Palmate Coltsfoot
Petasites palmatus
Description: Leaves are large and deeply divided, with 5-7 toothed lobes, all have white woolly undersides. All species have prominent flower heads on separate stalks that bloom before leaves appear, aromatic pink to creamy white, many in a cluster.
Ecology: Grows in moist, shady and swampy places, often found at streamsides growing alongside Skunk Cabbage and Horsetail. Common at mid to low elevations.
Notes: Leaves and roots were used in syrup for coughs, asthma, to loosen phlegm, and for bronchitis, colds or flu. The leaves were also smoked, often in conjunction with other herbs, for coughs and shortness of breath. Caution: contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which in very large amounts can cause liver damage and cancer. Do not use if you suffer from a serious liver disease or if you are pregnant.
Mountain Arnica
Arnica latifolia
Description: Basal leaves round to elliptic, stem leaves opposite, lance-like and usually coarsely toothed and slightly hairy. Perennial from horizontal rhizome grows 10-60cm tall, solitary or slightly clustered stems. Flowers are ray type, 8-12, squared off tips on the petals, clusters of 1-5 on hairy stalks.
Ecology: Found in moist open forest meadows, streambanks and slopes, common at mid to high elevations.
Notes: Taken internally raises temperature, externally is antiseptic. This specimen was found in a high elevation bog at Carlson Lake on the Sunshine Coast, BC, picture taken June 30, 2001.
Streamside Arnica
Arnica amplexicaulis
Description: A perennial herb from creeping rhizomes, 15-80cm tall. It's stems are usually hairy, particularly in the upper portion. It has small basal leaves and stalk-less lance shaped toothed stem leaves that may or may not be hairy. It produces the typical yellow aster ray flower with petals that have teeth on their tips; found with anywhere from 1-7 or 8 flower heads on a branched stem.
Ecology: Found in moist forests and streambanks at low or middle elevations.
Notes: There are several arnicas in our region and they often hybridize resulting in yet another variety. Consult a field guide for more information.
Deltoid Balsamroot
Balsamorhiza deltoidea
Description: Perennial from taproot with very large, showy sunflower-like heads. Yellow ray flowers surround a large orange-yellow disk flower. Large triangular long-stalked leaves are mostly basal.
Ecology: Found only at low elevations in dry, open grassy areas in the Straight of Georgia and Puget Sound (and south of the border). Not very common.
Notes: Not likely to be confused with other native species though may be mistaken for a garden variety sunflower. This picture came from Jon Ackroyd on Vancouver Island, thanks Jon for the use of your photo.
Hairy Cat's Ear
Hypochaeris radicata
Description: Perennial herb from fleshy roots, milky juice in 15-60cm tall stems, hairless or hairy. Leaves are always basal, typically oblong and divided or wavy-toothed, glaucus on underside, hairy on both sides. Flowers are ray flowers only that open in sunny weather, closing up when overcast or raining, usually several heads at the end of branches. Produces cylindrical slender-beaked achenes with pappus of feathery bristles.
Ecology: Common in lawns, on roadsides, and disturbed areas at low elevations.
Notes: This one was growing on a log at the edge of Chapman Creek at low elevation, August 2006 photo.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Description: With fern like, highly aromatic leaves, twice pinnately divided. Produces white ray flowers, sometimes pink or reddish with 5 rays in flat or round-topped clusters of 10-30 flowers. Grows 10-100cm tall.
Ecology: Grows in disturbed soils, waste places, roadsides, etc, common at low to middle elevations.
Notes: Yarrow has been used for millennia by many peoples, including local BC first nations, for a wide range of conditions including fever, colds, flu, viral conditions, measles, and childbirth. Picture from June, 2001 on a rock bluff in West Sechelt, BC.
Bull Thistle
Cirsium vulgare
Description: Tall thistle, 50cm to 2m tall with very large heads with involucres 2-4cm tall (as opposed to the equally common and similar Canada thistle with smaller involucres, rhizomes and without the spiny wings.) It has spiny winged stems and a deep fleshy taproot.
