SitkaNature: 1000 Species Project

Labrador Tea
Ledum groenlandicum

Labrador Tea is a common muskeg plant. It’s leaves can be used for tea, though I did not find it too pleasant when I tried (of course, I’m not much a tea drinker in the first place).

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Tall Alaska Cotton Grass
Eriophorum angustifolium

The Tall Alaska Cotton Grass is much more prolific this year than I remember seeing in years past. I suspect that’s due to lack of astute observation on my part, however. I also did not realize that it matured so early in the summer.

Bracken Fern
Pteridium aquilinum

I’ve only seen Bracken Fern in one location around Sitka. It is growing along the Sitka Cross Trail where it cuts through some scrubby brush and forest bewteen muskegs. If this is its preferred habitat, there is probably a good reason I have not seen it more times.

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Villous Cinquefoil
Pontentilla villosa

This is a common plant on rocky shores, where it makes it’s living growing out of cracks in the bedrock. The plants look very much like hairy leaved strawberries, but they do not have a fleshy fruit.

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Shore Pine
Pinus contorta var contorta

Shore Pine is the most common trees in the muskegs around Sitka. It is not typical to find them outside of muskegs, however. By the standards of most low elevation plants in this area, these trees grow quite slow. One tree that was about a foot in diameter had nearly 300 growth rings.

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