Canadian Wildflower Guide

Common Blue Violet

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 06:16:00 +0000

Common Name: Common Blue Violet
Latin Name: Viola Sororia

There's a path that leads from Pickering Beach Rd. to Harwood Avenue. It's a path that's like a wide meadow here in Ajax. This plant was found growing next to a fence, it was moist and soggy. This Violet looks alot like other violet's but the leaves set it apart from being the Early Blue Violet, which leaves look totally different. The leaves of this plant can be candied and are very high in vitamins.

Blooms: March to May
(picture taken May/19th/2006 - 4:30pm)

Blue Eyed Grass

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 06:04:00 +0000

Common Name: Blue Eyed Grass
Latin Name: Sisyrinchium montanum

It's a shame the only place I ever found this almost unnoticable flower is now paved over for a new development. Didn't seem to be to proliferant here in Ajax. Without flowers on this plant it simply looks likes a tuft of grass. It belongs to the Iris family of plants. So if you happen to see this plant, let it grow undisturbed.

Blooms: Late May to July
(picture taken June/28/2005 - 3:17pm)

Starry False Solomon's-Seal

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 04:14:00 +0000

Common Name: Starry False Solomon's-Seal
Latin Name: Maianthemum stellatum

Around Ajax, this plant can be found in 2 places that I know of. Both places were very lush and serene. I think this plant is unique and unusual. You would also probably never notice this plant unless it had a bloom. It's a shame they only bloom in the spring-time.

Blooms: May to June
(Picture taken May/15th/2006 - 4:18pm)

Philadelphia Fleabane

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:13:00 +0000

Common Name: Philadelphia Fleabane
Latin Name: Erigeron philadelphicus

Up this close and personal to a Philadelphia Fleabane, you may not realize this is often a very common weed and if you saw it in your garden you would rip it out immediately. It is very much a weed you don't want growing in your back yard. But I do see a delightful beauty here - growing at the side of a construction site when there is nothing but dirt to see, then these flowers stand out. Besides just being a flower in pinkish/purple it can also been seen more commonly in it's white version. Depending on where this plant is growing it functions as a bi-ennial or a perennial.

Blooms: April to August
(Picture taken June, 25th, 2006)

Hoary Vervain

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:03:00 +0000

Common Name: Hoary Vervain
Latin Name: Verbena Stricta

This plant can literally be found all over Canada's Eastern Region. This one in particular was found in High Park in Toronto, ON. I think this plant is truely beautiful, and can be seen in shades of pink, and purple. My boyfriend and I were eating at Grenadier restaurant there at high park, and after we came out we went and did a little wandering. I saw a whole bunch of undiscovered flowers I hadn't taken pictures of - this was one of them.

Blooms: June to August
(Picture taken June, 24th, 2006)

Common St. John's Wort

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 20:18:00 +0000

Common Name: St. John's Wort
Latin Name: Hypericum perforatum

Although known as the natural anti-depressant, this is not the worlds prettiest flower or plant. The truth be known however, it is a nasty weed here in Canada. It chokes out other valuable plants. You can pick this plant as much as you like, although I'm not sure why you'd want it unless you were a budding homeopath. The black dots on the petals of this plant, is what contains the compound hypericin which is used in natural remedies, for insomnia, depression, etc. This particular plant was found growing near a track at a school.

Blooms: June to Septemeber
(Picture taken June, 27th 2005)

Orange Daylily

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 20:08:00 +0000

Common Name: Orange Daylily
Latin Name: Hemerocallis fulva

This particular flower was found at a construction site, where there was a new development just added in Ajax, Ontario. However, the same plant is now no longer there it was mowed down. We have a rampant supply of these Perennials growing all around Ajax along the Waterfront Trail. Since these blooms are not in short supply, do not feel bad about cutting a few and adding it to a vase at home.

Blooms: June to August
(Picture taken June 28th 2005)

Pineapple-Weed

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 01:52:00 +0000

Common Name: Pineapple-Weed
Latin Name: Matricaria discoidea

You may never notice this plant if it weren't for all the running track at schools, which seems to be the only place I ever see these growing except for cracks. The cool thing about this plant is that the name it has, has everything to do with the fact that it smells like Pineapple. Just pluck one of the flowers, squish it's head by rolling it with your fingers then smell the flower. It smells just like Pineapple. It's actually edible as well, but since you don't know anything about where the plant came from I wouldn't suggest eating it.

Blooms: May to September
(Picture taken June 27th 2005)

Field Pussytoes

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 01:40:00 +0000

Common Name: Field Pussytoes
Latin Name: Antennaria neglecta

It is a sight to see with your own eyes. I think of it as pussy-willow grass. They were found very early in spring when through my roaming I found myself in someone's backyard, which is where these were growing wild. This is from the Aster family.This plant is also known as Woman's Tobacco.

Blooms: May - June
(Picture taken May 9th 2006)

Creeping Bellflower

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 04:56:00 +0000

Common Name: Creeping Bellflower
Latin Name: Campanula rapunculoides

It is a beautiful Perennial plant, I found this along the Waterfront Trail in Ajax/Pickering and it's quite beautiful. This plant however chokes out other native plants, and spreads underground through runners. You can pick this plant as much as you want. It is not native to Canada, but it has become naturalized.

Blooms: July to August
(Picture taken July 13th 2006)

Bittersweet Nightshade

noreply@blogger.com (Info Girl) — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 04:51:00 +0000

Common Name: Bittersweet Nightshade
Latin Name: Solanum dulcamara

Although pretty this flower may be, the flower and all parts of this plant are poisonous to people and animals. You may not realize that the Tomato, Potato and Tobacco are all from the Nightshade family.

Blooms: May to September.
(Picture taken June 19th, 2006)