Girdwood Flora: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Dave Powell/U.S. Forest Service Shooting Star, a native species, bloom in the early summer light.

By Betty Charnon
Special to the Turnagain Times

Have you ever seen flowers while hiking and wondered what they are? Did you ever question whether or not a particular flower is actually an invasive weed? Here are some interesting facts about the plants that grow around us. This article features three plants. Two of them are native plants that are flowering right now (the Good). The third is an invasive weed that is commonly seen in Girdwood (the Bad). Sorry, there are no Ugly plants this time.
First, the Good.
Beautiful Jacob’s ladder (scientific name: Polemonium pulcherrimum) grows wild in Alaska in dry, rocky places. It is found in alpine and subalpine habitats at low to mid-elevations. It is a tap-rooted perennial that grows low to the ground (5-35 cm tall). Beautiful Jacob’s ladder has showy blue flowers with yellow in the middle that kind of resemble Alaska’s state flower the forget-me-not. The name “Jacob’s ladder” comes from a biblical reference in the book of Genesis where Jacob sees a ladder ascending to heaven. When you look at this plant, you will see the ladder-like arrangement of the leaflets. There is another species of Jacob’s ladder that commonly grows in our area called “tall Jacob’s ladder.” As the name suggests this species is taller and it grows in wet meadows or along streams.
Another native wildflower is the pretty shooting star (scientific name: Dodecatheon pulchellum). This species is also flowering right now and can be found in open areas, muskegs, and saline meadows. The pretty shooting star has thick basal leaves and the flowers are purplish-lavender with a yellow ring at the base. The petals of the flowers are reflexed, giving the appearance of a shooting star. While both of these flowers are very pretty, please resist picking them so others can also enjoy. Pretty shooting star and beautiful Jacob’s ladder can be grown by gardeners who wish to cultivate native species. They are currently flowering in a small garden in front of the Forest Service office so stop by and take a look.
Now, the Bad
Orange hawkweed (scientific name: Hieracium aurantiacum) is a non-native invasive plant that is found along the bike path in Girdwood. Non-native invasive plants are aggressive plants that have been introduced without the insect predators and pathogens that help keep them in check in their native habitats. Originally from Europe, orange hawkweed has the potential to seriously degrade many Alaskan ecosystems, particularly riparian and wildlife areas. Introduced as a pretty ornamental, this species has escaped cultivation because of its ability to quickly spread via seeds, above ground stems (stolons) and below ground stems (rhizomes). It aggressively out-competes other species and develops into a monoculture. Although most invasive species occur along roadsides or other areas with human activity, orange hawkweed is starting to invade natural areas such as a forb/fern meadow within the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
Did you know that invasive species are the second greatest threat to biodiversity (behind habitat loss)? Invasive species can destroy natural habitats, reduce wildlife populations, destroy fish habitat, decrease wildlife and fish related recreational opportunities, and cause great economic loss. The continental U.S. has already lost millions of acres of natural habitat to invasive plants. In Alaska, we still have the opportunity to protect our natural areas from invasive plants since most of our invasive plants are located in towns and along roads. You can help by learning about these invasive species and participating in local weed pulls.

Jonnie Lazarus contributed to this article.