Hey everyone, my name is Mason and I live in Anchorage, AK. I have never taken a biology class but it has always seemed interesting to me. I can’t say that I have a single favorite plant, but if I had to choose I would go with a Sugar Maple. Lilacs are a close second, and the one in our yard is about to bloom! (at least I think it’s a lilac…) There is also something very impressive to me about alpine plants and their ability to survive in such harsh environments.
I enjoy being in the outdoors: hunting, fishing, hiking, camping…etc. I am originally from Fairbanks but moved around Alaska growing up (my parents were teachers in various villages.) I lived in northern Vermont for 18 years, worked in King Salmon, AK for a few summers and eventually moved back to Anchorage. I have a degree in Criminal Justice from Champlain College in Burlington VT, but I am going back to school for a degree in Geological Engineering through UAF. I am currently a search and rescue pilot in the AK Air National Guard.
Below are photos of what I assume to be a lilac in my backyard and some alpine plants from a late fall hike at Eklutna Lake.
Welcome Mason,
yes, those are the blooms of lilac. It is a cultivated plant but it has a really sweet scent and flower profusely. If you get a chance have a closer look at the flowers, they only have two stamens. Lilacs are in the Olive family, most members of the Olive family have two stamens. Yes, the olives we eat, as well as the olive oil made from the olive tree are in this family. The name is Olea europea L. The image below from Irene Serano shows the flower of the olive tree with two stamens. The hike at Eklutna Lake looks impressive.