Habitat: Dry, rocky sites exposed to sunlight, often grows with Garry oak. Grows with Douglas fir in deeper soil to reach maximum height.
Traditional use: Leaves and bark were used to make a tea that was used to treat colds. Leaves were also sometimes rubbed on areas affected by rheumatism.
How to use: Drunk as a tea, or leaves could be chewed raw. A strip of bark about 60 cm long and 10-15 cm wide was cut up into chunks and boiled with the other ingredients.
Where in Victoria: Thetis Lake, Beacon Hill Park, many local rocky beaches and parks
When: Grows year-round. Bark can be harvested in May or June when it is easiest to peel off.
Teachings/Stories: It is said that during the Great Flood the Saanich people’s ancestors anchored their canoes to these trees on the mountaintops to keep them from floating away. To this day the Saanich people do not burn this tree out of respect for saving their lives.
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