Posts Tagged ‘British Columbia Wildflower’

Geum triflorum – PRAIRIE SMOKE, NODDING AVENS

Posted in Full Sun, Perennial, Pink, Plant Portraits, Spring, Xeriscape, tagged , , , , , , , on October 22, 2014|

Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke, Nodding Avens - Alice Wolyzuk Botanical Garden, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, B.C. May 2014. Image: HFN

Geum triflorum – Prairie Smoke, Nodding Avens – Alice Wolczuk Alpine Garden, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, B.C., May 2014. Image: HFN

Perennial.  Zone 1. Rosaceae. A.k.a. PURPLE AVENS, THREE-FLOWERED AVENS, OLD MAN’S WHISKERS. Native to a large area of North America, from British Columbia through the prairie provinces, as far south as California, and eastward across the northern United States. Geum comes from the Latin name gaeum, “a plant with aromatic roots” which is derived from the Greek geno, “to yield an agreeable fragrance”. Triflorum = three-flowered, from the habit of the blooms to appear in clusters of three.

One of my favourite spring wildflowers, this pretty plant flourishes from the dry hillsides of the Cariboo to the prairie grasslands east of the Rockies. It happily adapts to the garden, and I always enjoy meeting it unexpectedly, flourishing in alpine and botanical gardens in its quiet way, as content to be treated with care in a plant collection as it is on the rocky slopes of the higher points of Hill Farm.

According to Plants of Northern British Columbia (1992: MacKinnon, Pojar, Coupé), Geum triflorum was used by the Thompson and Okanagan First Nations people to make a root tea for treating colds, flu and fever. The Blackfoot in Alberta were reported to use the crushed seed as a perfume.

Geum triflorum - flower details. Macalister, B.C., May 2010. Image: HFN

Geum triflorum – flower details. Macalister, B.C., May 2010. Image: HFN

Tidy clumps send up multiple 6 to 12 inch tall stems topped by triplets of dusky pink, nodding, bell shaped blooms. These never properly open, but are sought out regardless be tenacious early-foraging wild bees, which force their way into the downfacing bells. The insects’ great pollinating success is evident by the profuse seed heads which develop a little later.

These seed heads are Geum triflorum’s main attraction, and its showiest feature in June and July. Large, feathery, often spiralled, and very long lasting, they are prettily blushed with pink, which makes a delicate contrast to the soft green of the developing seeds at the centre of each cluster.

After pollination, the feathery seed heads start to expand. Prince George, May 2014. Image: HFN

After pollination, the feathery seed heads start to expand. Prince George, May 2014. Image: HFN

Foliage is softly downy, a gently sage green, and rather ferny in effect. It forms basal clusters, and stays attractive all season, eventually blushing rich red in autumn.

Nodding Avens has a rhizomatous root system, and gently spreads to form a generous colony where happy, but is never invasive or ill-behaved. Very nice for spring and early summer interest in the rockery or at the border front. Very good on slopes.

Best in sun but will tolerate light shade. Very adaptable to all sorts of soil. Very drought tolerant, but appreciates some extra moisture at the peak of summer.

Read Full Post »

Polemonium pulcherrimum – SHOWY JACOB’S LADDER

Posted in Blue, Full Sun, Perennial, Plant Portraits, Spring, tagged , , on June 10, 2014|

Showy Jacob's Ladder, Polemonium pulcherrimum. NOt terribly common in our region, but there is a colony on Bull Mountain north of Williams Lake, where these photos were taken on June 10, 2014.

Showy Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium pulcherrimum. Not terribly common in our region, but there is a colony on Bull Mountain north of Williams Lake, where these photos were taken on June 10, 2014. I have also seen it growing in various rocky places throughout the higher elevation areas of the province, and on the Chilcotin Plateau. Image: HFN

Perennial. Zone 1/2. Polemoniaceae. Western North American, California to Alaska, higher elevations from sub-alpine forest to past the timberline.

Lewis J. Clark explains the origin of the genus name – with a touch of opinionism! –  in the Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family) section of Wild Flowers of British Columbia (1973):

The family derives its name from the Greek polemos, war. Pliny (Roman soldier, statesman, and naturalist) states that “polemonia” was given this name from having caused a war between two kings, each of whom claimed the honour of first having discovered its medicinal virtues. The causes of some recent wars make no better sense. Incidentally, no member of the family is now used for any medicinal purpose.

