In the first days of spring, there were very few wildflowers in bloom in the grasslands, but there was lots of emerging green growth. On a nature hike through the middle Lac du Bois grasslands, there was still a bit of mud, but there were swans and ducks on the ponds and lakes, blackbirds on the marshy pothole ponds, … Continue reading →
White-flowered (mountain) rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum) is a deciduous shrub which grows 1-2.5 high, but often spreads just as wide. It is found near subalpine meadows and on damp forest slopes. Young branches and twigs has peeling bark and reddish hairs. Thin, alternate lanceolate leaves are greenish with some yellowing and the tops are covered in fine hairs. Flowers grow … Continue reading →
Soopolallie (Shepherdia canadensis) is a woody deciduous shrub found in open forests. It is sometimes called buffalo berry. It is a nitrogen-fixing plant which grows from a long taproot to a height of 1-3 m. Small opposite leaves are green on top and brownish/light- colored and hairy below. The bark is covered with small scaly patches. Small yellow flowers … Continue reading →
We camped, hiked, kayaked, and explored New Zealand for a month. We completed two of the Great Treks and we visited a number of remote spots. We liked NZ a lot and we hope to return. There were many photos taken, and only a few are shared here, mostly of plants spotted while hiking the trails. Shared here … Continue reading →
Kinnikinnik (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a low-growing evergreen shrub. It is also known as bearberry. The trailing shrub can form a mat-like expanse over time. The alternate leaves are roughly long-ovals with smooth edges. In sunny weather, the leaves have a “shiny” surface. Clusters of small pink urn-shaped drooping flowers form at the terminal ends of branches. In … Continue reading →
We stayed on the Pender Islands in spring to hike, paddle, and explore. Each hike was a nature hike with lots to see and enjoy. One of the hikes we did was up an informal trail to the top of Spalding Hill. There were some wet areas near the bottom and some open slopes near the top of … Continue reading →
Orange Honeysuckle (Lonerica ciliosa) is woody vine in the honeysuckle family. The shrub can grow up to 7 m long, often supported by other shrubs. Many thin stems are hollow in early growth. The leaves are in opposite pairs on the stems and have a fringe of hairs. The leaves are smooth on top and glabrous on the … Continue reading →
We hiked trails on the Pender Islands in April. One of the trails we did was on the South Island, up Mt. Norman and then down to the seashore in Beaumont Provincial Marine Park, now part of the Gulf Islands National Park. We enjoyed the mild spring weather on the Gulf Islands, and we also stopped to enjoy the … Continue reading →
Black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) is a native vigorous deciduous shrub which grows up to 8 m tall. The trunk is sturdy and has woody branches with stout thorns. Many green oval(ish) toothed leaves appear in spring. Clusters of white (showy) flowers at the ends of thin branches. The individual flowers have 5 rounded petals. After flowering, dark red berry-like … Continue reading →
We stayed on Denman Island in the spring to explore the island, mostly by hiking, walking, kayaking, and exploring. Each day we would stop along the trails and routes to enjoy the spring wildflowers, flowering shrubs, and flowering trees that we encountered in this Pacific Northwest – Gulf Islands climate/ecosystem. Some of the photos shared here include Pacific Trillium (Trillium … Continue reading →
