BACKGROUND - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 711

It grows near saltwater at the southern end of Vancouver Island and on the Southern Gulf
Islands. Forests of Douglas fir thrive in drier areas of the coast. Engelmann spruce is com-
mon throughout the interior at subalpine elevations. The interior also supports a mixture
of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine in the south; interior western hemlock in the southeast;
aspen and lodgepole pine in the central reaches; subboreal spruce, birch, and willow in the
north; Sitka spruce in the west; and white spruce and black spruce in the northeast. The
Queen Charlottes' rainforest is thickly covered in spongy pale green moss, which grows
alongside coastal Douglas fir. In the region's subalpine areas, you'll find mountain hem-
lock.
The official provincial floral emblem is the Pacific dogwood, a small tree sporting huge
clusters of cream-colored flowers in spring and bright foliage and red berries in autumn.
The tree is a protected plant in British Columbia; it's a punishable offense to pick from it or
destroy it.
In summer, British Columbia turns on a really magnificent floral display. Wildflowers
every color of the rainbow pop up on the roadsides: white and yellow daisies, purple
lupines, pale pink and dark pink wild roses, bloodred Indian paintbrush, orange and black
lilies, red and white clover, and yellow buttercups, to name but a handful. And if you ven-
ture off the beaten track and up into the alpine meadows, the floral beauty is hard to believe.
You can pick up a wildflower guide at most any local bookshop, and most of the national
park visitors centers stock brochures on wildflower identification.
MAMMALS
British Columbia is one of the best provinces in Canada for wildlife watching. Thanks to
a diverse topography that provides a wide variety of habitat, more species of mammals are
found here than in any other province or territory in the country.
Bears
Two species of bears—black bears and grizzlies—are present in British Columbia. Both
species are widespread and abundant across the province. The two can be differentiated by
size and shape. Grizzlies are larger than black bears and have a flatter, dish-shaped face and
a distinctive hump of muscle behind the neck. Color is not a reliable way to tell them apart.
Black bears are not always black. They can be brown or cinnamon, causing them to be con-
fused with the brown grizzly.