324 



HORTICULTURt 



September 7, 1907 



THE FLORA OF YELLOWSTONE 



PARK AND THE PUGET SOUND 



COUNTRY. 



Read before the Society of American Flor- 

 ists at Philadelphia tiy J. Otro Thl- 

 low, of Henry A. Dreer, Inc. 



It is hardly possible in the space 

 of the allotted one or even two hours 

 to give a fair description of the flora 

 of this vast park — better styled, "The 

 World's Wonderland," and when 

 coupled with the natural and curious 

 phenomena which exist throughout, it 

 is the more wonderful, and in greater 

 contrast than can be found anywhere 

 in the world. Upon entei-ing at the 

 Gateway at Gardiner the flowers of 

 the Park greet you before even enter- 

 ing the Gardiner Canon — and are 

 prominent throughout on mountain 

 side and in the valleys — with species 

 suited to the location — and in their 

 season covering their native habitat 

 with a conquest of color. They grow 

 almost everywhere, and one rarely 

 finds a spot so sterile that Nature has 

 failed to beautify it with some simple 

 blossom. 



We will take a tour of the Park 

 throughout, following the coach road, 

 and note from place to place the vari- 

 ous flowers to be found during the 

 summer season, and while enroute get 

 a glimpse of the wonderful and mys- 

 terious formations produced by the 

 geysers and hot springs in their con- 

 stant action, whose beginning has no 

 record, nor whose ending a prophecy. 

 Alighting from the Northern Pacific 

 train at Gardiner Station, the Gateway 

 to the Park, one is seized with an un- 

 restrained anxiety to mount to the top 

 of one of the six-horse coaches in wait- 

 ing, and get the first ride of five miles 

 up and up to the altitude of 6000 feet 

 above se«i level, when reaching Mam- 

 month Hot Springs. A full afternoon 

 is offered here for sight seeing and 

 reconnoitering. The hillsides near the 

 springs are covered with bitter-root 

 or wild portulaca (Lewisia rediviva). 

 Its stem, calyx and flower are of deli- 

 cate pink, having no green; it is of 

 low growth. The root of this plant 

 was used by the Indians for food. 



The bitter-root has been chosen as 

 the State flower of Montana. The 

 Lungwort (Mertensia) is a harbinger 

 of spring, appearing very early with 

 its blue bells. 



The night-blooinlng Mentzelia is 

 considered one of the most beautiful 

 flowers; found on desolate and arid 

 spots; it somewhat resembles a this- 

 tle; it is found abundantly below the 

 Mammoth Hot Springs. 



The anemone, or rasque flower, is 

 found in May and June about the foot- 

 hills of Mammoth Hot Springs. 



A trip over the formations presents 

 a vivid brilliancy in coloring of which 

 the flowers cannot boast, among them 

 Pulpit, Jupiter, Cleopatra, Minerva, 

 Hymen, and Angel Terrace, Cupid's 

 Cave, Orange Geyser formation, and 

 every conceivable color in the hot 

 springs themselves. The afternoon 

 spent with this constant alpine exer- 

 tion fits one for early retiring and 

 sound sleep. 



The trip is res\imed the next morn- 

 ing in coaches of twelve including the 

 dri-ser, drawn by four horses well 

 matched. The start is made at 8 A. 

 M. on toward Norris, t":venty miles 

 distant. A few miles from Mammoth 



Hot Springs we pass through Silver 

 Gate, a mass of Travertine rocks, of 

 limestone formation. They are called 

 the "Hoodoos." Further en, and when 

 12 miles from the Springs. Bunsen 

 Peak comes into view. This peak, 

 9700 feet high, is covered -vv-ith growth 

 of pine contrasting beautifully with 

 Terrace Mountain opposite, which is 

 of beautiful yellow and '.jold. Between 

 these two the road winds, hugging 

 Terrace Mountain, and elevated by a 

 concrete viaciucl, below which the Glen 

 Creek finds its way into Gardiner 

 Canon. 



The evening primrose (Oenothera), 

 also called rock rose, is found here 

 It is a night bloomer, and very frag- 

 rant. It is found where there is ap- 

 parently no soil. The flowers are white 

 at first, and .gradually turn to a deep 

 rose pink. The period of flowering is 

 long. There are four species. 



The beard tongue (Pentstemon) in 

 thirteen species is found here, and 



J. Otto Thilow 



alm.ost throughout the Park, and is 

 most noticeable on the :o;idway where 

 it catches much of the dust of the 

 coache.s, yet it seems to defy the dust 

 and drouth, and exists in spite of ad- 

 verse conditions. 



