The Okanagan Landscape Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ponderosa pine

Even with the Okanagan's semi-arid climate, the ponderosa pine manages well, due to its ability to grow a deep taproot, as far down as 46 meters to reach water. But above ground, it rarely grows to more than 40 meters tall.

Ponderosa pines are valuable trees for BC's forestry industry, and the open-canopy forests are important habitats for local wildlife.

Answer: Bluebunch wheatgrass

Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch wheatgrass) is another plant suited to life in dry climates. The roots of the grass have a waxy layer that helps keep it from getting too dry in dry soils, holding onto its moisture. The roots also spread quite extensively, helping to prevent the spread of exotic weeds.

It flourishes in the spring, but as summer gets hotter, bluebunch wheatgrass becomes dormant as a water-conserving adaptation, often greening again in the fall.

Answer: Great Basin

The Great Basin in the United States is a region of endorheic watersheds, meaning that the water within these regions doesn't flow eventually flow to an ocean. It makes for delicate, and generally dry ecosystems.

While the Okanagan Basin's watershed does eventually drain into the Columbia River (and from there to the Pacific Ocean), it is still considered the most arid watershed in Canada, and contains Canada's only (non-arctic) desert.

The widespread Great Basin sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) does well in dry climates, and provides an important food source and habitat for animals, especially during the winter.

Answer: False

Perhaps it was a misleading statement? While there are four different species of cactus that are native to Canada, the brittle prickly pear cactus (Opuntia fragilis) is the only cactus species native to the Okanagan region.

This hardy cactus can grow further north than any other cactus species, and can be found as far north as Fort St. John in BC (it lies above the 56th parallel). It has the ability to shrivel and 'hibernate' in cold weather, without dying.

Answer: Douglas-fir

The Douglas-fir is actually named after two people. It's taxonomical name (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is named for its discoverer, Archibald Menzies, while the hyphenated name is for botanist David Douglas, who introduced 254 North American plant species to the UK and Europe.

There are three varieties of the evergreen Douglas-fir, two of which are found in BC. The coastal variety (var. menziesii) grows a few meters taller than the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (var. glauca) that is found in the Interior.

The range of the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir extends from Northern Mexico up to central BC and Alberta. It fares better in colder climates than its coastal counterpart, but typically only grows up to about 45 meters tall, although some reach as much as 20 meters higher. It is found at varying elevations, joining the bluebunch grasses at lower elevations, and amongst the upper-elevation subalpine forests.

Answer: Pinegrass

Pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens) is another type of bunchgrass prevalent in the Okanagan. It is common throughout western mountainous parts of Canada and the United States, and is found in many types of terrain, but especially in mixed forests that include evergreens.

This grass grows in thick bunches, up to a meter in height with blades two to four millimeters wide. They flower with spikes of yellow in the spring, and are an important food source for larger animals, while also providing habitats for smaller creatures.

Answer: True

Yes, the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) is British Columbia's most abundant tree species, including in the Okanagan Valley. It is an extremely versatile and hardy tree, able to grow in many different types of conditions from very wet to dry and sandy soils. It is also the first species to grow after a fire, due to the fact that its cones need heat to open, providing the first seedlings to grow in the aftermath of a forest fire.

Lodgepole pines grow from middle elevations up to subalpine levels. Its taxonomical name includes the word 'contorta' because the normally tall and straight trunks can become contorted at treeline heights and along the Pacific coast.

Answer: Trembling aspen

Populus tremuloides is known by many names, including trembling aspen, quaking aspen, American aspen, mountain aspen, golden aspen, trembling poplar, white poplar, and popple, to name the main ones. Its trembling and quaking description comes from the way its leaves quiver with the slightest breeze, making a continuous rustling sound.

Trembling aspens grow up to about 25 meters, and their glossy green leaves turn to golden to yellow in the fall. They sometimes grow from their root to expand into a colonial grove with a shared root system. Interestingly, this tree species has the widest range of any in North America, found from Canada down to parts of Mexico, and from east to west coast.

Answer: Engelmann spruce

The Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanii) is native to Western North America, largely in the Rocky Mountains and the Cascades. In the Okanagan region, it lies primarily at higher elevations, thus is a common sight for those who frequent the ski resorts in the region.

The Engelmann spruce is a close relative of the white spruce, and their different ranges intermix in the south central interior of BC. Hybrids are common, and are actually known as 'interior spruce.'

Answer: Urban development

Purshia tridentata is the taxonomical name for antelope-brush, also known as bitterbrush, antelope bitterbrush, buckbrush and quinine brush, amongst others. It is found in other regions in the US, but is unique in Canada in the Okanagan, and populates the only region recognized as a desert in the country. In addition to the antelope-brush, the region is a pocket of dry grassland dominated by bunchgrasses and the wind.

These antelope-brush ecosystems were never very large, and with the arrival of non-native settlers to the region in the 1800s, things became precarious. Since then, over 60% of this fragile landscape has been altered for urban development, industrial areas, vineyards, orchards, and other croplands.