Buck Fitzhugh

Rocky Mountain Maple (Acer glabrum) Maple Family (Aceraceae) Rocky Mountain Maple is one of only two maples native to Montana. It can be readily distinguished from the other because they occupy entirely different habitat types. The name Acer comes from the Latin for sharp, or pointed, referring to the iconic

Elk Sedge (Carex geyeri) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae) Elk Sedge is one of our first sedges to bloom in the spring. It is not anywhere near as showy as some of our other native species. At first glance, it could easily be mistaken for a grass. It is a graminoid, or

Steer’s Head (Dicentra uniflora) Fumary Family (Fumariaceae) The flowers of steer’s head are very appropriately named. It evokes images of tiny little bovine heads lying on or near the ground. This is one of the most unique and easily identifiable native species, if you can find it. The

Pasqueflower (Anemone patens) Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae) The fuzzy, purple flowers of pasqueflower are a familiar sight across much of Montana. It gets its name from the Old French word pasque, which means Easter, and the Hebrew word pasakh, which means Passover. This refers to its bloom time, often coinciding with