How to Use This Site

Unless otherwise noted, the following sections for each species will assist you in identifying the species of interest, discovering what ecoregions and plant communities they are found in, and mentioning additional information such as forage value, medicinal or toxic properties, and reclamation services.

Identification: The Best Way I’ve Organized a Wide Variety of Species!

​I have organized three primary vegetation types into their respective pages:

• Grasses & Grass-likes;
• Forbs; and
• Trees & Shrubs.

​Their species are organized in two ways:

1. Taxonomic family name (i.e. Asteraceae or Aster family) or Taxonomic tribe name (i.e., Triticeae or Wheatgrass tribe), reserved only for grasses, and
2. Flower colour.

Flower colour is a major feature in identifying forbs and shrubs. However, it is more difficult to use with grasses, grass-likes, and Western Canadian native trees because the flower colour is consistently green or brown. Other features, such as catkin shape or inflorescence type, are used instead.

Each page has various galleries of photographs to pour through. As you hover your mouse over each photo (or tap a photo on your mobile device), you will notice that each photograph is captioned with common and scientific names.

**Clicking or tapping on the nameplate beneath each photo will bring you to another page containing information about that selected species.

For each of the vegetation-type pages, morphological characteristic drawings are provided to help you see the different features commonly used to identify a species. The drawings are all by my own hand (no tracing involved) and derived from Budd’s Flora book (see Resources). ​

**If you see an asterisk (*) on the nameplate below a captioned photo, this means I am working on that respective information page, which is currently inaccessible. Thus, nothing will happen if you tap or click on the nameplate. I highly recommend checking back regularly, as new species and information are regularly added!

Species Information Pages

Digital photography is a highly practical tool I like to use to help identify plants. Illustrating the various key features of a species is the fundamental aspect of this site. Unless otherwise noted, all of the photographs used on this site are mine.

Each species has a page that is laid out as follows:

Synonyms or Other Names:

Many species have more than one common or scientific name they are known by. This may or may not help with properly identifying a species.

Origin & Status:

Where does this species come from? Is it native or non-native? If it is non-native, where is its origin? Non-native species may be harmless and naturalized or considered by municipal or provincial weed specialists as noxious, invasive, or prohibited noxious. This section also tells you if this plant is common, rare, threatened, or endangered.

Notable Features to Identify:

This section briefly notes the most notable characteristics of this plant. We go from big to small, from observing the plant in its habitat to where your hand lens may be needed. For example, we would note growth stature first before zooming in to discuss the shape and structure of the leaves.

Botany terms can be tricky to understand. I consider simplifying such terms to make them easier for you to understand, but only enough so that sufficient detail is still available to distinguish from other species effectively. Italicized or bold font is also utilized to emphasize the key identifying features. The Botanizing Glossary contains the terms used on this site.

Where and When to Find This Plant:

This section tells you what ecoregion[s], habitats, and plant communities (if applicable) you should expect to find this plant in. 

Trees, shrubs, grasses, and grass-likes are often classified into one or two plant communities. (There are always exceptions!) Many of these types are notable dominant species in their community that are worth mentioning.

On the other hand, many forbs are highly adaptable and can fit into several different ecosystems. I find it challenging to place them in just one specific plant community. So, rather than give you a big list of what communities to see it in, general habitat is easier (and simpler) to mention. This is mainly because they usually don’t stand as a dominating species in the landscape (if they are dominating over other species, they are invasive, noxious weeds). Instead, they serve best as indicators of soil health, soil type, and moisture conditions that make their growth and reproduction favourable.

Additionally, all plants bloom at a favourable time of year. I note the months and seasons during which you can expect to find these plants in bloom. (Note that this applies only to Western Canada. I cannot specify what time of year this species will bloom in other parts of the world, if applicable.)

Is This Species Edible, Medicinal, or Toxic?

Here, I discuss the properties of this species that make it edible, medicinal, or toxic, as well as its known cultural value to indigenous peoples. The details I share depend on what information I have access to. That said, I provide a discretionary notice that foraging for this species is illegal in most provincially protected natural areas, and parks are outright discouraged due to its status as an uncommon or rare species. 

Many forb species have toxic properties that will also be discussed and emphasized in this section. 

What Other Species Can This Be Confused With?

It’s easy to confuse one species with another. This section identifies other species that may look similar to this plant and the key characteristics that will help differentiate them from the plant.

Other Interesting Information:

This section covers other information not mentioned above. For some species, this may include topics such as use for wildlife and livestock and its value in land reclamation. Others may include superstitions and short stories about this species or how naturalists came up with its name. Still, other topics could include what type of soil issues it may tell us or how and why it’s considered a noxious weed. Who knows what I find and share!

The Photo Gallery:

Here is where I share more photos I have taken of this plant. Notes of what I have observed when taking this photo–or why I chose to take it in the first place–may be included.