Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Coastal BC Plants: Pacific Ninebark

Pacific Ninebark

During early summer, Wayne and I went on a camping trip to Vancouver Island to go quad riding on the logging roads and trails northwest of Campbell River. While we were riding north of McCreight Lake, we found an old logging road heading off into the bush.

We followed it for about a klick and came out into a meadow filled with Sweet Gale.

A creek ran through the meadow and nearby I found a large shrub covered with clusters of white flowers. From a distance it blended into the trees bordering the meadow.

A large Pacific Ninebark shrub in the middle of the forefront.

Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) is a member of the rose (Rosaceae) family. It grows to 4 metres (13 feet) in height. The leaves are palmate, deeply veined, serated on the edges, and have 3 to 5 lobes. They are a shiny green and lush looking.


The flowers form in clusters.  Each has five round white petals with yellow pistils and 30 stamens with long filaments.



Some of the clusters flowers changing into red seeds pods.



Here's a branch that contains both flowers and seeds.

Flowers and seeds are present in early summer.

When you take an old road into the bush, you never know what you may find. What kinds of things have you discovered? -- Margy

Reference: E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia (online) and "Plant Parts" at The Great Plant Escape (online).

15 comments:

  1. What a beautiful flower and photos and great time for you and Wayne ~ ^_^

    A ShutterBug Explores ~ aka (A Creative Harbor)

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    1. It was interesting to see it in many stages from buds to flowers to seeds. - Margy

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  2. Looks an awful lot like our Ninebark.

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    1. Probably slight differences from interior to coast, but sounds like not much. - Margy

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  3. The leaves and flowers remind me of strawberries. Now I must go find out if strawberries are in the rose family. The Husband and I enjoy going down an unknown road, too.

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    1. You are right, but are in the rose family. - Margy

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  4. That is beautiful... nature gives us countless presents doesn't it

    Have a splendid, ♥-warming ABC-WEDNES-day / - week
    ♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
    http://melodymusic.nl/21-n/

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  5. You two are certainly adventurous in nature.
    Ann

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    1. Especially in the summer. Now that rain and cooler weather has arrived we tend to stay closer to home. - Margy

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  6. Anonymous12:03 PM

    Thank you Margy for your comment -you can see I received it:) I live at 3000 feet but fires (smoke) seems to slow down the internet connection. Also, I live at 3000 feet close to s very small town, so there are not as many people working/watching it) You made quite a switch moving from California to up North! Yeah, this year the fires are wide spread, at least about 20 of them, counting them throughout summer.
    You made a lovely trip here! Love these pretty wild flowers.

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    1. Fires have been terrible this year in many areas. We are so lucky that we only experienced the smoke. - Margy

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  7. Hello, sounds like a nice day on the trails. I have seen a similar plant growing here. They are pretty. I thought eventually the plant would have berries?
    Enjoy your day!

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    1. From the looks of this plant it only gets red seeds. - Margy

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  8. I love NATURE'S design

    ROG, ABCW

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy