Monthly Archives: April 2026

Sunnybrae – Reinecker Nature Hike

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In mid-April we hiked trails above the Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake, first up the Sunnybrae Bluffs Trail, then on the Reinecker Creek Trails in Herald Provincial Park.    Some of the trails were on south-facing slopes and some were in the forest.   Along the way, we stopped to enjoy flowering plants, and we spotted some other plants to photograph,

Some of the plants shared here include harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), arrow-leaved balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittatus), large-fruited desert parsley (Lomatium macrocarpum), lemonweed (Lithospermum ruderale), blue clematis (Clematis occidentalis), glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum), heart-leaved arnica leaves (Arnica cordifolia), chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis), rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens), wild ginger (Asarum sp.), blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna), rough-fruited fairybells (Prosartes trachycarpa), orange honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa), Xeromphalina (fungus) and wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana).

A Google Photos album (link) is embedded in this post as a slideshow:

Coming soon – Stein River Valley and the Spirit Caves (Yale)…

Kalamalka Nature Hike

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On a warm spring day we drove to Vernon and then to the Cosens Bay Trailhead in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.    We hiked the Coming Around the Mountain Trail and other trails in an 11 km loop.    There were many early spring flowering plants along the route and we took some photos along the way. Included here are … Continue reading →

Along the Trails in Mid-April

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On two hikes in mid-April, I spotted a number of emerging wildflowers, but also flowering shrubs and lichens along the trails. Shared here are saskatoon (Amelanchier sp.), arrow-leaved balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), wax currant (Ribes cereum), lemonweed (Lithosspermum ruderale), woodland star (Lithophragma parviflorum), hawkweed (Hieracium sp.), wolf lichen (Letharia vulpina), Beckwith’s milkvetch (Astralagus beckwithii), narrow-leaved desert-parsley (Lomatium triternatum), and cutleaf fleabane … Continue reading →

Old Man’s Whiskers

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Old man’s whiskers (Geum triflorum) is a clump-forming perennial in the rose family which flowers in spring on the Interior Plateau of B.C.   Other common names are prairie smoke or purple avens.    It spreads by rhizomes and establishes a mat of old leaf bases over time.   In spring a cluster of basal leaves appear.    Many compound, divided leaves … Continue reading →

Neskonlith Hills Nature Hike

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In early spring I hiked an off-trail hike through the hills above Neskonlith Lake on a route that I had hiked before which often has an early bloom of wildflowers.    On this outing I spotted glacier lilies, western spring beauty, woodland star, yellow bells, arrow-leaved balsamroot, fernleaf desert parsley, big-fruited desert parsley, larkspur leaves, pale comandra, budding saskatoons and … Continue reading →

Five-leaf Dwarf Bramble

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Five-leaf dwarf bramble (Rubus pedatus) is a low-growing shrub with creeping (thornless) stems.  Five veined and lobed leaves/leaflets help with identification before flowers emerge in early summer.   Small white flowers appear on slender stalks. The flowers are small and easy-to-miss since they are low and may be hidden under other foliage. Later in summer small red drupelets (raspberry-like) appear in … Continue reading →