Spring Flowers at Mount Douglas

The vantage point of the top of Mount Douglas in Saanich offers a spectacular 360o view of rural Saanich and downtown Victoria. The Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington state are visible. However, it is worth turning one’s eyes from the striking vista and looking to the ground at this time of year. Much of the area at the top of Mount Douglas is bare rock and moss. Small groves of stunted Garry Oak and the odd Arbutus break up the landscape. A number of beautiful flowers can be found with careful searching.

Broad-leaved Shootingstar

Broad-leaved Shootingstar (Dodecatheon hendersonii)
Broad-leaved Shootingstar (Dodecatheon hendersonii) is just starting to come into bloom. Look for the round basal leaves of new plants.

Broad-leaved Shootingstar (Dodecatheon hendersonii) is beginning to come into flower. The round leaves that characterize this species of Dodecatheon are locally common. D. hendersonii prefers open grassy habitat and occurs from the dry Southern Gulf Islands south along the coast to California. Look for the downward pointing flowers with magenta to lavender petals and reddish-purple stamen tube.

Small-flowered Woodland Star

Small-flowered Woodland Star (Lithophragma parviflorum)
Small-flowered Woodland Star (Lithophragma parviflorum) lights up the forest and grassy bluffs.

The delightful Small-flowered Woodland Star (Lithophragma parviflorum) grows on the grassy south and west facing slopes of Mount Douglas. This saxifrage has beautiful white to pink flowers that consist of deeply three-lobed petals. The dry Garry Oak forests and coastal bluffs along the southern part of the Strait of Georgia and Gulf Islands are typical ecosystems for this plant. However, it grows in similar habitat throughout southern British Columbia. The common name suggests that the flowers look like small stars.

Spring Gold

Spring-gold (Lomatium utriculatum)
Spring-gold (Lomatium utriculatum) is a bright sign of spring.

At this time of year, Spring-Gold (Lomatium utriculatum) is also in bloom on the the grassy slopes. Appropriately named, the bright yellow cluster of flowers make this member of the Apiaceae (Carrot) Family distinctive. Its leaves are carrot-like as well, soft and lacy and divided into small, very narrow segments. Spring-gold has a taproot and may have been one of the “wild carrots” eaten by First Nations peoples on Southern Vancouver Island.

Chickweed Monkey-flower

Chickweed Monkey-flower (Mimulus alsinoides)
The “chimp-like” flower of Chickweed Monkey-flower (Mimulus alsinoides).

The Chickweed Monkey-flower (Mimulus alsinoides) favours vernally moist seeps along the mossy slopes and can grown in bright yellow clumps. The Latin for these delightful flowers comes from “mimulus” which means “little actor” and “mimus” which means a “buffoon.” Both refer to the fact that the flowers look like little monkey faces. The flowers are small, much smaller than the more showy Yellow Monkey-flower (M. guttatus) and marked with brownish red spots on the lower lip. “Alsinoides” means “like-chickweed” which refers to the chickweed like look of the leaves.

Chickweed Monkey-flower (Mimulus alsinoides)
A small group of Chickweed Monkey-flower (Mimulus alsinoides) growing in a vernal seep.

White Fawn Lilly

White Fawn Lily (Erythornium oregonum)
White Fawn Lily (Erythornium oregonum) were thick in the Licorice Fern underneath stunted Garry Oaks on Mount Douglas.

Amongst the Garry Oak (Quercus garryana), White Fawn Lily (Erythronium oregonum) were plentiful on the eastern summit of Mount Douglas, poking out through carpets of thick Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza). White Fawn Lily has a white, nodding flower. The long, paired basal leaves have a mottled colour. Like the other species of plants found on the top of Mount Douglas, White Fawn Lilies occur on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. They grow in both grassy open areas, and, as in this case, thick rocky woodlands.

Tips on Photographing Wildflowers

Photographing all of these small flowers can be challenging. Macro work requires close attention to depth of field. Ideally, use a tripod or bean bag for camera support. The top of the mountain can be windy so search for flowers that are growing in a sheltered area. Late afternoon light is ideal. The south and west facing slopes where many of these flowers bloom are well lit late in the day. With careful positioning of the camera it is possible to have the flower lit and the background in shade. This creates a nice contrast.

White Fawn Lily (Erythornium oregonum)
White Fawn Lily (Erythornium oregonum) against a soft blue sky.

Accessing Mount Douglas

Access to Mount Douglas is easy, perhaps too easy. Churchill Drive, a narrow paved road that begins at the base of the mountain where Cordova Bay Road, Cedar Hill Road and Shelbourne Road intersect climbs to the top. Parking is limited at the summit and the top of the hill is a popular destination for people enjoying the view. The impact of the large number of people that visit the summit is visible and obvious. Numerous trails form a network through sensitive habitat and in many places they have worn the rock bare. Mountain bikers sometimes ride up the paved road and then down the narrow tracks creating more damage. Try to stay on the existing trails and do your best to ignore the broken glass, discarded beer cans, plastic bags and other garbage.

The top of Mount Douglas definitely isn’t a pristine ecosystem. However, it is worth the effort to visit and explore, especially when you get away from the more heavily used areas. A better strategy to enjoy the park may be to leave your vehicle at a trail head and walk up to the top. At 227m, the climb is not too onerous and it can be a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. Refer to the District of Saanich Mount Douglas Park web page to download a map of the park and the access trails.