{"id":10657,"date":"2026-07-12T19:20:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T01:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/?p=10657"},"modified":"2026-07-13T00:29:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:29:37","slug":"plants-of-the-east-idaho-mountains-a-field-guide-to-edible-and-poisonous-species","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/plants-of-the-east-idaho-mountains-a-field-guide-to-edible-and-poisonous-species\/","title":{"rendered":"Plants of the East Idaho Mountains: A Field Guide to Edible and Poisonous Species"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fg2\">\n<style>#fg2{max-width:1080px;margin:0 auto;line-height:1.6;color:#29302a;}#fg2 .fg-intro{font-size:1.08em;}#fg2 .fg-safety{border:2px solid #b5462f;background:#fbeeea;border-radius:10px;padding:1em 1.2em;margin:1.4em 0;}#fg2 .fg-safety strong{color:#9c3620;}#fg2 .fg-legend{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5em 1.3em;font-size:0.9em;margin:0.6em 0 0 0;}#fg2 .fg-legend span{font-weight:600;}#fg2 .fg-toc{background:#f4f6f2;border-radius:10px;padding:0.9em 1.3em;margin:1.4em 0;}#fg2 .fg-toc a{display:inline-block;margin:0.15em 0.9em 0.15em 0;color:#285e30;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;}#fg2 h2.fg-cat{margin:1.8em 0 0.4em;padding-bottom:0.2em;border-bottom:3px solid #3a7d44;color:#285e30;scroll-margin-top:1em;}#fg2 .fg-plant{border:1px solid #e0e2dc;border-radius:14px;overflow:hidden;margin:0.9em 0;background:#fff;box-shadow:0 1px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);scroll-margin-top:1em;}#fg2 .fg-plant.poison{border-color:#d98b7e;}#fg2 details>summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;outline:none;}#fg2 details>summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none;}#fg2 .fg-sum{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:0.9em;padding:0.75em 1.05em;}#fg2 summary:hover .fg-sum{background:#f8faf7;}#fg2 .fg-thumb{flex:0 0 25%;width:25%;height:150px;object-fit:cover;border-radius:10px;background:#eee;}#fg2 .fg-sumtext{flex:1 1 auto;min-width:0;}#fg2 .fg-sumtext h3{margin:0;font-size:1.25em;color:#1f4d25;line-height:1.25;}#fg2 .fg-meta{font-size:0.9em;color:#6b6b6b;margin-top:0.1em;}#fg2 .fg-meta em{font-style:italic;}#fg2 .fg-snip{margin:0.35em 0 0;color:#454a45;font-size:0.95em;}#fg2 .fg-toggle{flex:none;font-weight:700;color:#2f6d38;font-size:0.8em;white-space:nowrap;border:1px solid #cfe0d2;border-radius:999px;padding:0.35em 0.75em;}#fg2 .fg-toggle::before{content:\"+ Expand\";}#fg2 details[open] .fg-toggle::before{content:\"\\2212 Collapse\";}#fg2 details[open] .fg-sum{border-bottom:1px solid #eef0ea;}#fg2 .fg-badge{display:inline-block;font-size:0.72em;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.02em;text-transform:uppercase;padding:0.15em 0.55em;border-radius:999px;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:0.15em;}#fg2 .b-edible{background:#dff2e1;color:#1d6b2c;}#fg2 .b-caution{background:#fdf1d6;color:#8a5a09;}#fg2 .b-no{background:#eceef0;color:#5a6068;}#fg2 .b-poison{background:#f7dcd6;color:#99271a;}#fg2 .fg-gallery{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(3,1fr);gap:2px;background:#e0e2dc;}#fg2 .fg-gallery.g2{grid-template-columns:repeat(2,1fr);}#fg2 .fg-gallery.g1{grid-template-columns:1fr;}#fg2 .fg-gallery figure{margin:0;background:#fff;display:flex;flex-direction:column;}#fg2 .fg-gallery img{width:100%;height:260px;object-fit:cover;display:block;background:#eee;cursor:zoom-in;}#fg2 .fg-gallery figcaption{font-size:0.74em;color:#8a8a8a;padding:0.35em 0.55em;}#fg2 .fg-gallery figcaption a{color:#3a7d44;}#fg2 .fg-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;gap:0 2em;padding:1.2em 1.4em 1.4em;}#fg2 .fg-grid section{margin-bottom:1.05em;}#fg2 .fg-grid h4{margin:0 0 0.3em 0;font-size:1.02em;color:#2a5230;}#fg2 .fg-grid ul{margin:0.2em 0 0 0;padding-left:1.15em;}#fg2 .fg-grid li{margin-bottom:0.28em;}#fg2 .fg-grid p{margin:0.2em 0 0 0;}#fg2 .fg-eat{background:#f0f8f1;border-left:4px solid #3a7d44;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;padding:0.6em 0.9em;}#fg2 .fg-eat h4{color:#1d6b2c;}#fg2 .fg-warn{background:#fbeeea;border-left:4px solid #b5462f;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;padding:0.6em 0.9em;}#fg2 .fg-warn h4{color:#9c3620;}#fg-lb{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.92);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;flex-direction:column;cursor:zoom-out;padding:3vh 3vw;}#fg-lb[hidden]{display:none;}#fg-lb img{max-width:94vw;max-height:85vh;object-fit:contain;box-shadow:0 6px 30px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);}#fg-lb .fg-lbcap{color:#e6e6e6;font-size:0.85em;margin-top:0.7em;max-width:90vw;text-align:center;}#fg-lb .fg-lbx{position:absolute;top:12px;right:22px;color:#fff;font-size:2em;line-height:1;}@media (max-width:760px){#fg2 .fg-gallery{grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr!important;}#fg2 .fg-gallery img{height:180px;}#fg2 .fg-grid{grid-template-columns:1fr;}#fg2 .fg-thumb{flex:0 0 34%;width:34%;height:100px;}#fg2 .fg-toggle::before{content:\"+\";}#fg2 details[open] .fg-toggle::before{content:\"\\2212\";}}<\/style>\n<p class=\"fg-intro\">A deeper field guide to the plants of the East Idaho mountains, the high country of the Caribou-Targhee, the Teton and Big Hole ranges, Island Park, and the canyons above the Snake River Plain. Every plant is collapsed to a quick snippet; tap it to open the full profile with photos, how to tell it apart, where and when you will find it, whether you can eat it, and the dangerous plants it can be confused with. <strong>Tap any photo to enlarge it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-safety\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0;\"><strong>Before you eat anything.<\/strong> This guide is for identification and education, not a substitute for expert instruction. Several plants here are deadly, and a few are near-perfect twins of edible ones. <strong>Positively identify a plant with an expert or regional field guide before eating it, never by photo alone. When in doubt, leave it out.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-legend\"><span style=\"color:#1d6b2c;\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><span style=\"color:#8a5a09;\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible with caution<\/span><span style=\"color:#5a6068;\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><span style=\"color:#99271a;\">&#9760;&#65039; Poisonous \/ deadly<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-toc\"><strong>Jump to:<\/strong><a href=\"#cat-trees\">Trees (10)<\/a><a href=\"#cat-bushes\">Bushes (9)<\/a><a href=\"#cat-shrubs\">Shrubs (11)<\/a><a href=\"#cat-berries\">Berries (10)<\/a><a href=\"#cat-flowers\">Flowers (28)<\/a><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"fg-cat\" id=\"cat-trees\">Trees<\/h2>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"pinus-contorta\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-contorta-1.jpg\" alt=\"Lodgepole Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Lodgepole Pine <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Survival food &amp; tea<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Pinus contorta<\/em> &middot; Pine family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The tall, straight pine that carpets the high forest; survival bark and a vitamin-C needle tea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery g2\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-contorta-1.jpg\" alt=\"Lodgepole Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-contorta-3.jpg\" alt=\"Lodgepole Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The tall, skinny, dead-straight pine that carpets huge stretches of the East Idaho high forest, named for the poles Native peoples used to frame their lodges.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Slender, straight tree with a narrow crown; bark thin, gray-brown, and flaky, not deeply furrowed.<\/li>\n<li>Needles in bundles of <strong>two<\/strong>, 1 to 2.5 in long, often slightly twisted (<em>contorta<\/em> means twisted).<\/li>\n<li>Cones small, egg-shaped, often curved and prickle-tipped; many stay closed on the tree for years and open after fire.<\/li>\n<li>Often grows in dense, even-aged stands, especially after burns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Mid to high elevation forest across the region, especially post-fire; visible year-round.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not a meal, but useful: the soft inner bark is edible survival food (scrape in spring), the young needles make a pleasant vitamin-C tea, and the small seeds are edible. Skip the needle tea if pregnant.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Told from limber and whitebark pine (needles in fives) by its two-needle bundles. No toxic conifer lookalikes here, but never confuse a pine with the unrelated, poisonous ornamental yew.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic - arena_after_3rd_paragraph - mid_content --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-195\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic - arena_after_3rd_paragraph - mid_content --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The fire-opened cones make lodgepole a fire-follower, which is why you see it blanketing old burns in solid stands.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"pseudotsuga-menziesii\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pseudotsuga-menziesii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Douglas-fir\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Douglas-fir <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Needle tea<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Pseudotsuga menziesii<\/em> &middot; Pine family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A towering conifer with soft flat needles and citrusy spring tips that make an excellent tea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery g2\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pseudotsuga-menziesii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Douglas-fir\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pseudotsuga-menziesii-3.jpg\" alt=\"Douglas-fir\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Roger Culos, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A towering conifer of the mountain forest, not a true fir, known for soft flat needles and distinctive cones with little three-pronged bracts.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Large tree with soft, flat, single (not bundled) needles that spray all around the twig.<\/li>\n<li>Cones hang down and show unmistakable three-pronged &#8220;mouse-tail&#8221; bracts sticking out between the scales.<\/li>\n<li>Buds at the branch tips are sharply pointed and reddish-brown.<\/li>\n<li>Bark thick, corky, and deeply furrowed on old trees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Mid-elevation slopes and canyons, often mixed with pine and fir; year-round.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Bright green spring needle tips are edible and citrusy, and the needles make an excellent vitamin-C tea. The wood and bark are not food.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic - arena_after_6th_paragraph - mid_content --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-196\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic - arena_after_6th_paragraph - mid_content --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The three-pronged cone bracts separate it from true firs and spruces. No toxic conifer lookalikes, but do not confuse any conifer with the toxic yew.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>One of the most important timber trees in the West; the spring tips are a forager favorite for tea and seasoning.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"picea-engelmannii\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/picea-engelmannii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Engelmann Spruce\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Engelmann Spruce <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Spring tips &amp; tea<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Picea engelmannii<\/em> &middot; Pine family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A high-country spruce with square, sharp needles; new tips and needle tea are edible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/picea-engelmannii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Engelmann Spruce\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/picea-engelmannii-2.jpg\" alt=\"Engelmann Spruce\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/picea-engelmannii-3.jpg\" alt=\"Engelmann Spruce\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A narrow, spire-shaped spruce of the high country, with square, sharp needles that roll easily between your fingers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Needles single, four-sided (square in cross-section), sharp, and roll between the fingers, unlike flat fir needles.<\/li>\n<li>Needles attach to tiny peg-like bases that stay on the twig, making old twigs feel rough.<\/li>\n<li>Cones hang down, papery, with thin flexible scales.<\/li>\n<li>Narrow, steeple-like crown; common at high elevation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Cool, moist high-elevation forest, often near timberline and along streams; year-round.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic - arena_after_9th_paragraph - mid_content --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-197\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic - arena_after_9th_paragraph - mid_content --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Tender new growth tips in spring are edible and tangy, and the needles make a good tea. Inner bark is survival food only.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Square rolling needles separate spruce from the flat needles of fir and Douglas-fir. No toxic conifer lookalikes; avoid the unrelated yew.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A timberline tree; at the highest elevations it grows stunted and wind-flagged (krummholz).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"abies-lasiocarpa\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/abies-lasiocarpa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Subalpine Fir\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Subalpine Fir <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Tea only<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Abies lasiocarpa<\/em> &middot; Pine family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The classic narrow spire of the high country; aromatic needle tea, but not a food tree.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery g2\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/abies-lasiocarpa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Subalpine Fir\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/abies-lasiocarpa-3.jpg\" alt=\"Subalpine Fir\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Wsiegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The classic narrow &#8220;spire&#8221; evergreen of the subalpine, with soft flat needles and upright cones near the very top.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Very narrow, steeple-shaped crown that sheds snow.<\/li>\n<li>Needles flat, soft, blunt, blue-green, curving upward off the twig.<\/li>\n<li>Cones sit upright on the top branches and disintegrate in place (you rarely find whole ones on the ground).<\/li>\n<li>Smooth gray bark with resin blisters when young.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>High-elevation forest to timberline, often with Engelmann spruce; year-round.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The needles make an aromatic tea and the resin has folk-medicine use, but it is not a food tree.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Flat, upward-curving needles and upright cones separate true firs from spruces. Never confuse a conifer with the toxic yew.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Its narrow shape is an adaptation to heavy mountain snow, which slides off rather than breaking the branches.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"populus-tremuloides\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-tremuloides-1.jpg\" alt=\"Quaking Aspen\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Quaking Aspen <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Survival edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Populus tremuloides<\/em> &middot; Willow family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">White-barked tree whose leaves tremble in any breeze; sweet inner bark is survival food.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-tremuloides-1.jpg\" alt=\"Quaking Aspen\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-tremuloides-2.jpg\" alt=\"Quaking Aspen\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Daniel Dumais, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-tremuloides-3.jpg\" alt=\"Quaking Aspen\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The white-barked tree whose flat-stemmed leaves tremble in the slightest breeze and turn whole mountainsides gold in fall.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Smooth, chalky white-to-greenish bark, often marked with dark scars and eyes.<\/li>\n<li>Round leaves on flattened stalks that make them &#8220;quake&#8221; in the wind.<\/li>\n<li>Grows in clones, whole groves are often one connected organism sharing roots.<\/li>\n<li>Golden fall color, brilliant against the conifers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Moist slopes, meadow edges, and along water at low to mid elevation; leaves spring to fall.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The sweetish inner bark (cambium) is edible raw or dried, and spring catkins are edible. Emergency food, not a meal.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Hard to confuse; the trembling round leaves and white bark are distinctive. Bark has a white powder that works as sunscreen.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Aspen clones are among the largest and oldest living organisms on Earth; the trees green up early and feed wildlife heavily.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"acer-glabrum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/acer-glabrum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Maple\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Rocky Mountain Maple <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Sap &amp; seeds<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Acer glabrum<\/em> &middot; Soapberry family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A shrubby canyon maple with classic lobed leaves and paired winged seeds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/acer-glabrum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Maple\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/acer-glabrum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Maple\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/acer-glabrum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Maple\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A small, shrubby maple of canyon slopes and streamsides, with the classic lobed maple leaf and paired winged seeds.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Small tree or large shrub, often multi-stemmed, with reddish young twigs.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves opposite, palmately lobed (usually 3 to 5 lobes) with toothed edges.<\/li>\n<li>Paired winged seeds (samaras, &#8220;helicopters&#8221;) joined at a narrow angle.<\/li>\n<li>Turns yellow to red-orange in fall.