Category: Plants
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Invasive English hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
English hawthorn was once used to create hedgerows to contain livestock but now invades pastures and grasslands. It is a deciduous bushy, prickly shrub or small tree with white, scented blossoms and deep…
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Plant Profile: Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)
Rubus parviflorus is a vigorous edible-fruit producing shrub perfect for informal hedges and bird and wildlife gardens.
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Plant Profile: Kinnickinnik (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant evergreen shrub that makes an excellent alternative to invasive English Ivy or Periwinkle.
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Plant Profile: June Plum (Oemleria cerasiformis)
Oemleria cerasiformis is a drought-tolerant deciduous shrub that is ideal for planting in woodland gardens, open spaces such as parks; effectively used for land reclamation and seasonally wet ditches.
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Invasive Shiny Geranium
In recent years, the small ground-covering invasive annual called “Shiny Geranium” (Geranium lucidum) has been spreading on Salt Spring Island. Patches of the weed are currently found on Quarry Drive Park, at…
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Plant Profile: Oregon Gumweed (Grindelia stricta)
Grindelia stricta, member of the Asteraceae family is a tough and adaptable plant, ideal on coastlines. Grows larger in deeper and richer soils; keep in dry areas to control size or prune…
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Alternatives to Invasive Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
Originally from Eurasia, common periwinkle was introduced from Europe in the 1700s for its fast, dense coverage as a trailing evergreen groundcover. Common periwinkle is a plant so ubiquitous that reference to…
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Alternatives to Invasive English Ivy (Hedera helix)
English ivy is certainly one of the most common and widespread invasive species on Salt Spring Island. I think we are all familiar with this fast-growing evergreen vine as a dense groundcover…
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Alternatives to Invasive Daisies
A familiar and cheerful sight on the roadside, the oxeye daisy is easily recognised by its open white flowers with yellow centres. Native to Eurasia, Oxeye daisy was introduced to North America…
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Alternatives to Invasive Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus)
European yellow flag iris is known to exist in Saanich but thankfully has not yet been found running amok on Salt Spring Island. Let’s take this as a warning, and do our…