Download The Role of Native Plants Found Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana) is a

THE ROLE OF NATIVE PLANTS FOUND
Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana) is a small
deciduous shrub with thorns and pink
aromatic flowers. Branches and strips of
bark were boiled into tea and used as
eyewash for cataracts and to help
improve eyesight. Chewed leaves were
applied to bee stings as a poultice. Rose hips were steeped
and mashed for babies with irritable bowls.
Tall Oregon grape (Mohonia
nervosa) grows to approximately 60
cm tall with tough leathery foliage. In
late spring, yellow flowers emerge
producing purple, bitter berries that
resemble small grapes. Used to treat
digestion problems, IBS, liver and gall
bladder problems and eye problems, the roots are dried and
ground into powder and ingested through a tincture or tea.
Also used as an antibiotic and an anti cancer agent which can
help protect bone marrow.
Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) is an
evergreen member of the Garry oak
community and is recognized by its red
bark that peals. It is an ingredient in the
‘Saanich four barks’ and used to treat a
number of illnesses. It is also taken as a
contraceptive.
Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor) is a
deciduous shrub used as weaponry,
sewing needles, digging sticks and more.
Tonics prepared from the brown flowers
were ingested to treat diarrhea in
children, measles, chickenpox and a blood
tonic.
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) also
known as waxberry or corpse berry
because they are poisonous, However 1 or
2 berries after a meal will help settle the
stomach. Deciduous, yet berries remain
throughout winter.
IN THE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesi), is a
coniferous trees that grow up to 70m tall.
The bark and wood are used as fuel,
weaponry, canoes and much more. The
pitch was used as a sealant for water
vessels and as a medicinal salve for
wounds and skin irritations.
Western Red Cedar (Thija plicata)
is
‘The Tree of Life’ since it is the perfect
substance that could provide all material
and aesthetic needs from shelter,
clothing, medicine, hats, rope, masks,
drums, everything from cradle to coffin.
Coniferous tree that grows up to 70 m and
is considered to have significance spiritual
strength.
Red Alder (Alnus rubra) is a deciduous
fast growing tree, but short-lived (50
years old), used to treat infections and
respiratory illness because it has strong
antibiotic properties in its bark. It is
another one of the ‘Saanich four barks’.
Red alder may be a keystone species in
the community since it plays the important role of nitrogen
fixation, contributing up to 320 kg/ha of nitrogen per year.
Beautiful white blossoms emerge in the spring.
Sword fern (Polystichum munitu) is an
evergreen commonly found among the
coastal Douglas fir forest that grows to
approximately 1.5 m tall provided flooring,
bedding, and medicine. The rhizomes
were roasted over fire and eaten to cure
bowl discomfort.
Salal (Gaultheria shallon) is a native species
that can grow up to 5 m and is used for
trading. Young sprouts were chewed as
appetite suppressant. The dark juicy berries
were mixed with other native berries great for
wine, juice, and jellies.
NATIVE
AND EXOTIC INVASSIVE GRASS
Native Species to Gary Oak Ecosystems are presently absent
in the Native Plant Garden due to competition from invasive
species, but replanting is on the restoration list.
Roemers Fescue
Onion Grass
Invasive Exotic Grasses in the
Native
Plant
Garden
are
bountiful,
resourceful
and
adaptable. They have high fitness
levels
thus
are
strong
competitors
within
their
ecological niche creating overlap.
The grasses are xerophytic; they
adapt well to periods of draught
and thrive when moisture
regimes increase.
Rye Grass
Wild Oat
Spike Bottle
Sweet Vernal
Brome/Rip gut
Velvet Grass
Early Hair
Orchard Grass
Colonial Bent
GARRY OAK ECOSYSTEMS
Garry
oak
(Quercus
garryana) is a member of an
endangered
ecosystem
mainly due to colonization
and urban development.
Ecosystems include low-lying
grasslands and mid-elevation
rocky outcrops with slopes
comprised of xerophytic,
native vegetation. Trees grow
to about 25 m in height and
live for approximately 400 years. The Garry oaks trees in the
Native Plant Garden are around 100 years old. Garry oaks are
deciduous as leaves fall in autumn, along with their acorns.
The leaves are lobed, glossy green and roughly 12 cm in
length. Buds emerge in the spring with inflorescence
(female) and catkins (male) flowers. The bark is grey and
scaly with large grooves, gnarly nubs and serpentine limbs.
RESTORATION OF GARRY OAK ECOSYSTEMS IN THE
NATIVE PLANT GARDEN
Volunteers Welcome!
A Community of Biodiversity
Come learn and explore nature in all its splendor.
The bark was used in the ‘Saanich four barks’ medicine to
treat tuberculosis and other ailments.
Acorns produce only one seed,
maturing in one season. Acorns
are egg-shaped, 2-3 cm long,
shallow cups, bumpy and hairy within.
They prefer warm moist conditions to
germinate. The incubation period is
two years.
Rocky out crops are a prime example of
xerophytic communities within the
Garry Oak Ecosystems. Enhance welldrained slightly acidic soil. You can also
find a variety of ferns, mosses, lichens,
and in late fall certain types of fungi.
Camas (Camassia quamash) are
vibrant purple flowers with five to sixlobed pedals, star- shaped. The large
bulbs are harvested in the spring as a
source of carbohydrates and trading
means, while the smaller ones are left for future harvest the
following year.
Garry
NATIVE PLANT GARDEN AT CAMOSUN COLLEGE
LANSDOWNE CAMPUS 2008
Camosun means, “place to gather camas”
- unknown
For more information on how to get involved in volunteering
with Garry oak restoration around Victoria, contact
Jenny Eastman at 250 - 744 – 1710
Duties include light labor such as weeding, mulching,
planting, assessments and monitoring.
For more information on the Native Plant Garden, contact
Anna Colangeli at [email protected]
Map shows distribution of Garry
Oak ecosystems on the Southern
tip of Vancouver Island. Green
displays coverage per hectare
(10,443) from 1800; Red displays
coverage per hectare (512) in
1997. Map is from Garry Oak
Ecosystem
Recovery
Team.
Before the last ice age most of the
Victoria area was covered with
oak hard wood-grassland forests.