It’s definitely that time of the year – spring flowers are appearing everywhere. If you’re on Vancouver Island make your way to any riverside trail and search for the wonderful Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum). I found several while walking along Black Creek in Miracle Beach Provincial Park 30 minutes north of Courtenay, British Columbia.

It’s a truly beautiful flower, spectacular in its simplicity. Easy to identify, there’s nothing this showy in bloom right now. The large white flower with three petals backed by three large triangular leaves is distinctive. Look underneath the flower for the three green sepals that complete the pattern.

A flower of wet forests and riverbanks, the Western Trillium is just starting its show in the Comox Valley and may be further along on southern Vancouver Island. It’s well worth looking for.