Editor’s note: This is an edited excerpt from Molly Hashimoto’s new book, “Wildflowers of the West: An Artist’s Guide” (Skipstone, an imprint of Mountaineers Books, $26.95). The book, which focuses on the natural history of wildflowers along with Hashimoto’s art, is organized by habitat, and this excerpt is from her chapter titled “Alpine & Subalpine Zones.”
MUCH OF THE alpine and subalpine West lies on federal lands — in national parks, wilderness areas and national forests. The alpine zone is defined as the elevation above which no trees will grow. The subalpine is an intermediate zone between montane forests and the treeless alpine zone. Common trees of the subalpine include firs and Engelmann spruce, whitebark pine and mountain hemlock. Floral wonderlands interrupt these forests of spare-looking and picturesque trees.
In the Rockies of northern Idaho and northwestern Montana, the subalpine flora begins at about 6,000 to 6,500 feet, but in Colorado and northern Utah, at 9,000 to 10,500 feet. The subalpine zone is characterized by a very short growing season, nourished by a lot of precipitation that falls mostly as snow in winter, although rain is common in fall and spring.
In the Pacific Northwest, wildflowers in this habitat are found in the Olympic Mountains and to both the east and the west along the Cascade crest. They are notably abundant on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, at Heather Meadows near Mount Baker, at Paradise and Sunrise at Mount Rainier National Park, and at Crater Lake in Oregon.
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK has been called the most flowery place in the world. The high-elevation meadows there have no equal anywhere, as they are positioned perfectly to receive the onshore flow of Pacific storms. This is especially true at Paradise, the most luxuriant of the park’s alpine natural gardens. Located at 5,400 feet on Rainier’s south slope, Paradise lies directly in the path of most storms (which usually come from the south and southwest). Its elevation is ideal for maximum snowfall and high moisture levels throughout the year, with most of the snow and rain falling at 5,000 feet.
Paradise is typified by a Sitka valerian and showy sedge meadow, alternating with heather woodlands. These higher-altitude flowering communities occur all around the mountain, perched between rocky ridges above the deep glacial valleys.
Author Events
Molly Hashimoto has several events planned in association with her new book, “Wildflowers of the West: An Artist’s Guide.” The first is a book talk at 6 p.m. on Oct. 1, Burien Library, 400 SW 152nd St., Burien. An arts walk is planned for 2 p.m. on Oct. 4, Browsers Bookshop, 107 Capitol Way N, Olympia. A book signing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Oct. 12, Seward Park Audubon Center, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S, Seattle. And a workshop for members will be held at 9 a.m., Nov. 1, at the Seattle Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. More information is available here.
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There are flowers in bloom at all times during the summer at Rainier, beginning with avalanche lilies, followed by glacier lilies and western pasqueflowers, then lupines, monkeyflowers and asters, and concluding with gentians. Many of these are more intensely hued than in other western locations.
In “Wildflowers of Mount Rainier,” Laird Blackwell compares the colors of Lewis’ monkeyflower at Rainier to the same plant in the Sierra Nevada, writing that the Rainier flower is “brighter and more vibrant, a touch more intense.” This is because plants adapt to seasonal temperatures by displaying deeper pigmentation; in their cooler and shorter bloom periods, they must try even harder to attract pollinators. Another common high-elevation strategy is dwarfing, as are features like dish-shaped flowers and hairiness (for warmth).
Climate change is shifting the landscape at Rainier. As studies of current and historical trends have shown, Rainier’s subalpine forests of firs and hemlocks advance into the meadows in periods of warming. This gradual encroachment threatens not only the wildflowers but also their pollinators. Without sufficient nectar, adult butterflies won’t have the necessary energy to reproduce. The warmer, drier conditions created by climate change mean plants shrivel sooner. Pollinators lay eggs on leaves, but if there is nothing left for the larvae and caterpillars to eat, they won’t mature into the beautiful fritillaries, blues and swallowtails that are part of the meadow experience at Mount Rainier.
Park and citizen scientists are monitoring the health of the meadows and the butterflies, documenting changes that will then influence public policy.
SOME OF THE more spectacular species in alpine and subalpine regions are glacier and avalanche lilies, blooming right beside melting snowbanks, plus Sitka valerian, paintbrush, bistort, lupines and western pasqueflowers.
Interestingly, spring comes later to the subalpine zone than the alpine zone: Because the alpine zone is exposed to more wind and solar radiation, snow melts faster there than in the forested areas of the subalpine. In all the Western mountain ranges at alpine elevations, the soils are very thin and rocky. Grasses and sedges grow there, but the soils are not rich, due to erosion from wind, water and glaciation. Plants are forced to grow deep roots for nutrients and moisture and usually grow as small, cushion-like forms to protect themselves from the harsh winds; these tough survivors are often found in the lee of large rocks.
