hite geraniums are perennials that grow in mid-elevation meadows and open forests. They grow between 40 and 80 cm on hairy stalks with a woody base. The flowers are white or pink-white with purple veins. The leaves are paired along the stalks and divided into blades. After flowering, the seedheads are shaped like a stork’s bill. At the end of …Continue reading…
Blue clematis is a perennial vine that grows in the open mixed forests of our area. We most often see it in gullies, where it climbs up shrubs to get to the sunlight. Even in the garden, we use the phrase “heads in the sun, feet in the shade.” For this reason, it will not be found on south-facing, exposed …Continue reading…
Smartweed is an aquatic perennial herb found in our region’s lakes. It roots in shallow areas and spreads by rhizomes. Branches rise up toward the surface and can be anywhere between 30- 80 cm long. Leaves are lance-like and usually are floating. Pink flowers form on the ends of the branches, floating above the water. We encounter smartweed in most …Continue reading…
Marsh marigolds are a perennial found in wet areas in the alpine and subalpine. We see them at the edge of small ponds, seeps, and snowmelt areas in early summer on Tod Mountain, Trophy Meadows, and in the alpine medows in the Selkirks and Monashees. The leaves are toxic, but First Nations in Alaska boiled the parts of the plant …Continue reading…
In the Lac du Bois Grasslands and all the grasslands surrounding Kamloops, a succession of wildflowers starts in March and continues until the fall. In late spring, geum trifolum starts with basal clumps of leaves. Long stalks grow up and urn shaped pink flowers emerge. As the flowers fade, feathery plumes on seedheads are left, nicknamed old man’s whiskers. Other …Continue reading…
p style=”text-align: justify;”>Shrubby penstemon can be found throughout the hills in the Kamloops area. The shrub blooms in spring-summer and provides show flowers in arid, rocky spots. There are other types of perennial penstemon too. Small-flowered penstemon and yellow penstemon is widely found in our upper grasslands, rocky slopes, and montane forests. To the east of us, an alpine variety …Continue reading…
Scarlet gilia is a colorful perennial flower that grows mostly on arid, south-facing slopes south of Kamloops. The bright red color and trumpet shaped flowers make it easy to identify. These were spotted on the rocky lower slopes of Okanagan Mountain in May. It is sometimes referred to as sky rocket. Traditional people used the plant for medicinal purposes. The …Continue reading…
Leatherleaf saxifrage is a perennial found in alpine and subalpine wet areas. Most of the saxifrages are found in rocky, alpine locations. Leatherleaf is often spotted alongside streams, snowmelt seeps, and drainage areas. The flowers are small and white, but when the petals fall, we are left with a cluster of red seed capsules. The stems are often sticky, hairy, …Continue reading…
Alpine speedwell is a perennial found in wet meadows and seep zones in areas to the east. They are part of the veronica (and figwort) family. Flowers are usually found in clusters at the top of the stalk. Flowers are blue-violet with creamy centers. Stalks are unbranched, hairy and sticky. This one was spotted on Mount Revelstoke in the wet …Continue reading…
The broad-leaved willowherb is a low-growing perennial found next to streams, rivers, and even in creekbeds. It stands between 5cm and 30cm high and has showy pink-purple flowers in summer. The flower is sometimes called “river beauty.” It is part of the evening-primrose family, closely related to fireweed. Willowherb won’t be found nearby because of our dryer climate. We have …Continue reading…
Western pasqueflower has a number of names – western anemone, tow-headed babies, moptop, and others. After flowering the soft, whitish, hairy seedheads are easy to spot: Anemones are among the first to bloom in subalpine and alpine meadows. These ones were still blooming in the uppermost meadows on Trophy Meadows in early July. The pasqueflower is part of the buttercup …Continue reading…
Mimulus lewisii is more commonly named pink monkey flower. The flowers have a sensitive stigma that close when touched. Mimulus means “little actor.” Pink monkey flower is often found in subalpine meadows near seep zones, streams, and wet clearings. The perennial grows to 30-70 cm tall. It has sturdy rhizomes and hairy-sticky stems. The flowers are large, pink, and showy. …Continue reading…
This rush is a perennial found in high alpine meadows. Often called smooth woodrush, it has wider leaves than its cousins. It grows in tufts of less than 30cm in height. The leaves turn red in the short summer growing season. <a href=”https://kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Revelstoke-129r.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter wp-image-10651 size-large” src=”https://kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Revelstoke-129r-620×432.jpg” alt=”Revelstoke 129r” width=”620″ height=”432″ /></a> The woodrush is from the family Lazulae since …Continue reading…
Every summer we hike into the alpine for the wildflower displays. In the wet subalpine meadows, a green robust perennial starts to grow soon after the snows melt. The plant continues to grow to about 2m in height and has broad pointed leaves. At full height it starts to flower with star-shaped yellow green blossoms on drooping tassels. When we …Continue reading…
Evening primrose grows in a number of unlikely spots in the southwest desert. We find them in dry, sandy or rocky washes or on ledges next to trails that we hike. The oenothera caespitosa (tufted evening primrose) is white, turning pink with age. It flowers in the evening and the blooms wither in the next day’s sun. Some perennial types …Continue reading…
Indian pipe is a member of the heath family, monotropae. They have no leaves and get their food from decaying material in humus or leaf litter. They have white or pinkish-white stems that blacken with age. other names include ghost flower, ice plant,. and corpse plant the flower hangs down, but the fruit (seeds) turn upward (as above) found in …Continue reading…