In my quest to find the volunteer pink sand-verbenas at Florencia Bay in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve I spent a good deal of time walking along the line of driftwood looking at plants growing amongst the beach logs. In addition, I looked at plants growing on the upper level of the beach itself. While I didn’t find pink sand-verbena, I did find another interesting plant.

Identifying Characteristics of Sea-watch

One of the interesting plants in this part of the beach is Sea-watch (Angelica lucida). This plant looks like a classic member of Apiaceae (the Carrot family) with a broad umbel of small flowers individually arranged into a compact head. In this case, the flowers are yellowish/green in colour.

Leaf Structure Helps with Identification

The leaves of this plant are hairless and have a somewhat leathery look to them. In addition, the leaflets are a distinctive egg-shape and irregularly toothed. As a result, the overall look of Sea-watch is dramatic. The large umbels display nicely against the texture of the leaves. The stem leaf stalks are noticeably sheathed at their base.

Sea-watch grows on the upper levels of moist beaches as well as on coastal bluffs, meadows, and stream edges. Look for it amongst the driftwood piled above the winter storm lines. It is a beautiful plant and well worth searching out.