Richardson Mountains Plant Field Guide

Look-alike and Hazard Matrix

The most important plant knowledge is often knowing what not to touch, taste, or dig. Learn to recognize these toxic look-alikes and their critical field cues:

Suspected Poisoning Response and Harvest Ethics

When foraging, adhere strictly to ethical harvesting practices to protect fragile northern ecosystems:

• Take only what is common and abundant; leave rare or sensitive species untouched.
• Never girdle trees when harvesting bark.
• Avoid collecting roots or digging whole plants whenever possible.
• Leave sufficient food sources behind for local wildlife.
• Respect and follow all Indigenous community protocols and protected-area regulations.
• Restore any disturbed ground, moss, or soil after harvesting.

Sources, Scope, and Limitations

Plant taxonomy and regional distribution ranges change over time. Always verify current scientific names, distribution limits, and local legal protections before field use or publication.

• Plants and Biodiversity Resources of the Northwest Territories (Government of the Northwest Territories) — Regional flora and ecology: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/biodiversity
• Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Canadian Museum of Nature) — Scientific Arctic flora: https://nature.ca/aaflora/data/index.htm
• Flora of North America North of Mexico (Flora of North America Association) — Scientific flora: http://floranorthamerica.org/Main_Page
• Aboriginal Plant Use in Canada's Northwest Boreal Forest (Marles, Clavelle, Monteleone, Tays, and Burns; Canadian Forest Service) — Ethnobotany: https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.611374/publication.html
• Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System and Poison-Safety Resources (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada / Canadian Poison Centres) — Poison safety: https://infopoison.ca/
• Plants of the World Online (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) — Global taxonomy and distribution: https://powo.science.kew.org/

Region at a Glance

The Richardson Mountains and adjacent Arctic valleys of the Northwest Territories, Canada (featured in Alone Season 13), transition from taiga treeline into rugged, exposed Arctic alpine tundra. Ecosystems range from sheltered taiga valleys and gravel bars to dwarf-shrub heath, snowbeds, and high alpine slopes.

The flora is defined by treeline spruce, Arctic dwarf shrubs, persistent berries, alpine greens, and high-consequence toxic plants. True trees are largely confined to protected valleys and lower elevations. Higher slopes are dominated by dwarf birch, willow, heath shrubs, and slow-growing mat-forming vegetation. Plant distribution is heavily dictated by wind exposure, snowbed persistence, permafrost depth, and slope aspect. Due to the brief Arctic growing season, edible species frequently yield small and unpredictable crops.

Field Priorities

• Recognize that treeline stands are patchy: stunted spruce trees may be centuries old and are ecologically critical.
• Differentiate Labrador tea from toxic bog rosemary by carefully examining leaf undersides and flower morphology.
• Avoid foraging roots in wet valleys and drainages where deadly water hemlock can occur.
• Harvest alpine greens and berries sparingly or not at all; alpine mats and cushion plants take decades to recover from disturbance.
• Always document location, elevation, slope aspect, and microhabitat for every plant specimen before identification.

Non-Negotiable Plant Safety

Positive Identification Protocol

Follow a systematic, repeatable verification sequence. Certainty in botanical identification is established through multiple independent physical characteristics, never through intuition or casual resemblance.

Step 1: Place

Document the specific microhabitat, soil moisture level, slope angle, elevation, and surrounding dominant plant communities.

Step 2: Form

Categorize the plant's overall growth habit: determine whether it is a tree, shrub, dwarf shrub, vine, herbaceous forb, graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush), fern, or succulent.

Step 3: Leaves

Inspect the leaf arrangement (alternate, opposite, whorled, basal), shape, margin edges, venation patterns, surface hairs, crushed odor, and undersides.

Step 4: Stem & Bark

Check for protective structures like thorns or spines, sap consistency and color, internal pith structure, lenticels, winter bud scales, and twig coloration and texture.

Step 5: Flower & Fruit

Count petals and sepals, examine overall inflorescence clusters, inspect seed capsule structures, and evaluate fruit type and stem attachment.

Identification: Mountain Avens (Dryas)

Mountain avens grows as a low evergreen mat with small, leathery leaves, white (usually eight-petaled) flowers, and feathery seed heads.

Habitat & Season: Occurs on calcareous gravel, exposed slopes, and alpine tundra. Flowers appear in the summer, while leaves persist year-round.

Documented Use & Ecology: Leaves have documented traditional beverage and medicinal uses. In addition, these dense mats stabilize loose gravel and serve as indicators of exposed, well-drained ground.

