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80th Anniversary
Numerous species of flowers and trees in John Dean Park

by Cy Hampson
The Review

Our park is particularly attrac-
live in spring when a surprising
array of beautiful flowers are in
full bloom.

The sunny flowers of stonecrop
or sedum, intermixed with bight
pearly foliage, drapes in great
carpets over grey rock faces.

Colorful masses of shooting
Stars rise from shiny, smooth-
leaved basal rosettes delighting the
hiker with their graceful form.

Western buttercups vie with
stately cerulean camas in open
places amid the tall, deep blue
larkspur:

Spring gold early unfolds its
delicate fernlike leaves to send
forth its slender stem, tipped with
an umbel of tiny yellow flowers.

It is well known for its long
period of blooming since it may
flower in early February with other
members in more shady places
flowering into July.

Blue-eyed Mary is there in
abundance, sporting its tiny pale
blue flowers for all to see.

Satin flower or, purple-eyed
grass, with its bright reddish pur-
ple petals and golden-yellow sta-
mens is surely one of the delights
of early spring.

Look for them among the Garry
oaks or springing from fissures in
the rocks.

In wetter areas, watch for both
the small yellow monkey flower
and later, its larger cousin, both
with exquisite sun-filled flowers,
the lower petal handsomely dotted.

A little later, the large white
trillium, superb calypso orchid
and shapely Easter lily with its
delightfully mottled leaves com-
bine in a stunning show of wild-
flowers, lifting the heart and
brightening even the darkest day.

Along the trails in spring, one
also spots the radiant blooms of
honeysuckle trailing from over-
head shrubs, carpets of saxifrage,
dwarf dogwood or bunchberry

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Inlet carved by glacier

A summary of the geological
history of this area has been com-
pleted by Dr. Chris J. Yorath.

In part, its says “The topography
of the Saanich Peninsula is the
result of both erosion and deposi-
tion.

“The hills and valleys were
carved from granitic, volcanic and
sedimentary rocks by glacial ice
which receded from this area
about 17,000 years ago.

“Indeed Saanich Inlet is a gla-
cial fiord that was carved by ice as
it moved in a northerly direction
over Vancouver Island. Whereas
bedrock was left exposed on the
hills, the valleys became deposi-
tonal sites for outwash gravel,
sand, silt and clay that had been
entrapped in the ice and which
was freed as the ice melted,”
Yorath said.

“The Mount Newton granodior-
ite, with similar rocks on Bear
Hill, belongs to a suite of igneous

rocks that form the backbone of
Vancouver Island. These rocks,

called the “island intrusions,’
formed from molten material deep
within the crust and upper mantle
and which was injected into the
upper layers of the crust where it
slowly cooled to form the large
crystals which you can see with
the unaided eye,” the report said.

“If the magma had reached the

surface it would become volcanic

lava, which would have cooled too
rapidly to allow crystals to form.
Some 110 million years after the
granodiorite had solidified in the
crust, Vancouver Island was
uplifted. The forces of erosion
wore away the covering rocks to
expose, ultimately, these granite

rocks.

“Fifty-five million years later,
glaciers invaded the region and
carved the land forms we see
today,” Yorath concluded.

(Comus), chickweed, miner’s let-
tuce, shapely twinflower, star-
flowered Solomon’s seal, rattle-
snake plantain and a host of others.

Stately coralroots are there,
lacking chlorophyll and living
upon decaying vegetation beneath
the surface, just as does the very

_ handsome Indian pipe with its

glowing, pearly, lustrous stems and
striking flowers. Handsome death
camas (Z.elegans) and the dark
checolate lily with its brilliant
yellow stamens and nodding head

~ are both here.

So too, is the occasional. tall
Columbian lily or tiger lily with its
teflexed, smartly marked petals.
And everyone has caught his
breath when viewing the shapely,
glossy-leaved species of Oregon
grape (Berbers) with their clusters
of bright creamy flowers.

The above is but a very brief
mention of a few of the flowers of
John Dean Park. Hikers would be
well advised to take along Lewis J.

\Clark’s superb Wild flowers of the
‘Pacific Northwest for assistance in

identifying the species encoun-

tered.
As well, ‘Atma hikes in the

park will yield a veritable host of
intnguing mushrooms which will
tax to the limit all of the

mushroom field guides which one -

can possibly assemble.
Good luck! May you fare better

TheReview

than I in placing them in their
appropriate pigeon holes.

Of course, they are not to be
gathered in the park.

A great deal of information has
been carefully gathered in connec-
tion with the excellent natural
resources of the park, which will
be available to visitors. Edo
Nyland has prepared an in depth

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Wednesday, July 29,1992 — 21

summary of the trees of the park
and their ecological importance.
Douglas fir, western red cedar,
western hemlock, Pacific yew,
bigleaf maple, red alder, Garry
oak, arbutus, bitter cherry, cascara,
western flowering dogwood, wil-
lows, shore pine and white pine are
all included, togethes with interest-
Continued on Page 22

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At the junction of Oldfield, Sparton & Old West
Saanich Road-four minutes from Butlers at Keatings

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744-1239
727-7349

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