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Canyon bottoms, moist slopes, and streamsides, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The sap can be boiled into a mild syrup and young seeds are edible. Not a significant food source here.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The only native mountain maple in the region; opposite lobed leaves and paired samaras are diagnostic.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Important browse for deer and elk; the tough, straight young stems were used for tool handles and bows.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"juniperus-scopulorum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-scopulorum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Rocky Mountain Juniper <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Seasoning only<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Juniperus scopulorum<\/em> &middot; Cypress family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A scaly evergreen of dry ridges with dusty-blue &#8220;berries&#8221; used sparingly as seasoning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-scopulorum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-scopulorum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-scopulorum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Rocky Mountain Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A scaly-leaved evergreen of dry, rocky slopes with dusty-blue berry-like cones and prized aromatic wood.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Small evergreen tree, often gnarled and open-crowned on dry ground.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves tiny, scale-like, pressed flat against the twig (not sharp needles on mature growth).<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Berries&#8221; are actually small fleshy cones, dusty blue with a waxy bloom, taking two years to ripen.<\/li>\n<li>Reddish, shreddy, fibrous bark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry, rocky slopes, ridges, and foothills, low to mid elevation; year-round.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The &#8220;berries&#8221; are used sparingly as a seasoning, like store-bought juniper. Eating them in quantity is toxic to the kidneys, so treat as a spice, not a snack.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Distinguished from common juniper by its scale-like (not needle) leaves and tree form. Some junipers are more toxic than others, so use any sparingly.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The rot-resistant wood was used for fence posts and bows; the aromatic foliage was burned as a cleansing smudge.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"pinus-flexilis\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-flexilis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Limber Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Limber Pine <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Edible pine nuts<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Pinus flexilis<\/em> &middot; Pine family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A rugged, twisted high pine with branches you can tie in a knot; genuinely tasty pine nuts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-flexilis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Limber Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-flexilis-2.jpg\" alt=\"Limber Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-flexilis-3.jpg\" alt=\"Limber Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A rugged, often twisted high-elevation pine with branches so flexible you can tie them in a knot, growing on windswept ridges.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Needles in bundles of <strong>five<\/strong>, stiff and clustered toward the branch tips.<\/li>\n<li>Young branches are famously flexible and bend without snapping.<\/li>\n<li>Cones large, egg-shaped, with thick scales; open to drop big wingless seeds.<\/li>\n<li>Often stunted and picturesque on exposed rock.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry, rocky, high-elevation ridges and exposed slopes; year-round.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Produces large, genuinely tasty edible seeds (pine nuts). A real wild food, though the cones can be hard to reach.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Five needles per bundle separate it from two-needle lodgepole; distinguished from whitebark pine by cones that open on their own (whitebark cones stay closed and are torn apart by birds).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Clark&#8217;s nutcrackers cache the seeds and plant future trees; a single bird may hide tens of thousands of seeds a year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"pinus-albicaulis\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-albicaulis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Whitebark Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Whitebark Pine <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible but protected<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Pinus albicaulis<\/em> &middot; Pine family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A gnarled tree of the highest ridges; edible seeds, but threatened, so leave them for wildlife.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-albicaulis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Whitebark Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Richard Sniezko, US Forest Service, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-albicaulis-2.jpg\" alt=\"Whitebark Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; R6, State &amp; Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pinus-albicaulis-3.jpg\" alt=\"Whitebark Pine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Chris Light, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A gnarled tree of the highest, harshest ridgelines whose seeds are a keystone food for grizzlies and Clark&#8217;s nutcrackers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Needles in bundles of <strong>five<\/strong>, stiff, tufted at the branch ends.<\/li>\n<li>Cones purple, egg-shaped, and stay <strong>closed<\/strong> on the tree, they do not open on their own.<\/li>\n<li>Often multi-stemmed and krummholz (shrubby, wind-beaten) near timberline.<\/li>\n<li>Whitish, smooth young bark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>The highest subalpine ridges and timberline, the harshest sites; year-round.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Seeds are edible and nutritious, but the tree is threatened by blister rust and beetles. Please do not harvest; leave them for the wildlife.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Closed cones separate it from limber pine (whose cones open). Both have five needles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A candidate for endangered-species protection; Clark&#8217;s nutcrackers are its main seed disperser, and grizzlies rely on its fat-rich seeds.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"populus-angustifolia\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-angustifolia-1.jpg\" alt=\"Narrowleaf Cottonwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Narrowleaf Cottonwood <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Survival edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Populus angustifolia<\/em> &middot; Willow family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A streamside tree with willow-like leaves that drifts cottony seed fluff in early summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-angustifolia-1.jpg\" alt=\"Narrowleaf Cottonwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Stan Shebs, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-angustifolia-2.jpg\" alt=\"Narrowleaf Cottonwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/populus-angustifolia-3.jpg\" alt=\"Narrowleaf Cottonwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A streamside tree with narrow, willow-like leaves that releases drifts of cottony seed fluff in early summer.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Leaves narrow and lance-shaped, willow-like but alternate, finely toothed.<\/li>\n<li>Female trees release masses of white, cottony seed fluff in early summer.<\/li>\n<li>Furrowed gray bark on older trunks; smooth and greenish when young.<\/li>\n<li>Almost always right along water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Stream banks, river bottoms, and springs, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Inner bark and spring catkins are edible in a pinch. Mainly useful as a sign of water nearby.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Narrow leaves separate it from the broad-leaved cottonwoods; it hybridizes with them where ranges overlap.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A pioneer of new gravel bars and a key streamside (riparian) tree for shade, bank stability, and wildlife.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<h2 class=\"fg-cat\" id=\"cat-bushes\">Bushes<\/h2>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"artemisia-tridentata\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/artemisia-tridentata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Big Sagebrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Big Sagebrush <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Artemisia tridentata<\/em> &middot; Sunflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The defining silver-green, sharp-smelling shrub of the West. Aromatic, but not food.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/artemisia-tridentata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Big Sagebrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Peemus, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/artemisia-tridentata-2.jpg\" alt=\"Big Sagebrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/artemisia-tridentata-3.jpg\" alt=\"Big Sagebrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The defining smell of the West: silvery, three-toothed leaves on a gray shrub that scents the whole desert after rain.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Gray-green, evergreen shrub with a strong, clean sage aroma when crushed.<\/li>\n<li>Small wedge-shaped leaves with three teeth at the blunt tip (<em>tridentata<\/em>).<\/li>\n<li>Shreddy gray bark on twisted woody stems.<\/li>\n<li>Tiny yellowish flower heads on tall spikes in late summer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry flats, foothills, and open slopes across the sagebrush steppe, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Intensely bitter and toxic in quantity. Used historically as smudge and medicine, never as food.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The three-toothed leaf tip and strong sage smell are distinctive; do not confuse the aroma with culinary garden sage, which is a different plant.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The backbone of sage-grouse country; its deep and shallow roots let it survive brutal drought.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"purshia-tridentata\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/purshia-tridentata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Antelope Bitterbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Antelope Bitterbrush <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Purshia tridentata<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A wedge-leaved shrub often mistaken for sagebrush; vital winter food for deer and elk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/purshia-tridentata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Antelope Bitterbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/purshia-tridentata-2.jpg\" alt=\"Antelope Bitterbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Bureau of Land Management, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/purshia-tridentata-3.jpg\" alt=\"Antelope Bitterbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Pacific Southwest Region 5, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A wedge-leaved shrub often mistaken for sagebrush, covered in small yellow flowers in spring and critical winter browse for deer and elk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Spreading shrub with small three-toothed wedge leaves, dark green above and pale beneath.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves do NOT have the strong sage smell of sagebrush.<\/li>\n<li>Small yellow five-petaled rose-family flowers in late spring.<\/li>\n<li>Grows intermixed with sagebrush on dry ground.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry sagebrush flats, foothills, and open pine forest, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not a human food. Important wildlife forage, so leave it be.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Sagebrush look-alike, but bitterbrush lacks the sage aroma and has yellow rose-type flowers rather than sagebrush spikes.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>One of the most important winter browse plants for mule deer in the Intermountain West.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"ericameria-nauseosa\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ericameria-nauseosa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rubber Rabbitbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Rubber Rabbitbrush <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Ericameria nauseosa<\/em> &middot; Sunflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A rounded gray shrub that erupts in brilliant golden flowers in late summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ericameria-nauseosa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rubber Rabbitbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Wsiegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ericameria-nauseosa-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rubber Rabbitbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Poster &quot;dg&quot;, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ericameria-nauseosa-3.jpg\" alt=\"Rubber Rabbitbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A rounded gray shrub that erupts in brilliant golden-yellow flowers in late summer and fall, often alongside sagebrush.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Rounded, gray-green shrub with flexible, felt-covered twigs.<\/li>\n<li>Narrow, thread-like gray leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Masses of small golden-yellow flower clusters in late summer and fall.<\/li>\n<li>Faintly rubbery or unpleasant smell when crushed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry, disturbed, and open ground, roadsides, and sagebrush flats, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not edible. The species name &#8220;nauseosa&#8221; is a fair warning.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Told from sagebrush by its bright fall flowers and rubbery smell; the plant does contain natural rubber in its tissues.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A tough pioneer of disturbed soil and a valuable late-season nectar source for pollinators.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"prunus-virginiana\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/prunus-virginiana-1.jpg\" alt=\"Chokecherry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Chokecherry <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Fruit yes, pits NO<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Prunus virginiana<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Famous jelly fruit, but the pits, leaves, and twigs carry cyanide. Never eat the crushed pits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/prunus-virginiana-1.jpg\" alt=\"Chokecherry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Nadiatalent, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/prunus-virginiana-2.jpg\" alt=\"Chokecherry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/prunus-virginiana-3.jpg\" alt=\"Chokecherry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A tall shrub with long white flower spikes in spring and dark cherries in late summer, a classic of Western canyons.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Large shrub or small tree with oval, finely toothed leaves that have two tiny glands where the leaf meets the stalk.<\/li>\n<li>Long, bottlebrush spikes of small white flowers in spring.<\/li>\n<li>Clusters of pea-sized cherries ripening dark red to nearly black in late summer.<\/li>\n<li>Crushed leaves and twigs smell faintly of almond (a cyanide clue).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Canyon bottoms, moist draws, fence lines, and forest edges, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The fruit pulp is edible and makes famous jelly and syrup, but the pits, leaves, and twigs contain cyanide. Never eat the crushed pits and never let livestock or kids chew the leaves.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Distinguished from the toxic-only buckthorns by the almond smell and rose-family flowers. Always spit or strain the pits; only the flesh is safe.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A traditional ingredient in pemmican, where the whole crushed cherries were dried, which destroys the cyanide, then mixed with meat and fat.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"juniperus-communis\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-communis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Common Juniper <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Seasoning only<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Juniperus communis<\/em> &middot; Cypress family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The low, prickly juniper whose berries are the classic gin flavoring. A spice, not a snack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-communis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Rasbak at Dutch Wikipedia, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-communis-2.jpg\" alt=\"Common Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Komkomko, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/juniperus-communis-3.jpg\" alt=\"Common Juniper\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Lord Koxinga, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A low, spreading juniper with sharp needle-like leaves and blue-black berries, the classic gin flavoring.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low, spreading, mat-forming shrub (not a tree).<\/li>\n<li>Leaves are sharp, awl-shaped <strong>needles<\/strong> in whorls of three, with a white band on top.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Berries&#8221; are fleshy blue-black cones with a waxy bloom, ripening over two to three years.<\/li>\n<li>Prickly to handle, unlike the scaly Rocky Mountain juniper.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Rocky slopes, ridges, and open forest, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Berries are the true culinary juniper, used a few at a time to flavor game and sauces. Toxic in quantity, and not for pregnant women.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Sharp three-part needles and low mat form separate it from the scale-leaved, tree-form Rocky Mountain juniper.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The most widely distributed woody plant in the world, circling the entire Northern Hemisphere.