Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: cohan on June 22, 2009, 07:10:23 PM
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this is from may 30th, we made a daytrip--read-sprint! west from here, into the foothills and mountains, going through the Kootenay Plains montane area and on to the area of Lake Louise (we didnt actually see the lake: we got coffee/treats in Lake Louise Village--nice little shops, but on this late spring weekend, things were already busy, i wouldnt brave it in high summer, on a weekend at least!; when we got to the parking area for the lake proper, it was swarming! and we promptly turned tail and headed for less populated spots...) then back..
i used an online distance calculator, which tells me driving distance one way is around 170km from rocky mtn house to lake louise, another 30 to get to rocky mtn house from where i live, so somehthing like 400km for the day if thats all correct, so with several stops for pictures and eating, you see why i call it a sprint--plus, my friend/driver, has no interest in plants, only mountains, so typically while i was off looking at/for plants, he was waiting in the van, so even more sprinting ;)
so considering the short time at each site, i was very lucky to find some great plants, many others still in bud only...
flowering was going strong at the lower to mid elevations,in the highest stretches along the icefields parkway (bow lake etc) there was still snow near the highway, and at lake louise, although it felt like a nice summery day, there were huge mounds of (not fresh) snow at the edges of the parking lots..
here are views from first stop, a generic roadside near nordegg, alberta, high foothills...
a gravelly ditch, with a wetter area in the deepest part, then drier conditions up a small embankment..
the last couple of views across the road, where you see the poplars leafing out..
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plants from that first stop;then off to work, more later..
Antennaria sp
are everywhere at these altitudes, often, but not only, in very harsh dry conditions
Aquilegia sp
one that got away, not yet in flower..
Arctostaphylos
uva-ursi presumably, i havent worked out details on the species.. flowers and berries simultaneously; some plants have very pale flowers, others very pink; another almost universal plant in these altitudes...
Viola adunca
also very common
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A great sprint, Cohan.
Many thanks for the lovely and enjoyable images.
Paddy
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Your Antennaria seems much like Gnaphalium spp in the NZ landscape.
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A great sprint, Cohan.
Many thanks for the lovely and enjoyable images.
Paddy
thanks paddy :)
lesley, i wasnt familiar with the genus you mention, so did a little search--seems like we have at least a couple that are or were in that genus in the province, and one looks familiar to me, we may have some or similararound, though not positive; ours arent flat like the antennarias, but then antennarias already have that niche...lol
those composites really are all over, arent they?? i was just taking pics on the farm of the pink flowered antennaria yesterday, havent transplanted any to my garden yet, but will sometime soon...
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second stop: Lake Abraham; a manmade lake associated with the Bighorn Hydorelectric Dam; flooded part of the Kootenay Plains montane zone, a dry area historically popular with wildlife and therefor native peoples in part due to its lesser snowcover/good winter grazing...
this site is a roadside viewpoint; in the general views you can see the guardrail, and a grassy area below it before a drop off to the lake; the plant photos in the next post were taken in that grassy area.. this spot has been windy pretty much every time i have been there, a further stress on the plants in an already dry environment..
the 'swimming pool' colour is true, from rock powder in the water...
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this site had a couple of peas--
Astragalus? Oxytropis? from my one book, i cant tell enough to id them, so far, will take more time..any pointers appreciated..
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still at site 2, lake abraham;
Androsace septentrionalis
and another unknown, i was thinking brassicaceae, but maybe thats the wrong direction, maybe something more like
Cryptantha??
this is a tiny thing, only a couple of inches, and very gracile, i saw it at another place later and it was the same...
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still in the area of the Kootenay Plains, some views shot from the moving vehicle...
you can see that this part of the Rockies is quite dry, overall..
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Beautiful, Cohan. The blue lake colour is amazing, and some wonderful plants thereabouts. I love the second unknown fabaceae with the white flowers and purple tips. 8)
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the next few posts are in the Kootenay Plains, at the Siffleur Falls Staging area, where a trail heads off across the flats, partway up a mountain on the other side, to the Falls;
i have never made it to the falls, though we once went, probably , most of the way (we hiked over an hour one way, not sure how much farther it was..lol) since i tend to lose interest in the forest on the other side, the interest for me here is the dry plains..
there are a number of different microhabitats in here, presumably all about water, and maybe wind; when you first enter the trail, there is a light forest of poplar and spruce, with grassy areas, indicating a bit more moisture in this zone; this is where i saw
Androsace chamaejasme
a tiny delight; ironically, when i finished my hike and got back to the parking lot, the best patch of it i saw was right in front of the van, in a grassy area...lol; i didnt see this species farther out in the drier areas
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thanks paul, that was one of my faves too, and the only time i saw that species, in flower, at least..
some more views along that trail...
1-where the spruce give way to mainly grasses and forbs, but still fairly solid growth
2-junipers and artosphylos, both cover very large areas
3-mountain view
4,5,6,7-across the plains, the paletted daubed with the hues of patches of varying plants
8-junipers meet peas..
