Wildflowers of the Crowsnest Pass

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) - WILDFLOWER is a North American perennial herb that flowers from April to July. It is an early bloomer attracting many insects and birds with its aromatic smells. The stems are 20-70 cm tall, the leaves are large and triangular 10-30 cm long. The flower is yellow and are borne singly on long stalks.

You can find these flowers from the foothills to montane in dry, stony, or open wooded areas.  The common name “balsamroot” refers to the sticky substance the root exudes. 

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata) - WILDFLOWER stands out with its bright yellow petals that turn purplish-red towards the center. Blanket flowers are found throughout the Rocky Mountains and in the prairies up to Edmonton. This plant flowers from June to early August and can be easily grown from seed or division of the root stocks. The Blanket Flower prefers dry sites in grasslands and open coniferous forests. This plant was used to treat stomach disorders as well as nose and eye infections. Several species of Gaillardia are sold under the common name “Blanket Flower” though this species is native to Alberta.

Glacier Lily (Erythronium grandiflorum) - WILDFLOWER is a perennial herb that flowers from April to August. The nodding flowers are yellow in colour and curl backwards, ‘opening up’ during the day and uncurl at night. The stems are 10-40 cm tall, leafless, unbranched and they tend to grow in large patches in moist, open montane to subalpine slopes.

Can be confused with Yellowbells which also starts flowering in April (Fritillaria pudica). Both species are native to North America and belong to the Lily family. 

Low Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens) berries can be made into jams, jellies, and wine while the roots can be used to make a yellow dye. Another name for this deciduous shrub is Creeping Mahonia. It is only found in the southwest corner of Alberta and typically only flowers in the month of June. Low Oregon Grape grows in open forest areas, trailing 10-30 cm long. Before producing blue berries that are bitter in taste, it has yellow flowers that are 4-8 mm across. The leaves can be easily identified with their leathery texture, alternate arrangement, and oblong shape. The leaves colours are green in spring and summer months before turning reddish purple in the fall.

Mountain Goldenrod (Solidago simplex) flowers from July to September. It stands out in the foliage with its golden yellow flowers that grow on erect stems 10-40 cm tall that have a few scattered hairs. A couple similar species are Alpine Goldenrod which can be distinguished by the amount of ray florets and disc florets as well as Canada Goldenrod which have densely haired stems below the flower cluster. These flowers grow in prairie grasslands, open forests, and on rocky mountain slopes!

Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) is native to all of Canada and should not to be confused with prohibited noxious weed, Sulphur Cinquefoil. Shrubby Cinquefoil is a profusely branched, deciduous shrub that flowers from June to August. It can be erect to spreading from 30-150 cm tall. It has shredding brown bark with alternate leaf arrangement. It can grow in a wide variety of habitats ranging from wet to dry, grassy to rocky, and from the plains to subalpine. It is found throughout the Rocky Mountains, southern Alberta and northern Alberta. If you are having soil erosion issues, this shrub is a great solution!

Low Larkspur (Delphinium Bicolor) flowers from May to July. Low Larkspur or Little Larkspur is native to northwestern North America and can be found from foothills to mountain forests in dry grasslands and open woodlands. The irregular flowers have indigo to purple petals that stand out against the grasses. These plants are 20-50 cm tall, unbranched, have thick, fibrous roots and are hairy near the top. A similar species called Mountain Larkspur (Delphinium Nuttallianum) can be distinguished by its notched petals. Mountain Larkspur can be found on dry slopes in the southern portion of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. All members of the Larkspur genus are known to be POISONOUS TO LIVESTOCK, DOGS, AND HORSES. Cattle find it palatable, so they are often poisoned from early spring growth.

Bearberry/Kinnikinnick (Arctostapylos uva-ursi) is a shrub that flowers from May to July and has pinkish-white, nodding, urn-shaped flowers that tend to grow in clusters of 3-10. This shrub has evergreen leaves 15-20 mm in length and are 6-12mm wide. This species name means grape (uva) of the bear (ursi). The fruits are dry and tasteless, drupe berry-like, bright red in colour and 6-10 mm across. These berries often remain on the stem until the following summer. This plant is found throughout most of Alberta and prefers to grow in dry forests or sandhills. The leaves have been used to tan hides of animals and the leaves are high in tannins. A similar species is the Alpine Bearberry whose fruit is also 6-10 mm across, however the leaves are only 2-4 cm long.

Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) was used for thousands of years to treat a number of different ailments. It was harvested for medicinal purposes as well as a fumigant and insecticide. You can identify this flower by its erect stems, broad, flattened heads of clustered white flowers, and feather-like leaves arranged alternately along the stem. It grows 10-80 cm tall in prairie grasslands, roadsides, and open forests and is a great addition to your garden. Different colour varieties are usually available for purchase.

Death Camas (Zigadensus venenosus) as the name implies is EXTREMELY POISONOUS! It prefers dry prairies and hillsides, growing 20-50 cm tall. The leaves are grass-like, pale green, and v-shaped in cross section. The flowers appear from May to July and are creamy white in colour, 5-12 mm across, have 3 sepals, and 6 pistils. Ingestion of this plant could mean severe illness and possible death for humans and livestock.

Holboell’s Rockcress (Arabis holboellii) can be a biennial or perennial herb that flowers from April to August, growing up to 100 cm tall. The stems are erect and stout and covered in short hairs. The basal leaves have pointed tips, are hairy on the underside and clasping to the stem. The flower petals are typically white but can be pinkish-purple pointing downward. It prefers to grow in dry, rocky areas from the plains to subalpine. Most Holboell’s rockcress resemble the photo on the right, lower in flower density and thinner stem.

Mariposa Lily (Calochortus apiculatus) are very special to the Crowsnest Pass as they are only found in a small area of the southwest corner of Alberta. They grow on dry slopes and hillsides and flowers bloom from June to July. The flowers are yellowish-white and occasionally have purple close to the center of the flower.  They have 3 petals and 3 sepals and have grass-like stems growing up to 30 cm tall with an onion-like bulb. Though these bulbs are edible, it is best to leave it in the ground and allow them to continue to grow and spread their seeds.

Mouse-ear chickweed or Field Chickweed (Cerastium arvense) has white flowers from April to August, the petals are deeply notched and are longer than the sepals. The hairy stems are sticky and when the nodes touch soil they can produce roots which helps differentiate it from Common chickweed. Mouse-ear chickweed grows in dry, open plains and hillsides. The stems are 10-30 cm tall, erect to ascending, hairy and branched. The leaves are opposite, 1-4 cm long and the upper surface is often hairy.

This plant is often fed to goslings, chickens and caged birds when ill.  

Pink Pussytoes (Antennaria rosea) is a low-growing plant that produces flowers from June to August. The flowers have white disc florets and pink bracts. The name rosea is referring to the colour of the pink bracts. It is generally 15-50 cm tall, has woolly white hairs and alternate arrangement of leaves on the stem. It prefers to grow in open areas especially grasslands and is mat forming. If you are a gardener looking for ground cover or a great option for rock gardens, Pink pussytoes are a hardy perennial and won’t disappoint!

Star-Flowered Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum stellatum) flowers from May to July. Similar in resemblance to wildflower False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) which flowers from June to July. The Star-Flowered Solomon’s Seal has erect stems, slightly arching and grows about 15-60 cm tall. It has slender, creeping rhizomes which helps it reproduce, so you will find multiple specimens in one area. It prefers moist environments, although can tolerate dry areas, and likes shaded to open sites from the foothills to the subalpine.

Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) flowers all summer long from May to October in open woodlands from the foothills to montane regions. This plant is a member of the rose family! It’s flowering stems can reach up to 25 cm tall and has runners called stolons, that produce new plants at the nodes. The flower has 5 white petals and the leaves are in sets of 3; leaflets are oblong to oval and stalkless. The Woodland strawberry mostly grows in northern Alberta but can also be found here in the Crowsnest Pass and surrounding districts.

Dotted Blazingstar (Liatris punctata) flowers late in the summer months from August to September. This is a great plant for birds, bees, and insects later in the year. It forms clumps, spreads by seed and grows on a hairless, woody stem that is 20-60 cm tall in dry meadows and rocky hillsides. The flowers are arranged in a dense, spike-like cluster with 4-6 disc florets that are pink-purplish in colour. The species name ‘punctata’, which is given to the plant because of the ‘dotted’ surface of the leaves.

Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) is a perennial herb native to North America that likes to grow in open areas ranging from moist to dry. It has very slender stems that grow 10-50 cm tall, arching at the tip giving the plant nodding, pinkish-white flowers from June to August. This plant is a great resource of food for ground squirrels and can be used to aid digestive issues and add flavour to your choice of meat!