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"rosa-woodsii\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rosa-woodsii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Woods&#039; Rose\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Woods&#8217; Rose <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Hips &amp; petals edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Rosa woodsii<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The common wild rose; superb vitamin-C rose hips for tea and jam, plus edible petals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rosa-woodsii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Woods&#039; Rose\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; dougwaylett, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rosa-woodsii-2.jpg\" alt=\"Woods&#039; Rose\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rosa-woodsii-3.jpg\" alt=\"Woods&#039; Rose\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The common wild rose of the region, with pink five-petaled flowers in summer and red-orange hips that hang on through winter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Thicket-forming shrub with straight or slightly curved thorns.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves pinnately compound, with 5 to 9 toothed leaflets.<\/li>\n<li>Fragrant pink five-petaled flowers in early to mid summer.<\/li>\n<li>Round to oval red-orange hips that persist into winter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Streamsides, moist slopes, thickets, and forest edges, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Rose hips are a superb source of vitamin C for tea or jam (strain out the irritating inner seed hairs); the petals are edible too.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>All wild roses are safe; just distinguish the plant from thorny non-roses by its compound leaves and five-petaled flowers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The hips hold their vitamin C through winter, making them a valuable cold-season wild food and wildlife staple.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"sambucus-racemosa\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-racemosa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Red Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Red Elderberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Avoid<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Sambucus racemosa<\/em> &middot; Moschatel family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The RED-berried elder is toxic; seeds, stems, and leaves are poisonous. Do not confuse with blue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-racemosa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Red Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-racemosa-2.jpg\" alt=\"Red Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-racemosa-3.jpg\" alt=\"Red Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A shrub with feather-like compound leaves and dome-shaped clusters of bright red berries in summer.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Shrub with opposite, pinnately compound leaves of 5 to 7 toothed leaflets.<\/li>\n<li>Creamy flowers in a <strong>rounded, dome or pyramid-shaped<\/strong> cluster (not flat-topped).<\/li>\n<li>Berries bright <strong>red<\/strong>, in dense domed clusters.<\/li>\n<li>Soft pithy stems with an unpleasant smell when broken.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Moist forest, streamsides, and clearings, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The RED-berried elder is toxic raw, and the seeds, stems, and leaves are poisonous. Best avoided entirely; do not confuse with the blue elderberry.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The key split: <strong>red, dome-shaped<\/strong> clusters here vs the <strong>blue, flat-topped<\/strong> clusters of edible blue elderberry. When in doubt, skip red.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Birds eat the red berries safely, but they are not a safe human food.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"sambucus-cerulea\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-cerulea-1.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Blue Elderberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Cook the ripe berries<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Sambucus cerulea<\/em> &middot; Moschatel family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Cherished pie and syrup fruit, but only cooked; raw berries and all green parts are toxic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-cerulea-1.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Wsiegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-cerulea-2.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Chris English, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/sambucus-cerulea-3.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Elderberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Chris English, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A shrub with flat-topped cream flower clusters, then powdery blue berries, a cherished pie, syrup, and wine fruit and different from the red kind.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Shrub to small tree with opposite, pinnately compound leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Flowers cream-white in a <strong>flat-topped<\/strong> cluster.<\/li>\n<li>Berries ripen powdery blue to nearly black, in flat-topped clusters, with a waxy bloom.<\/li>\n<li>Pithy stems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Open slopes, streamsides, and forest edges, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Ripe blue and purple berries are edible only when cooked; raw berries, plus all stems, leaves, and unripe fruit, cause nausea and are toxic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Flat-topped, blue berry clusters separate it from the toxic red elderberry&#8217;s domed red clusters. Always cook, and never eat the green parts.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A traditional and modern favorite for jelly, syrup, and wine; the hollow stems were used for flutes and were carefully cleared of their toxic pith.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"cercocarpus-ledifolius\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cercocarpus-ledifolius-1.jpg\" alt=\"Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Cercocarpus ledifolius<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A gnarled evergreen of dry ridges with feathery corkscrew seed tails and iron-hard wood.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cercocarpus-ledifolius-1.jpg\" alt=\"Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Dcrjsr, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cercocarpus-ledifolius-2.jpg\" alt=\"Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cercocarpus-ledifolius-3.jpg\" alt=\"Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A gnarled evergreen shrub-tree of dry rocky ridges, known for feathery corkscrew seed tails and extremely hard, dense wood.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Small evergreen tree or shrub, often twisted and picturesque on rocky ground.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves narrow, leathery, dark green, with edges rolled under (like a small Labrador-tea leaf).<\/li>\n<li>Seeds carry a long, feathery, corkscrew-twisted tail that catches the light.<\/li>\n<li>Wood so dense it barely floats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry, rocky ridges, slopes, and canyon rims, mid elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not a food plant. Valued as fuel wood and wildlife browse.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The rolled-edge evergreen leaves and feathery seed tails are distinctive; not to be confused with true mahogany, to which it is unrelated.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Among the hardest, hottest-burning firewoods in the West; slow-growing plants can be centuries old.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<h2 class=\"fg-cat\" id=\"cat-shrubs\">Shrubs<\/h2>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"amelanchier-alnifolia\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/amelanchier-alnifolia-1.jpg\" alt=\"Serviceberry (Saskatoon)\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Serviceberry (Saskatoon) <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Amelanchier alnifolia<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">One of the best wild fruits here: sweet, nutty blue berries, eaten fresh or dried.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/amelanchier-alnifolia-1.jpg\" alt=\"Serviceberry (Saskatoon)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Thayne Tuason, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/amelanchier-alnifolia-2.jpg\" alt=\"Serviceberry (Saskatoon)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Nadiatalent, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/amelanchier-alnifolia-3.jpg\" alt=\"Serviceberry (Saskatoon)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A shrub with showy white flowers in spring and blue-purple, blueberry-like fruit in mid-summer, a cornerstone of Native diets.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Shrub to small tree with smooth gray bark and oval leaves toothed mainly on the top half.<\/li>\n<li>Showy white five-petaled flowers with narrow, strappy petals in early spring, before most shrubs leaf out.<\/li>\n<li>Fruit blue-purple with a waxy bloom, crowned by a tiny five-pointed star at the tip (like a mini apple).<\/li>\n<li>Fruit is a pome, not a true berry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Open slopes, forest edges, canyons, and streamsides, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>One of the best wild fruits here: sweet, nutty, eaten fresh or dried. A true easy edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The star-tipped blue fruit and early strappy-petaled white flowers are distinctive; all serviceberries are edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Called Saskatoon in Canada; the dried fruit was pounded into pemmican and is still prized for pies and jam.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"ceanothus-velutinus\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ceanothus-velutinus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Snowbrush Ceanothus\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Snowbrush Ceanothus <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Ceanothus velutinus<\/em> &middot; Buckthorn family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A glossy, balsam-scented evergreen with frothy white flower clusters that lather into soap.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ceanothus-velutinus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Snowbrush Ceanothus\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ceanothus-velutinus-2.jpg\" alt=\"Snowbrush Ceanothus\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ceanothus-velutinus-3.jpg\" alt=\"Snowbrush Ceanothus\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A glossy-leaved evergreen shrub with a sticky, balsam smell and frothy clusters of tiny white flowers that fixes nitrogen and thrives after fire.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Rounded evergreen shrub with shiny, sticky, aromatic leaves (three main veins from the base).<\/li>\n<li>Leaves dark green and varnished-looking above, pale and felty beneath.<\/li>\n<li>Frothy clusters of tiny white flowers in early summer.<\/li>\n<li>Strong balsam or bay-rum smell, especially in heat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Open slopes, burns, and clearings, mid elevation; often carpets recently burned ground.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not a food, though the flowers lather into a soap and the leaves make a tea.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The varnished, three-veined aromatic leaves are distinctive; not to be eaten despite the pleasant smell.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A fire-follower whose seeds can lie dormant in the soil for decades and sprout after a burn; it enriches soil by fixing nitrogen.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"symphoricarpos-albus\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/symphoricarpos-albus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Snowberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Common Snowberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Symphoricarpos albus<\/em> &middot; Honeysuckle family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Tempting waxy WHITE berries that persist into winter, and they are poisonous. Do not eat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/symphoricarpos-albus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Snowberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; H. Zell, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/symphoricarpos-albus-2.jpg\" alt=\"Common Snowberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Didier Descouens, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/symphoricarpos-albus-3.jpg\" alt=\"Common Snowberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A thin-stemmed shrub with pinkish bell flowers and clusters of distinctive waxy white berries that persist into winter.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Slender, twiggy shrub, often forming thickets.<\/li>\n<li>Small oval opposite leaves, sometimes lobed on young shoots.<\/li>\n<li>Tiny pink bell-shaped flowers in summer.<\/li>\n<li>Clusters of soft, waxy, <strong>pure white<\/strong> berries that last into winter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Forest edges, streamsides, slopes, and thickets, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The white berries are poisonous and cause vomiting and dizziness. Tempting-looking and common on trails; do not eat.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The waxy white berries are unmistakable; no edible native berry here is chalk-white in soft clusters like this.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Birds eat the berries in late winter, but they cause gastrointestinal distress in people; some tribes used them as a soap or medicine, not food.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"mahonia-repens\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/mahonia-repens-1.jpg\" alt=\"Creeping Oregon Grape\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Creeping Oregon Grape <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Tart but edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Mahonia repens<\/em> &middot; Barberry family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A low holly-like shrub with tart blue berries (great jelly) and a bright yellow root.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/mahonia-repens-1.jpg\" alt=\"Creeping Oregon Grape\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Anders Hastings, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/mahonia-repens-2.jpg\" alt=\"Creeping Oregon Grape\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; The original uploader was Meggar at English Wikipedia., <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/mahonia-repens-3.jpg\" alt=\"Creeping Oregon Grape\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Zennora Brna, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A low, holly-like shrub with spiny evergreen leaflets, yellow flowers, and clusters of dusty-blue berries, with a bright yellow inner root.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low, creeping evergreen, usually under a foot tall.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves pinnately compound with 5 to 7 stiff, spiny-toothed, holly-like leaflets that often turn purplish-red.<\/li>\n<li>Clusters of bright yellow flowers in spring.<\/li>\n<li>Dusty-blue, grape-like berries; the root and inner bark are vivid yellow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry forest floors, foothills, and open slopes, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Berries are edible, very tart, and make excellent jelly and lemonade. The root is a well-known folk medicine.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The holly-like spiny leaflets and yellow inner wood are diagnostic; the tart blue berries are safe.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The bright yellow root contains berberine and was widely used as a medicinal and a natural dye.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"ribes-aureum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-aureum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Golden Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Golden Currant <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Ribes aureum<\/em> &middot; Gooseberry family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A thornless currant with clove-scented golden flowers and sweet edible berries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-aureum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Golden Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Stan Shebs, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-aureum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Golden Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-aureum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Golden Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Marek Kluszczy\u0144ski, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A smooth, thornless currant with clove-scented golden-yellow flowers in spring and amber-to-black berries in summer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Thornless (unarmed) shrub, unlike the spiny gooseberries.<\/li>\n<li>Small three-lobed maple-like leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Golden-yellow tubular flowers with a spicy clove scent in spring.<\/li>\n<li>Smooth round berries ripening amber, red, to black.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Streamsides, moist draws, and open slopes, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Berries are sweet and edible fresh or in jam. One of the nicer wild currants.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Thornless stems and clove-scented yellow flowers separate it from the spiny gooseberries; all native currants and gooseberries are edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The clove-like fragrance makes it a favorite native landscaping shrub as well as a wild food.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"ribes-cereum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-cereum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wax Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Wax Currant <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Ribes cereum<\/em> &middot; Gooseberry family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A compact dry-slope currant with scalloped leaves and translucent red berries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-cereum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wax Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Stan Shebs, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-cereum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Wax Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-cereum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Wax Currant\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A compact shrub of dry, rocky slopes with small round scalloped leaves and translucent red berries.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low, densely branched, thornless shrub of dry ground.<\/li>\n<li>Small round leaves with scalloped edges, slightly sticky and aromatic.<\/li>\n<li>Small pinkish-white tubular flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Translucent red berries, a bit seedy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry, rocky slopes and open forest, mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Berries are edible but bland-to-tart and a bit seedy. Fine for jelly or trail nibbling.