Hairy Arnica

Arnica mollis

Pollinator Value

❄️ Winter Food Source: Dusky Grouse (Phasianidae) feeds on Arnica at genus level, comprising 7.5% of diet by weight/volume in one study. Seed persistence is limited (USDA: fall only, not persistent), so winter value is marginal.
S57 genus-level; S11 Fruit/Seed Persistence=No

Proximity Score: 4
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction: NW
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.4 – Boreal Plains, 5.4.2 – Clear Hills and Western Alberta Uplands
Rarity Notes: Not listed under SARA. VASCAN excludes this species from Quebec and does not list it for Ontario. NatureServe global rank G5 (Secure), Canadian national rank N5. Disjunct Quebec populations in the Gaspesie represent peripheral occurrences far from the main western range.
S22 G5, N5; S1 QC excluded; S26 not SARA listed
Migration: Disjunct
Ecological Context: Montane to subalpine perennial of moist meadows, conifer forests, stream banks, and late snow-melt areas at 1000-4000 m elevation across western North America. In Quebec, known only from scattered disjunct populations in the Gaspesie (Mont Logan, Riviere Montmorency) and north shore, far from the Outaouais. Clump-forming herb of mesic mountain habitats.
S6 habitat; S48 QC specimen localities; S1 QC excluded

❌ Not Edible