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another presumed cress?
Brassicaceae sp?
this one forming small clumps like an alyssum--maybe 4-6inches high; ranging from grassy spots to very dry exposed sites..
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Wonderful pictures Cohan !! :o
Splendid views of spectacular nature !!
I drove down the Icefield Parkway myself a number of years ago and it still is one of my most favourite "bits" I've ever seen on this planet.
The view of Peyto lake (I hope I have the spelling right) is one I'll never forget (among many others !!)
Didn't have time to look for plants at the time, so you're filling a gap here !! ;D
Thanks a lot for posting and do not hesitate to make more "sprints" through the season... ;)
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Wonderful pictures Cohan !! :o
Splendid views of spectacular nature !!
I drove down the Icefield Parkway myself a number of years ago and it still is one of my most favourite "bits" I've ever seen on this planet.
The view of Peyto lake (I hope I have the spelling right) is one I'll never forget (among many others !!)
Didn't have time to look for plants at the time, so you're filling a gap here !! ;D
Thanks a lot for posting and do not hesitate to make more "sprints" through the season... ;)
thanks, luc--i definitely hope to get at least a few more trips over the season, i've mostly only been in fall for the last couple of years, and before that was long ago; many more pics to come from this trip, but off to bed now :)
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Cohan,
Some of the views with the mountains in the background are amazing. I hope to make it somewhere to see mountains in the background like that...... they look like someone has carved them and then dusted them with snow to highlight there carving. Must be even more amazing in person. Nothing quite like that here in Aus unfortunately, at least nothing on a scale like that. Thanks so much for the pics.
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A stunning landscape Cohan, like NZ but on a grander scale. ;D
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Moody pictures of a very northern part of the world (from my view of course)!
Thank you Cohan!
Gerd
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Cohan, I am really enjoying this trip with you. I guess the shots ( excellent by theway) from the moving vehicle were because the driver just would NOT stop for more crazy photographing??!! :P ;D Poor soul, it cannot be easy for those accompanying a camera toting plant freak ! Give him our grateful thanks for his persevereance, please. :)
Your close-up of the Androsace chamaejasme flower is just super.... terrific to enjoy that detail.
I am getting pretty exhausted from all these trips around the world via the forum.... I obviously need to get in better fitness.... but I wouldn't miss them for anything... pure delight, each and every one!
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Super pictures, Cohan ... much appreciated.
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thanks all, glad you are enjoying--i was thinking maybe i am posting too comprehensively? perhaps i should only post more selected highlights, and further details in an album offgroup?
maggi--i can understand your exhaustion--i dont even have time to view all the great threads, just duck in here and there when i can! my driver is to be applauded for his patience, as limited as it seems to me sometimes..lol..we are expecting to make a trip down into southern alberta badland/cactus country, and that holds almost no interest for him, so i should be grateful...lol.. i take tons of pictures from the moving vehicle--on a daily basis to see the changing landscapes-seasons, weather, skies etc, and we would never get anywhere if we stopped everytime there was a great view..lol
paul--of course aus has other sorts of amazing landscapes we can only dream about :)
lesley--its true there are some views of NZ that could be in the Rockies, or vice versa..
gerd--it was a moody day, sky-wise, which i like, within reason--i love the sun, but for pics nice to have some clouds for contrast, as long as its not fully overcast, which i dont find photogenic..lol
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still in the Kootenay Plains, farther from the moister zones which are i think around the perimeters and perhaps in lower spots; it was VERY dry out in the open--probably no moisture to speak of since spring snow, and not much of a winter snow cover there.. physaria and some peas and cresses happily flowering in that powder dry soil...
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Physaria didymorcarpa
a charming little cabbage; i had seen this plants on previous trips, liked the little silver grey rosettes, and speculated on what they were, but never was there at the right time for flowers or seedpods...hit it bang on this time..
amazing to see them blooming away in such sere conditions..
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Be assured, Cohan, it has nothing to do with the breadth of the postings that exhausts me.... it is the constant flying on my magic carpet from continent to continent to be one moment in Europe, next in Australia, then over to the Americas.......it's all these time zones.....all this virtual travel is enough to wear out even an athlete! ;D ;) ;D ;D
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Be assured, Cohan, it has nothing to do with the breadth of the postings that exhausts me.... it is the constant flying on my magic carpet from continent to continent to be one moment in Europe, next in Australia, then over to the Americas.......it's all these time zones.....all this virtual travel is enough to wear out even an athlete! ;D ;) ;D ;D
maybe you need a magic teapot to take along on the magic carpet!
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Spectacular shots, many thanks for sharing your FTL trip, I sympathise with the too many places/plants too little time syndrome!
