Yellow Mountain Avens vs Baltic Rush - TreeTime.ca

Yellow Mountain Avens vs Baltic Rush

Dryas drummondii

Juncus balticus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Yellow Mountain Avens
Baltic Rush

Yellow Mountain Avens is a native perennial wildflower with bright yellow buttercup-like blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. By thriving at higher elevations, it helps sustain pollinator populations and provides one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen in alpine habitats.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Mountain Avens enriches soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. It forms dense, spreading mats of evergreen foliage that act as a groundcover and help stabilize soil. Often among the first species to establish in disturbed alpine sites such as glacial outwash or landslides, it is well-suited for alpine revegetation, erosion control, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects in harsh, rocky environments.

Baltic Rush is a widespread native perennial rush that forms dense clumps of upright, cylindrical stems. Well adapted to saturated soils, it is common in wetlands, streambanks, and riparian zones, and is tolerant of both fresh and saline conditions. Hardy and low-maintenance, Baltic Rush contributes to soil stabilization and enhances wetland habitats.
It offers cover for small animals, nesting habitat for birds, and limited forage for livestock when young and tender. Its dense growth and rhizome networks add structural diversity that supports wetland ecosystems, making it well-suited for riparian planting, shoreline stabilization, wetland restoration, and reclamation projects.

Yellow Mountain Avens Quick Facts

Baltic Rush Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: mat-forming, creeping
Growth form: colony-forming, sometimes in lines
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low


Foliage: evergreen, leathery
Flowers: yellow, buttercup-like, nodding
Bloom time: spring to summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON, QC, NB, NL, YT, NT
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: drummonds dryad, drummonds mountain avens, yellow dryad
Other Names: wire rush, wiregrass