These incredibly elegant flowers are in bloom beside the trails to the mines and along the Wagon Road between McCarthy and Kennicott. A member of the buttercup family, monkshood flourishes in meadows up through the mid-alpine zone. The hooded flowers noted by the common name are easily recognizable on tall stalks with thinly lobed leaves. They bloom July through August. The entire plant is poisonous, capable of paralyzing the nervous system. The alternative common name, wolfsbane, references their former use in bait for killing wolves. Avoid contact with the plant and observe its sinister beauty from a distance.
Photography by Paul Scannell (www.facebook.com/paulscannellphotography)