Halfway to Norris (10 miles) is lo- 

 cated the Avonderful Apollinaris Spring. 

 None of this valuable water is wasted. 

 That which is net relished by the 

 touiist runs into a tank, and is taken 

 up by the sprinkling carts and sprink- 

 led on the roads to settle the dust, as 

 well as it often unsettle.s the stomach 

 of the tourist, who unwisely takes too 

 much. 



Olisidian Clifi" comes next into view. 

 This wonderful mountain of glass, as 

 black as coal, is a world's wonder, 

 and no doulit the remains of volcanic 

 action. It is a half mile long and 2.50 

 feet high. On its top is a forest of 

 pine, thinly scattered but growing. 

 When building the roadway it was 

 necessary to cut through on'e end. This 

 could he done only by heating it with 

 blast fires, and pouring cold water 

 upon it, so by crumbling it its removal 

 was possible, as it resists the chisel 

 and blasting. 



Beaver Lake nearby is now over- 

 grown with vegetation. The blue gen- 



tian is prominent here, and also the 

 lupin, which comes in colors from very 

 pale lavender to deep blue and purple. 

 It is found throughout the park, and in 

 bloom the greater part of the season. 

 Continuing on and looking over the 

 valley to the right the Twin Lakes 

 can be seen, but before reaching them 

 Roaring Mountain is heard to the left; 

 a powerful steam vent near its summit, 

 which has been quite active since 1902, 

 makes a very loud noise which can be 

 beard a mile away. 



Arriving at Twin Lakes (16 miles) 

 one is struck with its beautiful blue, 

 not due to the hot water as in the 

 other basins and lakes, as the Twin 

 Lakes freeze over in winter, and for 

 that reason aquatic growth is abund- 

 ant, even to some native small flower- 

 ing Nymphaeas. The undergrowth in 

 the pine forest is very thick, resemb- 

 ling the prostrate juniper, but upon 

 examination it was found to be low- 

 growing hemlock, singularly encircling 

 each tree. A little further on, and on 

 a slight rise, a large area through the 

 wood is covered with the native fern 

 ^Cystopteris fragilis, growing very 

 thick, even to the edge of the road. 

 The Devil's Frying Pan is the next 

 interesting object. It is a small basin, 

 or geyserite, vigorously stewing or 

 frying, resembling a kitchen spider in 

 operation. 



Norris Geyser Basin is next in evi- 

 dence; not in view but in odor. The 

 sulphur fumes are clearly impressive, 

 perhaps uowhere in the Park is this 

 as prominent as at Norris Geyser 

 Basin. The trees have suffered severely 

 from the many new spouting and siz- 

 zling springs, which have sprung up 

 in recent years; and have added to tha 

 pot-pourri already in innumerable 

 variety. Black Growler, Hurricane, 

 Congress, Monarch, Locomotive ami 

 New Crater are among the noisy 

 veterans, while the Devil's Bath Tub 

 performs its regular function of giv- 

 ing his Satanic Majesty a hot wash- 

 off whether he objects or not. One 

 and a half houi-s are spent here for 

 lunch and sight seeing. Very few 

 flowers can be found here, except a 

 few pentstemons among the scrub 

 pines north of the formations. 



The road follows the Gibbon River 

 to within a few miles of its mouth. 

 The ride through Gibbon Canon of 

 about 6 miles is one of the most inter- 

 esting through the Park— the road lies 

 close to the river's edge, the mountains 

 rise on the opposite side presenting 

 beautiful views. Large clumps ot 

 phlox of the subulata type are on and 

 about the rocks on the opposite side 

 of the river, in bloom only in the early 

 season directly after the snow disap- 

 pears. 



Beryl Spring, five miles from Nor- 

 ris, is close to the road, discharging 

 a great volume of water, and som,e- 

 times vapor enough to obscure the 

 roadway. The next interesting object 

 is Soda and Iron Spring — everybody 

 takes a drink. Gibbon Falls a half 

 mile further on is one of the Park 

 features — rushing through the Canon 

 and over the black rock it presents a 

 beautiful veil effect. 



The Colorado blue spruce growing 

 up out of the Canon alongside the 

 falls, even towering to the top of the 

 cliff, gives additional color to this 

 beautiful scene. From this point a 

 splendid view over the forest valley 



