Botanical Art by Laura Watson

  Bearberry by Laura Watson Common Name: Bearberry Scientific Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (pronounced Ark-toh-STAF-ih-los OO-vah-UR-see ) Family: Ericaceae ( Heath family ) Habitat: Dry, open slopes, rocky outcrops, coastal bluffs, and pine forests Bloom Time: Spring Range: Widespread across Canada and the northern United States A Groundcover of Strength and Beauty Bearberry is one of those quiet plants that often goes unnoticed — a resilient, low-growing evergreen that carpets rocky slopes and dry hillsides across the Pacific Northwest . It thrives where little else will, spreading in glossy green mats that hold the soil together and provide shelter for mosses, lichens, and insects. Here on Vancouver Island , I often find Bearberry growing behind my home in Harewood Plains , weaving through the sun-baked rocks and thin soil alongside native stonecrops and kinnikinnick moss . It’s a place where spring wildflowers appear in vibrant bursts — and Bearberry, with i...

Rowan Tree by Laura Watson In my latest native plant feautre I’m exploring one of my favorite autumn highlights — Mountain Ash , also known as Rowan. The true native Rowan of British Columbia is Western Mountain Ash (Sorbus scopulina) , a shrubby tree that grows on forest edges and mountain slopes across western North America . Its clusters of creamy-white blossoms in late spring and its brilliant orange-red berries in autumn make it a spectacular plant to observe and record in a nature journal . For this feature, I am also including the European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) — a very common, non-native species that was introduced to BC as an ornamental tree and has since naturalized in many areas. I’m especially excited about this feature because I’m collaborating with Latvian artist Kristine Rapohina of Kristine Art to paint Sorbus aucuparia, bringing together two continents through the beauty of a shared botanical subject. Check out our YouTube video collaboration You ca...

Thimbleberry , Rubus parviflorus by Laura Watson Welcome back to the Featured Native Plant Series , where we take a closer look at the incredible wild flora of British Columbia through both a botanical and artistic lens. Today’s plant is one you’ve likely encountered along trails or forest edges—soft, sprawling, and bearing bright red fruit in early summer. Thimbleberries were on my childhood list of 'safe berries to eat,' and I have many fond memories of foraging for them from a young age on northern Vancouver Island . With a slightly fuzzy texture reminiscent of a peach, they taste just like jam. Let’s explore the thimbleberry. Thimbleberry,  Rubus parviflorus, Photo by Laura Watson Scientific Name, Common Names & Family Scientific Name: Rubus parviflorus Common Names: Thimbleberry, Western Thimbleberry Plant Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family) As a member of the rose family, thimbleberry shares many traits with its relatives, such as five-petaled flowers and compound...

Watercolour and ink Tiger Lily by Laura Watson Lilium columbianum , known as the Tiger Lily, is a vibrant native wildflower of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest . With its brilliant orange petals speckled in dark spots and gracefully curling tips, this striking lily lights up summer meadows and forest edges. A proud member of the Lily family (Liliaceae), it is one of the tallest and most dramatic native wildflowers in our region, reaching heights of up to 1.5 meters in ideal conditions. Blooming in midsummer, the Tiger Lily is beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies , and by artists who are drawn to its fiery palette and bold structure. Its presence in the landscape is both energising and ephemeral, reminding us to pause and marvel at wild beauty when it appears. I first discovered Tiger Lilies as a child while walking to catch the school bus. Tiger lilies used to bloom along the roadside in late spring where I lived on Southern Vancouver Island . Lilium columbianum , Tiger L...