Red Mountain Heather

Red mountain heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis) is a small, mat-forming evergreen shrub that is one of the most recognizable plants of the subalpine and alpine meadows in Banff National Park.

Identification

Low-growing (4–16 inches high), with small, needle-like, evergreen leaves. The flowers are bright pink to rose-purple, bell-shaped, and occur in clusters at the ends of the branches. The flowers lack the sticky hairs found on Yellow Mountain Heather.

Habitat and Ecology

Red mountain heather is a dominant species in many high-elevation meadows and is often found in areas where snow lingers late into the spring. Its extensive root systems help to prevent soil erosion in steep alpine terrain. It is an important source of nectar for bumblebees and other alpine pollinators.

Mary Vaux Walcott spent years documenting the various heather species in her “Rocky Mountain garden” at Lake Louise; her detailed watercolours of red mountain heather remain a primary botanical record of the area’s high-alpine flora.

Viewing

It is common in subalpine basins like Larch Valley and near Lake Agnes. The bright pink flowers are a highlight of the alpine summer, typically peaking in late July or early August.