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The small scalloped aromatic leaves and dry-slope habit separate it from moist-site currants; all are edible.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A tough, drought-hardy shrub; the berries are more valued by wildlife than by most foragers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"arctostaphylos-uva-ursi\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/arctostaphylos-uva-ursi-1.jpg\" alt=\"Kinnikinnick (Bearberry)\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Kinnikinnick (Bearberry) <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible, dry &amp; bland<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Arctostaphylos uva-ursi<\/em> &middot; Heath family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A trailing evergreen mat with red berries (mealy) and famous medicinal leaves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/arctostaphylos-uva-ursi-1.jpg\" alt=\"Kinnikinnick (Bearberry)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/arctostaphylos-uva-ursi-2.jpg\" alt=\"Kinnikinnick (Bearberry)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; LBM1948, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/arctostaphylos-uva-ursi-3.jpg\" alt=\"Kinnikinnick (Bearberry)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Internet Archive Book Images, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/commons\/usage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">No restrictions<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A trailing evergreen groundcover with small paddle-shaped leaves, pink urn flowers, and mealy red berries that carpets pine forest floors.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low, trailing, mat-forming evergreen with reddish peeling stems.<\/li>\n<li>Small, thick, spoon-shaped leaves, glossy dark green.<\/li>\n<li>Pink to white urn-shaped (blueberry-family) flowers in spring.<\/li>\n<li>Bright red, dry, mealy berries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry, sandy, open pine forest and rocky slopes, low to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Berries are edible but dry and mealy, better cooked. The leaves are a famous medicinal and smoking-mix tea, but hard on the kidneys in excess.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The trailing evergreen mat with urn flowers and red berries is distinctive; do not confuse the leaf tea with true tobacco.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>&#8220;Kinnikinnick&#8221; was a widespread Native smoking blend; the leaves (uva-ursi) remain a known herbal remedy for the urinary tract.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"lonicera-involucrata\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/lonicera-involucrata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Twinberry Honeysuckle\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Twinberry Honeysuckle <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Avoid<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Lonicera involucrata<\/em> &middot; Honeysuckle family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Shiny black berry pairs cupped by showy maroon bracts, bitter and best avoided.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery g2\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/lonicera-involucrata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Twinberry Honeysuckle\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/lonicera-involucrata-3.jpg\" alt=\"Twinberry Honeysuckle\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; JerryFriedman, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A streamside shrub with paired yellow tube flowers and shiny black berry pairs cupped by showy maroon-red bracts.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Upright shrub with opposite, oval, pointed leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Flowers in <strong>pairs<\/strong>, yellow and tubular, backed by leafy bracts.<\/li>\n<li>Berries in shiny <strong>black pairs<\/strong> sitting in a cup of showy maroon-purple bracts.<\/li>\n<li>Streamside and moist-forest habit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Streamsides, wet meadows, and moist forest, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The black berries are bitter and widely considered inedible to mildly toxic. Do not eat.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The paired black berries in maroon bracts are unmistakable and are a signal NOT to eat, unlike the blue and red edible-when-cooked elderberries.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Also called bearberry honeysuckle or black twinberry; birds and bears eat the fruit, but people should not.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"cornus-sericea\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cornus-sericea-1.jpg\" alt=\"Red-osier Dogwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Red-osier Dogwood <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Cornus sericea<\/em> &middot; Dogwood family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Bright red winter stems, flat white flower clusters, and bitter chalky-white berries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cornus-sericea-1.jpg\" alt=\"Red-osier Dogwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Sulfur at en.wikipedia, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cornus-sericea-2.jpg\" alt=\"Red-osier Dogwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cornus-sericea-3.jpg\" alt=\"Red-osier Dogwood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A shrub instantly known by its bright red winter stems, flat white flower clusters, and clusters of chalky white berries along creeks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Thicket-forming shrub with bright <strong>red<\/strong> stems, most vivid in winter.<\/li>\n<li>Opposite oval leaves with curved veins that follow the leaf edge; leaves tear to show stringy latex.<\/li>\n<li>Flat-topped clusters of small white flowers in early summer.<\/li>\n<li>Clusters of chalky white (sometimes bluish) berries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Streamsides, wet meadows, and ditches, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The white berries are intensely bitter and not considered edible. The bark was a traditional smoking herb.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The red stems and curved leaf veins are diagnostic; the white berries are not the edible flat-topped blue elderberry.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The red stems make it a popular native landscaping plant; the inner bark was a common ingredient in kinnikinnick smoking mixes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"dasiphora-fruticosa\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/dasiphora-fruticosa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Shrubby Cinquefoil\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Shrubby Cinquefoil <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Dasiphora fruticosa<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A tidy mounded shrub covered all summer in bright yellow flowers; a mild leaf tea at most.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/dasiphora-fruticosa-1.jpg\" alt=\"Shrubby Cinquefoil\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/dasiphora-fruticosa-2.jpg\" alt=\"Shrubby Cinquefoil\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Didier Descouens, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/dasiphora-fruticosa-3.jpg\" alt=\"Shrubby Cinquefoil\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A tidy mounded shrub covered all summer in bright yellow five-petaled flowers, common in wet meadows and a popular landscaping plant.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low, mounded, densely branched shrub with shreddy brown bark.<\/li>\n<li>Small gray-green leaves divided into 5 to 7 narrow leaflets.<\/li>\n<li>Bright yellow, five-petaled, buttercup-like flowers all summer long.<\/li>\n<li>Grows in wet meadows and along high-country streams.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Wet meadows, streamsides, and open slopes, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not a food plant, though the leaves have been used for a mild tea.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The shrubby form with yellow rose-family flowers and divided leaves is distinctive; the yellow flowers are harmless but not food.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Sold widely as the ornamental &#8220;potentilla&#8221;; a hardy native that blooms for months.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"poison-ivy\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/poison-ivy-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Poison Ivy\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Western Poison Ivy <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Do not touch<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Toxicodendron rydbergii<\/em> &middot; Cashew family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Leaves of three, let it be. Touching any part, any season, can raise a blistering, itchy rash.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/poison-ivy-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Poison Ivy\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; USDA NRCS Montana, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/poison-ivy-2.jpg\" alt=\"Western Poison Ivy\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/poison-ivy-3.jpg\" alt=\"Western Poison Ivy\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Dano from Winnipeg, Canada, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A low, root-spreading shrub of canyon bottoms and riverbanks whose oil (urushiol) causes an intense, blistering skin rash. In the West it is usually a knee-high shrub rather than the climbing vine of the East.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Compound leaves of <strong>three<\/strong> leaflets, the middle one on a longer stalk (&ldquo;leaves of three, let it be&rdquo;).<\/li>\n<li>Leaflets pointed and often with a few coarse teeth or lobes; glossy green, turning brilliant red in fall.<\/li>\n<li>Usually a low shrub 1 to 3 ft tall, spreading in patches (rarely climbs here).<\/li>\n<li>Small greenish flowers, then clusters of whitish, waxy berries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Canyon bottoms, riverbanks, moist draws, and disturbed thickets, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Do not eat, and more importantly <strong>do not touch any part, in any season<\/strong>, even bare winter stems. The oil (urushiol) causes a blistering, intensely itchy rash that can last two to three weeks. The rash itself is not contagious, but the invisible oil spreads from tools, clothes, gloves, and pets. <strong>Never burn it<\/strong>, the smoke can severely injure the lungs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>&ldquo;Leaves of three&rdquo; separate it from harmless Virginia creeper (five leaflets) and from young box elder (which has opposite leaves, while poison ivy is alternate). When you are not sure, do not touch it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p><strong>If you brush it:<\/strong> wash the skin as soon as you can (ideally within 30 minutes) with soap or dish soap and cool water to lift the oil, and wash everything the plant touched. Cool compresses and over-the-counter anti-itch creams ease the rash; see a doctor for severe, spreading, or facial reactions. Jewelweed is a traditional field remedy.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<h2 class=\"fg-cat\" id=\"cat-berries\">Berries<\/h2>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"vaccinium-membranaceum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-membranaceum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain Huckleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Mountain Huckleberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Prized edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Vaccinium membranaceum<\/em> &middot; Heath family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The Rockies&#8217; prized wild purple berry, safe and delicious and easy to learn. (Bear country.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-membranaceum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain Huckleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-membranaceum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain Huckleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Steve Redman (MORA), Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-membranaceum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Mountain Huckleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Christine from Washington State, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The famous wild purple berry of the Northern Rockies, a knee-high shrub of mid-to-high mountain forest and a wild cousin of the blueberry.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low deciduous shrub, usually 1 to 2 ft, with green, slightly angled young twigs.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves alternate, thin, oval with a pointed tip and finely toothed edges; they turn red in fall.<\/li>\n<li>Flowers single, small, urn or bell-shaped, pale pink, hanging under the leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Berries borne singly (not in clusters), round, deep purple to nearly black, with a tiny crown at the tip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Coniferous forest, old burns, and open slopes, mid to high elevation. Ripe late July into September.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Excellent and completely safe once you know it. Eat fresh, or use for pie, jam, syrup, and pancakes. No toxic lookalikes in its niche, only smaller edible cousins.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Several <em>Vaccinium<\/em> species share these slopes (grouse whortleberry is tinier); all are edible. The real caution is bears feeding in the same patches.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Idaho&#8217;s signature wild fruit. A personal handful needs no permit on most national forest land, but check local rules before any large harvest.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"vaccinium-scoparium\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-scoparium-1.jpg\" alt=\"Grouse Whortleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Grouse Whortleberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Vaccinium scoparium<\/em> &middot; Heath family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A tiny broom-like huckleberry that mats the high-forest floor with minuscule sweet red berries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-scoparium-1.jpg\" alt=\"Grouse Whortleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-scoparium-2.jpg\" alt=\"Grouse Whortleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/vaccinium-scoparium-3.jpg\" alt=\"Grouse Whortleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A tiny, broom-like relative of the huckleberry that forms low green mats under high-elevation conifers, dotted with minuscule red berries.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Very low (a few inches), dense, broom-like green shrub carpeting the forest floor.<\/li>\n<li>Green, sharply angled, broom-twiggy stems (stays green in winter).<\/li>\n<li>Tiny oval leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Minuscule bright red berries, easy to miss.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Shady high-elevation conifer forest, often under spruce and fir; berries mid to late summer.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The tiny berries are sweet and edible, just very small and tedious to gather. Excellent flavor.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The green broom-like mats are distinctive; all these dwarf Vaccinium are edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A favorite of grouse (hence the name); the dense green mats are a signature of cool subalpine forest floors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"fragaria-virginiana\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/fragaria-virginiana-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Strawberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Wild Strawberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Fragaria virginiana<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Tiny wild strawberries, far more intense than any store berry, and completely safe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/fragaria-virginiana-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Strawberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Vintagenie, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/fragaria-virginiana-2.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Strawberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/fragaria-virginiana-3.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Strawberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A low groundcover with three-part leaves, white flowers, and tiny red strawberries in meadows and forest edges.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low groundcover spreading by runners.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves in threes, toothed, blue-green.<\/li>\n<li>White five-petaled flowers with a yellow center.<\/li>\n<li>Tiny true strawberries with seeds set into the surface.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Meadows, open forest, and trail edges, low to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Small but intensely flavored, far better than any grocery strawberry. Completely safe. The leaves also make a fine tea.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The lookalike &#8220;mock strawberry&#8221; has yellow flowers and bland fruit but is not toxic; true wild strawberry has white flowers and superb flavor.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The garden strawberry was bred partly from this species; wild plants reward patient picking with unmatched flavor.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"rubus-parviflorus\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-parviflorus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Thimbleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Thimbleberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Rubus parviflorus<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A thornless bramble with big soft maple-shaped leaves and shallow, cap-like red berries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-parviflorus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Thimbleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-parviflorus-2.jpg\" alt=\"Thimbleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Ryan McMinds, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-parviflorus-3.jpg\" alt=\"Thimbleberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Ryan McMinds, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A thornless bramble with big soft maple-shaped leaves, white flowers, and shallow, cap-like red berries you pick like a thimble.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Thornless (unarmed) shrub with large, soft, fuzzy, maple-shaped leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Large white five-petaled flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Berries shallow, domed, and hollow like a thimble, bright red when ripe, falling apart easily.<\/li>\n<li>Forms colonies in moist ground.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Moist forest, streamsides, and clearings, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Soft, tart-sweet, and safe. Delicate and doesn&#8217;t keep, so eat them on the spot.