It has been another warm winter for the lowlands of western Washington. But regardless of the mildness I was still surprised to see this clump of blooms on a slope in the San Juan Islands.

I have no idea what the plant is or if it is native. Plant IDs are a weakness in my understanding of the world. The bloom was on a south facing slope with rocks and was near the water. Hence, a mild climate spot that seems to be working well for this plant.

The site did have some other native tree favorites:

Juniperus maritima

Arbutus menziesii

This growth habit is common on south slopes in the San Juans

The root mass appears to survive burning and cutting and sends up new trees