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Spectacular shots, many thanks for sharing your FTL trip, I sympathise with the too many places/plants too little time syndrome!
thanks chris--many many more pics to come from that trip...lol--but not tonight, i think..
re: too many plants, i have been humbled a bit, the last week or so: my mom's little chunk of my grandparent's(now my uncle's) farm is abbout 6 acres, and the farm as a whole which i walk about on is somewhere over 300acres--probably i only cover about 100-150 of that, and usually much less...not a lot of ground to cover in the big picture, and i would have thought i knew it pretty well, and dont expect many botanical surprises..
well, partly (mainly?) due to slowly increasing knowledge (i've known the basics here for decades, but looking more closely at the less flashy things) i have found there are still surprises out there for me-in the narrow strip (maybe 10metres deep) of aspen woodland between us and the neighbour's pasture, i recently noticed several species i either was unfamiliar with, or didnt realise grew here--and thats just about right in front of my house, but i go there less than the mixed/coniferous woods behind...then the other day out in the bush('woods') of the main farm i came across at least two shrubs i'm unsure of and dont think i'd seen here before, as well as a small woodland flower... i've realised there are a number of flowers which present as 'tiny white flowers in the grass' and are in fact several species in a couple of different families...neat! and this is not a super floristically rich zone!
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Cool, maybe this is the Tao of plant hunting, you travel and search for new plants/flowers but when you stop and rest they make theselves known to you!
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still in the Kootenay Plains, montane zone,
i was trying to find the altitude, and found a couple of pages, this tourist page gives a few details--i was amused/bemused? to see they said that native peoples 'established a reserve' at the north end of the plains--oh right! they just decided to give up their large range and settle right there! bet they asked to have half of the plains flooded for a hydro dam too....
http://www.whereadventurebegins.com/kootenayplains.htm
anyway, on the altitude, i didnt find specifics for the plains, yet, but it seems like it must be 12-1300m on the flats...
here is another pea--probably the same one from the first site, i think i will have a third siting of it later in the day;
Oxytropis sp?
and a complete unknown, sorry i missed this one, great leaves too, just a few inches high, tons of buds..
unknown and unknown with Artemesia
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Cool, maybe this is the Tao of plant hunting, you travel and search for new plants/flowers but when you stop and rest they make theselves known to you!
a lesson for sure--in all the sprinting, you can cover a lot of ground and see a lot of things, but you need to move very slowly to see everything!
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Hi, Cohan. You are making me drool seeing these fanatastic plants in their natural surroundings. What is this area like in summertime?
Could plant 3 of the last post be an Asclepias?
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Cohan,
I have said on several occasions to forum members in the southern hemisphere that I find it fabulous to be able to view plants and habitats from right across the world here on the SRGC website. You have brought another alien (to me) landscape and selection of plants to me. It is simply tremendously enjoyable, an outstanding experience - next best thing to being there, I suppose.
Really enjoyed the photographs, your comments and explanations and seeing another beautiful part of the world.
Many thanks, Paddy
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Cohan,
thanks for showing us your part of the world. Fascinating wilderness 8) 8) 8)
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Cohan:
The yellow pea on page 1 & 2 are the same---I believe this is the early locoweed: Oxytropis sericea.
My guess for the pretty white pea is probably Astragalus alpinus???
Tall Antennaria on page 1 is Antennaria neglecta.
Page 2 Mystery Plant in Bud is probably a very stressed Ascelpias speciosa???
I think Lori hit it right on the nose---and Commandra would also coincide with a much more correct flowering period.
I recall seeing incredibly huge mats of Silene acaulis in the Kootenays....
And the Physaria didymocarpa (seed from same area) survived many years in a trough here...
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The mystery plant doesn't look as though it has opposite leaves (as Asclepias speciosa would)... or did it? (I'm zooming in and they look alternate.) Anyway, I'd suggest it's bastard toadflax, Comandra umbellata.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Comandra_umbellata_3.jpg
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Mmm- I dunno- I still think the buds look very much like an Asclepias. ???
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thanks all for input and comments :)
simon--i dont think it really looks much different at any time of year, apart from leaf colouring and drop on the aspens in fall, and a bit of (probably shortlived) greening of grasses at some point..
i havent been there in mid summer, will try for another trip this summer, but it has not been a wet year, so i dont think it will be much greener, and probably this was the main flowering flush for many species, though there will be some zigadenus later, and probably some other things i dont know about-- kristls suggestion of silene is very interesting--i havent seen them, but out of flower might be missable if you dont know what you are looking for...
kristl--thanks for some id's--esp on the peas, i will be checking those out...
i'm hoping to find some physaria seed later in the year, i do love those plants all year..
paddy and aruby--glad you are enjoying--the kootenay plains is one of my very favourite spots, and along these trails there are very few people: there are usually a handful of cars in the parking area, and i think if you go toward the falls, more people--we have occasionally passed a few here and there; the side trails out into the plains--no one..
as for asclepias, i looked up the species found in alberta, and they dont feel right--not least is that this plant is just too small--i didnt measure, but i think under 25 cm, and some considerably less; also some mention of 'moist grasslands' for A speciosa,these were in the driest parts of a dry area...