Look-Alikes: Other Dryas species and natural hybrids can be distinguished by differences in leaf margin teeth and hairiness.

Seasonal and Habitat Planning

Plant availability is local and variable. Use these environmental patterns to plan field observation rather than to assume harvest availability.

Seasonal Phases:

• Spring / Thaw: New shoots, flowers, catkins, and wetland hazards become visible. Emphasize learning leaves and flowers before fruit emerges; avoid harvesting roots and bulbs.
• Summer / Peak Growth: Maximum foliage is present; most edible greens and traditional-use herbs are identifiable. Photograph multiple botanical traits and record habitat and abundance.
• Autumn / Fruit & Frost: Most berries, hips, cones, and seed structures mature. Confirm the entire plant's identity, and leave food for wildlife and regeneration.
• Winter / Persistent: Evergreen shrubs, bark, twigs, cones, and persistent fruit remain. Rely on woody traits, as snow and frost obscure herbaceous identification.

Habitat Forecast:

• Dry ridge / exposed slope: Likely plants include white spruce, black spruce, and dwarf birch. Primary risks are windthrow, fire, and damaging protected, slow-growing plants.
• Moist forest / sheltered valley: Likely plants include feltleaf willow, grayleaf willow, and green alder. Primary risks include look-alikes, falling timber, and poor visibility.
• Wetland / peat / stream edge: Likely plants include northern monkshood and bog rosemary. Primary risks include water hemlock or toxic bog shrubs, as well as unstable ground.
• Open disturbance / camp edge: Likely plants include lingonberry, bog blueberry, crowberry, and cloudberry. Primary risks include contamination, invasive species, and human chemicals.

Seasonal Reality and Foraging Planning

A late frost, drought, fire, flood, browsing pressure, or poor flowering year can remove an expected food source. Build wilderness plans around several independent resources and assume that any given crop may fail.

Independent Publication Notice

This guide is an independent educational reference and is not affiliated with HISTORY, the Alone television series, local Indigenous governments, or protected-area authorities. Traditional-use notes summarize published sources and do not transfer cultural authority. Local knowledge holders, current regulations, and qualified medical or botanical professionals take precedence.

Feltleaf Willow Identification

The feltleaf willow is a tall shrub featuring long leaves that are dark green above and densely white-felted beneath, along with flexible yellow-brown twigs.

• Habitat: River valleys, gravel bars, and moist lower slopes.
• Season: Foliage is present from spring through fall; flexible twigs are accessible year-round.
• Documented Use: Straight rods provide materials for stakes, wattle construction, baskets, and repair splints.
• Look-Alikes: Other willow species lack the distinctly white-woolly undersides on their leaves.

Trees and Woody Plants: Grayleaf Willow

This section covers identification characteristics, practical material properties, and conservation cautions for northern woody species.

Grayleaf Willow (Salix glauca) is a key woody species adapted to subarctic and alpine environments.

Grayleaf Willow and Green Alder Identification

Grayleaf willow is a low to medium shrub displaying gray-green, oval to lance-shaped leaves that are often silky beneath, with catkins borne on short shoots.

• Habitat: Tundra slopes, stream terraces, and alpine shrub belts.
• Season: Leaves are active during the growing season; twigs are harvestable year-round.
• Documented Use: Flexible twigs serve for small lashings, brush screens, and basketry. Shrub height also functions as an indicator of local snow depth and wind exposure.
• Look-Alikes: Feltleaf willow grows taller and possesses distinctly white-felted leaf undersides.

Green Alder (Alnus viridis subsp. crispa) is another dominant woody shrub occurring across similar alpine and subarctic zones.

Green Alder Identification

Green alder is a multi-stemmed shrub identifiable by oval, sharply toothed leaves, sticky young shoots, and persistent woody cone-like female catkins.

• Habitat: Avalanche tracks, stream valleys, moist slopes, and treeline thickets. Alder thickets reliably indicate moist, snow-loaded ground.
• Season: Leaves are present from spring through fall; woody stems can be gathered year-round.
• Documented Use: Straight stems are suitable for wattle, drying racks, and light utility poles.
• Look-Alikes: Birch lacks the persistent woody cone-like catkins and typically displays papery bark.

Documented Edible Plants: Overview and Lingonberry

This section details documented wild edible species. Positive identification and safe preparation remain essential before harvesting or consuming any wild forage.

Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is a prime cold-climate edible berry found across northern habitats.

