Serpentine rock

If you read the descriptions of many of the plants I post from the middle part of Washington state, you'll probably have noticed that the terms 'serpentine' and 'endemic' come up quite often. This middle part of the state is a bit of a geological mystery - the rocks and mountains here are old, very old and quite different from the surrounding Cascade mountain range. Because of this isolation, it's position in the rain shadow and the characteristics of serpentine soil - it tends to be shallow, poor in plant nutrients and high in heavy metals, there are many plants that are highly specialized for life in this harsh place, that are not found anywhere else in the world, sometimes not even on neighboring peaks! It also means that there are amazing peaks of nearly bare rock that actually is green. When the light hits them right, it's like looking at a giant gemstone.
Geological theory about how this area came to be: