Mountain Avens

Mountain avens (Dryas octopetala) is a low-growing, mat-forming shrub that is a characteristic plant of the alpine and subalpine zones in the Canadian Rockies. It is particularly well-known for its role as a colonizer of disturbed or gravelly soils.

Identification

Low-growing (1–3 inches high), with small, leathery, dark green leaves that are silver-white on the underside. The flowers are relatively large, with eight white petals and a bright yellow centre. After flowering, the seed heads develop into distinctive, feathery, twisted plumes that catch the wind for dispersal.

Habitat and Ecology

Mountain avens is extremely hardy and can survive in harsh, wind-swept environments above treeline. It is often found on rocky ridges, scree slopes, and in gravelly riverbeds. Its thick mats help to stabilize soil and provide habitat for insects and other small alpine organisms.

Mary Vaux Walcott, the “Audubon of Botany,” frequently illustrated mountain avens during her decades of fieldwork in the Lake Louise area, capturing its “natural grace” in her 1925 Smithsonian publication North American Wild Flowers.

Viewing

Look for mountain avens on high-altitude trails like Saddleback Pass or the Plain of Six Glaciers in July and August. The feathery seed heads are often more noticeable than the flowers in late summer.