The species name, pulcherrimum, also comes from the Greek, for handsome or beautiful. English botanist William Jackson Hooker named this plant after seeing a specimen collected by Thomas Drummond during an exploration of the Canadian Rockies in 1825-27.

Foliage, Polemonium pulcherrimum. Egg-shaped leaflets are arranged in pairs on a central stem. The fancied resemblance of the foliage arrangement to a ladder is the origin of the common name, from the Biblical Jacob, who dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels climbing to and fro. In this case, the blue of the flowers might be seen as to represent the sky, wherein Heaven is traditionally thought to be located...

Foliage, Polemonium pulcherrimum. Rather egg-shaped leaflets are arranged in pairs on a central stem. The fancied resemblance of the foliage arrangement to a ladder is the origin of the common name, from the Biblical Jacob, who dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels climbing to and fro. In this case, the blue of the flowers might be seen as to represent the sky, wherein Heaven is traditionally thought to be located…  Image: HFN

This very pretty small plant moves happily into the garden, though its preference for excellent drainage makes it best suited for a slope or rockery position. Plants are quite variable in height and spread, ranging from 6 to 18 inches in eight. Flower stems arise from a basal cluster of the leaves, and bloom through late May well into June.

Small, pale blue-lavender flowers have vivid yellow eyes and contrasting white stamens, and are diligently visited by various species of pollinating bees.

Very cold hardy, and self sows modestly where happy. Easy to start from seed, which is the most eco-friendly way to bring the plant into cultivation. Look for the distinctive leaves, which will support the aging flower stems topped by clusters of pointed seed capsules full of ripe seed in mid-summer.

Best in full sun, or very light shade. Though a tough little wildflower, it is not particularly drought tolerant, preferring a steady supply of summer moisture to perform its best.

Bull Mountain, June 10, 2014. Polemonium pulcherrimum and pussytoes (Antennaria sp.) 0 to give an idea of the scale of this delicate flower.

Bull Mountain, June 10, 2014. Polemonium pulcherrimum and pussytoes (Antennaria sp.) t0 to give an idea of the scale of this delicate flower. Image: HFN

Beautiful companions - we found this Jacob's Ladder blooming alongside Shrubby Penstemon (Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri) on Bull Mountain, June 10, 2014.

Beautiful companions – we found Showy Jacob’s Ladder blooming alongside Shrubby Penstemon (Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri) on Bull Mountain, June 10, 2014. Image: HFN

Plant habit when growing on shale on the edge of Douglas fir/lodgepole pine forest. Companion plants in this area include Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri, Pussytoes (Antennaria sp.), Anemone multifida, Kinnickinick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), and Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja sp.)

Plant habit when growing in fractured shale on the edge of Douglas fir/lodgepole pine forest. Companion plants in this area include Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri, Pussytoes (Antennaria sp.), Anemone multifida, Kinnickinick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), and Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja sp.)  Image: HFN

 

Read Full Post »

Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri – SHRUBBY PENSTEMON

Posted in Full Sun, Perennial, Plant Portraits, Purple, Spring, Xeriscape, tagged , , on June 10, 2014|

Shrubby Penstemon - Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri - low clumps of large, light purple blooms are locally abundant throughout the Cariboo-Chilcotin on rocky cliffs and steep, gravelly, roadside cutbanks in mid-spring. This photo was taken near Soda Creek, B.C., May 23, 2010.

Shrubby Penstemon – Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri – low, woody, fine-leaved foliage clumps covered with large, tubular, light purple blooms are locally abundant throughout the Cariboo-Chilcotin on rocky cliffs and steep, gravelly, roadside cutbanks in mid-spring. This photo was taken near Soda Creek, B.C., May 23, 2010. Image: HFN

Perennial. Zone 1/2. Scrophulariacea. North America; in Canada throughout the southern third of B.C. east of the Cascades and west to the Rockies, and in the United States common in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. A.k.a. Shrubby Beardtongue, Scouler’s Penstemon.

In bloom from May until July, depending on elevation, this floriferous sub-shrub is unmistakeable when seen on the roadside. It favours steep rock bluffs, gravel pits and roadsides, flourishing best in well-drained, rocky/sandy soil. Its pale purple blooms range in shade of warm violet to cool mauve, with occasional (very rare) white sports.

Here is what Lewis J. Clark had to say in his 1972 Wild Flowers of British Columbia:

This subshrubby species is described by its name, fruticosus meaning shrub-like. It is a variable species, but in all its forms is very beautiful. Choice forms are easily obtained for the garden by taking short cuttings, which root very readily in sand…To keep the plants attractively compact and floriferous, they should be given gritty soil with very little food.

