North Shore Scenic Drive
Butterwort Cliffs Scientific and Natural Area, MN

Butterwort Cliffs consists of a narrow strip of wet rock shore natural community on Lake Superior and the aspen-birch forest that extends from the rock shore to the northern border of the SNA. A variety of colorful lichens, ranging from orange to green, cover much of the bedrock shoreline. The cool, moist climate near the lake provides habitat for a unique assemblage of rare arctic-alpine plants, including butterwort and Hudson Bay eyebright. Butterwort, for which this SNA is named, grows in fragile mats, its sticky, yellow-green leaves trapping insects as a nutritional supplement.