Similar to yellow dryas, the first plant we featured this season, white dryas also blooms in the area surrounding McCarthy. These flowers are a less common sight to catch during their bloom in June as their range is restricted to higher alpine slopes. We caught sight of them during our WMC staff hike to Jumbo Mine earlier this season. The flowers are larger than their yellow cousin and have a distinct set of eight white petals. The leaves have a wavy (dentate) margin that distinguish them from another related species, Dryas integrifolia. The evergreen plant forms a matted groundcover that helps it hold its own in these exposed habitats.
Photography by Paul Scannell (www.facebook.com/paulscannellphotography)