Last week TLC was joined by two volunteers to conduct White-top aster (Sericocarpus rigidus) counts in our Langvista covenant near Mill Hill Regional Park. The White-top aster is a blue-listed at-risk species that are found in Garry oak meadow ecosystems on Vancouver Island. Asters are a family of flowering plants that look very similar to daisies. TLC has a White-top aster restoration project ongoing in this protected area where five enclosures are protecting the plants from deer and other animals. Unfortunately, the White-top asters weren’t blooming the day we went, so we will return within the next couple of weeks. Since the White-top asters were not flowering, distinguishing them from a similar-looking plant called Comandra umellate was difficult and a bit of a puzzle for our team.
Although we were too early to see the White-top asters in bloom, we did see many other wildflowers in this diverse Garry oak ecosystem including as Hooded Ladies Tresses orchid (Spiranthes romanzoffiana), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), Blue Cornflower or Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus), and Gumweed (genus Grindelia).
To find out more about White-top aster please visit canada.ca. To find out more about Garry oak ecosystems please visit goert.ca.
~ Erin, TLC’s Summer Covenant Program Intern
Bachelor’s button flower.
Comandra umbellata, the aster imposter.
Gumweed.
Hooded ladies tresses orchid.
White-top aster non-flowering.
St. John’s wort.
