Peninsula Plants

The Peninsula is unique in Canada for the wide vari-ety of wildflowers that grow here. This is because, for a relatively small bit of land, the Bruce has an unusually rich diversity of habitats – from rugged Ocliffs and flat, dry rock plains called alvars, to various types of swampy wetlands. One of our chief claims to fame is the profu-sion of species of orchid found here. More than 40 different types bloom on the Peninsula. Orchids are only one of the many un-usual wildflowers on the Bruce. We are also home to about half the world’s dwarf lake iris, most of Canada’s stock of Indian plantain and the rare rubberweed or lakeside daisy. The pitcher plant is a fascinating species found in the marshy areas of Dorcas Bay Beach. This russet-coloured plant actually traps small bugs in its prickly cup to digest for nourishment.

Please respect the environment in which these splendid flowers flourish and do not attempt to transpant them. They have very spe-cific needs in the way of temperature, soil composition and soil fungi. Removing them from their natural location usually kills them and lessens the beauty that makes our Peninsula a special place.

Some of nature’s finest examples of fungi grow in great abun-dance on Flowerpot Island. The original recycler – along with bac-teria – fungi are the major decomposers of our planet. They are particularly important here on the Peninsula because much of the soil is composed of decaying plant matter and fungi break down the dead plants making nutrients available for a new generation. To most of us, “fungi” means mushrooms (or toadstools) which are the “flowers” of the plant. Please seek a professional opinion before you try to eat any of the wild mushrooms as some are very toxic and pose a serious risk.


Also growing on the Peninsula are lichens. These are a partner-ship of fungi and algae. The algae provides nutrients for the fungi and the fungi provides the algae with a refuge from harsh weather. You can see lichens growing on the rocks and trees in both our national parks. The orange material growing on the large flower-pot on Flowerpot Island and all over the rocks of the Peninsula is a lichen. Lichens live in some of the harshest habitats on earth and are the oldest living inhabitants of our planet – some are thought to be 4,500 years old!

Ferns, one of the oldest types of plants, also grow in abundance on the Peninsula. They were around long before dinosaurs and were a major component of continent-wide swampy forests. We live in the best place in Ontario to see these leafy specimens.