Boyle Park is located at the south end of Denman Island. We hiked most of the trails, through the forest, past marsh lands, and out to the rocky seashore. Along the way we spotted many birds and perennial (and annual) … Continue reading →
Wildflowers were blooming Just off the side of the road, some of them seldom seen at this elevation in our region. The star of the display was yellow glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum). All photos by the author on an April … Continue reading →
With colder nights and little seasonal precipitation, the arrival of wildflowers had a slow start in 2023. We had seen the first sagebrush buttercups (Ranunculus glaberrimus) by about March 20th (there were earlier sightings by other people). They have continued … Continue reading →
Bracted lousewort (Pedicularis bracteosa sp.) is a perennial in the Orobanchaceae (broomrape) family. Unbranched stalks grow up to 1m from coarse and fibrous roots. Alternate fern-like leaves with toothed edges emerge on flowering stems. Beaked and complex yellow-red-purple complex … Continue reading →
After a long winter we look forward to the first signs of spring. South-facing slopes and benchlands dry off and warm up first and we may see buds forming on shrubs and the first wildflowers. The first sighting of sage … Continue reading →
Northern gentian (Gentianella amarella sp.) is an annual or biennial in the harebell family. Stems grow from taproots (10 – 40 cm tall). Basal leaves are usually elliptical – lanceolate shaped. Pairs of green-purple lanceloate leaves are spaced on the … Continue reading →
Rabbit-brush is a grasslands shrub that grows up to 1 meter high. Common rabbit-brush (Ericameria nauseosus) is a perennial shrub with multiple woody stems. The stems are “woolly”, covered with hairs. Leaves are threadlike, long, and covered in dense grey … Continue reading →
Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnafolia) is a deciduous shrub that can grow to the size of a small multi-stemmed tree. Slender, smooth reddish-brown stems grow from stolons or rhizomes. Alternate leaves vary from round to elliptical with rounded ends, with saw-toothed edges. … Continue reading →
Red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera sp.) is a deciduous shrub that grows from 1 to 4 m high, and it can extend to 4-5m wide. Many alternate stems grow vertically and horizontally. Younger stems can be bright red in the fall … Continue reading →
When we hike in subalpine areas, we often come across white-flowered rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum). It is decidouous shrub, growing to 2m. It tends to have a spreading habit with thick masses of shrubs in wet or shady areas right up … Continue reading →
Some photos of fungi spotted along the fringes of various trails we have hiked are included here. Most were spotted in late summer or fall, at various locations. The process of learning more about fungi has been a slow one. … Continue reading →
Twinflower Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) is a trailing evergreen shrub/subshrub in the honeysuckle family. The base is semi-woody and multiple slender stems grow horizontally. The stems are leafy with fleshy opposite/paired green (egg-shaped) leaves. Short vertical y-shaped stalks are crowned with … Continue reading →
