Western Spring Beauty

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Western spring beauty (Claytonia lanceolata) is a perennial that grows from a corm.    Several short stems (some underground) will have a few fleshy basal lanceolate leaves.  Whitish-pinkish flowers with deep pink veins emerge in spring with 2 sepals and 5 petals each in clusters.   After flowering, capsules with seeds develop in late spring and the leaves die back in the summer heat.

Western spring beauty can be found in the middle and upper grasslands and at higher elevations on damp slopes.    All of the plant is edible and the corms were harvested by various groups of First Nations people.     We enjoy seeing them in the spring, appearing after the first wave of buttercups and yellow bells.   

 

Some photos are shared here in a Google Photos album:

 

 

Trailside, on Hot and Smoky Days in Early August

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Early August had smoky, hot, and dry conditions in the southern Interior of BC.   Forest fire smoke blanketed large areas and I used smoke forecast services to go where the smoke was less hazardous.    Often the hikes were shorter, planned for times and areas of tolerable conditions.    The grasslands and forests were very dry and seemed susceptible to … Continue reading →

Showy Milkweed

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Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is an upright perennial which grows from rhizomes, 0.5 to 1 m in height with a stout stem.    The plant is hairy on the stems and leaves.     The central stem is somewhat hollow, but with a milky juice inside.    The leaves are mostly lanceolate with a point and have a central lighter-colored vein.    … Continue reading →

Little McGillivray Lake Nature Hike

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On a hot and smoky day I drove the backroad from Sun Peaks to McGillivray Lake.     I first paddled around the lake, then secured the boat before starting a loop route on cross-country/mountain biking trails to Little McGillivray Lake.     That whole area is wet year-round, and is often plagued by mosquitoes and flies in summer.     It kept … Continue reading →

Trailside, in the Grasslands

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There are many hiking routes in the area.    We can hike through the forest on the Interior Plateau.    We can hike up local hills from the valleys and we can hike through grasslands at lower elevations.   Many of the lower elevation hikes go through open forests and open sagebrush grasslands and may climb into ponderosa pine, then Douglas … Continue reading →

Parsnipflower Buckwheat

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Parsnip-flowered buckwheat (Eriogonum heracleoides) is a perennial herb that often grows in clumps in open areas.  Branches diverge from a woody base.  Leaves are usually greyish and woolly in a basal whorl.    Bracts may be present on stems below the inflorescence.  In an umbel shape, many small white-yellow emerge in clusters.   Some will appear reddish – rose as they … Continue reading →

Trophy Mountain Nature Hike

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For the fiftieth consecutive year, I hiked up the Trophy Mountain, enjoying the many faces of the route to the high alpine cirque.    It was a sunny and hot day for this 12.5 km hike. Along the trail through the forest, subalpine glades, seep zones, alpine ridges, and alpine heath there were many plants.    Many photos were taken … Continue reading →

Mount Thynne Nature Hike

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Near the end of June, on a sunny day, I hiked over the top of Mt. Thynne to enjoy the wildflower display. The mountain is located south of Brookmere and requires driving up a forest service road for 16 km. The track climbs the ridge and continues south through subalpine meadows for 4 km, finishing at communication towers on the … Continue reading →

Ponderosa – Big Pine Nature Hike

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On a warm mid-June day the nature hike was a combination of trails on the west side of Kenna Cartwright Park – out west on the Ponderosa Trail and back on Big Pine Trail, and some connector trails for a loop route.   Spring wildflowers and flowering shrubs bordered the trails and birds and pollinators were active in the open forests … Continue reading →