Ecology: Found in pastures, cleared areas, roadsides and meadows at low and middle elevations. Most common near human settlement; it's a Eurasian weed.
Notes: The bull thistle is an INTRODUCED species that provides no food for wildlife, other than pollen for bees. It is often a problem on pastureland. The peeled stems are an edible and nutritious source of food in emergency situations; they can be eaten raw or steamed.
Canada Thistle
Cirsium arvense
Description: Perennial thistle from deep spreading roots and creeping rhizomes. Stems are leafy 30cm to 2m tall, and are highly branched part way up the stem. Leaves are alternate irregularly lobed and lance shaped, spiny toothed and are covered with white hairs underneath. Pink-purple flowers in small heads of disk flowers only, involucre are 1-2cm high, bracts tipped with prickles, several heads in open inflorescence. Plants are unisexual, male and female flowers are on separate plants.
Ecology: Found growing in fields, pastures, meadows, and roadsides at low to middle elevations. Common in settled areas.
Notes: Peeled stems and roots are edible and a nutritious emergency food source. This photo was taken on a roadside in Sechelt, July 2005.
Common California Aster
Aster chilensis
Description: Slender, branched or sprawling perennial from a rhizome, grows to 1m tall. Leafy stems are hairy on the top, lightly hairy below. Blue, violet or even white ray flowers, numerous heads on branches; its centre disk flowers are yellow.
Ecology: Found growing in meadows, clearings, moist oceanic cliffs, and estuaries, generally at low elevations.
Notes: This picture was taken at a small estuary in Sechelt Inlet, it was growing near cattails and other marsh plants, not far from a large patch of perennial saltwort.
Leafy Mountain Aster
Aster foliaceus
Description: Perennial herbaceous flower from creeping rhizomes 20-60cm tall. Lance to egg shaped leaves are stalked on the bottom, stalkless near the top, 6-12cm long hairless or hairy. Purple or bluish ray flowers with yellow disk flower in the middle, involucral bracts overlap, often are quite large and are white margined at the base. Single to many flowers on hairy stalks. Produces achenes, generally hairy.
Ecology: Common at middle and high elevations in southwestern BC, low elevations in the north. Found in moist meadows, streambanks and open forests.
Notes: Highly variable species in terms of size, shape of involucral bracts, hairiness and numbers of flowers. Can be confused with A. subspicatus which grows only at low to middle elevations, or A. eatonii but that species flowers are typically pink or white. This patch was found growing at high elevation on the edge of a tiny mountain lake in the Tetrahedron, summer 2006 photo.
Chicory
Cichcorium intybus
Description: Perennial herb from a deep taproot, branching stems 30-150cm tall. May be hairless or hairy, alternate lower leaves are deeply lobed or toothed, upper leaves reduced toothed to entire. Ray flowers are typically blue in colour 3-4cm wide, usually with 1-3, sometimes more, heads on long branches.
Ecology: INTRODUCED Eurasian weed, found on roadsides and settled areas throughout southern BC.
Notes: The roots of chicory were often, and occasionally still are harvested and roasted and used as a coffee substitute. This photo was taken on a roadside in Powell River, BC. Chicory is quite common along roadsides throughout Canada.
Gumweed
Grindelia integrifolia
Description: A perennial herb from a taproot; grows 15-90cm tall on a slightly hairy stem. Long lance shaped basal leaves, may or may not be toothed, resin dotted, 15-45cm long. Stem leaves are stalk-less and alternate. Its most obvious characteristic differentiating form other asters is its sticky, gummy, white resin exuding from its involucral bracts, even its yellow ray flowers tend to be quite sticky.
Ecology: Found mostly on beaches salt marshes and rocky shorelines from the Queen Charlotte Islands south; common on Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and Lower Mainland.
Notes: This is one of my most favourite asters; not only are its bright cheery yellow ray flowers beautiful but they are also very useful. They have been widely used in cough syrups (make a glycerine tincture) for any sort of bronchial ailment. Warning: the resin is VERY sticky!
