Alaska Wildflowers | White Introduced species in North America Common Names spergulaire rouge red sand-spurrey red sandspurry purple sand-spurrey purple sandspurry ruby sand-spurrey Synonyms Arenaria rubra Spergularia rubra var. perennans Tissa rubra Subspecies none Genus: Spergularia Family: Caryophyllaceae Order: Caryophyllales taxonomic heirarchy Duration - Growth Habit Annual or short-lived perennial - Forb/herb Identification and Information Purple sandspurry photos Spergularia rubra, commonly known as purple sandspurry or red sandspurry, is an introduced species in North America that ..read more

Silene repens, known as pink campion, is a perennial forb/herb with creeping stems and erect flowering shoots. It features linear leaves and a cyme of bisexual flowers, typically white but may appear pink. Distributed across northwestern North America and northern Asia, it grows in arctic, mountain, and forested areas. No medicinal or culinary uses are cited ..read more

Alaska Wildflowers | White Common Names Canadian burnet* (See note in ID and Info section below) Sitka burnet Synonyms Sanguisorba sitchensis Sanguisorba canadensis ssp. latifolia Sanguisorba canadensis var. latifolia Sanguisorba canadensis var. sitchensis Subspecies none Genus: Sanguisorba Family: Rosaceae Order: Rosales taxonomic heirarchy Duration - Growth Habit Perennial - Forb/herb Identification and Information Sitka burnet photos Sanguisorba stipulata, commonly known as Canadian burnet, is a medium-sized perennial herb that grows from a stout caudex. The stems are erect to ascending ..read more

Blitum capitatum, common names include strawberry-blite and Indian paint, is an annual herb with a stout taproot and arrowhead-shaped leaves. It displays dense spike-like clusters of flowers, which lack petals. Variously used by indigenous peoples for food, medicine, and dyes, it is native to North America and introduced to Europe and New Zealand. Recent studies suggest reverting to its original genus Blitum. It thrives in various habitats ..read more

Micranthes lyallii, also known as red-stemmed saxifrage, is a perennial herb found in northwestern North America. It features basal leaves with red margins, flowers with reflexed sepals and white petals marked with yellow spots, and red follicle fruit. Though it’s monoecious and can hybridize, no traditional uses are noted. It thrives in moist, mountainous environments ..read more

Bupleurum americanum, commonly known as American thorow wax is a plant numerous umbelleles of small yellow flowers and grasslike leaves, frequently living in mountainous environments ..read more

Moehringia lateriflora, commonly known as bluntleaf sandwort or grove sandwort is a small, white-flowering perennial herb that lives in open forests or meadows, spreading from a thin rhizome ..read more

Spiraea stevenii, commonly known as Beauverd spirea or Alaska spirea, is a small shrub featuring inflorescences of numerous white flowers. Its leaves have traditionally been used to make tea ..read more

The next couple of nights might be good times to watch the sky. On March 23, a strong X1.1 flare from 2 sunspots released an associated coronal mass ejection (CME) directed toward Earth. As of 1437 UTC (6:37 am Alaska time), this CME has already sparked a G4-class geomagnetic storm ..read more

Nodding arnica (Arnica lessingii) thrives in Alaska’s moist habitats, notable for its yellow, nodding flower heads from June to September. This perennial herb is widespread in Alaska, the Yukon, and British Columbia, favoring streambanks and alpine meadows ..read more