Erythronium montanum “Avalanche Lily” Liliaceae
Mount Rainier National Park, WA
August 4, 2012
Robert Niese
Avalanche Lilies are some of the first montane flowers to bloom in the PNW. As soon as the snow begins to melt, these guys are sprouting and preparing for the brief alpine summer. E. montanum is endemic to the Pacific Northwest and is only found in alpine and subalpine regions of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges.
Polistes aurifer “Golden Paper Wasp” Vespidae
Missoula, MT
May 13, 2014
Robert Niese
Aulacomnium androgynum “Little Grove Moss” Bryales
Missoula, MT
May 13, 2014
Robert Niese
This teensy-tiny moss species is readily identified by its adorable, round, lolly-pop structures known as gemmae. Each gemma is actually a mass of cells that will scatter on the wind or rain to produce a new moss (asexual reproduction). In total, this plant was barely more than 1cm tall! Look for A. adrogynum among pixie cup lichens (Cladonia) on rotting logs in moist-dry coniferous forests here in the Northwest. (ID courtesy of Mandy Slate)
Acer macrophyllum “Bigleaf Maple” Aceraceae
Tacoma, WA
April 14, 2013
Robert Niese
The blooming of the Bigleaf Maples coincides with the arrival of many small insectivorous bird species to the Pacific Northwest. Birds such as the Orange-crowned Warbler, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, and Warbling Vireo rely on the insects attracted to these flowers in the springtime.
Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) Buprestidae
Glacier National Park, MT
June 23, 2014
Robert Niese
These tiny wood borers (9mm long) are found abundantly in flower heads throughout the summer here in Montana.
Guepiniopsis alpinus “Poor Man’s Gumdrop” Basidiomycota
Olympic National Park, WA
June 1, 2013
Robert Niese
Acer macrophyllum “Bigleaf Maple” Aceraceae
Olympic National Park, WA
June 6, 2013
Robert Niese
The largest leaves on Bigleaf Maples easily reach 2 feet in length! These trees are keystone species in riparian zones throughout the wet lowlands of the PNW and are particularly important for sustaining healthy moss populations.
Ariolimax columbianus “Pacific Banana Slug” Gastropoda
Olympic National Park, WA
June 2, 2013
Robert Niese
This little banana slug escaped into a hole created by a beetle larva in order to escape the midday summer heat. What a cutie!
Mount Rainier from Paradise Valley
Fourth Crossing Trail-Paradise Rd E, Mount Rainier National Park, WA
August 12, 2013
Robert Niese
Rosa nutkana “Nootka Rose” Rosaceae
Tacoma, WA
June 11, 2012
Robert Niese
This wild rose is a gorgeous and common inhabitant of moist forests throughout the northwest. When the flower dies in the fall, it leaves behind what is called a “hip.” This fruit is fantastic in teas and rich in vitamin C.
Northwest Naturalist 