[Mule's Ears: The Genus Wyethia East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower

Wyethia amplexicaulis

Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis

Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis)

Northern mule's ears in bloom on open slopes above the Wenas Campground, Yakima County, WA.......May 24, 2019.

Characteristics:

Northern wyethia is a balsamroot look-alike. It is a fairly handsome plant, with erect stems and long basal leaves, and large yellow flower head. The herbage is entirely smooth and shiny. The texture is resinous. The leaves are stiff with entire or sometimes toothed margins. The basal leaves are enlarged with elliptic or lance-elliptic blades from 20-60 cm long and 5-16 cm wide. The base of the leaves tapers gradually to the petiole. The venation is very prominent. The stem leaves are smaller, sessile, and lance-ovate to ovate in shape. The stem leaves range from 9-25 cm long and 2-6 cm wide. The solitary stem is stout, somewhat lax, and ranges from 30-80 cm tall.

One to several flower heads may be found atop the stem. The central one is largest. The central head contains 13-21 yellow rays surrounding the disk. The lateral heads may have only 8 rays around the disk. The rays measure 2.5-5 cm long. The involucral bracts are wide and herbaceous, and often surpass the disk.

Importance/ Uses:

Mule's ears indicate overused rangeland. As forage, only the flowers are consistently eaten (the leaves are too leathery). Mule deer and bear may eat the leaves only early in the spring, when they are more succulent. The seeds and flowers are consumed by sharp-tailed grouse and Columbian ground squirrels. The roots were boiled and chopped for their medicinal qualities by the Nez Perce.

Habitat:

Northern wyethia is found on open, moist slopes to 2600 meters.

Range:

Northern wyethia is found from central Washington east to western Montana, south to northern Nevada and Utah.

Involucre of Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis - Flower head of Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis

Basal leaves of Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis - Basal leaves of Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis

Close-up views of the flower head, involucre and basal leaves of northern mule's ears as seen at a small stock pond along Old Headquarters Road in the Klickitat State Wildlife Area.........May 24, 2009.

Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis)

Mule's ears as seen along Forest Road #16 in Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest.........July 1, 2010.

Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis) - Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis)

Mule's ears observed in vernally moist prairie adjacent to Indian Creek, northwest corner of Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest.......May 27, 2018.

Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis) - Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis

Mule's ears as seen at left Brooks Memorial State Park near Satus Pass, Washington...........May 19, 2014. Northern mule's ears as seen at left on slopes above the Klickitat River in the Klickitat State Wildlife Area.......May 24, 2009.

Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis) - Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis)

Mule's ears as seen at left on some of the vernally moist higher balds at Brooks Memorial State Park near Satus Pass, Washington...........May 13, 2019. The photo at right shows mule's ears in wetlands along Dry Creek about one-half mile upstream from Wenas Creek, DNR lands in Yakima County, WA......May 29, 2022.

Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis - Habitat of Mule-ears, Mule's Ears, Northern Mule-ears, Northern Mule's Ears, Northern Wyethia, Smooth Dwarf Sunflower: Wyethia amplexicaulis (Synonym: Espeletia amplexicaulis)

Northern wyethia as seen at left from Hunter's Prairie, near Bear Springs R.S., Mt. Hood N.F. ....May 28, 1994. The photo at right shows the vernally moist meadow habitat of northern wyethia as seen along Forest Road 41, Umatilla National Forest......June 17, 2023.
Paul Slichter