 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
  • The copperbush is a somewhat uncommon shrub found in the subalpine wet/damp forests in the mountains of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. Often associated with bogs, this rather unremarkable shrub has beautiful coppery bark and pale flowers. This one was blooming next to Lake Elizabeth at the top of Washington's Stevens Pass.
    Copperbush
  • Ice is forming around the edges of Gold Creek Pond at the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains. A full size print is sized at 5.2 feet x 2.2 feet (1.58m x 0.68m) and was created from two images. The final image can be enlarged significantly with little to no distortion up to 800%.
    Gold Creek Pond with First Ice
  • Spectacular view of the trees acrtoss Gold Creek Pond at the top of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington's Cascade Mountains during a snow flurry. A full size this print is sized at 8.68 feet x 3.7 feet (2.65m x 1.13m) and was created from two images.
    Across the Alpine Lake Panorama
  • A rare male subarctic bluet rests on the shore of Lake Elizabeth in the Cascades Mountains in Washington's Steven's Pass. Found most often in Alaska, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and most of the rest of Northern Canada, these beautiful members of the damselfly family occasionally are found in the extreme northern contiguous United States.
    Male Subarctic Bluet
  • This beautiful and impressively large (up to 4'-6' tall) naturalized European plant has taken hold in the Pacific Northwest and is now considered naturalized. This one was photographed<br />
 in Steven's Pass in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
    Foxglove
  • The common horsetail is found in every province of Canada and every state of the continental United States except for the states of Florida and Louisiana. Pushing this amazing range of terrain, habitat and geography, these brown fertile, spore-bearing male shoots are surrounded by the new growth of their female counterparts. Photographed at the edge of Gold Creek Pond at the top of Washington's Snoqualmie Pass.
    Common Horsetail
  • A salmonberry blooms in early June at the top of the Cascade Mountains in Washington's Snoqualmie Pass, while at lower elevations near the Pugeet Sound the flowers are long gone and the bright orange salmonberries are being eaten by animals and people alike!
    Salmonberry
  • One of my favorite trees to photograph at high elevations in the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest in the fall, the vine maple in the springtime is equally gorgeous with new leaves and flowers. This one was photographed by Gold Creek Pond high atop Washington's Snoqualmie pass on a late June afternoon.
    Vine Maple Flowers
  • 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
  • A group of a western trilliums at the top of Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains in Washginton.
    Western Trillium
  • After photographing this beautiful alpine lake at the top of Snoqualmie Pass from all directions on a very cloudy day, the sky opened up as I was getting ready to pack up and leave. This is truly one of the most beautiful lakes I've seen so far in the mountains. There were trout swimming in the water and a bald eagle screaming somewhere in the distance.
    Gold Creek Pond
  • This small brown mushroom found growing mid-summer in the subalpine regions of Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains has been listed as very dangerous if not fatal.
    Deadly Cort
  • Two color versions of the western coralroot orchid growing high in the mountains of Stevens Pass near where the dense forest meets the edge of a clear blue subalpine lake. To the left is the typical fuchsia-purple coloring, and to the right is the paler version (forma pallida). I found it unusual to see these growing together like this, but in my first summer in Washington, I plan to expect the unexpected!
    Western Coralroot (Corallorhiza mert..ana)
  • The northwestern twayblade growing in the Cascades Mountains in Stevens Pass. This tiny orchid was discovered by accident while photographing another orchid. I found it right between my elbows as I was lying prone on the ground!
    Northwestern Twayblade (Neottia bank..ana)
  • A striking red columbine flower in crisp detail found in Washington's Cascade Mountains in Stevens Pass.
    Red Columbine
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, 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. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, 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. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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 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
  • 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)
  • 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 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 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
  • This mountain forest-loving red-flowering currant may not produce the edible currants many of us love to eat, but these flowers will certainly draw many spring hummingbirds! Color varies from bright red to pale pink.
    Red-flowering Currant
  • A large elk bull patrols his harem of does on a cold wintery desert day on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State near Cowiche Canyon.
