Wild flowers of Nova Scotia

On my wanderings across the province in search of fish I have walked past many wild flowers without fully appreciating their beauty. It was not until I came across a Painted Trillium that I realised what I had been missing. It has added yet another dimension to my passion for fly-fishing.

It is quite possible that I have mis-identified the odd flower. I have found that, like fly-pattern books and local lore, the many books I have read on the subject do not always agree on the common names given to certain flowers.

An important criteria in identifying a flower is the shape of the leaf, something I had been ignoring in my original research.

These are the flowers that I have found on my wanderings. Some have been by the side of the trail, or on an unused railroad track, or in my backyard, and some I found while I was beating my way through the bushes due to the windfalls from Hurricane Juan (which is when I found the Trillium).

Pictures marked with an asterisk * have been contributed by Bob Boudreau, whose passion for fishing and nature is infectious.

An interesting note to fishermen is that the leaves and stems of the Jewelweed Touch-me-not can be crushed and applied to a poison-ivy sting for short-term relief. Perhaps Albert of The Tent Dwellers wouldn't have wasted the whisky if he'd known this small fact.

This page would not have been possible without the help of Peter Landry and his wonderful web site entitled Wild Flowers of Nova Scotia. Peter's site contains a full description of most of the following flowers.
And my thanks to D.P. for allowing me the use of her web space (mine is full).

I would very much appreciate comments and corrections.

The Wild Bunch

Poppies in a field of corn
Daisies growing in a lawn

Buttercups of brightest yellow
Scented clover in the meadow

Bluebells in a leafy glade
Violets peeping from the shade

Heather on the mountain side
Snowdrop hangs her head to hide

Dog roses entwined with hedge
Stone crop on a cragie ledge

Daffodils and cowslips too
Primroses to name a few

Forget me nots? I hope I never!
May these wild ones survive forever.

by Eva Cecilia Lefever

References:
Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers - Eastern Region
A Field Guide to Wildflowers by Peterson and McKenny
Wild Flowers of Canada by Adrian Davies
The Wild Flower Book, East of the Rockies by Donald and Lillian Stokes

White flowers
Arbutus, trailing, white (mayflower)	Aster, white, flat-topped	Aster, Whorled, Wood	Bakeapple (white, 5 petals, solitary flowers)	Bedstraw, Northern
Blackberry (Raspberry)	Blueberry	Bunchberry	Burnet, Canadian
Bur-reed	Campion	Chamomile, Scentless
Chickweed	Chokeberry	Chokeberry, Red	Cleavers	Cucumber, Wild	Cucumber, Wild
Daisy	Dogwood	Elderberry
Fleabane	Harestail	Hobblebush	Indian Pipe	Labrador tea	Leatherleaf
Lily of the valley, Wild	Lily, Water	Lion's-foot	Meadow Rue, Tall
Moccasin flower* (White lady's slipper)	Musk Mallow (White or pink)	Nodding Ladies' Tresses	Orchis, Leafy White*
Partridgeberry	Pearly everlasting	Pipewort	Pussy willow
Queen Anne's Lace	Queen of the meadow	Rose, Multiflora	Sarsparilla, Wild	Silver-rod
Smartweed, Pale	Speedwell, Thyme-leaved	Starflower (usually 7 petals)	Strawberry Wild
Teaberry; Wintergreen	Thistle, Canadian	Trillium, Painted (do not pick)
Turtlehead	Viburnum, Maple leaved	Violet, Sweet White*	Winterberry	Yarrow
Yellow flowers
Butter and Eggs*	Buttercup	Cats-ear	Cinquefoil, Dwarf	Cinquefoil, Rough-fruited
Clover, yellow	Coltsfoot	Cress, Winter	Goatsbeard, yellow	Goatsbeard, yellow
Goldenrod	Goldenrod, Seaside	Honeysuckle	Iris, Yellow flag
Kingdevil	Lily, Bluebead	Lily, Bluebead	Lily, Pond Yellow	Lily, Trout*
Loosestrife, Garden	Loosestrife (Swamp candles)	Lupin	Marsh marigold
Marsh marigold	Mullein, Common	Muskflower	Muskflower	Primrose, Evening	Rattlebox, Yellow
Sorrel, Wood, Yellow	St. Johnswort, Common	Tansy, Common	Trefoil, Birdsfoot	Wintercress, Common
Red - pink - orange flowers
Arbutus, trailing, pink (mayflower)	Bouncing Bet	Calopogon, Grass-pink
Cranberry	Devils Paintbrush	Gerardia, Slender
Herb Robert	Honeysuckle, Trumpet	Joe Pye Weed	Lady's Slipper, Pink*	Lady's Thumb	Lily, Wood
Live forever	Meadowsweet	Mint, Wild	Musk Mallow (pink)	Pitcher plant, Northern	Pitcher
Pogonia, Rose	Rhodora	Rose, Pasture	Rose, Rugosa
Searocket	Sheep laurel (Lambkill)	Sorrel, Wood, Common	Spreading Dogbane
Steeplebush	St. Johnswort, Marsh
Sumac, Staghorn	Touch-me-not (Jewelweed)	Twinflower	Vetch, Crown	Yarrow, pink
Blue - purple flowers
Aster, New England	Bindweed	Bittersweet (Nightshade)
Bluets	Blue-eyed grass	Clover, purple
Columbine (escapee)	Columbine	Eyebright	Fireweed	Forget-me-not*
Harebell*	Healall	Indian Tobacco	Iris, Blue Flag*
Ivy, Ground	Knapweed, Brown	Lettuce, Tall Blue	Lobelia, Water	Lupin	Orchid, Purple fringed
Dame's Rocket	Pickerel weed	Sea Heather	Skullcap Marsh/ Common
Speedwell	Speedwell, Corn	Speedwell, germander (Bird's-eye)	Thistle, Bull	Touch me not, Indian
Vervain, Blue*	Vetch Tufted	Violet, common blue	Viper's Bugloss*
Woundwort	Woundwort
Unknown

	Cress, Winter?

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