On a hike from forest to subalpine to alpine, you will see marvelous adaptations of species — a lush lupine in the subalpine forest might give way to a tiny dwarf version in the harsh, tundra-like conditions of the alpine zone. Other common flowers are sedum, phlox, heather and moss campion. I have not painted many of these because the flowers are very dainty, not well suited to block prints or watercolor.
As an artist, I’ve long been thrilled by one of the most wonderful aspects of subalpine flowers: their intensely saturated hues. The flowers are often also quite large, even on a small, or dwarf, plant, and many are fragrant. All of this is to ensure they’re a seductive presence for pollinating insects, as the plants are in a huge hurry to complete their seasons of growth and regeneration. Most of these flower displays occur in the summer, when daylight hours are at their peak.
A look at some of the flowers from alpine and subalpine regions:
Avalanche lily
The perennial avalanche lily is the first wildflower to bloom in high-elevation meadows in the Washington and Oregon Cascades, often in June or July, depending on altitude. The flowers appear in the melted-out areas of large snow patches, their delicate white petals in perfect harmony with the snow that surrounds them. The plant grows from 6 to 8 inches high and has shiny leaves, 4 to 8 inches long and half as wide. As the snowmelt accelerates, the lilies spangle entire meadows with their starry shapes, a scene I painted after a visit to Nisqually Vista at Mount Rainier National Park.
Glacier lily
The perennial glacier lily blooms very early as the snow melts, in June or July, depending on elevation. Look for it in high-altitude meadows throughout the West, from the Cascades into Montana. Similar in appearance to the avalanche lily, it can be distinguished by the bright yellow color of its starry petals. It grows from 6 to 12 inches tall, with shiny leaves 4 to 8 inches long and half as wide.
Surprisingly, glacier lilies grow in the Columbia River Gorge at much lower elevations, where you can find them on wooded slopes, usually near oak trees, as far east as The Dalles, Ore. In my Seattle garden, when possible, I grow nursery-bought plants that remind me of my favorite wild species, because they recall wildflower-hunting adventures and hikes over many years.
Small-flowered penstemon
The small-flowered penstemon is a widespread perennial that grows from mid to high elevations. It can be found as far north as Alaska, south into the Sierra Nevada, and east to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
Like many penstemons, it prefers rocky slopes, so it is readily found in subalpine habitats. Its species name, procerus, is a bit of a misnomer because it means “high” or “tall,” whereas this plant is short, only 2 to 12 inches tall. The flowering time depends on altitude but can occur anytime from May to August. I’ve seen it on Mount Rainier in August.
Cascade aster
Asters are very common late-summer ray-and-disk-type perennials that grow at elevations from 4,000 to 6,500 feet, in meadows and on rocky slopes in the Cascades of Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
The stems are up to 3 feet tall, and elliptical leaves with shiny upper surfaces and hairy undersides emerge from the hairy stems, all growing from a woody base. The flowers attract many pollinators, including the fritillary and the alpine blue butterfly, as I’ve observed along the trail at Sunrise in Mount Rainier National Park. On a September visit, the only flowers remaining were gentians and asters. I loved the visual drama and strong values contrast of the aster, the butterfly and the white snow of Rainier.
Alpine harsh paintbrush
The perennial harsh paintbrush, with its distinctive scarlet hues, grows at elevations from 1,000 to 5,000 feet and blooms from midspring to midsummer.
It’s common in grassy meadows and forest fringes in Washington and Oregon, both west and east of the Cascades. The stems are 8 to 24 inches tall, with small lower leaves; the upper leaves develop five to seven lobes. The bracts and some upper leaves carry the color, which can be red, orange, or even yellow, attracting pollinators and hummingbirds.
Mountain pride
This aptly named perennial penstemon, flowering in midsummer — and incidentally, John Muir’s favorite flower — grows in southernmost Oregon and in California, in the northern Coast Ranges, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada. Its preferred habitat is rocky slopes and cliffs from 2,000 to 11,500 feet.
Shrubby cinquefoil
The perennial shrubby cinquefoil, also known as Dasiphora floribunda, is common in the Western Washington Cascades as well as in Eastern Oregon. A related plant, the fan-leaf cinquefoil, grows in the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada.
This 2-to-4-foot-tall woody shrub has tiny oval leaves less than 1 inch long. One or more yellow flowers grow at the end of each twig, with five or more petals surrounding a central disk. Masses of the flowery shrubs make an impressive display at Mount Rainier National Park in late summer, although it can bloom all summer long in the lower elevations of its range — it is found from 5,000 to 11,000 feet, depending on latitude.