    Dominant Bull Elk
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-4
  • The striped coralroot is a very strikingly beautiful terrestrial orchid found in wooded habitats across most of Northern North America including most of the western states (except Arizona and Nevada) and almost all of Canada (except most of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick). This species is very easy to identify because of the very clear and visible stripes on the petals and sepals. This wild native orchid is known as a myco-heterotroph, meaning it doesn't need chlorophyll to produce it's own food, but instead gains nutrients from either a mutual symbiotic relationship with certain fungi in the soil or by just from parasitism: stealing the nutrients it needs from it's host fungi. These were part of a large colony found in a clump of conifers in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza stri..a)-4
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-5
  • The striped coralroot is a very strikingly beautiful terrestrial orchid found in wooded habitats across most of Northern North America including most of the western states (except Arizona and Nevada) and almost all of Canada (except most of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick). This species is very easy to identify because of the very clear and visible stripes on the petals and sepals. This wild native orchid is known as a myco-heterotroph, meaning it doesn't need chlorophyll to produce it's own food, but instead gains nutrients from either a mutual symbiotic relationship with certain fungi in the soil or by just from parasitism: stealing the nutrients it needs from it's host fungi. These were part of a large colony found in a clump of conifers in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza stri..a)-3
  • The striped coralroot is a very strikingly beautiful terrestrial orchid found in wooded habitats across most of Northern North America including most of the western states (except Arizona and Nevada) and almost all of Canada (except most of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick). This species is very easy to identify because of the very clear and visible stripes on the petals and sepals. This wild native orchid is known as a myco-heterotroph, meaning it doesn't need chlorophyll to produce it's own food, but instead gains nutrients from either a mutual symbiotic relationship with certain fungi in the soil or by just from parasitism: stealing the nutrients it needs from it's host fungi. These were part of a large colony found in a clump of conifers in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza stri..a)-2
  • The striped coralroot is a very strikingly beautiful terrestrial orchid found in wooded habitats across most of Northern North America including most of the western states (except Arizona and Nevada) and almost all of Canada (except most of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick). This species is very easy to identify because of the very clear and visible stripes on the petals and sepals. This wild native orchid is known as a myco-heterotroph, meaning it doesn't need chlorophyll to produce it's own food, but instead gains nutrients from either a mutual symbiotic relationship with certain fungi in the soil or by just from parasitism: stealing the nutrients it needs from it's host fungi. These were part of a large colony found in a clump of conifers in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza stri..a)-1
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-3
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-1
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-2
  • A brilliantly yellow stream violet pokes it's head out from the frond of a western sword fern on a rare sunny spring day in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Stream Violet
  • Almost anywhere you look in the Pacific Northwest's wild places in spring and summer you will usually find violets. These yellow stream violets were growing alongside a trail next to Deep Lake near Enumclaw, Washington.
    Stream Violets
  • Late springtime in the Cascade Mountains means new growth and a flurry of activity as winter finally recedes. This western hemlock is putting out not only new growth with new needles, bit small cones will soon follow to produce further generations of this majestic tree.
    Western Hemlock
  • A herd of Rocky Mountain elk rest in the sagebrush desert on a sunny winter day east of Mount Rainier near the Tieton River in  Washington State. The large antlered bull stands guard as his harem of females relax and get some rest.
    Rocky Mountain Elk - Bull and Harem
  • The elephant's head is a very interesting native lousewort found in all of the western continental United States, all of Canada including the Maritimes provinces, and Greenland. The flowers are shaped just like an pinkish-purple elephant's head including trunk and ears, and just like  other louseworts - it is a parasite that gets its nutrients from the roots of neighboring plants. Because of this, it has no green parts or chlorophyll, and doesn't require photosynthesis. This one was photographed high in the Cascade Mountains about fifty miles northeast of Seattle.
    Elephant's Head
  • 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 tubular flowers of the foxglove. Pollinated by bees, the busy worker bees travel from flower to flower and climb up into these tubes for the pollen, while at the same time fertilizing the next generation of foxgloves.
    Foxglove
  • Probably the tallest of all of the wildflowers in the Pacific Northwest, the imported foxglove is also poisonous/toxic to humans and some animals. It is currently being used to create medications for heart problems.
    Foxglove
  • Sheep sorrel is a very widespread invasive member of the buckwheat family that originated from the Mediterranean region of Eurasia. Found in every state of the US and in every province of Canada, it is usually found in disturbed areas from the coastline to the sub-alpine elevations of mountain ranges across North America.
    Sheep Sorrel
  • Close up of the male stalks of the common horsetail. Widespread across almost all of North America, these unusual plants reproduce by spores - much like that of ferns and mosses.
    Common Horsetail
  • This unlikely member of the lily family is easily overlooked. Tiny white flowers, low growth, and most often-unnoticed as green forest carpeting, this extremely adaptable water-loving perennial can be found all over Canada, and almost all over the United States except for Texas and the Southeastern states.
    Star Solomon's Seal
  • The salmonberry is of the most common berries to be found in the PNW, and also a historically important food source for the original natives of the area. From the lowest elevations to nearly the sub-alpine meadows of the Cascade Mountains, these commonly encountered and beautifully vibrant wildflowers are found everywhere in the springtime and summer.
    Salmonberry
  • Of all of the wild violets growing in the Cascade Mountains, the stream violet is by far the most common. This huge group of violets growing on the edge of Gold Creek Pond were competing for space with another huge patch of wild mountain strawberries.
    Stream Violet
  • Close-up of the delicate flowers of the western coralroot orchid, a very common late-spring and early-summer terrestrial orchid found in many of the damp coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest.
    Western Coralroot (Corallorhiza mert..ana)
  • A beautifully patterned garter snake emerges from Lake Elizabeth in the Cascades Mountains of Washington State.
    Cascades Garter Snake
  • Close-up of the tiny flowers of the northwestern twayblade orchid growing in a forest in the Cascades Mountains of Washington State.
    Northwestern Twayblade (Neottia bank..ana)
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