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>No thorns and big maple-like leaves separate it from raspberries; all these Rubus are edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The berries are too soft to ship, which is why you only ever taste them in the wild.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"rubus-idaeus\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-idaeus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Red Raspberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Wild Red Raspberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Rubus idaeus<\/em> &middot; Rose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The wild ancestor of the garden raspberry, unmistakable and delicious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-idaeus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Red Raspberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-idaeus-2.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Red Raspberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Didier Descouens, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rubus-idaeus-3.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Red Raspberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The wild ancestor of the garden raspberry, with arching prickly canes and true red raspberries in rocky, disturbed ground.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Arching canes with slender prickles.<\/li>\n<li>Compound leaves of 3 to 5 toothed leaflets, white-woolly beneath.<\/li>\n<li>White flowers, then true raspberries.<\/li>\n<li>Berry pulls off its core hollow, exactly like a store raspberry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Rocky slopes, burns, clearings, and roadsides, low to high elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Unmistakable and delicious, exactly like a small store raspberry. One of the safest wild fruits to learn.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The hollow-picking red berry and prickly canes are diagnostic; all wild raspberries and blackberries are edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Thrives on disturbed and burned ground, so recent burns can produce spectacular raspberry crops.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"ribes-inerme\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-inerme-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Gooseberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Wild Gooseberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Ribes inerme<\/em> &middot; Gooseberry family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A spiny currant relative with striped, tart berries marked by a dried flower tail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery g2\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-inerme-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Gooseberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; DouglasGoldman, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/ribes-inerme-2.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Gooseberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A currant relative armed with spines, bearing striped green-to-purple berries marked with the dried flower tail at the tip.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Shrub armed with <strong>spines<\/strong> at the leaf nodes (unlike the thornless currants).<\/li>\n<li>Small maple-like lobed leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Small greenish to pink dangling flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Round berries with faint stripes and a dried flower &#8220;tail&#8221; at the tip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Streamsides, moist slopes, and thickets, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Berries are edible raw when ripe and excellent cooked into pie or jam, tart with a bit of prickle to navigate.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Spines separate gooseberries from the thornless currants; all native Ribes are edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Gooseberries and currants were once banned in parts of the U.S. because they host white pine blister rust.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"shepherdia-canadensis\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/shepherdia-canadensis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Russet Buffaloberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Russet Buffaloberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible but bitter<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Shepherdia canadensis<\/em> &middot; Oleaster family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Tart, soapy red berries (whipped into &#8220;Indian ice cream&#8221;); bitter and vitamin-rich.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/shepherdia-canadensis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Russet Buffaloberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Robert Flogaus-Faust, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/shepherdia-canadensis-2.jpg\" alt=\"Russet Buffaloberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/shepherdia-canadensis-3.jpg\" alt=\"Russet Buffaloberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A shrub with silvery-scaly leaf undersides and translucent red-orange berries, also called soapberry for its foamy juice.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Shrub with opposite oval leaves, dark green above and silver-scaly with rusty dots beneath.<\/li>\n<li>Twigs and buds coated in rusty-brown scales.<\/li>\n<li>Small inconspicuous flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Translucent red-orange berries with a bitter, soapy taste.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Open forest, streamsides, and rocky slopes, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Edible and vitamin-rich but notably bitter and soapy (saponins). Traditionally whipped into &#8220;Indian ice cream&#8221;; eating a lot raw can upset the stomach.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The silver-and-rust scaly leaf undersides are diagnostic; the bitter soapy taste distinguishes it from sweet red berries.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The saponins let the crushed berries whip up like egg whites into a frothy traditional dessert.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"actaea-rubra\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/actaea-rubra-1.jpg\" alt=\"Baneberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Baneberry <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Deadly poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Actaea rubra<\/em> &middot; Buttercup family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Glossy red (or white) berries on thick stalks; highly toxic. A handful can kill a child.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/actaea-rubra-1.jpg\" alt=\"Baneberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Dan McKay from Winnipeg, Canada, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/actaea-rubra-2.jpg\" alt=\"Baneberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Kurt St\u00fcber [1], <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/actaea-rubra-3.jpg\" alt=\"Baneberry\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Alex djabeg, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A woodland plant with lacy leaves and a tight cluster of glossy red (sometimes white &#8220;doll&#8217;s-eyes&#8221;) berries on thick red stalks.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Leafy perennial, 1 to 3 ft, with large, toothed, sharply divided leaves.<\/li>\n<li>A tight cluster of glossy berries on <strong>thick, often reddish, stalks<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Berries shiny red, or white with a dark eye (doll&#8217;s-eyes), each with a dark dot.<\/li>\n<li>Grows in shaded, moist forest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Shaded, moist forest and streamsides, mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Highly toxic. The berries and roots can cause cardiac arrest; a small handful of berries can be fatal to a child. Never eat. Learn to recognize it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The glossy berries on thick stalks separate it from soft-clustered edible berries; the whole plant is in the buttercup family and is poisonous.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The bright, candy-like berries are the danger, especially to children; teach kids to recognize and avoid it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"streptopus-amplexifolius\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/streptopus-amplexifolius-1.jpg\" alt=\"Claspleaf Twisted-stalk\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Claspleaf Twisted-stalk <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible, easily confused<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Streptopus amplexifolius<\/em> &middot; Lily family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Arching kinked stems with red berries dangling on twisted stalks; edible but for experts only.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/streptopus-amplexifolius-1.jpg\" alt=\"Claspleaf Twisted-stalk\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Alpsdake, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/streptopus-amplexifolius-2.jpg\" alt=\"Claspleaf Twisted-stalk\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Kris1304 A, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/streptopus-amplexifolius-3.jpg\" alt=\"Claspleaf Twisted-stalk\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/us\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 3.0 us<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>An arching, kinked stem with clasping leaves and small red-orange berries dangling on twisted stalks beneath, in wet forest.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Arching stem with a distinctive zig-zag &#8220;kink&#8221; at each leaf node.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves clasp the stem and are arranged in two ranks.<\/li>\n<li>Small greenish-white bell flowers, then berries, hang <strong>below<\/strong> the stem on sharply twisted stalks.<\/li>\n<li>Red to orange translucent berries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Wet, shaded forest and streamsides, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Young shoots and berries are edible with a cucumber taste, but the plant resembles toxic lookalikes when not in fruit. For experts only.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Out of fruit it can resemble false hellebore and other toxic lilies; only harvest when the twisted, dangling berries confirm the ID.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The &#8220;twisted stalk&#8221; name comes from the sharp bend in each fruit stalk, a reliable ID feature once berries form.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"bittersweet-nightshade\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/bittersweet-nightshade-1.jpg\" alt=\"Bittersweet Nightshade\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Bittersweet Nightshade <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Solanum dulcamara<\/em> &middot; Nightshade family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A sprawling vine with purple star flowers and red berries; all parts are toxic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/bittersweet-nightshade-1.jpg\" alt=\"Bittersweet Nightshade\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; David Eickhoff from Pearl City, Hawaii, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/bittersweet-nightshade-2.jpg\" alt=\"Bittersweet Nightshade\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/bittersweet-nightshade-3.jpg\" alt=\"Bittersweet Nightshade\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A sprawling vine with purple star flowers and dangling clusters of egg-shaped berries that ripen green to bright red, in damp, disturbed ground.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Sprawling or climbing vine with slightly lobed leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Flowers purple, star-shaped, with backswept petals and a protruding yellow &#8220;beak&#8221; of fused anthers.<\/li>\n<li>Berries egg-shaped, dangling in clusters, ripening green to glossy red.<\/li>\n<li>Damp, disturbed ground and thickets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Damp, disturbed ground, thickets, and stream edges, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Poisonous. All parts, especially the unripe berries, contain toxic solanine-type alkaloids. This introduced nightshade and its native cousins (such as cutleaf nightshade) are all to be treated as toxic. Do not eat.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The purple star flower with a yellow beak and dangling red berries is distinctive; do not confuse the red berries with any edible fruit.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>An introduced Eurasian relative of tomato and potato; the &#8220;bittersweet&#8221; name is from the taste of the toxic stems, not an invitation to try them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<h2 class=\"fg-cat\" id=\"cat-flowers\">Flowers<\/h2>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"balsamorhiza-sagittata\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/balsamorhiza-sagittata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Arrowleaf Balsamroot\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Arrowleaf Balsamroot <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Edible (traditional food)<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Balsamorhiza sagittata<\/em> &middot; Sunflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The golden sunflower that turns the foothills yellow in May; a traditional food from root to seed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery g2\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/balsamorhiza-sagittata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Arrowleaf Balsamroot\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Thayne Tuason, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/balsamorhiza-sagittata-3.jpg\" alt=\"Arrowleaf Balsamroot\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The big golden sunflower that washes entire foothills yellow in May, over large silver arrowhead leaves, a cornerstone food of Native peoples.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Clump-forming perennial, 1 to 2 ft, from a deep woody taproot.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves basal and large (up to a foot), triangular and arrowhead-shaped, gray-green and softly hairy (silvery).<\/li>\n<li>Sunflower-like heads 3 to 4 in across, bright yellow rays around a yellow center, usually one per stalk.<\/li>\n<li>Blooms in a spectacular foothill display.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry sagebrush foothills, open hillsides, and juniper edges, low to mid elevation. Peak bloom in May.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Widely used traditionally: young leaves and flower stalks as cooked greens, seeds roasted (oily, sunflower-seed-like), and the large taproot pit-roasted. Bitter but genuinely edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Mule&#8217;s ears grows alongside and looks similar but has glossy green (not silvery arrowhead) leaves and is not a food. Both are harmless to touch.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A drought-hardy native; the deep taproot lets it green up early. Don&#8217;t dig the root casually, it takes years to regrow.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"chamerion-angustifolium\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/chamerion-angustifolium-1.jpg\" alt=\"Fireweed\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Fireweed <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Chamerion angustifolium<\/em> &middot; Evening primrose family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Tall magenta-pink spikes that blanket burned and cleared ground; a reliable, friendly wild green.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery g2\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/chamerion-angustifolium-1.jpg\" alt=\"Fireweed\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/chamerion-angustifolium-3.jpg\" alt=\"Fireweed\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Dcrjsr, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Tall spikes of magenta-pink flowers that blanket burned and cleared ground, a signature of recovering mountain slopes.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Tall, single, unbranched stalk 2 to 6 ft high.<\/li>\n<li>Willow-like narrow leaves with a pale midvein; veins loop and do not reach the leaf edge.<\/li>\n<li>A long spike of four-petaled magenta-pink flowers that opens from the bottom up.<\/li>\n<li>Later forms slender pods that split into silky, wind-borne seed fluff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Burns, clearings, roadsides, and open slopes, low to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Young spring shoots are eaten like asparagus, the leaves make a well-known tea, and the flowers are edible. A reliable, friendly wild green.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The looping leaf veins and bottom-up magenta spike are diagnostic; no toxic lookalike shares this exact form.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Named for the way it floods in after wildfire; a classic pioneer that heals scorched ground.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"erythronium-grandiflorum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/erythronium-grandiflorum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Glacier Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Glacier Lily <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible in moderation<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Erythronium grandiflorum<\/em> &middot; Lily family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Nodding yellow lilies at the edge of melting snow; edible, but don&#8217;t dig them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/erythronium-grandiflorum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Glacier Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/erythronium-grandiflorum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Glacier Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Murray Foubister, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/erythronium-grandiflorum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Glacier Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Nodding, swept-back yellow lilies that bloom at the edge of melting snowfields, one of the first flowers of the high country.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>A pair of broad, glossy, basal leaves at ground level.<\/li>\n<li>A single nodding flower (sometimes two or three) with six bright yellow, swept-back tepals.<\/li>\n<li>Blooms right as the snow melts, often in drifts.<\/li>\n<li>Grows from a deep bulb.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Moist meadows and slopes at the edge of receding snow, mid to high elevation, spring.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Leaves, flowers, and bulbs are edible and were dug by Native peoples and bears, but large amounts of raw bulb can cause nausea. Don&#8217;t dig them, they&#8217;re slow to recover.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The nodding yellow lily with swept-back tepals is distinctive; unlike wild bulbs to avoid, but still harvest only with certainty.