Lori's suggeston of Comandra was interesting, the pic in my book wasnt that illuminating, but i did find a few online that make it seem like Lori hit it exactly, thanks, lori:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8802721@N04/3039155811/
and
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COUM
interesting that there are two members of sandalwood family in alberta, and i have photographed both :) sounds so exotic...lol
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a few more views, as i hurried along the trails...
as i've mentioned, various patchwork moisture zones--here you see an area with more spruce trees, which means there is a bit more moisture--i'm guessing it relates to where snow settles in winter, as much as anything--nearer the base of the mountains, its a bit less parched... also, once there ARE some trees, they probably create drifts of snow, which enables the communities of arctostaphylos and juniper, which also grow in some very dry areas, but the biggest carpets of them are not in the very driest areas (where Physaria grows)..
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the main trail heads up into the forest and up the mountain a bit toward some falls; i didnt go that way, as i thought it less likely there would be much blooming yet, and i was just about out of time, anyway (i'd said i'd be an hour, and i had just enough time to jog back to the car...lol)..
i just went into the beginning of the moister, wooded area at the base of the mountain..
oops--i left out
Zigadenus elegans
leaves only, flowers later; this was midway, in dry but not driest areas, with Arctostaphylos and juniper.
this species is also not uncommon here, mostly in ditches/roadsides, it seems..
then, as we get a bit moister, the
Arctostaphyos uva-ursi
forms large spreads, and lots of flowers...
Salix sp
these are shrubby species, at least up to a couple metres, though often pruned by wildlife..
a really nice
Sedgey thing
maybe 15-20cm tall (less?) with much fuller flower heads than the ones around here...
and a nicely coloured
Plantago sp??
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final for this area--
a couple of unnamed tiny things (no more than a couple of inches high or across) clinging to rocky soil above the drop to the river, enduring drought and constant wind...
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zipping right along, we continue on Highway 11--the same highway i take to work, incidentally, to its western limit, just past the entrance to Banff National Park (nowhere near the town of banff), and stop by Saskatchewan River Crossing, where there are some tourist facilities; i buy a couple little gifts, then one look at the line-up in the insanely overpriced cafeteria, and we are back on the road, heading south toward Lake Louise..the mountains, and the road, are getting higher...
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The mountains are just amazing, Cohan. Thank you so much.
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Wonderful show Cohan - keep 'em coming please !! ;)
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thanks paul and luc--i think i am in the homestretch--at least 3 more sites, but nothing as extensive as the Kootenay Plains, that was the biggest stop...
i probably have another 1000 photos from around home to go through yet, and tomorrow we are off to southern alberta in search of cacti etc...
ok, next stop:
as i mentioned earlier, we went to Lake Louise, where i was pleased to find a nice little bakery cafe-line-up, but it moved fast, and prices ordinary compared to Saskatachewan Crossing (3-4x above normal)..
then we headed toward the lake, but seeing a parking lot absolutely crammed, we despaired of finding a tranquil spot for our lunch, and just went right back to the highway we came from!
just outside the village, there was a park checkpoint, and driving in, i saw some flowers right beside the road, and something so pink in the edge of the forest i thought maybe it was garbage!
so after clearing the checkpoint, we parked, and i hurried back to find the pink stuff was a fantastic stand of
Calypso bulbosa
we have these at home, but usually one or several at most at a time; of course here they would never have such a relatively vegetation free spot to grow--the open woods they favour are very competitive places here, we dont have these rather bare pine stands, our coniferous forests are spruce and in time become so dense and dark and dry that there isnt much growing, but too shady for Calypso;
the pics werent that great--you have some misses when you are in a rush :( this was almost in spitting distance from the checkpoint, and the nice log marking the spot makes me wonder if they have had a little human help;
the other, right on the roadside was a pea probably the same as from my very first site, this may be the one kristl suggested
Astragalus?
but i havent had time to look into that any more...the most exquisite flower colour, though plain green foliage not as exciting as the silvery Oxytropis...
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we continued back on nortward to Hector Lake, where there is camping and picnic tables, and had our lunch there, in tranquility, far from the tourist hordes of Lake Louise!
this lake has a beautiful deep green colour, different from the sort of milky aqua common in mountain lakes;(i havent tried to look up the source...)..
very pretty, and a footpath around one end of the lake (maybe more, i wasnt there long!)
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Great photographs, Cohan!
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thanks luit :)
some more pics from site 4, Hector Lake, along highway 93, icefields parkway, not too far from lake louise;
late may was too early at that spot for many flowers,
caught a nice little sedgey thing
Carex sp?
a miss on this cute little thing with black buds--something like spring beauty?
unknown
and
Empetrum?
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a few more shot through the windows of the moving vehicle, on the way back north along icefileds parkway (93) to david thompson highway (11) and east again towards kootenay plains..
note that farther west the landscape is wetter, drier as you go into the western edge of the rockies;
also note snow on the ground at high elevations; may 30; and i think they had snow a couple times after this....
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Stunning pictures, reminds me that I've been away from the mountains for too long. Time for a road trip.
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An amazing trip into deepest Canada Cohan. Thanks for taking us along. I love the Calypso orchids, so elegant in this harsh landscape.