I painted a watercolor view of imposing Mount Rainier with cheerful cinquefoil flowering in the foreground from the Wonderland Trail near Berkeley Park. Cinquefoil is a popular garden plant, and I grow it in my backyard, where it blooms from July until frost.
Sitka valerian
The perennial Sitka valerian is a delicate midsummer wildflower found in moist subalpine meadows, usually in airy white masses that give the meadows a feeling of purity and freshness. They are happiest in wet places, and I’ve seen them in the North Cascades at Stevens Pass, in the Central Cascades and most impressively, perhaps, at Mount Rainier National Park, where they filled an entire forest opening, growing upright even though the meadow took a dizzying 45-degree descent.
The plants can grow up to 4 feet tall, with sturdy stems and leaves that are lobed or coarsely toothed. The compact flower heads are composed of many tiny flowers.
I painted a watercolor by sketching in the general shapes of the flowers, wetting the entire paper except the whites of the flowers, and then laying in various washes of green. I worked in stages, with the darker greens added last. The white flowers, seen as positive space, were defined by the negative space of green that surrounded them.
From my journal:
The meadows at Stevens Pass shelter a rich collection of wildflowers throughout the summer — a surprising and fortunate consequence of the deforestation that accompanied the development of the ski resort there. I hiked at the pass, on the Pacific Crest Trail, on an overcast day in early July just before mountain biking season got under way. There were few travelers since it was far too early for the PCT hikers, who show up in August and September after hiking northward from the Sierra and southern Cascades. Without a doubt it is a locale of compromised beauty, with the sprawling ski area and its array of chairs, bull wheels, poles and cables; who wants a selfie in front of a disused ski area in summertime?
In any other year I would have postponed the outing, thinking that without sun there would be few pollinators, colors might be subdued, I could be cold and the gloom could be overwhelming, as it often is high in the mountains with fog wreathing dark hemlocks and gray talus slopes. But because of family illness it had been months since I’d gone up to the mountains, and I missed them sorely. Also, prime summer hiking season has been shortened lately by wildfire season, which now might begin in June and last through September. I told myself it’s now or never.
In the open forest just above the parking lot, Sitka valerian was blooming, with its tall stalks and airy sprays, and as the way opened to full light, there were luxurious drifts of them everywhere on each side of the trail. Just around the corner on open, sunbathed slopes, hundreds of lupine grew in startling diagonals. Next, I saw mountain asters, and then a small collection of columbine, beloved flower of hummingbirds. I photographed one bloom that was dramatically staged with a backdrop of white granite. Somehow everything was even more beautiful in the soft gray light, all of it a joyful reclaiming of everything that I have loved most in my life.
Western pasqueflower
At Mount Rainier National Park, the perennial western pasqueflower, also known as the western anemone, appears from early June through autumn in all stages of growth.
You might see the pristine 1-to-2-inch white flowers near a recently melted patch of snow in a shaded area, or perhaps you’ll encounter an entire sunny meadow that melted out quite early brimming with the curious seed heads, which follow the briefly blooming flowers and can last up to two months. The seeds are attached to countless silky filaments that look like hair. As the plant ages further, the filaments fly away with the seeds attached, so it’s no wonder meadows are full of them.
Just outside the Sunrise Visitor Center, on the northeast side of the park, there is a display of wildflowers with signs identifying them. The pasqueflower seed head is probably the most striking of all. I first noticed the display many years ago on a brief stop at the center after a hike. That small but meaningful National Park Service education encouraged me (and, no doubt, many others) to begin recording, photographing and painting all the flowering marvels I saw on my hikes and adventures.
Explorer’s gentian
This perennial, also known as bog gentian, is one of the most beautiful plants of the wet alpine habitat and is more deeply appreciated because it is a late flower, seen in early autumn. The plant is 8 to 20 inches tall, sometimes growing prostrate, with round or egg-shaped green leaves. The elegant blooms, deep blue in color, face upward in the form of bells.
On a September day in Mount Rainier National Park, I encountered the most spectacular group of gentians I’ve ever seen, growing very close to the lower Sluiskin Falls of the Paradise River. The gentians were thriving in that moist location, creating a luxurious splash of blue-violet, a color like the zenith of Rainier’s sky. I created both a block print and a pen and watercolor sketch of the gentians.
Molly Hashimoto is dedicated to connecting people with nature through hands-on art experiences. She teaches aspiring artists and has led plein-air art workshops throughout the West. She has authored several books, including “Birds of the West” and “Trees of the West.” More information: mollyhashimoto.com.
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