Along the Trails in Mid-April

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On two hikes in mid-April, I spotted a number of emerging wildflowers, but also flowering shrubs and lichens along the trails. Shared here are saskatoon (Amelanchier sp.), arrow-leaved balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), wax currant (Ribes cereum), lemonweed (Lithosspermum ruderale), woodland star (Lithophragma parviflorum), hawkweed (Hieracium sp.), wolf lichen (Letharia vulpina), Beckwith’s milkvetch (Astralagus beckwithii), narrow-leaved desert-parsley (Lomatium triternatum), and cutleaf fleabane … Continue reading →

Old Man’s Whiskers

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Old man’s whiskers (Geum triflorum) is a clump-forming perennial in the rose family which flowers in spring on the Interior Plateau of B.C.   Other common names are prairie smoke or purple avens.    It spreads by rhizomes and establishes a mat of old leaf bases over time.   In spring a cluster of basal leaves appear.    Many compound, divided leaves … Continue reading →

Neskonlith Hills Nature Hike

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In early spring I hiked an off-trail hike through the hills above Neskonlith Lake on a route that I had hiked before which often has an early bloom of wildflowers.    On this outing I spotted glacier lilies, western spring beauty, woodland star, yellow bells, arrow-leaved balsamroot, fernleaf desert parsley, big-fruited desert parsley, larkspur leaves, pale comandra, budding saskatoons and … Continue reading →

Five-leaf Dwarf Bramble

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Five-leaf dwarf bramble (Rubus pedatus) is a low-growing shrub with creeping (thornless) stems.  Five veined and lobed leaves/leaflets help with identification before flowers emerge in early summer.   Small white flowers appear on slender stalks. The flowers are small and easy-to-miss since they are low and may be hidden under other foliage. Later in summer small red drupelets (raspberry-like) appear in … Continue reading →

Early Spring in the Grasslands

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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 Rhododendron

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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

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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 →

On the Trails in New Zealand

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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

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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 →