An Edmonton naturalist is inviting everyone to come check out the wildflowers in Riverlot 56 this weekend.
Edmonton botanist Kathleen Mpulubusi is leading a free plant identification walk Sunday in Riverlot 56 on behalf of the Edmonton Nature Club.
The walk (part of a series the club holds in the spring and summer) is meant to show people how to identify native plants in significant natural areas in the Edmonton region, said Mpulubusi, who has been fascinated with wildflowers since she was six years old.
“I think a lot of people around here just don’t appreciate what we have,” she said, adding that there are hundreds of species in Riverlot 56 alone.
“We have very diverse flora,” she said, and once you can identify them, you can appreciate how they all interact with each other.
Riverlot 56 is a great example of aspen parkland forest that’s home to large stands of low milkweed (a plant vital for the survival of monarch butterflies) and cow parsnip (which grows up to six feet tall and is topped by wide sprays of white flowers), Mpulubusi said. It’s also under threat from the invasive field scabious, a pretty purple flower that could take over the forest if left unchecked.
Mpulubusi said guests should expect to encounter lots of berries, asters, goldenrods, sunflowers, and mosquitoes on the two-hour walk.
The walk starts at 10 a.m. in the Riverlot 56 parking lot on Poundmaker Road. Visit edmontonnatureclub.org/calendar.html for details.
