Slug Tales from Zone 6: Identifying native spring flowers

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

Tulips, daffodils and crocuses may get all the attention in spring for their early, colorful blooms, but they’re nowhere near as sweet-smelling, beneficial or long-lasting as Idaho’s native flowers. April and May are great months to get out and explore the local early bloomers, so here’s a guide to some of the blossoms you can find in the woods today.

Amelanchier alnifolia: western serviceberry, Saskatoon

This three- to 16-foot shrub grows throughout central and North Idaho, producing white blooms in April and May. These grow in clusters — or racemes — of three to 20 flowers, and each flower contains five oblong petals. These blossoms will turn into ripe, berry-like fruit in June and early July, starting off red and then turning a dark purple. The serviceberry has an alternate leaf arrangement, meaning the leaves alternate directions around the stem rather than growing in opposite pairs or groups. Each leaf is oblong, rounded at the tip and serrated along the edges. Young branches are red but fade to gray as they age.

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi: kinnikinick, bearberry

This trailing, evergreen shrub sprouts yellow-green, leathery, paddle-shaped leaves in the spring. These are simple — meaning they have a single blade — and are generally one inch long, growing in an alternate arrangement. Clusters of five to 10 small, bell-shaped, pink and white flowers bloom from March through June in North Idaho. These eventually transform into bright-red berries that last well into winter.

Philadelphus lewisii: syringa, Lewis’ mock-orange

The syringa is Idaho’s state flower and grows everywhere from British Columbia to California and east to Montana. It can reach three to 10 feet tall, with long, red stems that eventually fade to gray and oval, smooth or slightly serrated leaves arranged in pairs, opposite one another. This deciduous shrub produces clusters of three to 15 fragrant, white flowers beginning in May and lasting through July. Each flower is one to two inches in size, with four waxy petals resembling an orange blossom, which gives it the common name “mock-orange.”

Berberis repens: creeping Oregon grape

You’ll often find this evergreen, holly-like shrub growing low on sunny hillsides. The opposite leaf arrangement means each branch features pairs of serrated simple leaves that start dull green and gradually transition to a dusky pink. Creeping Oregon grape generally stays under two feet tall, growing in a mound out from the primary stem. This shrub produces densely packed clusters of bright yellow flowers, each with six petals encased in six sepals. Sepals are generally the green, outermost layer at the base of the flower; but, in the case of the Oregon grape, the sepals are yellow and look nearly identical to petals. The blooms last from April to June and eventually become blue, waxy berries in the summer.

Viola adunca and orbiculata: dog violet and western roundleaf violet

Yards in Sandpoint are full of the Viola genus, which has approximately 600 species, including true violets, pansies and violas. Two varieties native to North Idaho are Viola adunca (dog violet) and Viola orbiculata (western roundleaf violet), which come in shades of blue and violet or bright yellow, respectively. These violets are synonymous with spring, popping up shortly after the snow melts. Perennial dog violets have teardrop-shaped, simple leaves that sprout from a central crown alongside the flowers, which have five petals each: two upper and three lower. The upper two petals have small “hooks” at the tips, giving them the alternative name hookedspur violets. The round-leaf violet has a similar growth and petal configuration; however, as the name suggests, they have large, rounded leaves with lightly scalloped edges. Unlike the dog violet, each petal is rounded on the end.