I guess the Kootenay area is where Rag, the Kootenay ram came from? :)
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Thanks for posting the Calyspo bulbosa, one day I will see it in the flesh!!
Great thread Cohan, bravo!
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Stunning pictures, reminds me that I've been away from the mountains for too long. Time for a road trip.
thanks, linda--great to see someone so close to home! i just moved back to alberta summer 07, and up to now, the nearest person i've encountered growing anything interesting is lori in calgary, and some cactus folk in edmonton..
love to talk to find out what you are growing!
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An amazing trip into deepest Canada Cohan. Thanks for taking us along. I love the Calypso orchids, so elegant in this harsh landscape.
I guess the Kootenay area is where Rag, the Kootenay ram came from? :)
hmm! there is a reference i would have to look up! the kootenay's were a native tribe (terribly mistranscribed no doubt!) so the name is spread about a bit; apart from these plains in alberta, i think the larger area under the name is in british columbia,where it is a whole region, i think a mountain range (would have to look it up...lol) and a national park...
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Thanks for posting the Calyspo bulbosa, one day I will see it in the flesh!!
Great thread Cohan, bravo!
thanks chris, and i do agree with you and lesley--i think this is one of the finest orchids anywhere, though of course small...
i will have some nice close shots of one flowering not far from my house, when i get caught up that far...lol
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another roadside stop on the return trip, along the river, just past Lake Abraham, back in the Kootenay Plains, on the return trip..
this time there are some shots of your intrepid botaniser, since my friend joined me walking about...
funny how some of the best discoveries are accidental--my friend jumped down the river bank to take a picture of me standing above, and while down there, he said 'hey, come look at this pink flower!' having no idea what it was, but knowing it wasnt growing all over..
it was
Dodecatheon sp
i havent really figured out which is which;
this was a tiny thing, no more than 3-4inches tall; several other plants around, but no other flowers at this location; this flower was brutally difficult to shoot--not because its so small, i got smaller things much more easily, must be the camera didnt want to focus on that intense pink; i later found it again at another site, and that time failed utterly to capture one clear image!
also saw again what i called cabbageA from the first site, and later wondered if it really is
Brassicaceae sp?
it is a charming tiny thing, this site was so windy i couldnt get a clear shot, so held it btwn my fingers, the advantage of which is it shows the size!
Maianthemum stellatum
i presume, smaller than at home, and flowering a bit ahead of ours
and what i assume was going to be a great little daisy? nice fuzzy leaves no more than a couple of inches off the ground
Asteraceae?
and the ubiquitous but always charming
Arctostaphylos
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some views from the same site...
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continuing on back eastward toward home, along the scenic David Thompson Highway (11); the mountains are not as high as along the Icefields Parkway (banff-jasper), but this stretch is nice for the wide sweep of the views;
it was interesting to see Lake Abraham like this: the water levels so low, when we visited after the wet summers of 07 and 08 (esp 07) virtually all those expanses of dry rock you see (even dust storms in the lake bed!) were under water, up into the trees and bushes around the shores in places...
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second last stop;
i turned to look back up the road the way we had come, and saw this interesting sky (1 and 2)--they were doing some controlled burning in the forest off the road, just outside the banff park boundary(i think), it seemed pretty minor when we passed, but i guess this big billow of smoke (blending with the clouds, but not quite hiding..) must have been from that...
we had stopped to look at this pretty little lake/pond/slough, but i was surprised, as soon as i looked down to see flowers all about....
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Cohan,
I love the little Dodecatheon. Beautiful!! That is one impressive plait as well.... must take a while to brush your hair when you take it out! :o
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grr--the cat sleeps in a cubby hole just behind the keyboard, and sometimes keeping him off the keyboard is difficult; he just erased the next post i was working on...lol
literally everywhere underfoot on the wet lakeshore--maybe alkaline? clayey, at times gravelly, rather than peaty; probably underwater at times of melt...
Primula mistassinica
no more than a couple of inches high...
i was pleased to see the
Dodecatheon sp
again, though completely unable to get a clear shot! dark pollen sacs suggest D conjugens?
and happier yet to see this sweet
Anemone parviflora
the second shot shows the relative size of the 3 species: the tiny anemone, even tinier primula above, and dodecatheon leaves to the upper left
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Cohan,
I love the little Dodecatheon. Beautiful!! That is one impressive plait as well.... must take a while to brush your hair when you take it out! :o
thanks paul, i love the dodecatheon too! we have some around here, but much taller--i think i see them in roadsides/pastures, but havent been able to stop to photograph any, i've searched on my uncle's farm here, they used to grow there, but i think they have been overgrown by grasses and willows etc...
the hair doesnt take so long, i'm a pro ;)
just a couple more sets to go on this thread, but thats it for tonight (this morning? 1 am here)
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It really doesn't stop Cohan !! :o
What a great wilderness - what a wonderful series !
Thanks again for sharing !
sigh.... must go back.... sigh
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A trip and a landscape to dream of. Thank you Cohan!