Perennial Lupine (Lupinus Sericeus) flowers from May to July. It is native to North America but when consumed in large quantities, it can be poisonous to humans and animals. The perennial lupine grows in grasslands and open woods. It can be easy to pick out when in bloom with its purplish-blue flowers. The species name, Sericeus, refers to the ‘silky’ hairs found on the upper and lower side of the leaves, the back of the top petal, and the fruit, which is covered with white hairs. A similar species called Silvery lupine (Lupinus Argenteus), does not have hairs on the back of the top petal.

Prairie Crocus (Pulsastilla patens) - WILDFLOWER is a perennial herb native to Alberta that flowers from April to June. Another common name for this flower is Pasque-flower. It has pale blue to light purple petals, sometimes they can even be white, with silky hairs found all over the plant. As the flowers and fruit appear, it becomes elongated growing from 8- 40 cm tall. It grows in clusters and spreads by seed in dry open areas such as sand dunes, pine forests, and prairie grasslands.

In the Crowsnest Pass, seeing the Prairie crocus is a sign that spring is here, as it is one of the first flowers to appear on south to east facing slopes. This plant has also been called the “ears of the earth” due to its ability bloom through the snow, listening for the approach of summer. It can be found through most of Alberta all the way up to the border of Northwest Territories. 

You can also find it’s similar species, Chalice-flower (Pulsatilla occidentalis) which has white petals, becomes woolly while in flower, but during maturity is nearly hairless. The species name occidentalis means western, as it is found on the western side of Alberta, throughout the Rockies. 

Shooting Star (Dodecatheon Pulchellum) tends to stand out with its bright magenta flowers from May to August. You will find them in moist to wet meadows, from the plains to alpine of Alberta. It is generally 10-20 cm tall and is hairless. The petals can range from a magenta to white, but is often purplish-pink with yellow colouring at the base. It has 5 petals and sepals with maroon pollen sacs and filaments. A similar species called Saline Shootingstar (Dodecatheon Pulchellum) can also be found here in the Crowsnest Pass but tends to have a short flowering period from late June to early July and grows up to 50 cm tall.

Showy Aster (Eurybia conspicua) flowers from August to September and prefers open forests or edges of shrubs and thick grasses. Aster is a genus of perennial plants and the name, aster, comes from an ancient Greek word meaning star.  You can identify these flowers with their purplish- pink colour, erect stems and height as they can grow up to 100 cm tall! There are many species that can be confused with Showy Asters if you are just looking at the flowerheads, but Showy asters can be differentiated by their height, rough-haired stems, stout rootstocks, flat-top flower clusters, and their habitats. The disc florets are yellowish-brown with ray florets pale purple to pink. The bracts are green and papery with pointed tips covered in sticky hairs. Large Northern Aster (Canadanthus modestus) tends to grow in wet meadows and bogs.

Smooth Blue Beardtounge (Penstemon nitidus) is a perennial herb that can be found growing in southern Alberta in dry, rocky open areas and grasslands. It’s funnel shaped flowers are blue to purple in colour. The leaves are opposite arrangement, stalkless and somewhat waxy (similar to how tulip leaves feel) with smooth margins. This perennial flowers from May to July and can grow in clusters or in single plants. These flowers make great garden additions with their ability to attract songbirds, bees, and hummingbirds!

Sticky Purple Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum) is a perennial herb that flowers from June to July. These flowers reflect UV light which the bees love! In the fall these leaves turn bright red adding some colour to the autumn foliage. These beautiful and eye-catching flowers grow in open grasslands in the montane to subalpine regions in the southern Rocky Mountains and an isolated area on the border of Saskatchewan in southern Alberta. Viscosissimum translates to sticky, or viscous, referring to the sticky hairs that cover this plant.

Wild Rose or Prickly Rose (Rosa acicularis) is Alberta’s provincial flower and blooms from June to August and has straight thorns, reddish brown bark, and pink flowers with yellow centers. This shrub grows up to 2.5 m tall on the edge of woodlands, pastures, and roadsides. The Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana) can also be found in the Rocky Mountains but has globe-shaped fruit compared to the Prickly Rose, which has pear-shaped hips. Similar to other roses, the flower is quite fragrant. It has 5 pink petals, and 5 sepals with alternate, pinnately compound leaves.

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is also known as horsemint and  belongs to the mint family. Growing 30-70 cm tall, it can found be found in fields, open woods, and prairie grasslands. Wild Bergamot flowers from July to September and can vary in colour from pink to purple. The leaves have opposite arrangement, short stalks and are oval to triangular with grey hairs. This plant was used as an aromatic tea to treat a variety of ailments and the dried leaves and flowers make a great perfume!