Lingonberry and Bog Blueberry Identification

Lingonberry is a low evergreen shrub with leathery oval leaves marked by pale dots on the undersides, bearing bright red berries tipped with a prominent calyx crown.

• Habitat: Tundra heath, open treeline woodland, and peat hummocks.
• Season: Berries ripen in late summer and persist through winter, often remaining sound after hard frosts.
• Documented Use: Ripe berries provide a documented food source that can be gathered into cold weather.
• Look-Alikes: Bearberry fruit is noticeably mealier in texture, and bearberry leaves exhibit distinct netted veins rather than pale undersurface dots.

Bog Blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) is another documented edible berry shrub sharing northern peatland and heath environments.

Identify: Alpine Bistort

Alpine Bistort is characterized by a slender spike with white or pink flowers above and dark bulbils below, narrow basal leaves, and a small, thick root.

• Habitat: Moist tundra, snowbeds, alpine meadows, and stream terraces.
• Season: Summer.
• Documented Use: Bulbils and roots have documented northern food use after skilled identification and preparation.
• Look-Alikes: Other Bistorta species may lack bulbils or feature broader leaves.

Toxic Plants to Avoid: Northern Monkshood

Always recognize high-consequence toxic species before any plant gathering begins. Northern Monkshood (Aconitum delphiniifolium) is an extremely dangerous plant that must be avoided.

Identify: Northern Monkshood & Bog Rosemary

Northern Monkshood features deeply divided palmate leaves and blue-purple hood-shaped flowers.

• Habitat: Moist mountain meadows, streambanks, and rich tundra.
• Season: Summer.
• Documented Use: No food or medicinal use.
• Look-Alikes: Larkspurs have a distinct rear spur but are also toxic.

Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia) is another toxic species to avoid.

Identify: Bog Rosemary

Bog Rosemary is a low evergreen shrub with narrow, rolled-edge leaves that are pale underneath and small, pink, urn-shaped flowers.

• Habitat: Peat pockets, bogs, and wet tundra hollows.
• Season: Year-round leaves.
• Documented Use: No food or tea use.
• Look-Alikes: Labrador tea leaves are broader and rusty-woolly beneath.

Toxic Plants to Avoid: Northern Water Hemlock

High-consequence species must be recognized before any gathering begins. Northern Water Hemlock (Cicuta virosa) is one of the most hazardous wetland plants in the region.

Identify: Northern Water Hemlock & Red Baneberry

Northern Water Hemlock is a wetland perennial identified by divided leaves, white umbrella flower clusters, and thick chambered roots.

• Habitat: Slow streams, marshy valley bottoms, and lake margins in the broader region.
• Season: Spring through fall.
• Documented Use: No use. Never dig wetland roots.
• Look-Alikes: Angelica and other Apiaceae species can closely resemble it. Never taste to test.

Red Baneberry (Actaea rubra) is an additional high-consequence toxic plant to recognize and strictly avoid.

Identify: Bog Blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)

A low woody shrub characterized by blue-green oval leaves and blue waxy berries tipped with a distinct crown.

• Habitat & Season: Moist tundra heath, snowbed margins, and open treeline during late summer.
• Documented Use: Ripe berries are a documented food source.
• Look-Alikes: Bilberry features green angular stems and darker-staining flesh.

Documented Edible Plants: Crowberry

Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) is a documented edible plant. Foraging should focus exclusively on documented foods, where positive identification and safe preparation remain essential.

Identify: Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

A creeping evergreen mat featuring tiny, grooved needle-like leaves and shiny black berries.

• Habitat & Season: Windswept ridges, tundra heath, scree margins, and peatland from late summer through winter.
• Documented Use: Ripe berries are a documented food, remaining water-rich and persistent into the cold months.
• Look-Alikes: Juniper features sharp needles arranged in whorls and blue waxy cones.

Another documented edible species found in similar tundra and bog habitats is cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus).

Identify: Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)

Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) is a low, unarmed herb with rounded, lobed leaves and a single amber-orange, raspberry-like aggregate fruit.

• Habitat & Season: Peat pockets, wet tundra, and sheltered boggy valleys during mid- to late summer.
• Documented Use: Fully ripe amber fruit is a documented food.
• Look-Alikes: Dwarf raspberry species may bear red fruit and possess more divided leaves.

Documented Edible Plants: Mountain Sorrel

Mountain sorrel (Oxyria digyna) is recognized as a documented edible plant. Limit foraging strictly to documented wild foods; positive identification and safe preparation are essential.

Identify: Mountain Sorrel (Oxyria digyna)

A low herb featuring distinct kidney-shaped leaves alongside reddish branching flower and seed stalks.

