Rose – Swanson Nature Hike
We drove to the North Okanogan and along backroads into the hills to hike the Rose – Swanson Trails above and to the west of Armstrong. The trails on the north side of the hill had less flowering plants and only a few species. The open slopes on the south side had more wildflowers and flowering shrubs to enjoy. We stopped to photograph and enjoy them in the forest, open spots, and on the bluffs just off the sides of the trails:
- Purple clematis (Clematis occidentalis)
- Hooker’s fairybells (Prosasartes hookeri)
- Chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis)
- Shrubby penstemon (Penstemon fruticosas)
- Meadow deathcamas (Toxicoscordion Venosum)
- Mountain ash (Sorbus sp.)
- Wormleaf stonecrop (Sedum stenopetalum)
- Douglas maple (Acer glabrum)
- Darkling beetle (Coelocnemis dilaticollis)
- Hooker’s pussytoes (Antennaria racemosa)
- False solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum)
- Harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida)
- Heart-leaved arnica (Arnica cordifolia)
All photos taken by the author, along the trail. Click an image fora lightbox (larger) view and a caption/ID. Comments are welcome.
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Is it the stamen shape that differentiates between the fairybells?
In the drier Interior, we mainly see rough-fruited fairybells. When in flower, they are quite similar to Hooker’s fairybells, which are found on moister soils. I find them hard to tell apart if I don’t take close-ups of the leaves. The berries are distinct later in summer, though. This area had many fairybells when I hiked the trails.