When flowers are part of your everyday life, you tend to notice them everywhere—even when you are surrounded by mountains, glaciers and some of the most incredible scenery you have ever seen.
This summer, our family traded Indiana for Alaska! All of my siblings, some of our kids, our dad and my brothers’ wives spent five wonderful days together in Palmer, about an hour outside Anchorage.
We packed plenty into those five days. We went fishing, took family photos at Hatcher Pass, explored Independence Mine and rode the Glacier Discovery Train to the Whistle Stop for an unforgettable glacier adventure. Everywhere we looked, Alaska gave us another beautiful view—and another reason to pull out our cameras.
Even the weather gave us something to smile about. The Anchorage and Palmer areas were under a heat warning as temperatures approached 73 degrees—which felt pretty wonderful to those of us visiting from Indiana!
Of course, we were also looking at the flowers.
Alaska’s landscape can feel huge and dramatic, but some of its loveliest details were growing right at our feet. We found tiny bell-shaped blossoms tucked into alpine groundcover, bright fireweed lining the roads and hillsides, bold columbines, peaceful patches of wild geranium and even a miniature red-tipped lichen that looked like something from a fairy garden.
Some of our finds were native wildflowers, one was a cultivated Alaska favorite and one was not technically a flower at all—but every one of them was worth stopping to admire.
The Flowers and Botanical Treasures We Found
Alaska Moss Heather (Harrimanella stelleriana)
Also known as Alaska bellheather, this tiny evergreen shrub hugs the ground in alpine areas. Its dainty cream-white bells nod from pinkish-red stems, creating a surprising amount of detail in a very small package. It was a wonderful reminder to look down while taking in those enormous mountain views.
King’s Crown (Rhodiola integrifolia)
King’s Crown, also called ledge stonecrop, is a hardy succulent built for rocky, high-elevation conditions. Its tight clusters of deep reddish-maroon flowers sit above thick green leaves like a tiny crown. Delicate-looking flowers growing in such a rugged place felt very Alaskan—beautiful, tough and completely at home.
Alaska-Grown Peonies (Paeonia species)
Our gorgeous pink peonies were different from the wild alpine blooms around them. Peonies are cultivated rather than native Alaska wildflowers, but they have become an important specialty crop in the state. Alaska’s later blooming season helps growers supply these sought-after flowers during summer months when peonies are harder to find elsewhere.
As florists, finding those big, fluffy blooms in Alaska felt like running into an old friend very far from home.
After we returned, Sarah visited Life.Style.Live! to share more about Alaska’s remarkable peony season. During our trip, the Anchorage and Palmer areas received about 17 to 18 hours of sunlight between sunrise and sunset. Add in the long twilight, and the flowers experienced roughly 22 hours of functional light each day.
That abundance of light helps flowers move through their summer growing cycle quickly, despite Alaska’s short season. The peonies we saw were incredible, with some blooms stretching five to six inches across. Alaska’s late peony season also helps fill a summertime gap when these favorite flowers are difficult to find elsewhere.
Watch Sarah share the full story on Life.Style.Live!
Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa)
Western columbine knows how to make an entrance. Its dangling red-and-yellow flowers have long, swept-back spurs and a shape unlike anything else around them. These colorful blooms are also attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. They looked both wild and wonderfully fancy—like Alaska dressed up for a special occasion.
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
If one flower could represent the color of an Alaskan summer, fireweed would be a strong contender. Tall spikes of brilliant pink-purple blooms covered roadsides, fields and hillsides everywhere we traveled.
Fireweed gets its name from its ability to grow quickly in disturbed ground, including areas affected by wildfire. It brings bright color back to recovering landscapes and is one of Alaska’s most recognizable summer sights.
Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum)
Cow parsnip is impossible to overlook. This large plant can grow taller than a person and produces wide, umbrella-shaped clusters of tiny white flowers. We saw it lining moist woodland areas and trails, where its impressive size added even more drama to the landscape.
It is a “look, but do not touch” beauty. Cow parsnip sap can make skin extremely sensitive to sunlight and may cause a painful rash or blistering, so it is best admired with a little distance.
Wild Geranium (Geranium erianthum)
Also called woolly geranium, this lovely wildflower brightens meadows and open hillsides with soft purple, five-petaled blooms. We found it glowing beneath the Alaskan sun with mountains rising behind it—which was a fairly spectacular setting for such a sweet little flower.
Bunchberry or Dwarf Dogwood (Cornus canadensis)
Bunchberry looks like a tiny dogwood growing directly on the forest floor. What appear to be four white petals are actually bracts surrounding a cluster of very small flowers. Later in the season, those flowers give way to bright red berries.
It is small, tidy and unbelievably charming. If woodland fairies needed landscaping, bunchberry would be an excellent choice.
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Yarrow is a resilient plant with soft, fern-like foliage and broad clusters of tiny white flowers. It grows in many different places and has a long history of traditional use. Even among Alaska’s flashier pinks, reds and purples, its simple white blooms held their own.
Red-Tipped Cladonia Lichen (Cladonia species)
This one earns a place as our honorary flower! Lichens are not flowers—or even plants—but the tiny green cups with brilliant red tips looked like miniature forest blooms.
Red-tipped Cladonia species can be difficult to tell apart from a photograph alone. Cladonia bellidiflora is commonly called “toy soldiers,” while the similar “British soldiers” name usually refers to Cladonia cristatella, a species associated with the eastern United States. Whatever its exact name, finding this tiny living world tucked among the moss was pure magic.
Wild Alpine Penstemon (Penstemon procerus)
Our final purple find featured small tubular flowers clustered along upright stems. Alpine penstemon thrives in rocky, subalpine settings where many less-hardy plants would struggle. Its rich blue-purple color stood out beautifully against all that green.
A Trip We Will Always Remember
We went to Alaska for the adventure, the scenery and—most importantly—the chance to spend time together as a family. The fishing, train ride, glacier, mountain views and family photos were all incredible, but some of the best memories came from simply experiencing everything together.
The trip carried extra meaning for our family. It was a bucket-list adventure we had hoped to take together, but our mom passed away last year before we had the chance. Sharing Alaska with our dad, siblings, spouses and some of the kids gave us time to make new memories together while carrying her with us.
Spending time with family is important, and this is a trip we will remember for a very long time. Getting to experience the beauty of Alaska together was priceless. Coming home with a phone full of cool flower photos to share with all of you? Also priceless. đź’š
The next time you travel, remember to look down between those big scenic views. You never know what tiny bloom—or honorary flower—is waiting to be discovered.
Which of our Alaska flower finds is your favorite?
