The Purple Flood
| In the Olympic Mountains lowlands, Indian Plum began its lovely flowering among the evergreens in January. But up in the mountains, the show is just getting started. As the snow starts to melt, the spring “ephemerals” begin to emerge. Spring ephemerals are plants that pop up quickly in the spring and, as quickly, die back to their underground parts after a short growth/reproduction phase. One of the stars of the opening act is Grass Widow Olsynium douglasii (or Purple-eyed Grass, or Satin Flower). These bright purple flowers with grass-like leaves belong to the Iris family. Around mid-May, the freshly exposed meadows near Deer Park flood with Satin Flower (this common name comes from its “satiny” appearance that sparkles in the spring sun.) Deer Park meadows seem to be the perfect place for a flower whose habitat preference is vernal-wet places, that dry hard later in spring.
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