A benefit of prioritizing natural areas for conservation without public access

||| FROM TANYA WILLIAMSON for SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK |||

Discovered during recent monitoring at Entrance Mountain Preserve on Orcas Island, this petite  pink wildflower is extremely sensitive to trampling; heedless hikers can cause serious damage to the population of an area if they step on them.

Commonly known as Pipsissewa or Prince’s Pine (Chimaphila umbellata), this native is a low growing evergreen, found in coniferous forests, and mixotrophic. It uses both its green leaves to photosynthesize carbon and its underground mycorrhizae (fungal relationships) to gather extra nutrients from the forest soil. It spreads through a network of underground rhizomes; an entire patch of these plants can share the same root system and form long-lived clonal mats.

Fun Fact – it was once a flavoring component in traditional root beer and candy!