There are three native orchids on the Hawaiian islands, mostly found in higher areas in rain forests, and often in the trees. They are rare and not easy to find. There are many orchids featured in botanical gardens and show gardens from all over the world. There are two orchids, though, that have become endemic/naturalized to the islands … Continue reading →
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.) is a short, stiff perennial in the iris family. Most of the ones spotted in our area are Idaho blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchrum idahoense sp.), but Mountain blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum) is quite similar and may also be found in pockets in the Interior area. They grow from fibrous roots to as much as 30 cm. … Continue reading →
Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) is a deciduous shrub growing from rhizomes. It is found in damp, shaded forests, mostly in areas to the east and north of Kamloops. Thick stems spread horizontally and tend to overlap, rising up to 1 to 3 m. Large yellowish spines line the stems. Large green lobed leaves with pointed tips grow from … Continue reading →
Upland larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum) is a perennial which grows from a tuberous many-branched root. Tall stalks rise 15 – 40 cm. Most of the leaves are basal. The leaves are palmate and divided/lobed. Purple/blue flowers emerge at the top of stems and on long pedicels. The petals tend to be lighter colored (blue-whitish) and the sepals are usually blue-violet … Continue reading →
Red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera sp.) is a deciduous shrub found in areas with wet soil in our region. The shrub has many stems in opposite pairs. The lower one of the pair is often prostate and forms stolons. The stems rise up 1 m to 5 m and are reddish. Older stems start to turn grey. The shrub’s … Continue reading →
Western Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia) is an evergreen perennial in the orchid family which can be spotted in our mid-elevation forests of the Southern Interior. From thick roots and spreading rhizomes Goodyera often spreads, forming small colonies. A basal cluster of dark green leaves are oval – lanceolate and have a whitish streak down the middle. Stiff stems rise … Continue reading →
Fringed Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata) is a perennial found in damp sub-alpine areas in the BC Interior. It grows from short, fibrous roots. Several stems rise to as much as 30 cm. Broad kidney-shaped basal glossy green leaves extend at low angles. Single terminal flowers have 5 white petals, fringed with white hairs below. In the middle … Continue reading →
Blue clematis (Clematis occidentalis) is a climbing vine found mostly in mixed forests in Western Canada. In our drier climate, it often grows in mid-elevation gullies, winding around and climbing up shrubs. The woody stems can grow to 2+ meters high with support, or as a trailing vine, even longer. The leaves on the stems are situated on long stalks … Continue reading →
Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) is a perennial which grows from a long taproot and a woody base. Basal leaves appear in spring, but wither in summer. Fleshy pinkish showy flowers appear on short stalks, mostly hiding any linear leaves. The flowers have 15 narrow petals and 6 to 9 sepals. Small seed capsules form in summer. The flowers open … Continue reading →
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is a native evergreen perennial found in our mid-elevation to sub-alpine forests. It has a woody base and spreads by rhizomes. A whorl of 4 – 7 leaves grows at the tops of stems. The leaves have parallel veins and are shaped somewhere from oval to elliptical. The undersides are whitish. An inflorescence … Continue reading →
