Spring Wildflowers in Boyle Provincial Park
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) flowering plants and flowering shrubs. A few are shared here:
On the open areas near the shorelines shortspur seablush (Plectritis congesta) was plentiful. It is an annual in the noneysuckle family. On the Coast it can be found in open areas in the forest, along the seashore, and in meadows. We spotted it in clusters growing to 20 – 30 cm.
Nearby we saw patches of seep monkeyflower (Erythranthe guttata). It is a variable plant and it can be an annual, biennial, or a perennial. It has tubular yellow flowers with red spots, and is hairy. It spreads by rhizomes. It can be found in wet areas in many habitats.
We stopped to photograph red-flowering current (Ribes sanguineum), which is considered an invasive plant, but it has beautiful flowers. In open grassy areas there were many yellow-flowered foothills desert parsley (Lomatium utriculatum). Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) was flowering in marshy areas. In the forest ferns were showing new growth and the vegetation was leafing and responding to spring.
Boyle Point Provincial Park is fine place for a spring walk. We liked the scramble down to Eagle Point, down the bluff, and across the rocks to an islet at low tide. There is a large marsh on the north end of the park which we hope to explore another time.