Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii (Pinaceae)An evergreen conifer native to the coastal regions of western North America, from west-central British Columbia, south to central California. There is considered to be a coastal and an interior variety in B.C. Douglas-fir is not a true fir (true firs are in the genus Abies) thus the common name is hyphenated. Douglas-fir is distinguished by its thick, furrowed, fire-resistant bark, needles arranged all around the stem, pointed buds and three-pronged bract emerging from between the scales in the mature cone. Coastal Douglas-fir is a very large tree, some say the second tallest in the world after Coast Redwood. It commonly lives more than 500 years and occasionally more than 1,000 years.
Southern magnolia
Southern Magnolia - Magnolia grandiflora (Magnoliaceae)An evergreen angiosperm also known as bull bay. Southern magnolia is native to the southeastern United States, from coastal North Carolina south to central Florida, and west to southeast Texas. It is distinguished by its large, white, lemon-scented flowers, glossy, leathery leaves, and fuzzy brown buds.
Bigleaf Maple
Bigleaf Maple - Acer macrophyllum (Aceraceae)A deciduous angiosperm native to the Pacific coast of western North America from southern Alaska to southern California. Bigleaf maple is distinguished by the largest leaves of any maple, typically 15-30 cm across, with five deeply-incised, palmate lobes. We understand that it is possible to make maple syrup from the sap of Bigleaf maple, but it requires a lot of reduction.
Vine Maple
Vine Maple – Acer circinatum (Aceraceae)A deciduous angiosperm native to western North America from southwest B.C. to northern California, always within 300 km of the Pacific Ocean. Vine maple is distinguished by its shrubby form, sympodial growth (terminal bud usually lacking) and almost circular leaves with 7-9 palmate lobes separated by narrow notches which become red or yellow in autumn.
Red Alder
Red Alder - Alnus rubra (Betulaceae)A deciduous, angiosperm native to western North America, from southeast Alaska to central coastal California. Red alder is the world's largest species of alder, reaching heights of 20-35 m. The name derives from the bright rusty red color that develops in bruised or scraped bark. Red alder roots are host to the nitrogen fixing actinomycete Frankia. This association allows the treeto grow in nitrogen-poor soils, even old road beds. In disturbed moist forest areas, red alder can rapidly form a dense cover. A russet dye can be made from a decoction of the bark and was used by First Nations people to dye fishing nets so as to make them less visible underwater. Red alder can be recognized by its leaves which have coarse, blunt teeth and margins rolled under. The fruits are conelets.
Oriental Plane
Oriental Plane-tree – Platanus orientalis (Platanaceae)A deciduous, angiosperm native to Eurasia from the Balkans to India which crosses with American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). The Oriental Plane-tree is grown widely for shade. This specimen at UVic is reputed to have been grown from a seed brought from the tree under which Hippocrates taught medicine on the island of Kos. Leaves of the Oriental Plane tree can be distinguished from those of maple because the bottom-most veins are not palmate. The puzzle-like bark and globose fruits are also distinguishing features.
Garry Oak
Garry Oak – Quercus garryana (Fagaceae)A deciduous, native, angiosperm ranging from southern California to the southwestern corner of British Columbia. Also known as Oregon white oak, Garry oak is a deeply-rooted, drought tolerant species. It can be distinguished from English white oak by its shiny, dark-green upper leaf surface, leaf stalks more than 1 cm long, and solitary or paired acorns on short stalks less than 5 mm in length. Garry oak tends to have short, forked trunks compared to the tall, straight trunk of English white oak. The acorns are edible after soaking to leach out bitter tannins. Small green or yellow galls can often be found on the undersides of leaves. The galls are formed by the oak around colonies of wormlike larvae belonging to one of several species of tiny wasps. A common wasp species responsible for these galls is Cynips maculipennis
Finnerty Apple
Finnerty Apple – Malus sylvestris (Rosaceae)The Finnerty family were among the earliest settlers and farmers in the Mount Tolmie area in the 1860s and ‘70s. In the 1890s, Mike and Mary Ann Finnerty, along with John and Hanna Finnerty, ran a successful orchard and dairy farm on land that is now the UVic campus. Two domestic apple trees from the family orchard still stand in the quadrangle just south of the Cornett Building. They are reputed to be a particular variety of apple – the Finnerty apple.
