Yellow Flowers Genus Arnica

Observation: This picture was taken on the gravel road going towards Togiak Heights from downtown Togiak. This is a plant species we could not identify. Invasive species pose a serious threat to Alaska's agriculture, tourism, wildlife, fisheries and subsistence resources. Brian Abraham and Leilani Luhrs

Cooperative Extension Service Consult: Gino Graziano, Invasive Plant Specialist writes, "the plants in the pictures do not resemble any of the invasive plants I am familiar with. I think the flower in the pictures looks like a type of Arnica (note:links added by LEO Network), which are native plant species. There are several types of Arnica species in Alaska and they are difficult to differentiate without a sample in hand. These plants could very well have recently colonized the spot you have in the picture." University of Alaska Fairbanks

LEO says: according to Wikipedia, "Arnica is also known by the names Mountain Tobacco and, somewhat confusingly, Leopard's bane and Wolfsbane—two names that it shares with the entirely unrelated genus Aconitum." You can learn more about invasive plants here at Gino's website. Stay tuned for more information on the Togiak flowers.