Western pasqueflower has a number of names – western anemone, tow-headed babies, moptop, and others. After flowering the soft, whitish, hairy seedheads are easy to spot:

Anemones are among the first to bloom in subalpine and alpine meadows. These ones were still blooming in the uppermost meadows on Trophy Meadows in early July.

The pasqueflower is part of the buttercup family and like its cousins (crocus, globeflower, marsh marigold, buttercups, etc.), the plants are poisonous. There are a number of white petal, yellow center flowers in the alpine region, but the distinctive group of 3 whorled leaves are the distinguishing feature for the anemone.

We sometimes see the flowers in bloom in early summer, then see the seedheads in mid summer on another hike, always a welcome sight.