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Alaska Native Plant Society

The Alaska Native Plant Society ( also known as AKNPS) organization serves as a non-profit and is committed to the research, study, and conservation of Alaska native plants. Verna Pratt founded the organization in 1982, the idea started when Pratt met with a group of 35 native plant enthusiasts and discussed making a plant organization. By March of 1982, the rules and laws were established and meetings in the spring and summer seasons were scheduled. Pratt served as its first State President Through 1988, Pratt's husband Frank Pratt was the editor of their newspaper, The Borealis. The first members of the organization chose the Linnaea borealis as their emblem, they promoted it by having stickers and patches with the flower on it. The organization quickly got notice and garnered a large response from the public.

Many events were planned and organized throughout the years. The first was the Alaska Native Plant Art Contest which was held from 1982-1985, while this was going on the members of AKNPS created a display for National Garden Week that contained pictures and live plant materials. The organization has been and continues to work with scout troops and high school students to save plants near roadway and construction sites that are going to be destroyed, the goal is to give the youth education about conservation and preservation issues while helping their community. AKNPS involvement with scout troops also extends to helping them get their Eagle Scout Awards, they do this through collective projects with AKNPS members and scout troops revegetating public tracts. The organization currently is making efforts to remove invasive weeds around Alaska and to inform the community of the rising problem of these weeds.

Field Guide to Alaska Wildflowers (1989)

Cover for Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers

Shortly after serving as State President for AKNPS Pratt wrote the novel, Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers Commonly seen along the Highways and Byways. Pratt wrote the book due to information on flowers being too scientific and advanced for a household gardener. The book was written and arranged by color, keeping in mind the every day botanist. From her personal experience learning about the wildflowers of Alaska with her experience of teaching on the subject of wildflower identification, Pratt realized that color is the first characteristic people notice when it comes to plants. However, Pratt noted that color is not the most important characteristic of plants, other plant features and aspects also got taken into account and are important to the identification. Each plant in the book was identified based on color, family, habitat, blooming time, and general description. The field guide also goes into more obscure plant characteristics like toxicity, edibility, and economic uses. As a note, the blooming time of plants might be two weeks ahead or behind due to changes in Alaska's climate. These climates could include snowfall, the length of the winter season, and the timing of snow melt-off. What makes Alaska so special in terms of its plants and flowers is how large the state is, covering 586,400 square miles. Elevations in the state go up to 20,320 feet in height. These two combinations cause very diverse growing conditions and seasons.

Pratt admits it is not a complete guide to all the plants in Alaska since there are over 1500 species in the state. The book mainly focuses on plants near major highways, pull-offs, and campsites. Many species don't have pictures, but the more complex plants with different variations are described when necessary, this includes flowers with a rare amount of petals. Pratt hoped that the book encourages people to look at plants and flowers in more fine detail, and most importantly, be useful to people just getting in the plant world.

Flowers/Plants Studied by Pratt

Twin Flower (Linnaea Borealis)

A photo of the Twin Flower

The Twin Flower (or the specific epithet, Linnaea Borealis meaning "northern") is part of the honeysuckle family. The plant was named by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. He was responsible for putting names to over 8000 plants, often naming aesthetically pleasing plants after his supporters and unattractive plants after his detractors. Linnaea Borealis was Linnaeus's favorite plant and named it after his close friend and teacher. This flower is seen in woods and other dry areas including on mountains, they bloom Mid-June to early August. The flower features a long shrub with evergreen leaves that are rounded and light green, these leaves are placed opposite of the stems. The flowering stems have 1-2 sets of leaves that include pink/white bell-shaped flowers that are carried on 3-6 Y-shaped stalks. The pink to white flowers grow in pairs which is why the common name is "Twin Flower." The flowers have a strong smell that lasts about 7 days after blooming. The Twin Flower isn't just seen in Alaska, it can also be found in northern Europe, Asia and parts of North America, however, the plant is slowly becoming endangered as it's occurrence in these areas have dropped 50% since 1970.

A photo of the Actaea Rubra (Baneberry)

Baneberry/Snakeberry (Actaea Rubra)

The Baneberry or Snakeberry (or the specific epithet Actaea Rubra) is part of the crowfoot/ranunculaceae family. The first form of the plant Baneberry has red berries while the other form Snakeberry has white berries. This plant can be found in cool, moist forests in North America, specifically in Alaska and the Yukon but it also occurs in aboriginal areas in the North. The long-lasting plant in 18-30 inches long with 3-5 toothed leaves that grows from the flower stalk. the red or white berries are high above the leaves and they ripen a few weeks after they bloom, around mid-July through August. However, the berries are very poisonous, the digestion of six berries can kill a child. In Alaska, you can find these plants along mountainsides or pull-offs along highways.

A photo of Sorbus Sitchensis

Mountain Ash (Sorbus Sitchensis)

The Mountain Ash (or the specific epithet Sorbus Sitchensis) is part of the Rose/Rosaceae family. This is a native plant that reaches up 4-9 feet tall, there is also a rare small tree variant that is up to 20 feet tall. The plant grows in the woods, low alpine meadows, and slopes on high elevation mountains over at the southeast and coastal Southcenter of Alaska. The twigs have small brown-colored hairs, the leaves are divided into small 7-11 notched leaflets, the flowers have 5 petals and are round with flat clusters at the end of the branches. The flowers can grow large, red/orange berries that bloom in fall, the berries are safe to eat but are bitter until they've been frozen and thawed a few times.

The flower propagates with seeds. After the plant reaches 15 years of age, it starts producing a seed crop every year. The seeds and transported by birds like the bohemian waxwing who also eat the berries. The seeds themselves are firm but are regularly damaged by deer.