While camping at Miracle Beach on Vancouver Island, I hiked the Trout Creek Trail to two waterfalls on Mohun Creek. Along the way, I stopped to photograph some of the flowering plants I spotted.
In the shaded forest there were two patches of Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora). It is a saprophytic perennial, deriving its nutrients from tree roots in a complex relationship with fungi.
ghost pipes
In the wet spray zone of the waterfalls were quite a few hedgenettles with their pink tubular flowers.
Coastal hedge nettle (Stachys chamissonis)
On the rocky shoreline, also in the spray zone were a few false bugbanes (Trautvetteria caroliniensis) in flower. They are a herbacous perennial that grow from rhizomes. The white flowers have no petals.
false bugbane (Trautvetteria caroliniensis)
Tucked up into rock cervices at the side of the waterfalls were western maidenhar ferns (Adiantum aleuticum sp.). We sometimes see these in nurseries, as a decorative plant for woodland gardens.
western maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum)
Indian pipes are also called ghost pipe, corpse plant, ice plant and ghost plant.
ghost pipes (Monotropa uniflora)
We enjoyed the waterfalls and then returned the way we came, another day of exploration through the woods.