The plants are semi-evergreen, a proportion of the leaves usually turning reddish in the fall, and later dropping. Commonly the compact framework of branches is 6-12 inches tall. Leaves are generally without hairs, up to 2 inches long, but usually shorter…narrow, almost elliptic and obscurely toothed. Flowers are relatively large (up to 2 inches long), generally blue-lavender, but so highly variable that the gardener should always be on the alert for exceptionally good colour forms. White, and beautiful pink specimens are seen occasionally…

 

This close-up of Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri found growing in generous abundance on the gravel roadsides opposite the huge open-pit Highland Valley Copper Mine east of Ashcroft, B.C. shows the reason for the common name of this genus - 'Beardtongue'. Lewis J. Clark: "The lower luip of the corolla is ornamented with two deep folds and with long white hairs. When the corolla is slit lengthwise, the anthers (and also the filament of the half-length infertile stamen) are seen to be densely white haired."

This close-up of one of the  Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri clumps found growing in generous abundance on the gravel roadsides opposite the huge open-pit Highland Valley Copper Mine east of Ashcroft, B.C. shows the reason for the common name of this genus – ‘Beardtongue’. Lewis J. Clark: “The lower lip of the corolla is ornamented with two deep folds and with long white hairs. When the corolla is slit lengthwise, the anthers (and also the filament of the half-length infertile stamen) are seen to be densely white haired.” (Click on the image to open an enlargement, which will show the afore-mentioned long white hairs on the lip folds.) Image: HFN

According to Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia (Parish, Coupé, Lloyd – Lone Pine Publishing – 1996), traditional First Nations’ uses of this plant included the production of a dye to colour basket-making materials, in pit cooking to flavour root vegetables, and medicinally as a purgative, and to bathe sore eyes and sooth ulcers, wounds, and arthritic joints.

Though in general removing plants from the wild to the garden is frowned upon, in the case of this penstemon all of my guidebooks mention how easy it is to establish from stem cuttings rooted in grit or sand, and as this technique will not harm the parent plant, one may in good conscience give it a try. Seeds are abundantly produced in pointed capsules, but are difficult to germinate, so might not be the best way to obtain this lovely species.

This is definitely a plant for a specialized location, requiring full sun and extremely well-drained soil to thrive, as evidenced by its flourishing in pure gravel in the wild. It would be wonderful in a rockery where it could cascade over a border or down a slope. Bloom time is relatively short, a few weeks in late May and early June, but the plants stay reasonably attractive throughout the rest of the growing season. A good xeriscape plant.

Shrubby Penstemon and its many fellow species are much favoured by bees and hummingbirds, another point in favour of stopping to observe this plant in the wild, and of incorporating it in the garden if one has a favourable spot.

Growing in a roadside gravel pit, Highland Valley Copper Mine, Ashcroft, B.C. - June 8, 2014. A few miles west, the roadside display was even more spectacular - a veritable carpet of purple under the pine trees on both sides of the road.

Growing in a roadside gravel pit, Highland Valley Copper Mine, Ashcroft, B.C. – June 8, 2014. A few miles west, the roadside display was even more spectacular – a veritable carpet of purple under the pine trees on both sides of the road. Image: HFN

Plant habit is that of a tidy round mound. Closer investigation shows that the shrubby stems radiate from a central point, with a main taproot providing the anchoring point. Highland Valley Copper Mine, June 8, 2014.

Plant habit is that of a tidy round mound. Closer investigation shows that the shrubby stems radiate from a central point, with a main taproot providing the anchoring point. Highland Valley Copper Mine, June 8, 2014. Image: HFN

A brighter violet individual. The bloom time of Shrubby Penstemon coincides with that of the showy cream-coloured locoweed (Oxytropis sp.).

A brighter violet individual. The bloom time of Shrubby Penstemon coincides with that of the showy cream-coloured locoweed (Oxytropis sp.), making for an attractive colour combination which could be easily replicated in the rock garden. Image: HFN

One of the nicest displays of Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri that I've ever seen is on a steep roadside cutbank above Dunlevy Ranch in Soda Creek, B.C., a few miles south of Hill Farm. May 23, 2010.

One of the nicest displays of Penstemon fruticosus var. scouleri that I’ve ever seen is on a steep roadside cutbank above Dunlevy Ranch in Soda Creek, B.C., a few miles south of Hill Farm. This photo was taken May 23, 2010. Image: HFN

 

 

Read Full Post »