#david douglas

[flowerishness]

Ribes sanguineum (Red-flowering currant)

Another common native plant, the Red-flowering currant was introduced to European horticulture by David Douglas in the 1820s. Now this shrub is grown in gardens all over the world but to me it’s a local plant and Stanley Park in Vancouver, is full of red-flowering currants at this time of year. Red currants are loaded with vitamin C and the Coast Salish people ate the berries fresh, but they were not well regarded, being a little on the bland side. The Plants of Coastal British Columbia describes their flavor as ‘insipid’. 

[victoria-no-denki-hitsugi]

Promo art of 12 chapter by:  Tajima Ikuno

[create-a-positive-mind]

"12-year old girl fighting rare aging disease becomes best friends with 330 pound weightlifter David Douglas aka 'The Beast' after meeting at a children's benefit. 'People looked at me as strong but everything about her was stronger,' David told the press."

[kellymagovern]

David Douglas - 720 Kick [x]

[reelinplace]

almost hit that stunner

[multcolib]

We love this hand-colored book, both volumes in our special collections, so important to David Douglas (1799-1834), namesake to Oregon’s prolific Douglas-fir...

[flowerishness]

Lupinus polyphyllus (Large-leafed lupin) and Bombus nevadensis (Nevada bumblebee)

David Douglas

The Scottish botanist, David Douglas, is rightfully regarded as a giant in his field. He explored my area (the Pacific Northwest of North America) between 1824 and 1827 on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society. In addition to the Douglas Fir, he introduced the Sitka Spruce, Sugar Pine, Western White Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Monterey Pine, Grand Fir, Noble Fir and several other conifers that transformed the British landscape and timber industry. He also returned to London with Flowering currant, Salal, Penstemon, the California poppy and, of course, the Large-leafed lupin. A century later, George Russel, used this species to develop his famous Russel hybrid lupins which grace our gardens today in so many different colors.

This is a large-leafed lupin in the wild and, wouldn’t you know it, it’s entertaining a local bumblebee. This is the scene that might have greeted David Douglas, so many years ago. 

[flowerishness]

Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Red Currant)

Flowering Red Currant is now found in temperate gardens around the world but here in Vancouver it’s a native plant. It was first collected by David Douglas between 1824 and 1827. After three years in the wilderness, he returned to the Royal Horticultural Society in London with 240 species of plants and the Flowering Red Currant was one of them. 

Douglas is now best remembered for all the conifers that he discovered. A short list would include; Sitka Spruce, Ponderosa Pine, Western White Pine, Grand Fir, Noble Fir and, of course, the Douglas Fir. He found so many conifers that he wrote to Joseph Hooker, "you will begin to think I manufacture pines at my pleasure".