Lithophragma parviflora Characteristics more characteristics even more lots of them Interesting fact #l fact #2 Characteristics Interesting Facts Prairie Star

Idahos Native Flowers Alicia Gfeller May 26, 2000

Table of Contents Starflower Trillium False Solomonsonseal Common Camas Western Serviceberry Dogtooth Violet –Idaho variety Yellowbell Violet (Blue) Missionbells Spring Beauty Sticky Geranium Grass Widow Prairie Smoke Alpine Shooting Star Dwarf Waterleaf Mountain Bluebell Clematis Kinnikinnick Fairy-slipper Sagebrush Buttercup Spring Whitlowgrass

Lithophragma parviflorum Characteristics: Leaves: ½-1 ¼ wide, roundish, deeply cleft into 3-5 sections, less deeply divided into narrow lobes. Stems: slender, brown, height to 20 Color: white or pale pink Habitat: prairies, among sagebrush, and open forests at lower elevations. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months March to June. Those species of this flower that grow in the woods are called Woodland Star. Starflower

Trillium ovatum Characteristics: Leaves: 2-8 wide, petals in 3s, ovate, pink or reddish with age. Stems: height of 4-16, leafless, short stalk Color: white Habitat: along stream banks and on the floor of open or deep woods, from low to height elevations Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months February to June. This plant is also called a Western Wake Robin. Trillium

Smilacina racemosa Characteristics: Leaves: 2 ½-8 long, ovate, clasping stems at base Stems: height of 1-3,non- branching, long, thin, leafy stem, tipped with a branched dense cluster of many tiny white flowers Color: white to ivory Habitat: moist woods from near sea level to moderate mountain elevations. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months March to July. The plant produces red berries. False Solomonsonseal

Camassia quamash Characteristics: Leaves: up to 2 long, narrow, grass-like near base Stems: height of Color: light to deep blue-violet Habitat: moist meadows Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months April to June. These flowers are known to color an entire meadow blue- violet. Common Camas

Amelanchier alnifolia Characteristics: Leaves: ¾-1 ½ long oval, teeth on edges, hairless or sparsely- haired when cold Stems: height of 4-30 Color: white Habitat: slopes, canyons, open coniferous woods, form low to high elevations. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months April to July. The plant produces a purplish, juicy fruit. Western Serviceberry

Erythronium grandiflorum Characteristics: Leaves: 4-8 long, gradually tapered to a broad stalk Stems: height of 6-12 Color: pale to golden yellow flowers Habitat: sagebrush slopes and mountain forest openings, often near melting snow. Interesting Facts : Root can be boiled or dried for winter storage. The bulbs, leaves, and seedpods are edible. Dogtooth Violet

Erythronium idahoense

Fritillaria pudica Characteristics: Leaves: 2-8 long, 2 or several borne near the middle of stem Stems: height of 4-12 Color: yellow Habitat: grasslands, among sagebrush, and in open coniferous woods. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months March to June. The narrow yellow bell becomes rusty red with age. Yellowbell

Viola adunca Characteristics: Leaves: blades are ½-1 ¼ long on stalks, dark green, thick, ovate or heart shaped, tufts at base, scalloped on edges. Stems: height of up to 4 Color: bluish to violet Habitat: meadows, open woods, open slopes, from sea level to timberline Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months April to August. These flowers are described as shrinking because of the the way the flowers fold in. Violet (Blue)

Fritillaria lanceolata Characteristics: Leaves: 1 ½-6 long, lanceolate Stems: height of 1-4, stems erect, leafy in upper part, leafless below Color: greenish brown Habitat: grassy areas and slopes or in open woods. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months February to June. Its name fritillus means dice box, which is Latin. Missionbell

Claytonia lanceolata Characteristics: Leaves: ½-3 ½ long, narrow, lanceolate, 1 or 2 narrow leaves near stem Stems: height of 2-10 Color: white to pinkish Habitat: moist ground, near snow banks of foothills and mountains. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months April to July. Part of the plant is edible, when it is cooked, it tastes like a potato. Spring Beauty

