A Trip To Alaska’s Neverending Wildflower Field Will Make Your Spring Complete
The sunny days and gentle rains of spring transform the Alaskan landscape from a snow-covered winter wonderland to a colorful and vibrant wilderness. In Skagway, a field erupts in wildflowers late each May and early in June. The rains of spring lead to beautiful wildflowers all over Skagway, and a lush field of wild iris. You’ll love these lovely wildflowers coming soon to Alaska.
Skagway, on the corner where the Alaskan panhandle meets the mainland, has a temperate, rainy climate. It lies in the rain shadow of the coastal mountains, ensuring lots of spring rain to bring the landscape to life.
Near Skagway, the hillsides and meadows erupt with colorful wildflowers as soon as the sun starts to warm the days. By late May, the fields are dotted with purple from the wild irises.
Dyea lies in the Taiya River Valley, a verdant and scenic place for enjoying the outdoors. This beautiful part of Alaska is wild and abundant with wildlife and wildflowers.
The Dyea townsite is now a National Historic Landmark and is managed, along with the Chilkoot Trial, by the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
The wild iris has a name taken from the Greek word for rainbow, and the goddess of the same name. The wild, purple blooms pop up across Alaska on marshes, hillsides and front yards.
Wild irises grow to three feet tall with branched with long, narrow leaves that wrap around the stem. The blooms can be up to 4 inches in width, but are poisonous, so don't add to them to your summer salads.