Heartleaf Arnica (A. cordifolia) and Mountain Arnica (A. latifolia) are perhaps the most common. Both grow to 20" tall or more. Both prefer moist soil. Heartleaf Arnica grows in low to subalpine zones, and has two to four pairs of heart-shaped basal leaves while Mountain Arnica, which stays further up at alpine and subalpine elevations, has egg- or lance-shaped basal leaves which have usually withered away by the time the flowers open.
Twin Arnica (A. sororia), by virtue of its two stems and two or three flowers per each stem, should be easier to separate from the pack. Its cluster of basal leaves and preferred dry habitat also give it a leg up in the I.D. game.
Seep-spring Arnica (A. longifolia) and Hairy Arnica (A. mollis) are another pair of wet habitat-loving species that are something of a challenge to identify. And both grow from subalpine zones up to the timberline.
Seep-spring Arnica, spreading by underground stems, forms dense colonies, often crowding out everything else. It grows up to three feet tall. The stems have five to seven pairs of opposite leaves and are either topped by several flower heads or no flower heads at all. There are no basal leaves.
Hairy Arnica, though similar to Seep-spring at first glance, sports fewer pairs of leaves - typically no more than four pairs - and has larger flower heads. The disk can be up to one and a half inches across. Hairy Arnica also has solitary flowers atop the stems, and the leaves are broader, being more than two inches wide.
Some Native Americans have used Arnica species in healing bruises and reducing swellings. The have also held them in high regard as a love charm.
Herbalists prepare an ointment from Arnica, which is used for improving circulation. This, in turn, speeds the healing process and is considered the most useful in treating sore muscles, sprains, and inflammation of the joints.
Taking the "external use only" motif one step further, Arnicas are a sunny sight for sore eyes, never mind how difficult they can be to identify.
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