Good news: I smell a skunk!

Polemonium viscosum, June 30, 2020

Polemonium viscosum, June 30, 2020

Common & scientific name
Sky pilot, Polemonium viscosum

Family
Phlox, Polemoniaceae

Location
Green Mountain, 12,500’ & Geissler 3, 12,600

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

If you’ve ever been scrambling along a rocky alpine ridge and swore you smelled a skunk, you were (sort of) correct!  Polemonium viscosum, a common but striking tundra flower, sometimes goes by the name “Skunkweed,” owing to the strong odor it sometimes puts out.  Like its faunal namesake, however, it is a beauty to behold, no matter the smell.  So hold your nose and thank your lucky stars for being where you are: in the magnificent alpine among the magnificent Sky pilot!

P. viscosum, July 30, 2020

P. viscosum, July 30, 2020