On the Greenstone Mountain Trails
We hiked on the Greenstone Mountain Trails on a hot and smoky morning. The route was across the grassland – open forest zone, through a burn area, then through the forest. Along the way we stopped to enjoy some of the wildflowers.
In drainage – seep areas star-flowered false solomon’s-seal (Smilacena stellata) was in bloom. It spreads by rhizomes forming dense colonies.
We have been spotting the leaves of heart-leaved arnica (Arnica cordifolia) for about 3 weeks. Many were in flower in glades and north-facing open forest slopes. They also grow from rhizomes and emerge is clusters over a long season.
One of our favorites, shrubby penstemon (Penstemon fruticosus) was in the early stages of blooming. These are a low-growing evergreen shrub, often found in rocky soils.
An early sighting of western pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) was spotted in a dry open area.
Another of our favorites, showy Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum) was spotted in an open, dry area. It is a taprooted perennial.
In the douglas fir forest, blue clematis (Clematis occidentalis sp.) had a few flowers on a trailing vine. These were growing across the forest duff, but it can climb up shrubs to about 5m.
On a dry ridge we spotted a small number of milkvetches (Astralagus sp.) in flower.
Next to a pond, silverweed (Potentilla anserina). they can be spotted in flower on the lakeshore across a long season. It spreads by runners, similar to strawberries. The roots are edible and were harvested by First Nations people.
There were more flowers spotted – arrow-leaved balsamroot, early blue violets, fleabane, saskatoon blossoms, mustard, pussytoes, alumroot, and others, but when hiking with a group, we drop to one knee to take a photo, then move on. Some photos work out and some don’t. Over the season we try to capture them all, and, on occasion, we go on solo nature hikes, taking time to take several photos for each specimen.
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