Written by Maasa Lebus

Figure 1: Illustration of Spiraea douglasii from E-Flora BC Atlas Page

Figure 2: Photo taken by author at Bullock Lake Farm (July 2017)

(Click images to enlarge. Hover mouse over image for caption)

The first time I decided to try identifying what I now know as ‘hardhack,’ I went through a list of native plants and google searched each one. About  twenty plants later (I kid you not) I matched the characteristics of the fragrant, dark pink lake-side plant to an E-Flora description. Hardhack, also known as rose spirea, or the much more poetic latin name Spiraea douglasii, has densely growing and numerous tiny flowers, about 5 mm across, that grow in long clusters at the end of shoots (see Figure 1). The flower clusters appear fuzzy, and the terminal is longer than wide. When flowering occurs, typically from June to September, they are a light magenta, but otherwise, young growth is a reddish-brown, and has a woolly texture. The leaves are oblong to oval shaped, and are approximately 4 to 10 cm long. They are dark green above and a paler shade of a grey-tinged green beneath. Each plant has many branches, and can grow up to 2 metres tall (Meuninck, Jim, 2016; Pojar and Mackinnon, 2004; Daris and Gonzalves, 2009).

Last July, I stayed on a farm that was next to Bullock Lake on Salt Spring Island, and there I really noticed the plant for the first time (see Figure 2). It surrounded the dock that led to the lake, and although walking through its sharp branches was not ideal, the plants’ rosy hues and sweet fragrance added a hint of summer romance to those moments. Since then, I noticed the plant growing in Uplands Park, and again, much more recently, on the edges of Linnaea Farm along Gunflint lake. It turns out that Spiraea douglasii’s preferred habitats are on low to middle elevations on “streambanks, swamps, fens, lake margins and damp meadows” (Pojar and Mackinnon, 2004, p.81).  Spiraea douglasii’s geographical distribution occurs naturally from southern Alaska to northern California, and can also be found in western Montana. (Daris and Gonzalves, 2009). Being native to the Pacific Northwest, the plant was used by the Nuu-chah-nulth to make broom-like tools for collecting dentalia shells, and the dentalia shells were an important form of currency (Pojar and Mackinnon, 2004). The branches were also used to spread and cook salmon, and to hang salmon for drying and smoking (Daris and Gonzalves, 2009).  The seeds were also used in a tea to treat diarrhea (Meuninck, 2016, 147). Nancy Turner notes that the bark was used to make a women’s medicine, as a source of aspirin (Hebda and Turner, 2017).

Each time I’ve come across hardhack, the plant was growing in dense thickets that were seemingly impenetrable. Zach, a farmer at Bullock Lake, told me that each year he would have to take a machete and lop his way through the bushes to get to the dock. Since it spreads readily, the species can become invasive, particularly on flat and moist sites in full sun. Even so, Spiraea douglasii can be useful for the stabilization of streambanks and shorelines, and is used in wetland restoration. Wood grouse and ptarmigan eat the dried flower spikes, and the flowers are a source of nectar for hummingbirds and other pollinators (Daris and Gonzalves, 2009). I have a soft spot for hardhack. It reminds me of that dreamy daze you get during the best parts of summer. I’m looking forward to seeing it in flower in the months to come!

References:

Darris, Dale and Pete Gonzalves. 2009. “Rose spirea Plant Fact Sheet” USDA. Retrieved from: https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_spdo.pdf. Accessed: 24/05/2018.

E-Flora BC. 2017. “Spiraea douglasii”. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia . Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Retrieved from: http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Spiraea%20douglasii. Accessed: 24/05/2018.

Hebda, Richard and Nancy J. Turner. 28 January 2017. “Our Gardens of the Future Will Be Rooted in the Past.” Master Gardeners Association of BC. Presentation at the Mary Winspear Centre. Retrieved from: http://www.mgabc.org/sites/default/files/Nancy%20Turner%20–%20Rooted%20in%20the%20Past.pdf. Accessed: 24/05/2018.

Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon. 2004. Plants of Coastal British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Print.