Tree Island Wildflowers
Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park (known locally as Tree Island) is a protected area, home to about 140 species of wildflowers and flowering shrubs. It is mostly accessed by boat, but we hiked over from Denman Island at low tide. There are shoreline areas and beaches, sand dunes, meadows, and a forested area. On a spring day we hiked over to the island, stopping to watch the birds and enjoy the flowers.
We spotted spring gold (Crocidium multicaule), Menzies larkspur (Delphinium menziesii), blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia sp.), chickweed (Cerastium arvense) , foothills desert parsley (Lomatium utriculatum), seablush (Plectritis congesta), and redstem spring beauty (Claytonia rubra). All photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
Some shrubs were also in bloom, including Oregon grape (Mahonia sp.), red-flowering currant (Ribes sangineum), sour cherry, and salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis).
We could have stayed all day, exploring the island and enjoying the beaches, but we had to hike back over before the tide came in. We hope to return, hopefully paddling over from Vancouver Island next time.