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It’s Wildflower Season in the Shuswap Region of BC
Last week I spent the better part of a week in the Shuswap region of British Columbia – thanks to the wonderful people at Shuswap Tourism.
The Shuswap area sits just north of the Okanagan Valley, centered on the town of Salmon Arm. If you drive the Trans-Canada Highway between Vancouver and Calgary you can’t help but pass right through it.
Wild roses with a heavenly scent
And the Shuswap region is worth a stop for so many reasons as I’ve just discovered. A lot of people visit because of the house-boating - and the partying that goes along with it; that’s definitely a reason to go but it’s certainly not the only one.
I think for early season wildflowers, the area is superb – maybe not August in Mount Revelstoke National Park superb – but it’s only June – and it’s been a rainy one at that.
So I was impressed – with the hillsides of sweet smelling wild phlox and the colourful patches of lupins; with the burnt orange of wildflowers along rural roads and the honeysuckle running wild in the bush; with the discovery of wild strawberry patches and the unforgettable aroma of wild rose.
Here’s a look at the wildflowers I saw – something to appreciate if you’re in the area and certainly enough to put a smile on my face.
Wild strawberries are small and very sweet
Wildflowers growing along the fences on rural roads
Wild phlox growing alongside ditches and along rural roads
Wild rose - pink this time and just as sweet smelling
Even clover is beautiful
Wild lilies
Are you a wildflower fan?? Where’s your favourite place to see them?
Leigh McAdam
HikeBikeTravel
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About Hike Bike TravelAvid world traveler. Craves adventure - & the odd wildly epic day. Gardener. Reader. Wine lover. Next big project - a book on 100 Canadian outdoor adventures.
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16 Responses to It’s Wildflower Season in the Shuswap Region of BC
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About
I’ve been all over the world – to all continents but Antarctica and to a grand total of 53 countries. I’ve always got some sort of an adventure planned – even if it’s only a weekend. I thrive on change and travel provides that.
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leighmcadamtravels at gmail dot com
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I’ve been collecting photos of wild flowers for years, but these are extraordinary beautiful.
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Thanks Mette.
Beautiful photos and your trip has tipped our upcoming road trip discussions to the north again. We were just considering a trip into parts of BC yet unexplored by us and this certainly fits the bill.
Jackie Smith recently posted..Ridin’ the Rails in Arizona’s Verde Canyon
@Jackie The Shuswap area is not on the radar screen of many. It has six wineries worth visiting, lots of local foodie places to visit, great hiking and biking trails and it’s within an hour of the Okanagan so easy to tie the two trips together.
What a gorgeous place. Put a smile on my face too!
InsideJourneys recently posted..Soulful Sundays: Luther Vandross – Happy Father’s Day!
@Marcia It’s a very pretty part of the world at this time of the year.
Wow, amazing array of wildflowers. I love wildflowers, but I really don’t have a favorite place to see them. I enjoy being surprised and seeing them in different environments. I was surprised recently during a trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes to see beautiful bright orange wood lilies in an inhospitable sand dune environment.
Traveling Ted recently posted..Hike to view the Sleeping Bear Point Trail
@Ted I was surprised to see so many too. Those wood lilies are always a delight to discover.
I had to come back again and take a look at the flowers. They’re extraordinarily beautiful. Looks like someone’s garden.
InsideJourneys recently posted..Soulful Sundays: Luther Vandross – Happy Father’s Day!
Thanks Marcia.
Gorgeous photos, Leigh.
What kind of lens did you use in these?
Erik recently posted..Photo Essay- Sunrise outside Christchurch, New Zealand
@Erik Mostly I use an 18-200mm lens with my Canon Rebel T3i + I’ve taken 4 photography courses since January and that’s definitely helped.
I’m a big fan of wildflowers that attract native pollinators. These are beautiful flowers, but I’d like to know if they attract pollinators. Did you see many native bees or butterflies?
@Bill No to native bees and yes to a few butterflies -but I didn’t get any photos of them.
Also, did they attract birds that liked to eat the seeds?
Bill Brikiatis recently posted..Wildflowers for Beneficial Insects
@Bill Good question. There were plenty of bird around – including a pileated woodpecker though I don’t think it’s much into seeds.