Family: Liliaceae/ Lily Ecology/ Botany: This tall, tap-rooted perennial grows in dry, open grassland or shrubland at low to mid elevation. It prefers Bunchgrass or Ponderosa Pine forest zones. Medicinal/ Other Uses: Indigenous North Americans ate the large fleshy bulbs raw or cooked. Okanagan people used a poultice of the bulb for poison ivy blisters. […]
Family: Polemoniaceae or Phlox Ecology/ Botany: This biennial and sometimes perennial grows in well-drained, sandy openings or water’s edge in the dry climatic region. It prefers forest zones of Interior Douglas Fir or Ponderosa Pine. Medicinal/Traditional/Other Uses: The leaves are a blood tonic and are used to treat blood diseases. The whole plant is cathartic […]
Family: Lamiaceae or Mint Ecology/ Botany: This widely distributed perennial grows in moist climatic regions in Coastal Western Hemlock and Interior Cedar Hemlock forest zones. Medicinal/ Other Uses: It is known as a wound healer and has anti-viral properties. References/ Other useful links: E-FLORA BC: ELECTRONIC ATLAS OF THE FLORA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA researchgate publication […]
Family: Asteraceae or Daisy/ Sunflower/ Aster Ecology/ Botany: This perennial is common and widespread in dry openings, clearings, and meadows in a variety of forest types such as Interior Douglas Fir or Montane Spruce forest zones. Medicinal/Traditional/Other Uses: Syilx (Okanagan) and Secwepemc (Shuswap) people have used the roots to make a wash for skin ailments […]
Family: Aster/ Asteraceae Ecology/ Botany: This cheery perennial likes to grow at mid elevation with Trembling Aspen, Douglas Fir, Pine, and Spruce, in moist, forest openings. It grows in dry to moist climatic regions in the Montane zone and prefers Interior Douglas Fir forest types. Medicinal/ Other Uses: Navajo people used a decoction to treat […]
Family: Legume Ecology/ Botany: This hardy, adaptable perennial is in the pea family and grows in a wide range of environments, including harsh, dry, low nutrient, rocky soil. It inhabits the dry climatic regions. With symbiotic bacteria, it fixes nitrogen in the soil for growth and can be invasive. Its whirls of leaves are covered […]
Family: Saxifrage or Saxifragaceae Ecology/ Botany: This tiny, early spring flower does not bloom for long. It tends to grow in dry climatic regions in forest zones of Sagebrush, Ponderosa Pine, or Interior Douglas Fir but also appears in the moist regions in dry openings of a variety of forest types and grasslands. It is […]
Family: Montiaceae/ Purslane Ecology/ Botany:These perennials grow in open, moist slopes and meadows at mid to high elevation. They bloom in early spring and literally glow in the sun with filaments that reflect ultraviolet light. After blooming and seeding, they die back above ground to save energy underground in their tuberous roots for the next […]
Family: Geranium/ Geraniaceae Ecology/ Botany: This perennial grows in dry grasslands or open forest zones like Interior Douglas Fir. It’s thought to be a protocarnivorous plant, meaning it traps and kills insects, but lacks the ability to fully digest them. Medicinal/ Other Uses: Okanagan people used the leaves to treat skin sores or sore lips, […]
Family: Asteraceae/ Aster/ Daisy/ Sunflower Ecology/ Botany: This perennial is the most common daisy in subalpine to alpine elevations. It grows in open, moist meadows of the Engelmann Spruce- Subalpine Fir forest zones. Medicinal/ Traditional/ Other Uses: The Nlaka’pamux (Thompson) people call it “star flower” in their language, and the flowers were an inspiration for […]