Botany Outing Report: Harewood Plains, May 13, 2013

10 botanists braved to rain to visit the Harewood Plains in Nanaimo. Luckily the weather cleared up just as they started up the hill into the Plains and were rewarded with magnificent displays of camas, spring gold, monkey flower and seablush interwoven together creating a Monet-like painting. Up the hill there were displays of orange honeysuckle, columbines, flowering arbutus, Saskatoon berry and then the plant they came for – the bog birds foot trefoil – (Lotus pinnatus) There are apparently about 1,000 plants in this area – it likes moist areas and was in full bloom. Interesting lichens were found and also a plant that couldn’t be identified – another trip will be necessary to see it in bloom. This trip is a must for the botany group for mid-May every year.
Plant List:
Great camas, early camas, bog bird’s foot trefoil, spring gold, Pacific sanicle, western trumpet orange honeysuckle, sea blush, yellow monkey flower, Alaska saxifrage, small- flowered alumroot, trailing blackberry, narrow-leaved montia, western buttercup, Sitka columbine, Scouler’s popcornflower, Nootka rose, pink twink, common vetch, American vetch, pretty shootingstar, Howell’s violet (to be confirmed). Trees included fir, Arbutus, Gary oak, alder, and Shrubs – ocean spray, salmon berry, Saskatoon berry.