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Knowing Nature . . .

The Wildflowers of Spring

April 10, 2007
Jocie Ingram

Red Maid photo © Dave Ingram Scouler's Popcornflower photo © Dave Ingram Spring Gold photo © Dave Ingram Blue-eyed Mary photo © Dave Ingram

April is one of the most exciting months to discover spring wildflowers. The east coast of Vancouver Island, from Victoria to just north of Campbell River, including the Gulf Islands, is one of the most rich and diverse places for plants in BC. There are several rare ecosystems along this fringe of coastline. Humans have modified 92% of these areas, leaving only 8% of the original ecosystems intact.

From my home in Courtenay, I am lucky in that I can explore several different ecosystems without traveling very far. In the woods nearby the white, three-petaled Trilliums have risen and bloomed from the rich humus of the forest floor. Along streams and rivers there is a profusion of nodding pink and white fawn lilies, and cheerful yellow violets. In marshy spots skunk cabbage, with its enormously tropical looking leaves and yellow flowers, lets off an earthy spring fragrance.

A few short ferry rides away, on Hornby Island, I can be transported to a very different ecosystem, with a new array of wildflowers to discover. Hornby's Helliwell Provincial Park is one of my favourite places to seek out rare spring wildflowers.

For a brief time in early April, the open grasslands at the top of Helliwell's cliffs are flushed with green. At this wind-exposed site, freshwater seepage and sunlight create conditions for wildflowers to bloom in shades of yellow, pink, white and blue. These aren't large and showy flowers, and one could easily walk right by and never notice them. They are diminutive plants. Most of the flowers are only a few millimeters across and grow almost flat to the ground.

The weather has to be right, since some of these plants only open their petals when the sun is shining, and may otherwise by impossible to find. For a few years I hunted unsuccessfully for the tiny "red maid", a dime-sized flower with an irresistibly glossy reddish-pink flower. Several factors can lead to failure: a cloudy day, arriving before the flower has bloomed or after, or being in the wrong habitat and not realizing it.

One day, everything fell into place and I was thrilled to find the red maid (Calandrinia ciliata). Author and botanist Lewis Clark was equally enchanted with this plant: "Its modest charms are best appreciated in a kneeling position, appropriate in the presence of the divine handiwork represented in these small jewels."

Another rarity is the Scouler's popcornflower (Plagiobothrys scouleri). This tiny member of the Borage (forget-me-not) family has tiny white flowers with yellow centers. The flowers are only 1-4 mm across, and easily missed.

Some flowers are easier to spot, such as spring-gold (Lomatium utriculatum). This member of the carrot family has lacy leaves and a crown of 15 or more compact flower heads. These are the brightest yellow of any spring flower I have seen, and patches of spring-gold literally glow from the meadow, especially on a sunny day.

Fuzzy pink heads of sea blush (Plectritis congesta) may colour an entire section of bluff pink. These flowers may grow fairly tall, but are kept in check here due to the wind and exposure. Bumble bees particularly like these flowers, and can be seen working over the blooms for nectar.

A common coastal flower is the small-flowered blue-eyed Mary
(Collinsia parviflora). These small flowers have a 2-lobed upper lip that may be white or violet, and a 2-lobed lower lip that is a contrasting deep blue.

Most of these flowers are annuals, blooming when there is light and moisture in the spring, and then setting seed and dying away to nothing. An exception is spring-gold, a perennial with a long taproot. Soon, these tiny flowers will have bloomed and shed their seeds, and the green grass will dry up and bleach during the hot, dry summer months.

The coastal grassland ecosystem of the Helliwell bluffs makes up only about 1% of our province. It is one example of several unique ecosystems along our coast, and we are fortunate to live in a place where such areas are accessible for our enjoyment.

If exploring Helliwell Provincial Park, please stay on the designated trails. The above-mentioned flowers can be seen without leaving the path boundaries. The grasslands are very sensitive, and plants are easily trampled and dislodged.