- and these delicate primula!
Gerd
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Magical posting, Cohan ...
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thanks, gerd, cliff, luc--
i do feel lucky to have this (relatively) close...
hopefully i can make another trip that way soon to see what may be flowering later in the season; this past weekend we went south into alberta's cactus country, so those pics will come soon (not as many...lol)
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So many interesting plants and tough little things too I would imagine. Is it hot and dry there in summer?
The Brassica looks like a Draba I once had from a seed exchange. It wasn't true to name, but did look like yours.
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Cohan,
Cute little Primula and second Dodecatheon. I love the Dodecs, although have not grown many of them. Such fascinating flowers on them. :)
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You should try some, Paul. They seem happy here and with their summer dormancy escape the worst of the heat. ;)
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Simon,
They're not exactly "freely available" here in Aus. I have grown a couple from seed in the past, and still have one species persisting at the moment. I lost my lovely pot of medieia (can't recall the spelling right now, getting late) that I had had for years. Dried out too much one summer I think and never returned. Was most disappointing. I think I still have D. jeffreyii, if memory serves me. Would love more of them as they have the most interesting flowers. Great to be able to enjoy them here on the forums at any time of year. 8)
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We have seeds on some D.meadia (possibly hybrids) just now and I am currently growing Dd.conjugens and jeffreyi from US wild seeds. You are right though they are little stunners when flowering. We have them in a woodland bed where they are quite, dry but shaded in summer.
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Cohan, if only there was a pop up to say you'd been on a trip - as a latecomer I am completely blown away by your epic journey of epic proportions - the landscapes and skyscapes and sheets of different coloured waters are like giant canvases, each one with its own time- honoured tale to tell. With you as narrator the whole experience comes to life and I love the juxtaposition of the miniscule with the massive - not a sprint it seems but a marathon and at every stage a prize worth finding. Thanks so much for the energy required to capture and show us this wonderful world on the run :) :) :) :) :)
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So many interesting plants and tough little things too I would imagine. Is it hot and dry there in summer?
The Brassica looks like a Draba I once had from a seed exchange. It wasn't true to name, but did look like yours.
thanks simon, i will look at drabas...
in the plains area, they need to be tough for sure-apart from spots near rivers (then subject to flooding of course, last year that area with the dodecatheons was probably under water.), low wet spots, and, i think, areas at the base of mountains on the right side where snow probably gathers, the area overall is dry all year--we went in february, and most spots right on the Kootenay Plains were just as bare and dry as now, and it seems to be always windy, as i think wind funnels through that space between the mountains...
the alberta rockies are dryish overall, though a bit farther west and higher up (along the icefields parkway for example) it is not as dry as the easternmost edge and lower elevations: most of the big weather systems come from the pacific, and have had a lot of their moisture knocked out by the coastal mountain ranges, then much of what is left catches on the western side of the rockies in b.c. (beautiful rain forest there), some is still left for the highest mountains in alberta, but by the time the clouds get to the lower eastern mountains, they dont drop much precipitation....
hot is another issue altogether--certainly temps of high 20s at least can happen, probably occasionally and in sheltered pockets it could hit 30, but this is still fairly far north and high elevation--the lower areas i'm guessing at around 12-1300m so chilly winds are never far, and cloudy weather is usually cool--even down here at 900+metres, we have been having a chilly summer--a few days in may in high 20's, then nothing much above low-mid 20s, and not much of that...today's high is supposed to be 15C, and we have had nights not far above freezing...no doubt at those higher elevations frosts occur throughout the summer...
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We have seeds on some D.meadia (possibly hybrids) just now and I am currently growing Dd.conjugens and jeffreyi from US wild seeds. You are right though they are little stunners when flowering. We have them in a woodland bed where they are quite, dry but shaded in summer.
do these species stay tiny for you?
my wildflower book gives size ranges from 10-20cm fro conjugens and 5-50 for pulchellum..not sure if different clones stick to a height, or if its all environmental..certainly a number of plants that grow higher up and here are much taller down here...
here, the dodecs are flowers basically of wet meadows, what we call sloughs, which could have standing water in spring and in wet years, and could be dry or merely moist in dryer years/by midsummer..i suspect similar of the spots i found them in the mountains...
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Cohan, if only there was a pop up to say you'd been on a trip - as a latecomer I am completely blown away by your epic journey of epic proportions - the landscapes and skyscapes and sheets of different coloured waters are like giant canvases, each one with its own time- honoured tale to tell. With you as narrator the whole experience comes to life and I love the juxtaposition of the miniscule with the massive - not a sprint it seems but a marathon and at every stage a prize worth finding. Thanks so much for the energy required to capture and show us this wonderful world on the run :) :) :) :) :)
thanks, robin--i probably started the thread around the time you were going on your trip..i know what you mean though, hard to get to all the wonderful threads on here!
this day trip certainly felt like a sprint, but the posting has definitely been marathon...lol
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this day trip certainly felt like a sprint, but the posting has definitely been marathon...lol
:) I'm sure it can feel like that for you to prepare all the pix and write the posts, cohan, but the end result feels like a great visit for the reader and is much appreciated, I assure you! 8)
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thanks, maggi--it is a great pleasure to share it, too, just the weight of all those other photos waiting to be dealt with...lol--i am now up to 5 temporary folders that i have (usually several hundred in each) stacked up waiting for sorting so that i can keep downloading more to the computer..but this is the most intense season for photos--between flowers, day trips and exciting stormy skies...
nearly done this thread, one or two more sets to go, hopefully finish tonight, started getting the pics ready, now time to go...