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Also called dogtooth violet or avalanche lily; grizzlies dig the bulbs on high slopes in spring.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"camassia-quamash\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/camassia-quamash-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Common Camas <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible, DEADLY twin<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Camassia quamash<\/em> &middot; Asparagus family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A famous edible bulb, but it grows mixed with lethal death camas. Only harvest in flower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/camassia-quamash-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/camassia-quamash-2.jpg\" alt=\"Common Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/camassia-quamash-3.jpg\" alt=\"Common Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Star-shaped blue-purple flowers that turn wet mountain meadows into lakes of blue in early summer, a historically vital food bulb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Grass-like basal leaves from a deep bulb.<\/li>\n<li>A stalk topped with a spike of <strong>blue to blue-purple<\/strong>, six-tepaled star flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Turns wet meadows solid blue when blooming in early summer.<\/li>\n<li>Grows in the same meadows as deadly death camas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Wet meadows and moist grassy slopes, low to mid elevation, early summer.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The cooked bulb is a famous, nourishing food, but it grows mixed with lethal death camas and the bulbs are nearly identical out of bloom. Only harvest when the blue flower is present and you are certain. Beginners: don&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Blue flowers = camas; creamy-white flowers = deadly death camas.<\/strong> The bulbs cannot be told apart, so harvest only in full bloom.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Camas fields were so valued that they were tended and fought over; the bulbs were pit-roasted for days to turn starch into sweet sugar.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"toxicoscordion-venenosum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/toxicoscordion-venenosum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Meadow Death Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Meadow Death Camas <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Deadly poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Toxicoscordion venenosum<\/em> &middot; Bunchflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">One of Idaho&#8217;s deadliest plants; its bulb is mistaken for wild onion or camas every year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/toxicoscordion-venenosum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Meadow Death Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Craig Martin, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/toxicoscordion-venenosum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Meadow Death Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/toxicoscordion-venenosum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Meadow Death Camas\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A grass-like meadow lily and one of the deadliest plants in Idaho, whose bulb is mistaken for wild onion or edible camas, sometimes fatally.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Grass-like, V-creased basal leaves from an onion-like bulb, but with <strong>no onion smell<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>A stalk 8 to 24 in tall topped with a tight cluster of creamy-white to greenish six-tepaled flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Each flower has a small greenish gland at the base of each tepal.<\/li>\n<li>Blooms spring to early summer, often with blue camas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Meadows, grassy slopes, and sagebrush openings, low to mid elevation, often mixed with camas and wild onion.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Do not eat any part. It contains zygacine and related alkaloids; even a small amount of bulb can cause vomiting, collapse, and death. There is no safe preparation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Looks like wild onion (but no onion smell) and, out of bloom, like edible blue camas (whose flowers are blue-purple, not creamy-white). Never harvest a wild bulb unless the plant is in flower and positively identified.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Also poisons livestock, hence the name. Learning to recognize it on sight is one of the most valuable field skills in these mountains.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"linum-lewisii\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/linum-lewisii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Blue Flax\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Wild Blue Flax <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Seeds only, prepared<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Linum lewisii<\/em> &middot; Flax family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Delicate sky-blue flowers on wiry stems; ripe seeds edible, but raw seeds are best avoided.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/linum-lewisii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Blue Flax\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/linum-lewisii-2.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Blue Flax\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/linum-lewisii-3.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Blue Flax\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Delicate sky-blue five-petaled flowers on slender, wiry stems, opening in the morning and dropping their petals by afternoon.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Slender, wiry stems 1 to 2 ft tall.<\/li>\n<li>Many small, narrow, alternate leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Sky-blue, five-petaled flowers that open in the morning and shed petals by afternoon.<\/li>\n<li>Round dry seed capsules follow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry open slopes, meadows, and roadsides, low to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Ripe seeds are edible and nutritious like commercial flax, but raw seeds contain cyanogenic compounds, so eat in moderation and ideally cooked. The foliage is not food.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The fleeting sky-blue flowers on wiry stems are distinctive; only the ripe seeds are used.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A tough native wildflower named for Meriwether Lewis; the strong stems yielded cordage and the seeds an oil.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"geranium-viscosissimum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/geranium-viscosissimum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sticky Purple Geranium\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Sticky Purple Geranium <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not really edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Geranium viscosissimum<\/em> &middot; Geranium family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Pink-purple veined flowers over sticky lobed leaves; a garnish at most, not food.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/geranium-viscosissimum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sticky Purple Geranium\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; RG Johnsson, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/geranium-viscosissimum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Sticky Purple Geranium\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/geranium-viscosissimum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Sticky Purple Geranium\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; James St. John, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Pink-purple five-petaled flowers with dark veins, over deeply lobed sticky leaves, common in aspen groves and meadows.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Bushy perennial 1 to 2 ft tall with sticky (glandular) hairs throughout.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves deeply palmately lobed and toothed.<\/li>\n<li>Pink to magenta flowers with darker purple veins.<\/li>\n<li>Beaked &#8220;cranesbill&#8221; seed pods that fling seeds when ripe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Aspen groves, meadows, and open slopes, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not a food plant. The flowers are a harmless edible garnish, but the leaves and roots are astringent medicine, not eating.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The sticky lobed leaves and cranesbill seed pods are diagnostic; harmless but not a foraging target.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The dark veins act as nectar guides, steering bees to the flower&#8217;s center.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"achillea-millefolium\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/achillea-millefolium-1.jpg\" alt=\"Yarrow\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Yarrow <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Medicinal, small amounts<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Achillea millefolium<\/em> &middot; Sunflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Flat white flower clusters over feathery leaves; a classic wound herb, strongly medicinal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/achillea-millefolium-1.jpg\" alt=\"Yarrow\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/achillea-millefolium-2.jpg\" alt=\"Yarrow\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/achillea-millefolium-3.jpg\" alt=\"Yarrow\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Flat-topped clusters of tiny white flowers over feathery, fern-like leaves, one of the most widespread plants in the mountains.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Upright plant 1 to 2 ft with a single stem.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves soft, very finely divided and feathery (millefolium means thousand-leaf), aromatic.<\/li>\n<li>Flat-topped clusters of many small white (rarely pink) flower heads.<\/li>\n<li>Strong, sweet-medicinal smell when crushed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Meadows, roadsides, slopes, and open forest, low to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Leaves are edible in small amounts as a bitter herb or tea and are a classic wound remedy, but it&#8217;s strongly medicinal, not a salad green. Avoid in pregnancy.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The feathery aromatic leaves separate it from toxic white-flowered carrot-family plants, which have broader leaflets and hollow stems.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Named for Achilles, who legend says used it to staunch soldiers&#8217; wounds; a genuine traditional first-aid plant.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"lupinus-argenteus\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/lupinus-argenteus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Silvery Lupine\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Silvery Lupine <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Lupinus argenteus<\/em> &middot; Pea family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Beautiful blue-purple pea spikes over silvery hand-shaped leaves, and toxic in every part.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/lupinus-argenteus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Silvery Lupine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Sarah Allen, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/lupinus-argenteus-2.jpg\" alt=\"Silvery Lupine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/lupinus-argenteus-3.jpg\" alt=\"Silvery Lupine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Spikes of blue-purple pea flowers over silvery, hand-shaped leaves, beautiful and everywhere in summer meadows.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Bushy perennial with silvery-hairy foliage.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves palmately compound, the leaflets radiating from one point like fingers of a hand.<\/li>\n<li>Tall spikes of blue-purple pea-type flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Fuzzy pea pods follow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Meadows, open slopes, and roadsides, low to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Wild lupines contain toxic alkaloids, especially in the seeds and pods, and can poison people and livestock. Do not eat any part.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The hand-shaped (palmate) leaves distinguish lupine from harmless clovers and vetches; do not treat wild lupine seeds as edible beans.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A nitrogen-fixer that enriches mountain soil, but a well-known cause of livestock poisoning and birth defects in grazing animals.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"castilleja-miniata\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/castilleja-miniata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Indian Paintbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Indian Paintbrush <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Flowers only, sparingly<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Castilleja miniata<\/em> &middot; Broomrape family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The flame-red &#8220;brush dipped in paint&#8221; of mountain meadows; flowers edible only in tiny amounts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/castilleja-miniata-1.jpg\" alt=\"Indian Paintbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/castilleja-miniata-2.jpg\" alt=\"Indian Paintbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Murray Foubister, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/castilleja-miniata-3.jpg\" alt=\"Indian Paintbrush\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Murray Foubister, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The flame-red brush of mountain meadows, where the color comes from leafy bracts rather than true petals.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Clumped stems 1 to 2 ft tall.<\/li>\n<li>The showy red-orange color is from leafy <strong>bracts<\/strong>, not petals; the true flowers are green tubes hidden among them.<\/li>\n<li>Narrow, often three-lobed leaves.<\/li>\n<li>A partial root-parasite that taps neighboring plants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Meadows, streamsides, and open slopes, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The flowers are edible in small amounts, but the plant can concentrate selenium from the soil to toxic levels, so never eat the greens or roots and don&#8217;t make a meal of it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The colored bracts (not petals) and root-parasite habit are distinctive; enjoy the color rather than foraging it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Because it borrows from its neighbors&#8217; roots, it can pull up toxins (like selenium) they contain, which is why it is not a reliable edible.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"calochortus-nuttallii\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/calochortus-nuttallii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sego Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Sego Lily <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible bulb, don&#8217;t dig<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Calochortus nuttallii<\/em> &middot; Lily family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">An elegant white cup with a painted center; edible bulb that once saved settlers, but leave it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/calochortus-nuttallii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sego Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/calochortus-nuttallii-2.jpg\" alt=\"Sego Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/calochortus-nuttallii-3.jpg\" alt=\"Sego Lily\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>An elegant white three-petaled cup with a yellow-and-purple center, on a thin stem in dry foothills, and a regional icon.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Slender stem 6 to 18 in with a few grass-like leaves.<\/li>\n<li>A single upward-facing cup of three broad white (sometimes lilac) petals.<\/li>\n<li>A yellow band and a dark purple spot mark the base of each petal.<\/li>\n<li>Grows from a small edible bulb.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry foothills, sagebrush, and open slopes, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The bulb is edible and famously kept pioneers alive during famine, but the flowers are uncommon and slow to grow. Admire, photograph, and leave it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The painted three-petaled white cup is unmistakable; unlike deadly wild bulbs, but rare enough that it should not be dug.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Utah&#8217;s state flower, honored for feeding Mormon settlers during crop failures; too special now to harvest casually.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"pedicularis-groenlandica\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pedicularis-groenlandica-1.jpg\" alt=\"Elephant&#039;s Head\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Elephant&#8217;s Head <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not recommended<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Pedicularis groenlandica<\/em> &middot; Broomrape family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Pink flower spikes shaped like tiny elephant heads, trunk and all. Enjoy, don&#8217;t eat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pedicularis-groenlandica-1.jpg\" alt=\"Elephant&#039;s Head\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pedicularis-groenlandica-2.jpg\" alt=\"Elephant&#039;s Head\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/pedicularis-groenlandica-3.jpg\" alt=\"Elephant&#039;s Head\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Unmistakable pink flower spikes where each tiny bloom is shaped like an elephant&#8217;s head, trunk and all, in wet subalpine meadows.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Stalk of densely packed pink-purple flowers.<\/li>\n<li>Each flower genuinely resembles an <strong>elephant&#8217;s head<\/strong>, with two ears and an upcurved trunk.<\/li>\n<li>Fern-like, finely divided leaves, often reddish.<\/li>\n<li>Grows in wet meadows and along cold streams.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Wet subalpine meadows, streambanks, and seeps, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>A root parasite that can draw toxins from neighboring plants; treated as non-food. Enjoy it purely for the remarkable flowers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The elephant-head flowers are impossible to confuse; a photography subject, not a food.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Like paintbrush, it is a partial root-parasite, which is why it is not considered a safe edible.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"heracleum-maximum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/heracleum-maximum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Cow Parsnip\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Cow Parsnip <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible but risky<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Heracleum maximum<\/em> &middot; Carrot family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A giant white-umbrella herb; young stalks are edible cooked, but the sap burns and hemlocks look alike.