• Habitat & Season: Moist gravel, talus seeps, streambanks, and snowbed edges throughout summer.
• Documented Use: Young leaves are a documented sour food and flavoring.
• Look-Alikes: Docks have larger leaves and distinctly different seed valves.

Another documented edible plant occurring in alpine zones is alpine bistort (Bistorta vivipara).

Cross-Check Protocol and Documentation

Match at least three reliable sources and rule out every dangerous look-alike before making any wild plant identification.

When preparing a documentation kit in the field, photograph the whole plant, the top and underside of leaves, stem, bark, flowers, fruit, and surrounding habitat. Always include a scale object in the frame, and record the date, location, and your level of confidence.

Trees and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties, and conservation cautions for northern trees and woody plants, featuring White Spruce (Picea glauca).

White Spruce (Picea glauca)

Identification: Sharp single needles with a pungent odor when crushed, flexible hanging cones, and scaly gray bark. Forms treeline stands in sheltered valleys.

Habitat and Season: Lower valleys, river terraces, and protected south-facing slopes. Recognizable and accessible year-round.

Documented Uses: Harvested for strong poles, roots, carving wood, and fuel. Its presence typically indicates relatively sheltered, better-drained ground.

Look-Alikes: Black spruce (Picea mariana) has a narrower profile with shorter needles and smaller, persistent cones.

Black Spruce (Picea mariana)

Identification: Characterized by a narrow spire crown, short four-sided needles, and small dark cones that remain attached to the branches.

Habitat and Season: Cold peatland pockets and lower, poorly drained valleys near the mountain front. Accessible year-round.

Documented Uses: Harvested for small poles, sheltered dead twigs, and resinous fuel.

Look-Alikes: White spruce exhibits a fuller crown and favors better-drained terraces.

Shrubs and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties, and conservation cautions for subarctic shrub communities, featuring Dwarf Birch (Betula glandulosa).

Dwarf Birch (Betula glandulosa)

Identification: Low, many-branched shrub featuring small, round, toothed leaves, resin-dotted twigs, and tiny catkins.

Habitat and Season: Tundra heaths, moist slopes, and snow-catching hollows. Leaves persist from spring through fall; twigs are present year-round.

Documented Uses: Fine twigs provide material for light brush, bedding, and small fuel bundles. Dense stands trap snow and reduce wind exposure at ground level.

Look-Alikes: Dwarf willows often have narrower leaves, while alder displays larger, cone-like catkins. Feltleaf willow (Salix alaxensis) also occurs across regional woody habitats.

Identification: Red Baneberry

Red baneberry is a woodland herb characterized by divided leaves, clusters of white flowers, and glossy red berries borne on stout stalks.

• Habitat & Season: Moist lower valleys and treeline woodland; berries appear in late summer.
• Documented Use: No documented food use.
• Look-Alikes: Red fruits on woody shrubs have simple leaves, unlike the divided herb leaves of baneberry.

Traditional-Use Plants: Labrador Tea

Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum) is documented as an important traditional-use plant in northern Indigenous cultures.

Identification: Labrador Tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)

Labrador tea is an evergreen shrub featuring rolled-edge leaves that are densely rusty-woolly on the underside, accompanied by clusters of white flowers.

• Habitat & Season: Peatland margins and wet treeline spruce forests, retaining its leaves year-round.
• Documented Use: A culturally important documented beverage and traditional-use plant.
• Look-Alikes: Bog rosemary is narrow and pale beneath, lacking the rusty-woolly underside.

Identification: Alaska Wormwood (Artemisia tilesii)

Alaska wormwood (Artemisia tilesii) is a tall aromatic perennial featuring gray-green divided leaves and numerous small greenish flower heads.

• Habitat & Season: River terraces, disturbed ground, and moist lower slopes from summer through fall.
• Documented Use: Documented northern Indigenous uses include aromatic washes, steam, and external preparations.
• Look-Alikes: Other wormwood species occur in the region; scent alone is insufficient for identification.

Traditional-Use Plants: Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a widely recognized traditional-use plant with extensive documented external applications.

Identification: Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow features aromatic, finely divided leaves and flat clusters of white to pink flowers.

• Habitat & Season: Dry gravel bars, trails, and lower disturbed slopes from summer through fall.
• Documented Use: Published traditional uses include external washes and aromatic preparations. Dry tops can also be used as light tinder.
• Look-Alikes: Poison hemlock is taller, with hollow spotted stems and umbrella-shaped flower clusters.