Wildflowers along the David Thompson Highway, Alberta, Canada

Western Wood Lily ( Lilium philadelphicum)



This lily is in danger as it sends up only one leaf stalk from the bulb. If the flower is picked, the
plant will die because the plant is unable to regenerate the bulb. To grow this plant, obtain bulbs, plants, or seeds from a native plant specialist.
Bulbs and plants should be planted when obtained. The seeds are good candidates for wintersowing because they require 12 weeks of temperatures near -4ºC to +4ºC. The flowers will be produced 3 to 5 years after sowing.


Mountain Arnica (Arnica latifolia) is found along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and in much of Western North America.



The seed germinates at 20ºC or 70 ºF, and it also spreads by rhizomes.


PaintBrush (Castilleja miniata) has brightly coloured bracts and inconspicuous flowers.



This is a parasitic plant that requires other plants as water and mineral sources. Seeds germinate at 70ºF, but the seedlings will die off if no host plant is available. Paintbrush uses an exudate from the roots of the host plants. Good hosts are grasses, pentstemons, and legumes. The seeds can be sown near a possible host or seeds for both might be sown together. And some people sow the seeds right into the root of a host plant.


Bush Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa)



These are perennial shrubs, which can grow into substantial bushes when grown under good conditions.
They may be propagated from cuttings or from seeds. The seeds are good candidates for wintersowing.


Bird's Foot Trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus)



The arrangement of the seed pods resembles a bird's foot. This plant has been found on roadsides and in bare areas since it was introduced from Eurasia.
The seeds tend to rot, so germination is low, but some will germinate in a few days at 70ºF .


White Dutch Clover (Trifolium repens)



This escaped from forage fields after it was introduced from Europe. Seeds germinate readily at 70ºF. It is a biennial that is also used as green manure crop.


White Camas (Anticlea elegans)



The old name was Zigadenus elegans, and this plant is toxic to humans and livestock. It is a bulb-forming plant and a member of the Trillium family (Melanthiaceae). Seeds germinate in a few weeks at 70ºF. The flowers have a green gel-like spot on each petal.