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/heracleum-maximum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Cow Parsnip\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Dcrjsr, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/heracleum-maximum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Cow Parsnip\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Beeblebrox, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/heracleum-maximum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Cow Parsnip\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Beeblebrox, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A giant of wet meadows and creeksides: huge maple-like leaves and broad white umbrella flower heads on stalks taller than a person.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Very large plant, often 4 to 8 ft tall, with a stout, ridged, hollow stem.<\/li>\n<li>Enormous maple-like leaves, often a foot or more across, in threes.<\/li>\n<li>Broad, flat-topped white flower umbrellas up to a foot wide.<\/li>\n<li>Watery sap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Wet meadows, streamsides, ditches, and shaded draws, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Young peeled stalks are edible cooked, BUT the sap causes severe sun-triggered skin burns, and it lives among deadly water hemlock and poison hemlock lookalikes. Not a beginner plant.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Resembles the deadly water hemlock and poison hemlock; cow parsnip is much larger with huge leaves, but do not eat any carrot-family plant without expert confirmation. Wear sleeves; the sap plus sunlight blisters skin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The largest native member of the carrot family here; handling it on a sunny day can leave lasting burn marks (phytophotodermatitis).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"aconitum-columbianum\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/aconitum-columbianum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Monkshood\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Western Monkshood <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Deadly poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Aconitum columbianum<\/em> &middot; Buttercup family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Deep blue hooded flowers; every part is deadly, and the poison even absorbs through skin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/aconitum-columbianum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Monkshood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/aconitum-columbianum-2.jpg\" alt=\"Western Monkshood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/aconitum-columbianum-3.jpg\" alt=\"Western Monkshood\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Deep blue-purple flowers, each with a distinctive hood shaped like a monk&#8217;s cowl, on tall stalks in wet mountain meadows.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Tall leafy stalk 2 to 6 ft high.<\/li>\n<li>Deeply lobed, sharply toothed maple-like leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Deep blue-purple flowers, each with an unmistakable arched <strong>hood<\/strong> (like a monk&#8217;s cowl).<\/li>\n<li>Wet meadows and streamsides.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Wet meadows, streambanks, and shaded seeps, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Every part is dangerously toxic (aconitine) and the poison can even absorb through the skin. Never eat it, and wash your hands if you handle it. Do not confuse young plants with edible greens.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The hooded flower is diagnostic; young non-flowering plants resemble larkspur and other buttercup-family greens, all of which are toxic here.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Historically a poison for arrows and pests; one of the most toxic plants in the mountains, so admire from a distance.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"cicuta-douglasii\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cicuta-douglasii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Water Hemlock\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Western Water Hemlock <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Deadliest plant here<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Cicuta douglasii<\/em> &middot; Carrot family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The most poisonous plant in North America; a single bite of root can kill. Learn this one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cicuta-douglasii-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Water Hemlock\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cicuta-douglasii-2.jpg\" alt=\"Western Water Hemlock\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/cicuta-douglasii-3.jpg\" alt=\"Western Water Hemlock\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Erin Springinotic, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A wetland member of the carrot family and the deadliest plant in the region, whose root can kill an adult within hours.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Stout plant 2 to 6 ft tall, always in wet ground.<\/li>\n<li>Stem hollow, often purple-streaked or mottled near the base.<\/li>\n<li>Leaves twice or thrice compound with sharply toothed leaflets; the veins run to the <strong>notches<\/strong> between the teeth, not the tips.<\/li>\n<li>Cut stem base shows chambered cross-partitions and oily sap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Ditches, stream edges, marshes, and wet meadows, always in or beside water.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Never eat, taste, or even handle then touch your mouth. It contains cicutoxin; a single bite of root can be fatal, causing violent seizures. There is no antidote and no safe part.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Resembles cow parsnip, water parsnip, and wild carrot, some edible. Because this family holds both good food and the deadliest plants, never eat any wild carrot-family plant without expert-confirmed identification.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>If you learn only one dangerous plant in these mountains, learn this one. The veins-to-the-notches leaf clue is a classic tell.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"wyethia-amplexicaulis\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wyethia-amplexicaulis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Mule&#039;s Ears\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Mule&#8217;s Ears <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Wyethia amplexicaulis<\/em> &middot; Sunflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Big glossy mule-ear leaves and yellow sunflowers; bitter and not a food, unlike look-alike balsamroot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wyethia-amplexicaulis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Mule&#039;s Ears\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Thayne Tuason, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wyethia-amplexicaulis-2.jpg\" alt=\"Mule&#039;s Ears\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wyethia-amplexicaulis-3.jpg\" alt=\"Mule&#039;s Ears\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Famartin, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Big, glossy, mule-ear-shaped leaves and large yellow sunflower blooms that cover hillsides, often confused with balsamroot.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Clump of large, glossy, <strong>green<\/strong> (not silvery) leaves shaped like a mule&#8217;s ear.<\/li>\n<li>Several large yellow sunflower heads per clump (balsamroot usually has one per stalk).<\/li>\n<li>Leaves clasp the stem (amplexicaulis) and are resinous and shiny.<\/li>\n<li>Grows in dense colonies on hillsides.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Moist meadows, open slopes, and foothills, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Bitter and resinous; not a food plant, unlike the balsamroot it resembles. The seeds saw only minor traditional use.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The key contrast with edible arrowleaf balsamroot: mule&#8217;s ears has glossy green (not silvery), stem-clasping leaves and multiple flower heads.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Often forms solid stands that outcompete grass; livestock avoid its bitter, resinous foliage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"wild-onion\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-onion-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Onion (Nodding Onion)\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Wild Onion (Nodding Onion) <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible, always smell-test<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Allium cernuum<\/em> &middot; Amaryllis family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A real wild onion, edible after the smell test, because its deadly twin grows right beside it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-onion-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Onion (Nodding Onion)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; ghislain118, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-onion-2.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Onion (Nodding Onion)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-onion-3.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Onion (Nodding Onion)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A true wild onion of meadows and rocky slopes, and the single most important edibility lesson in these mountains.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Grass-like, flat basal leaves rising from a small bulb.<\/li>\n<li>A single leafless stalk 6 to 18 in tall ending in a <strong>nodding<\/strong> cluster of pink-to-white star flowers.<\/li>\n<li>The whole plant smells strongly of onion or garlic when crushed; this smell is the test.<\/li>\n<li>Grows in meadows and on rocky slopes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Moist to dry meadows, open woods, and rocky slopes, spring into mid-summer.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Bulb and greens are edible and good, raw or cooked, but only after the smell test. If a crushed bulb or leaf does not smell like onion or garlic, it is not an onion. Never taste-test to decide.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Death camas<\/strong> shares the grass-like leaves and bulb and can kill; it has NO onion smell and creamy-white upright flowers (not nodding pink). Out of flower, the smell is your only safe test, so if in doubt, leave it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>Foraging wild bulbs is the most dangerous common mistake in the region. Learn onion and death camas as a pair, in flower, with an expert, before digging a bulb.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"stinging-nettle\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/stinging-nettle-1.jpg\" alt=\"Stinging Nettle\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Stinging Nettle <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible cooked<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Urtica dioica<\/em> &middot; Nettle family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">One of the best wild greens once cooked; the raw sting is real, but dock growing nearby soothes it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/stinging-nettle-1.jpg\" alt=\"Stinging Nettle\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Evelyn Simak\u00a0, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/stinging-nettle-2.jpg\" alt=\"Stinging Nettle\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Industrees, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/stinging-nettle-3.jpg\" alt=\"Stinging Nettle\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; VerboseDreamer, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Upright square stems and toothed, arrowhead leaves covered in fine stinging hairs, in moist rich soil. Brush against it bare-skinned and you will not forget it, but cooked it is one of the finest wild greens in these mountains.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Upright plant 2 to 6 ft with a square stem.<\/li>\n<li>Opposite, toothed, arrowhead-shaped leaves that taper to a point.<\/li>\n<li>Fine <strong>stinging hairs<\/strong> bristling on the stems and leaf undersides.<\/li>\n<li>Tiny greenish flowers in dangling, tassel-like clusters from the leaf axils.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Moist, rich soil along creeks, in aspen groves, and disturbed shady ground, low to mid elevation, often in dense patches.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>One of the best wild greens once cooked, steamed, or dried, which completely destroys the sting; raw leaves deliver a painful, welting sting. Harvest the top few inches of young plants with gloves. Rich in iron, protein, and vitamins.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The sting is the real hazard: the hollow hairs work like tiny needles, injecting formic acid, histamine, and other irritants the instant you touch them, raising burning, itchy welts that can last several hours. Handle only with gloves, and do not rub or scratch a sting, which only spreads it. <strong>To treat:<\/strong> rinse with cool water and a little soap without rubbing, then leave it alone; a cool compress eases the burn, which fades on its own within a few hours. The square stem and opposite toothed leaves confirm the plant.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>The classic trailside antidote is dock, which conveniently grows in the same damp ground: crush a dock leaf and rub its cool juice on the welts (jewelweed works too). Cooking, steaming, or thoroughly drying removes the sting entirely, turning nettle into a powerhouse wild food and spring tonic; the tough stem fibers were even spun into cordage and cloth.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"buttercup\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/buttercup-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sagebrush Buttercup\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Sagebrush Buttercup <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Ranunculus glaberrimus<\/em> &middot; Buttercup family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Glossy yellow among the first spring blooms of the foothills, and toxic. Do not eat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/buttercup-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sagebrush Buttercup\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/buttercup-2.jpg\" alt=\"Sagebrush Buttercup\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Delta2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/buttercup-3.jpg\" alt=\"Sagebrush Buttercup\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Ranunculus_glaberrimus_(5384213151).jpg: Matt Lavin derivative work: Peter coxhead, Sminthopsis84, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Glossy, deep-yellow five-petaled flowers, among the very first blooms to appear as the snow leaves the sagebrush foothills.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Low plant, only a few inches tall, blooming very early.<\/li>\n<li>Glossy, waxy, deep-yellow five-petaled flowers that look varnished.<\/li>\n<li>Basal leaves rounded to lobed.<\/li>\n<li>Among the first flowers of spring in the sagebrush.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Sagebrush foothills and open slopes, low to mid elevation, very early spring.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Toxic. Buttercups contain protoanemonin, which blisters the skin and mouth and sickens grazing animals. Not deadly the way monkshood is, but never eat it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The varnished yellow petals mark it as a buttercup; the whole family is acrid and toxic, so treat all wild buttercups as not-food.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A cheerful sign that spring has arrived; the acrid taste keeps most animals from eating enough to be harmed.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"wild-mint\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-mint-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Mint (Field Mint)\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Wild Mint (Field Mint) <span class=\"fg-badge b-edible\">&#9989; Easily edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Mentha arvensis<\/em> &middot; Mint family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The one strongly mint-scented plant here; edible and wonderful for tea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-mint-1.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Mint (Field Mint)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Ivar Leidus, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-mint-2.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Mint (Field Mint)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Ivar Leidus, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/wild-mint-3.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Mint (Field Mint)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Danny S., <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>The one truly minty-smelling plant of these mountains: square stems, opposite toothed leaves, and small lilac flower clusters in wet ground.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Square stem (like all mints).<\/li>\n<li>Opposite, toothed, aromatic leaves that smell strongly of mint when crushed.<\/li>\n<li>Small lilac to white flower clusters tucked where the leaves meet the stem (not at the tip).<\/li>\n<li>Always in wet ground.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Streamsides, wet meadows, ditches, and springs, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9989; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Edible and wonderful for tea; the powerful mint smell is your confirmation. Native field mint; garden escapees like spearmint and peppermint turn up near old homesteads too.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The strong mint smell plus square stem confirms it; look-alike square-stemmed mints without the smell are not true mint but are not dangerous here.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A refreshing trailside tea and a traditional remedy for upset stomach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"curly-dock\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/curly-dock-1.jpg\" alt=\"Curly Dock\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Curly Dock <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible in moderation<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Rumex crispus<\/em> &middot; Buckwheat family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A rusty-brown seed stalk over wavy leaves; edible greens and seeds, and the classic nettle-sting antidote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/curly-dock-1.jpg\" alt=\"Curly Dock\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Olivier Pichard, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/curly-dock-2.jpg\" alt=\"Curly Dock\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/curly-dock-3.jpg\" alt=\"Curly Dock\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A tall stalk of rusty-brown papery seed clusters over long, wavy-edged leaves, conspicuous by late summer. Introduced but naturalized everywhere.