Geranium viscosissimum Characteristics: Leaves: 1 ½-5 wide, palmately cleft and deeply divided into 5-7 segments with sharp teeth on ends and edges Stems: height of 1-3, several leaves on long stalks near base Color: pink-lavender, purplish petals Habitat: open woods and meadows from lowlands to well into the mountains Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months May to August. The fruit is slender with 5 lobes at the base. Sticky Geranium

Sisyrinchium inflatum Olysinium? Characteristics: Leaves: 4 long, lower half sheathing stem, sword like Stems: height 4-12 Color: reddish-lavender or purple Habitat: grassy areas in sagebrush and open woods Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months March to June. The flowers are in loose coils. Grass Widow

Geum triflorum Characteristics: Leaves: 1 ¼-6 long, pinnately compounded, jaggedly toothed blades. Stems: height up to 16, branched stalk above thick clumps of basal leaves Color: pink to reddish-pink, sometimes yellowish Habitat: sagebrush plains to mountain ridges and meadows. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months April to August. The fruit on the plant is in reddish plumes 2 long. Prairie Smoke

Dodecatheon alpinum Characteristics: Leaves: 1 ¼-4 long, narrow, less than ½ wide Stems: height of 4-12, smooth stalk growing from a basal rosette Color: Yellow base, dark purple stamens, pink-purple petals Habitat: mountain meadows along mountain streams Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months June to July. There are about 10 western species with reddish-lavender corollas. Alpine Shooting Star

Hydrophyllum capitatum Characteristics: Leaves: 4 wide and 6 long, triangular, divided into 7-11 segments, 2-3 large teeth on ends, but not on edges Stems: height of 4-6, long stalks with some leaves attached Color: white to pale purple Habitat: brushy areas and wide open woods Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months March to July. This plant was cooked for greens by Indians and settlers. Dwarf Waterleaf

Mertensia ciliata Characteristics: Leaves: 1 ¼-6 long, tapered at base, the lower leaves on long petioles Stems: height of 6-60, leafy stem Color: blue, pink with age Habitat: stream banks, seeps, and wet meadows. Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months May to August The fruit is divided into 4 small wrinkled segments. Mountain Bluebell

Clematis columbiana Characteristics: Leaves: 1/2-1 1/4 long, from lanceolate to highly divided Stems: about 2 high (creeper), numerous sprawling stems Color: cream, white, pink, lavender, blue Habitat: shifting, rocky, high mountain slopes Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months June to August. Debilis means weak, which refers to the sprawling stems. Clematis

Arctostaphlos uva-ursi Characteristics: Leaves: ¼-1 ½ long, oblong, widest near blunt tips, leathery dark green leaves Stems: height of 6, red-brown, woody, trailing Color: pink Habitat: open places near coast or high in mountains Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months March to June. Kinnikinnick has many medical uses including the alleged control of STDs. Kinnikinnick

Calypso bulbosa Characteristics: Leaves: 1 ¼-2 ½ long, shallowly plaited, tapered to purple stalk Stems: height up to 8, erect, reddish flower stalk that grows above one basal leaf Color: pink-reddish pink Habitat: thick duff and mossy ground in woods Interesting Facts : The flowering season includes the months March to June. The plant is named after the sea nymph Calypso of Homers Odyssey. Fairy-slipper

Ranunculus glaberrimus Characteristics: Leaves: ½-2 long, rather fleshy, blades varying from elliptical to nearly round, lobes at end, leaves at base Stems: height of 2-8 Color: shiny yellow Habitat: mostly among sagebrush and in open pine woods Interesting Facts: The flowering season includes the months March to June. Buttercups are to some degree poisonous. Sagebrush Buttercup

Draba verna Characteristics: Leaves: basal, ovate Stems: long, unbranched Color: white or yellow Habitat: grassy plains to sagebrush desert and lower mountains Interesting facts: Bears leaf-like oval seed pods. Grows in urban environments very well