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We have seeds on some D.meadia (possibly hybrids) just now and I am currently growing Dd.conjugens and jeffreyi from US wild seeds. You are right though they are little stunners when flowering. We have them in a woodland bed where they are quite, dry but shaded in summer.
do these species stay tiny for you?
my wildflower book gives size ranges from 10-20cm fro conjugens and 5-50 for pulchellum..not sure if different clones stick to a height, or if its all environmental..certainly a number of plants that grow higher up and here are much taller down here...
here, the dodecs are flowers basically of wet meadows, what we call sloughs, which could have standing water in spring and in wet years, and could be dry or merely moist in dryer years/by midsummer..i suspect similar of the spots i found them in the mountains...
No, here our Dodecatheon have been taller than they were in England- they came here bare-rooted during their summer dormancy. This Spring they were about 25cm in shade and in a woodlandy soil behind the barn. In England they were in polystyrene fishboxes in a peaty soil, but out in the sun and were shorter. I imagine a lot of the differences in the wild are cultural. We hope to build numbers up so we can try some out in a seasoanlly wet area of the meadow in the next few years. It would be great to see them settle in and self sow like that.
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Rag, the Kootenay ram was a character in a story by Canadian writer Ernest Thompson Seton. Delving really deep into my dark past here. :)
Must look for that little primula on the seedlists, a real cutie.
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If you are interested in the genus Dodecatheon---the following article is very insightful.
As the author states:
"Dodecatheon is notoriously difficult taxonomically. Members of the genus are widespread throughout much of North America. The boundaries between species are sometimes blurred and the variation within the more widespread species (such as the eastern D. meadia and the western D. pulchellum) can be bewildering. Nearly all recognized species are replete with an array of synonyms, and many names, used in the past, have proven to be not legitimate or misapplied adding to the nomenclatural morass."
http://www.plantsystematics.org/reveal/pbio/fna/dodecatheon.html
The majority of the western species I have grown from wild-collected seed under distinct names have now turned out to be primarily variants of D. pulchellum.
Lesley,
Primula misstassinica is also here in Ontario---and I normally carry wild collected seed most years.
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Thanks Kristl. When is your seed list ready usually and will you still be doing that when you finally move? Or maybe you'll become a brain surgeon or a concert pianist instead? :) Which reminds me that I haven't replied to an email from NS.
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Lesley,
Haven't done a list in years--and the beauty of a web-based catalogue is that it is never static. Species get listed as they become freshly available; species get taken off when sold out. I've started adding the 2009 fresh species already. The 2008 Primula mistassinica is still viable and available now; new stock will be available in about 6 weeks.
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Must look for that little primula on the seedlists, a real cutie.
i was going to say kristl has it listed, but she beat me to it ;) its actually funny, i have the seed from kristl, and was quite surprised to see the same name when i looked up the plants i found...
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No, here our Dodecatheon have been taller than they were in England- they came here bare-rooted during their summer dormancy. This Spring they were about 25cm in shade and in a woodlandy soil behind the barn. In England they were in polystyrene fishboxes in a peaty soil, but out in the sun and were shorter. I imagine a lot of the differences in the wild are cultural. We hope to build numbers up so we can try some out in a seasoanlly wet area of the meadow in the next few years. It would be great to see them settle in and self sow like that.
i really hope i can find a spot to look at the locals and compare....both spots i saw them in the mountains were truly tiny--probably less than 10cm..
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nearing the end, at last ;)
early in the trip, i had been seeing large patches of a pale yellow flowering pea, and at a couple of the stops i found a few here and there, but hadnt had a chance to shoot any of the big patches, so on the way back through those areas (on highway 11, kootenay plains and surrounding areas) we watched for a place to stop..
finally we found a place that had the plants i wanted, plus a last chance to walk down to Abraham Lake;
it was amazing to see how much lower the water is this year (there could have been meltwater yet to come from higher up, where there was still snow on may 30)
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so here are the peas, which kristl suggested could be
Oxytropis sericea
my book doesnt actually have a pic of that species, but it seems to fit..
plus another less abundant one, probably
Hedysarum boreale?
this one was nearly impossible to photograph, as those flowers would not be still on the windy roadside!