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Tall (2 to 4 ft) single seed stalk turning rust-brown.<\/li>\n<li>Long, lance-shaped leaves with distinctly <strong>wavy, curled<\/strong> edges.<\/li>\n<li>Dense clusters of small papery, rust-colored seeds.<\/li>\n<li>A thin papery sheath (ocrea) wraps the stem at each leaf base (a buckwheat-family trait).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Disturbed ground, fields, roadsides, ditches, and meadows, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Young leaves are edible cooked and the seeds are edible ground; like spinach and rhubarb it is high in oxalic acid, so eat in moderation, especially raw. Native docks share the look.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The wavy leaf edges and rust-brown seed stalk are diagnostic; native docks are similar and also edible.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A cosmopolitan weed and a classic wild green; the seeds can be winnowed and ground into a flour extender. Dock is also the traditional on-the-spot remedy for a stinging-nettle sting: crush a leaf and rub the cool juice on the welts. Handily, it grows in the same damp, disturbed ground as nettle, so the cure is usually within arm&#8217;s reach of the sting.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"black-eyed-susan\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/black-eyed-susan-1.jpg\" alt=\"Black-eyed Susan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Black-eyed Susan <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Rudbeckia hirta<\/em> &middot; Sunflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A golden daisy with a dark dome; here mostly planted or roadside, not native mountain flora.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/black-eyed-susan-1.jpg\" alt=\"Black-eyed Susan\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/black-eyed-susan-2.jpg\" alt=\"Black-eyed Susan\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; State of Maryland, Maryland SHWA, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/black-eyed-susan-3.jpg\" alt=\"Black-eyed Susan\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; State of Maryland, Maryland SHWA, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Golden-yellow daisy petals around a dark chocolate-brown dome. Worth knowing, but not a native of these mountains: mostly a planted and roadside species here.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Coarse, bristly-hairy plant 1 to 3 ft tall.<\/li>\n<li>Golden-yellow ray petals around a raised dark <strong>brown-black<\/strong> center dome.<\/li>\n<li>Rough, hairy, lance-shaped leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Common on roadsides and in plantings rather than wild high country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Roadsides, plantings, and disturbed ground, low to mid elevation (not truly montane here).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not edible (mild traditional medicine only). The native East Idaho look-alike is blanketflower; the native green-domed relative is western coneflower.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The native yellow-daisy look-alikes are blanketflower (red-and-gold) and western coneflower (green dome); this one is largely introduced or planted.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A prairie and garden favorite that turns up along Western roads, but it is not a native mountain wildflower.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"red-clover\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/red-clover-1.jpg\" alt=\"Red Clover\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Red Clover <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Edible in moderation<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Trifolium pratense<\/em> &middot; Pea family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Rose-pink clover heads on roadsides; introduced, edible in moderation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/red-clover-1.jpg\" alt=\"Red Clover\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Ivar Leidus, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/red-clover-2.jpg\" alt=\"Red Clover\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Tero Karppinen from Finland, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/red-clover-3.jpg\" alt=\"Red Clover\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Tero Karppinen from Finland, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>Rounded rose-pink flower heads over leaves marked with a pale V, along roadsides and field edges. An introduced European forage plant.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Sprawling to upright plant with three-part (clover) leaves, each leaflet often marked with a pale V or crescent.<\/li>\n<li>Rounded rose-pink to magenta flower heads.<\/li>\n<li>Soft-hairy stems.<\/li>\n<li>Along roadsides, fields, and trail edges, more in valleys than high country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Roadsides, fields, pastures, and trail edges, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Flowers and leaves are edible in moderation, best cooked or dried (large raw amounts can cause bloating). The native mountain versions are clovers like longstalk clover.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The pale-V leaflets and pink round heads are distinctive; native mountain clovers fill the same role up high.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>An introduced forage and cover crop, valued by bees and as a nitrogen-fixer, now naturalized across the West.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"blanketflower\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/blanketflower-1.jpg\" alt=\"Blanketflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Blanketflower <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not edible<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Gaillardia aristata<\/em> &middot; Sunflower family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A native red-and-gold daisy of dry slopes; the true mountain counterpart to black-eyed Susan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/blanketflower-1.jpg\" alt=\"Blanketflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Walter Siegmund, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/blanketflower-2.jpg\" alt=\"Blanketflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich), <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/blanketflower-3.jpg\" alt=\"Blanketflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Butko, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A showy native daisy with red-and-gold rays, like a woven blanket, ringing a domed brown-purple center, on dry foothill slopes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Native perennial 1 to 2 ft tall with grayish, hairy leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Ray petals gold at the tips and <strong>red or maroon<\/strong> toward the center, three-lobed at the outer edge.<\/li>\n<li>A rounded brown-purple central dome.<\/li>\n<li>Dry foothill slopes and meadows.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry foothills, open slopes, and meadows, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not a food plant (some traditional medicinal use). Included as the native, mountain-belonging version of the black-eyed-Susan look.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The red-and-gold rays separate it from the all-yellow black-eyed Susan; this is the genuine native of the two.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A drought-hardy native wildflower and a favorite of native-plant gardeners and pollinators alike.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"common-mullein\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/common-mullein-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Mullein\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Common Mullein <span class=\"fg-badge b-no\">&#128683; Not a food<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Verbascum thapsus<\/em> &middot; Figwort family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">The fuzzy ground rosette many call &#8220;lamb&#8217;s ear,&#8221; dock-like at first, then a tall yellow spike.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/common-mullein-1.jpg\" alt=\"Common Mullein\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Forest &amp; Kim Starr, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/common-mullein-2.jpg\" alt=\"Common Mullein\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; W. Bulach, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/common-mullein-3.jpg\" alt=\"Common Mullein\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; AnRo0002, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>In its first year, a flat rosette of large, soft, silver-woolly leaves that look a lot like a dock plant; in its second year it shoots up a tall yellow spike. The very fuzzy plant many people here call &#8220;lamb&#8217;s ear.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>First year: a flat ground <strong>rosette<\/strong> of big, soft, densely woolly (fuzzy) pale-green leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Second year: a single tall spike, 3 to 7 ft, of yellow five-petaled flowers.<\/li>\n<li>The whole plant is felted with soft hairs.<\/li>\n<li>All over foothills, roadsides, and old burns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Disturbed ground, roadsides, foothills, and burns, low to mid elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#128683; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Not eaten. The leaves and flowers are a traditional cough and chest tea, and the big soft leaves earned the nickname &#8220;cowboy toilet paper,&#8221; but the fuzzy hairs irritate the throat. Medicinal, not food.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Often mistaken for garden lamb&#8217;s ear because of the fuzzy leaves; the ground rosette also resembles a dock plant before it bolts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>An introduced Eurasian biennial; the dried flower stalks were once dipped in tallow and burned as torches.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"western-wallflower\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/western-wallflower-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Wallflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Western Wallflower <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Toxic, do not eat<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Erysimum capitatum<\/em> &middot; Mustard family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A showy yellow mustard of the foothills, but the wallflower exception: toxic, do not eat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/western-wallflower-1.jpg\" alt=\"Western Wallflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Nicholaswei, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/western-wallflower-2.jpg\" alt=\"Western Wallflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/western-wallflower-3.jpg\" alt=\"Western Wallflower\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A showy spring bloomer of the foothills: a tight, rounded head of bright yellow four-petaled flowers over narrow, willow-like leaves.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Upright single stalk 1 to 2 ft tall.<\/li>\n<li>A rounded cluster of bright yellow (sometimes orange) flowers, each with <strong>four petals<\/strong> in a cross (a mustard-family mark).<\/li>\n<li>Narrow, willow-like leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Long, slender seed pods (siliques) point upward along the stem as it ages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Dry foothills, open slopes, and rocky ground, low to mid elevation, spring.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>It looks like an edible wild mustard, but wallflowers are the exception: they contain cardiac glycosides that act on the heart. Enjoy the color and leave it alone.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>Four-petaled yellow flowers mark it as a mustard, but unlike most edible mustards, wallflower is cardiotoxic, so do not eat it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A cheerful, common spring wildflower that is best admired rather than foraged.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant poison\" id=\"rock-clematis\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rock-clematis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rock Clematis (Blue Clematis)\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Rock Clematis (Blue Clematis) <span class=\"fg-badge b-poison\">&#9760;&#65039; Poisonous<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Clematis columbiana<\/em> &middot; Buttercup family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">A delicate native vine with nodding blue lantern flowers; pretty, but toxic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rock-clematis-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rock Clematis (Blue Clematis)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rock-clematis-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rock Clematis (Blue Clematis)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/rock-clematis-3.jpg\" alt=\"Rock Clematis (Blue Clematis)\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; NPS Staff, Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>A delicate native climbing vine that scrambles through streamside shrubs, hung with solitary, nodding, lantern-shaped blue flowers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Slender climbing or scrambling vine, often draped over shrubs.<\/li>\n<li>Solitary nodding flowers of four pointed <strong>blue-purple sepals<\/strong> that curl back at the tips (no true petals).<\/li>\n<li>Paired, divided leaves.<\/li>\n<li>Feathery, plume-tailed seed heads follow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Streamside thickets, rocky slopes, and open forest, mid elevation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9760;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>Toxic, like other clematis and its buttercup-family relatives: it contains protoanemonin, which blisters skin and mouth. Do not eat.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The nodding four-sepal blue lantern on a vine is unmistakable; also called Columbian virgin&#8217;s bower (syn. Clematis occidentalis).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>One of the prettiest wild vines in these mountains, best admired in place; the silky seed plumes are nearly as showy as the flowers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"fg-plant\" id=\"columbine\">\n<details>\n<summary>\n<div class=\"fg-sum\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"fg-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/columbine-1.jpg\" alt=\"Columbine\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-sumtext\">\n<h3>Columbine <span class=\"fg-badge b-caution\">&#9888;&#65039; Flower nibble only<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"fg-meta\"><em>Aquilegia coerulea<\/em> &middot; Buttercup family<\/div>\n<p class=\"fg-snip\">Nodding, long-spurred blue-and-white (or red) flowers of mountain woods; the flower is a sweet nibble, the rest is toxic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"fg-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/summary>\n<div class=\"fg-gallery\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/columbine-1.jpg\" alt=\"Columbine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/columbine-2.jpg\" alt=\"Columbine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Danny S., <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freearenas.com\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/plant-guide-v2\/columbine-3.jpg\" alt=\"Columbine\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption>&copy; Daniel Schwen, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fg-grid\">\n<div>\n<section>\n<h4>What it is<\/h4>\n<p>An elegant wildflower with nodding, five-spurred blooms, blue-and-white in the high country (Colorado columbine) or red-and-yellow lower down (western red columbine, <em>Aquilegia formosa<\/em>), in open forest and on rocky slopes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ezoic\"><!-- Ezoic -  -  --><div id=\"ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-\"> <\/div><!-- End Ezoic -  -  --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>How to identify<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Distinctive flowers with five petals each drawn back into a long, hollow <strong>spur<\/strong>, behind five flat, petal-like sepals.<\/li>\n<li>High-country form is large, blue-purple and white; the lower-elevation form is red and yellow and strongly nodding.<\/li>\n<li>Lacy, blue-green leaves divided into rounded, three-part leaflets (like a fine meadow-rue).<\/li>\n<li>1 to 2 ft tall in open woods, meadows, and rocky slopes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Where &amp; when<\/h4>\n<p>Open forest, rocky slopes, streamsides, and meadows, mid to high elevation.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<section class=\"fg-eat\">\n<h4>&#9888;&#65039; Edibility<\/h4>\n<p>The flowers, especially the sweet nectar in the spur tips, are edible in small amounts and a pleasant trailside nibble. But the <strong>seeds and roots contain toxic compounds<\/strong> (cyanogenic and others) and must never be eaten. Enjoy the flower, skip the rest.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"fg-warn\">\n<h4>Lookalikes &amp; cautions<\/h4>\n<p>The spurred, nodding flower and lacy three-part leaves are distinctive. Out of bloom the foliage resembles meadow-rue and the young greens of toxic monkshood and larkspur, so know it in flower.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h4>Field notes<\/h4>\n<p>A hummingbird magnet, especially the red form. Colorado columbine (<em>Aquilegia coerulea<\/em>) is Colorado&#8217;s state flower and graces Idaho&#8217;s high country too; it is slow to establish, so admire it rather than dig it.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/article>\n<p style=\"font-size:0.85em;color:#777;border-top:1px solid #e0e2dc;margin-top:2em;padding-top:1em;\">Photographs are used from Wikimedia Commons under the licenses noted with each image. This guide is an educational overview, not a substitute for a field guide or expert instruction, and does not cover every plant or every risk. When in doubt, don&#8217;t eat it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fg-lb\" hidden><span class=\"fg-lbx\">&times;<\/span><img alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"fg-lbcap\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>(function(){var g=document.getElementById(\"fg-lb\");if(!g){return;}var im=g.querySelector(\"img\"),cp=g.querySelector(\".fg-lbcap\");function openLb(t){im.src=t.src;cp.textContent=t.getAttribute(\"alt\")||\"\";g.hidden=false;}function closeLb(){g.hidden=true;im.removeAttribute(\"src\");}document.querySelectorAll(\"#fg2 .fg-gallery img\").forEach(function(t){t.addEventListener(\"click\",function(e){e.preventDefault();openLb(t);});});g.addEventListener(\"click\",closeLb);document.addEventListener(\"keydown\",function(e){if(e.key===\"Escape\"){closeLb();}});})();<\/script><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A photo field guide to the trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and berries of the East Idaho mountains, with a plain edible-or-poisonous verdict on every plant, including the deadly lookalikes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":10654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - 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