The Mount Tzouhalem Ecological Reserve is spectacular for viewing wildflowers typical of Garry oak meadows. Beginning in the early spring, deltoid balsamroot, shootingstar, and common camas are very prolific. In early summer, the onions begin in earnest and several species are easy to find in the long grass. Looking more carefully, it is possible to find a number of other …
Garry Oak Meadows
Mount Tzouhalem Ecological Reserve Wildflowers
Mount Tzouhalem is located near Duncan on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The area is recognized for its network of mountain biking and hiking trails. However, it is also the location of Mount Tzouhalem Ecological Reserve and a spectacular Garry oak wildflower meadow. Path through grassy meadow at Mount Tzouhalem Ecological Reserve. The meadows are a fairly short 15 minute walk …
Wildflowers at Harewood Plains
May and June are peak times to visit Harewood Plains to view wildflowers. In May, common camas (Camassia quamash), sea blush (Plectritis congesta), and yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) fill the open meadows of the plains with a beautiful wash of blue, pink, and yellow. The bloom begins in late April and continues through the month of May and into June. …
Neck Point Nature Walk
We’re not a really a family that enjoys shopping, especially for non food items. I tend to hit my threshold very quickly and can’t remember the last time I spent longer than a hour in a mall looking at clothing. Typically we try to plan our urban consumer experience like a military exercise—clear objectives, get in, get what we need …
Bring Back the Bluebirds
Project update courtesy of Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team The Bring Back the Bluebirds project is excited to report the first confirmed Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) nest in the Salish Sea area since 1995. A re-introduced bluebird has laid four beautiful blue eggs at the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve (CGOP) near Duncan. The eggs are in a nestbox claimed by …
Harewood Plains
While Harewood Plains is the location on Vancouver Island to see the rare red-listed bog birds-foot trefoil, the meadows are home to many other gorgeous flowers as well. Sea Blush (Plectritis congesta) and Yellow Monkey-flower (Mimulus guttatus) dominate the wet meadows of Harewood Plains in late May and early June. In late May/early June the common camas (Camassia quamash) is …
Nanaimo’s Rare Bog Birds-foot Trefoil
Speechless—that’s how I felt after spending a full day photographing flowers in Harewood Plains in Nanaimo. Not only is the flower display in the meadows absolutely stunning, it is also one of only five locations on Vancouver Island where you can find bog birds-foot trefoil (Lotus pinnatus). A detail of the flowers of Bog Birds-foot Trefoil (Lotus pinnatus) showing the …
Plants of Pipers Lagoon Park
Last Friday I had a chance to take a walk around Pipers Lagoon Park in Nanaimo, British Columbia. This small park includes a mixed Garry Oak (Quercus garryana) and Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) meadow with associated plants. It looks like it could be a fascinating place to spend some time botanizing a little later in the spring. The twisted branches of …
Pipers Lagoon Park
I was in Nanaimo this Friday and decided to take the “scenic route” through the suburbs along Hammond Bay Road when heading back up-Island. This area of Nanaimo is heavily developed, but fortunately there is a small city park that makes the drive worthwhile. Pipers Lagoon Park is about 8 hectares in size and includes some wonderful Garry Oak (Quercus …
Born of Fire
Guest Post by Vijay Somalinga Last summer I was having a conversation with a friend about the native flora of British Columbia. I was quite disappointed when I learned that most of the the flower pictures I had taken that summer turned out to be invasive and non-native species. It was during this conversation that for the first time I …