# Hooker's Mountain-Avens (*dryas hookeriana*) Hooker's Mountain-Avens is a beautiful flower that grows in the rocky mountains. Its bright yellow blooms make it a cheerful sight in the wild! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Rocky, alpine areas in the mountains. - **Also known as:** Alpine Avens, Hooker's Avens, Mountain Avens, Yellow Mountain-Avens ![Hooker's Mountain-Avens](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dryas_octopetala_LC0327.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jörg Hempel, CC BY-SA 3.0 de · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dryas_octopetala_LC0327.jpg) ## Appearance The Hooker'S Mountain-Avens is a low-growing plant that forms dense mats of leathery, dark green leaves with silvery undersides. Its striking, solitary white flowers typically have eight petals, radiating from a bright yellow center, making it visually distinct from most other flowering plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Dryas ## Interesting facts - It's like a soil-maker, helping to build new soil in barren, rocky places. - Its feathery, twisted seed tails help them helicopter far away on mountain breezes! - This tiny mountain plant can surprisingly live for over 100 years! - Unlike most flowers with five petals, its flowers famously have eight! ## Special abilities - **Alpine Survivor:** Hooker'S Mountain-Avens forms dense mats to help it conserve moisture and withstand strong mountain winds, aiding its survival. - **Fuzzy Protection:** Hooker'S Mountain-Avens has small hairs on its leaves and stems that insulate it from cold and protect it from harsh UV light. - **Deep Anchor:** Hooker'S Mountain-Avens has a deep taproot that firmly anchors it in rocky soils and helps it access water far below the surface. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-15 cm - **Spread:** 20-50 cm - **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Main pollinator, collecting nectar. - **Eaten by:** [Bighorn sheep](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bighorn-sheep) (*Ovis canadensis*) — A food source for mountain grazers. - **Eaten by:** [Hoary marmot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hoary-marmot) (*Marmota caligata*) — Herbivore feeding on its leaves. ## Traits - [Perennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/perennial): Perennial plants live for more than two years, typically returning to grow and bloom each year from their roots. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hooker's Mountain-Avens? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Hooker's Mountain-Avens? 5-15 cm ### How wide does Hooker's Mountain-Avens spread? 20-50 cm ### How big are the flowers on Hooker's Mountain-Avens? 1.5-2.5 cm ### When does Hooker's Mountain-Avens bloom? Summer ### Is Hooker's Mountain-Avens edible? No ### Is Hooker's Mountain-Avens toxic? None ### What is Hooker's Mountain-Avens's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Pasayten Wilderness](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pasayten-wilderness) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Belly River Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belly-river-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Cathedral Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cathedral-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Hooker's Mountain-Avens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hookers-mountain-avens) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Hooker's Mountain-Avens: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hookers-mountain-avens)