Washington is aptly termed the "Evergreen State" and ample proof of the reason for such a term is contained in our woodlands here in the Park. For, although our "fair weather" plants have long since disappeared, there are many evergreen varieties that keep the woods fresh and inviting. And they keep them so until the snow obscures them from view and again take up their burden of brightening woodland trails in the early spring when the snow disappears. The most abundant and characteristic of these woodland evergreen plants is the Salal which we have tried to illustrate on the cover. To anyone living in the Northwest this is a familiar plant but oftentimes, because it is so common, we are not as appreciative of it as we should be. It is a member of the Heath family -- a large one that includes among its many species such plants as the Heather, Manzinita, Rhododendron, etc. In the spring it bears waxy, bell-shaped blossoms of a pinkish hue that are almost withheld from view by the mass of glossy green leaves. Later, in the fall, deep purple berries appear -- they are so purple that they might be considered as black -- and we are told that the Indians used them as an item of food.

Oregon Grape, a member of the Barberry Family, is another well known evergreen plant. It is very conspicuous because of the close resemblence of its leaves to the well known Holly (see page one). Another of the Heath clan is found on the slopes where its low, densely matted evergreen foliage oftentimes covers large areas. This plant is known as Kinnikinic and its technical term out does its common name by several leaps and bounds for the botanist knows it as Arctostaphylos urva-ursi. Perhaps you would rather call it Bearberry. It is just as acceptable a common name as Kinnikinic and results from the fact that this plant, in the fall of the year, bears numerous bright red berries. Its leaves are rather small, of leathery texture, dark green and are not toothed.

Another shrub found along the trails in the woods about Longmire is the Mountain Box. It grows about two or three feet high forming bushy clusters. Those of you who have visited the Park and have seen the Twinflower -- a member of the Honeysuckle Family -- will remember its fragrance. The small, pink, twin blossoms are, of course, a thing of the past until next summer but when we see the manner in which the densely matted evergreen foliage covers down timber along the trails and beautifies otherwise unsightly places at this time we cannot help but think that Linnè had its winter beauty in mind as well as the fragrance of its flowers when he chose it has his namesake. The Twinflower, by means of its botanical name -- Linnaea americana -- commemorates the memory of the great Swedish botanist who is regarded as the father of our present system of botanical classification.

The Pipsissewa, too, strikes a welcome note with its evergreen foliage. Now we see it still bearing aloft the dried remnants of the waxy-pink flowers with which it decorated itself last summer.

These are a few of the evergreen plants that we encounter along the trails in the woodlands of the lower elevations in the Park at this time. There are others as well and with the forest which is, of course, composed almost entirely of evergreen trees give rise to the term the "Evergreen State".