Every year near the end of May we drive west to witness local bitterroot (Lewisia redviva) in bloom. It can be found at various locations between Cache Creek and Spences Bridge, usually above the highway in the hills on southwest-facing … Continue reading →
We hiked Helliwell Provincial Park on Hornby Island at the end of April and enjoyed the park and the many wildflowers of spring. One of the plants that was in flower was slender toothwort (Cardamine nutiallii). It is a … 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 →
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 →
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 →
Clematis lingusticfolia is a woody vine that climbs and drapes over shrubs and trees at lower elevations in our area. Stems can grow up to 20m long. Leaves grow in opposite pairs. They tend to be oval to lanceolate and … Continue reading →
Valerian (Valeriana sitchensis) is a perennial that we most often see in subalpine locations in wet meadows, on snowmelt slopes, or in wet openings in forests. Valerian grows up with a stout stem from thick rhizomes. Leaves grow in pairs … Continue reading →
The pussytoes (Antennaria sp.) group are perennials that have clusters of flowering heads on unbranched stems. The flowers are often hard to distinguish, except for rosy pussytoes. Most have basal leaves and many species are mat-forming. Rosy Pussytoes (Antennaria rosa): … Continue reading →
Showy jacob’s-ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum) is a perennial in the phlox family that grows from a long taproot. It is a taprooted perennial, growing up to about 30 cm. Several stems each have sticky hairs. Basal leaves are sticky and smelly, … Continue reading →
Marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala) is a perennial in the buttercup family. We encounter it most often in subalpine and alpine wet meadows. The plant has fleshy, thick, fibrous roots. Stems rise above the base and are erect, rising from 5 … Continue reading →
Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) is a perennial that grows over one meter (1-3m) in height. It is often one of the first plants to establish after a forest fire or after a clearcut. Roots grow horizontally and stems grow up from … Continue reading →
Spotted saxifrage (Saxifraga bronchialis sp.) is a mat-forming perennial that grows up to about 12 cm in height. Found on high open rocky slopes. Mat-cushion forming habit. Basal leaves are leathery and overlapping. Spiny tips and hairy edges. Older leaves … Continue reading →