Oxeye Daisy
Cichcorium intybus
Description: Perennial from woody rhizome on unbranched or simply branched 20-80cm tall stems. Often smells strongly, resembling the smell of sage. Basal leaves are stalked, spoon shaped with rounded teeth and lobes, stem leaves are alternate, becoming stalkless, oblong and toothed or lobed. Ray flowers are white 1-2cm long and central disk flowers are yellow and 1-2cm across.
Ecology: Fields, clearings, roadsides, disturbed or settled areas. Often abundant in southern BC, sporadically abundant in northern BC.
Notes: INTRODUCED Eurasian weed, often abundant and aggressive on grazed land. Flowers can be used to make wine (similar to dandelion wine), and young leaves are edible and great in salads. This one was found growing at low elevation on a logging road not far from the local dump. It is often found in clearcuts and roadsides all over the Sunshine Coast.
Wood Groundsel
Senecio sylvaticus
Description: Annual herb from a taproot with leafy stems branched inflorescence, mildly hairy 15-80cm tall. Basal leaves are smaller than stem leaves, stem leaves are deeply pinnately lobed and irregularly toothed, hairy 2-12cm long, stalked but becoming stalkless up towards the top of the plant. Inconspicuous flowers are yellow with disk and ray flowers but typically less than 2mm long. Involucres are 5-7mm high with lance-shaped bracts that are black tipped. Several heads on hairy stalks. Stiffly hairy achenes with white pappus hairs.
Ecology: Found in clearings, roadsides, clearcuts and disturbed areas, very common at low to middle elevations.
Notes: May be confused with S. vulgaris which has rayless heads and numerous black tipped bracteoles in addition to its full sized bracts. S. viscosus has numerous sticky glands on the stems and leaves and glandular bracts which lack black tips. S. jacobaea has deeply cut leaves and larger flowers. This one was found in a clearcut at middle elevation in the Caren Range mountains, it is very common in clearcuts in our area.
Goldenrod
Solidago canadensis
Description: Perennial herb from long creeping rhizomes. Leafy stems are 35-150cm tall. Basal leaves lacking, leaves reduced only slightly in size up the stem. Leaves are roughly lance shaped, tapering to a stalkless attachment on the stem, saw-toothed or entire on the margins. Flowers are composed of yellow disk and ray flowers with numerous heads in a characteristic pyramidal cluster. Bracts are long pointed overlapping and sometimes sticky or glandular. Produces short hairy achenes with white pappus hairs.
Ecology: Found on roadsides, meadows, bluffs, thickets and clearings at low to middle elevations. Common in disturbed and settled areas.
Notes: A healing herb used as a wound herb in the field to cleanse and heal wounds. Common weedy species. This one was found growing on the edge and beginning of Carlson Creek, an outlet creek for Carlson Lake at middle elevation. It is also commonly found growing on roadsides in our area from low to middle elevation.
Pearly Everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
Description: A perennial herb from rhizomes, unbranched woolly stems 15cm to 1m tall. Its narrowly lance shaped leaves are alternate green above with a white wooly underside. It has small white disc flowers with pearly white involucral bracts, in terminal flat topped clusters.
Ecology: Very common in cleared areas, open forests, rocky slopes, fields, pastures, roadsides and empty lots; common even in urban areas, a "native weed".
Notes: This species is very common in BC and has been used by native peoples for a variety of ailments including flu's, bronchial complaints, and as poultices for healing wounds.
Wall Lettuce
Lactuca muralis
Description: An annual or biennial herb 30-100cm tall from a taproot, produces a milky juice in stem. Leaves are alternate, lower basal leaves 6-20cm long, lance shaped in outline but with deep lobes with an ivy-like terminal lobe. Stem leaves same as basal leaves but smaller and fewer. Yellow tiny ray flowers in 5 flowered involucral bracts 1cm high in an open cluster.
Ecology: Common in moist shady forests, forest edges, clearings and roadsides at low to middle elevations. INTRODUCED from Europe and is now a common species in our forests.
Notes: Very common, often found as a weed in yards and gardens. This one was growing on the edge of a trail in Sechelt, BC, summer 2003.