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final pic posting for this thread!
same spot: an exposed roadside just above Abraham Lake;
two pulsatillas; i'd been watching all spring for
Pulsatilla patens
no luck, here i found one seedhead, but not ripe.. and what seems to be
Pulsatilla occidentalis
the relationship between Pulsatilla and anemone must be very close in these western species..
again my little cabbage, simon has suggested maybe
Draba sp
Sisyrinchium sp
and, a good note to end on:
Dryas drummondii
one of the most typical plants of the (at least lower) rockies--most conspicuous when the small flowers turn to big fuzzy seedheads over the ubiquitous flat mats of foliage on roadsides and slopes; i was happy to catch them in flower for a change..
finally, the road toward home...
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Just dropping by to drool over those glorious 'peas'- I had some Hedysarum boreale from seed this year, but some caterpillars trashed them :( next year I will be more vigilant.
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Just dropping by to drool over those glorious 'peas'- I had some Hedysarum boreale from seed this year, but some caterpillars trashed them :( next year I will be more vigilant.
tks, simon...in my immediate area, we have very few of the rosette or bushy peas, but we have tons of climbers--probably Lathyrus ochroleucus and Vicia sp..they dont have the vegetative appeal of the dry/high land species, but the flowers are nice and they are EVERYWHERE..lol..vicia flowers pretty much the same as the Hedysarum..
with luck i will be able to get some seeds of those mountain species, if they arent emptied out already by the time i get back...
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Well, I have had problems with various Vicia in the past- but i still like them. I've never seen Lathyrus ochroleucus though.
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Cohan,
Gorgeous pics as always. Love the two peas, and that fascinating Dryas. :o
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Well, I have had problems with various Vicia in the past- but i still like them. I've never seen Lathyrus ochroleucus though.
i doubt anyone would want to introduce these to a garden, they are pretty aggressive, but since they are already growing here, and seeding in every nook and cranny, i have no issues with encouraging them here and there--i'd like to get some really nice patches of them growing where they have something good to climb on, and they can really show off...
i will have pics of both when i get back to alberta wanderings posting; first i will do my trip south...
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thanks paul, i think Dryas octopetala is considered the star of the genus, from higher elevations i think, prob a bit less exuberant, but i still really like this shy yellow flower, too..
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Cohan,
Yes, I'd noticed the Dryas octopetala in postings here and there. I really like the nodding lemon flowers on your one though. Never ever seen a Dryas other than here, and probably given my climate I am never likely to see one here either. I am guessing they would NOT like the summer heat given their mountain homes. Then again so many of the Gentiana do grow in cooler nooks here in my climate, even if not here in my garden (still building up cover in a lot of the garden).
I think that is why I am enjoying these tours of the planet where I'll never visit..... they show me things I am quite likely never likely to grow, or at least never likely to grow WELL. ;) I still love trying things that "shouldn't" grow here, enjoying the thrill of growing the impossible. 8)
Thanks again for your postings. :)
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Cohan,
Yes, I'd noticed the Dryas octopetala in postings here and there. I really like the nodding lemon flowers on your one though. Never ever seen a Dryas other than here, and probably given my climate I am never likely to see one here either. I am guessing they would NOT like the summer heat given their mountain homes. Then again so many of the Gentiana do grow in cooler nooks here in my climate, even if not here in my garden (still building up cover in a lot of the garden).
I think that is why I am enjoying these tours of the planet where I'll never visit..... they show me things I am quite likely never likely to grow, or at least never likely to grow WELL. ;) I still love trying things that "shouldn't" grow here, enjoying the thrill of growing the impossible. 8)
Thanks again for your postings. :)
i agree paul, on both points--wonderful to see things you will never grow, and also wonderful to see things you might try!
i think i remember seeing D drummondii at fairly low elevations (something similar to here, i guess--900some metres) where it had followed/been carried by a river downstream and was growing in gravel flats..
of course that lower elevation doesnt translate to heat, we can have very warm summer days, but nothing like your weather, but you never know unless you try!
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I have to agree with Cohan. Give everything you reasonably can a try. We have Dryas octopetala here in the mountains- we have seen it at about 1500m, which isn't alpine levels but there is an alpine plant community there (see the Central Balkan Nature Reserve thread). Even at this height, summer can be long and dry. I have Dryas grandis, from Siberia, in the garden here from seed- no flowers yet, but it came through last summer's heat.
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We're technically around 600m, so we're elevated, just not THAT elevated! ;D Friends here in Canberra do grow a few Alpines quite well, but they have much shadier gardens than mine. I have too many special things in the cooler and shadier places. ::) It really is surprising what does OK out in the sun when you forget about it and leave it out there in summer. :o Not the best for some other things of course. Half the fun is attempting to grow something just to see if you can, and then admiring it every time you see it when you're successful.
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Exactly! That's why i have Yucca, Nolina and Cacti growing from seed here- they may not make it, but in the meantime they 'freak' people out ;)
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you never know--many of the less commonly grown plants, and less commonly gardened places! dont have a lot of reliable information as to what really can and cant grow, BESIDES site specific differences..
so you really cant know, often, without trying yourself..
we just all have an obligation to share what we learn :)