#yellow violets

I wanted to see my favorite flowers, so I risked life and limb in the woods of Tennessee to find just a few of these lovely wild violets.

Total ticks flung from my pants: 10+

Lingering anxiety that every tickle is a tick I missed: level 10000000 very uncomfortable

Common low-elevation forest wildflowers to look for are yellow violets (Viola ssp.), which look so similar that it can be hard to tell the species apart. Two common species, Evergreen Violet (V. sempervirens) and Roundleaf Violet (V. orbiculate), both have similar flowers with five yellow petals with maroon veins on the lower three petals. This year is shaping up to be a good one for violets, with large patches blooming along the Twin Firs Trail and the Trail of the Shadows in Longmire. Have you seen violets blooming in the park?

For updates on what’s blooming where visit https://go.nps.gov/RainierWildflower

Unfamiliar with Mount Rainier’s wildflower species? Check out the wildflower guide at https://go.nps.gov/RainierWildflowerGuide

Yellow blossoms of the Pacific Northwest.

Deja vu…