While in Victoria this week I drove to the top of Mount Douglas to search for early spring flowers. I was hoping to find some Satinflower but was unsuccessful. However, in the late afternoon light I did find a number of beautiful yellow spring flowers so the trip was definitely worth it. Spring gold Bright splashes of Spring-gold (Lomatium utriculatum) …
Flowers
Spring Gold
Common Spring-gold (Crocidium multicaule) showing both the ray flowers (outer petals) and disk flowers (center cluster). The problem with common names of plants is that sometimes two very different looking plants have the same common name. Such is the case with Common spring-gold (Crocidium multicaule) and Spring-gold (Lomatium utriculatum). These two plants belong in completely different families, the former is …
Signs of Spring – Salmonberry and Red-flowering Currant in Bloom
There are several signs of spring that I watch for as February rolls into March and then into April. I know that spring has officially arrived on the West Coast when my allergies kick into high gear – I react strongly to Red Alder (Alnus rubra) pollen and don’t feel like going outside much on sunny days when the pollen …
A Pseudo Mushroom?
Back in early November we took a family hike around the Karst Creek Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park. At the end of the trail we found a number of dried up, old “mushrooms.” At least that’s what we thought they were initially. However, a little detective work solved the mystery quite quickly. Before I tell you what we actually found …
2010 West Coast Wildflower Calendar
Identify this British Columbian flower correctly and send me an email to be entered into a draw for a 2010 West Coast Wildflower Calendar. Contest closes November 30, 2009.And the winner is – Harri Harmaja of Finland who correctly identified the flower as Chamerion (Epilobium) latifolium or River Beauty. I’ve selected 12 of my wildflower images from Vancouver Island, British …
Tansy Ragwort
Tansy Rawort (Senecio jacobaea) Early in September I wrote about two tansies that occur in British Columbia. Last weekend while at East Sooke Regional Park looking for turkey vultures I found a species of Senecio growing in an old farm field. Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), like the common tansy, is an introduced plant from Eurasia. It does well in fields, …
Shootingstars
Delicate colour of shootingstar leaves. I was fascinated by the colour of the leaves of Jeffrey’s shootingstar (Dodecatheon jeffreyi) alongside a cold sub-alpine stream this week in Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park. The leaves were a stark contrast to the dark water and grey day and a beautiful sign that winter is not far off. Fall leaves of Jeffrey’s Shootingstar …
White Cockle
White Cockle | Silene latifolia ssp. alba Walking the riverside walk along the Puntledge River in Courtenay is a great place to see all sorts of invasive, introduced plants. Lately I’ve taken to strolling our two young children around the Airpark Loop. I always keep my eyes open for interesting plants and birds. The Airpark Lagoon is excellent for migrating …
A Tale of Two Tansies
Common Tansy | Tanacetum vulgare Common Tansy Up at Paradise Meadows today I had the (unfortunate?) opportunity to photograph some common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) growing along the roadside. Common tansy is an invasive perennial that grows in disturbed places, road edges and stream banks. WeedsBC reports that the common tansy is problematic especially in areas like interior BC so it …
Cow Parsnip Seeds
Cow Parsnip | Heracleum maximum While out on a family walk at Rosewall Creek Provincial Park south of Fanny Bay on Vancouver Island we discovered a small patch of Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum). Use caution with this plant due to the furanocoumarins in the outer skin. This can cause skin irritation when handled by people who are sensitive to light. …