Alaska Cotton

Where: Bogs, roadsides, tundra

Flowers are fluffy and white, cream or rusty color. Stems are generally round, but in some species are triangular. Height ranges from 1-2 feet. Leaf blades may be flat, triangular, channeled or threadlike.

Cow Parsnip

Where: Meadows and open woods

Also known as wild celery, pushki or pootschki, and with small white flowers arranged in an umbrella-like cluster, cow parsnip can grow 9 feet tall. Lobed leaves are large, up to 12 inches wide. Handling it can cause blisters. Wash skin thoroughly with soap and water after touching.

Fireweed

Where: Burned and logged areas, meadows, gravel bars

The four-petaled blossoms are commonly magenta, but sometimes pale purple or white. Leaves are long and narrow, with smooth edges, alternating on the stem. At maturity, pods split open and release a downy fluff that carries the seed to new locations.

Forget-me-not

Where: Alpine meadows, along streams

Alaska's state flower is 6-18 inches tall, has long stems and flower clusters most commonly light blue, but occasionally pink or white. The blue of this flower and Alaska's sky are represented by the blue background in the state flag.

Lupine

Where: Meadows, roadsides, gravel bars, mountain slopes

With deep-blue and purple flower clusters, lupine grows 1-2 feet tall, but can reach heights of 5 feet. The flowers are occasionally yellow or white. Leaves radiate from a central point. Many references list lupine as poisonous.

Nettle

Where: Thickets, moist soil

The entire plant is edible when young and under 1 foot high. Flowers are small and greenish. Leaves and stems are covered with fine, stinging hairs; wear gloves when harvesting because the raw plant can inject irritants into the skin.

Paintbrush

Where: Marshes to alpine areas, stony slopes, steamsides and meadows

Seen in late spring through summer, the nine species of paintbrush can be more than 2 feet tall. Spike-like flower clusters come in shades of yellow, orange and red, and resemble a brush dipped in paint.