The Arbutus of Buttle Lake

Anyone who has spent time on Southern Vancouver Island is likely familiar with the arbutus tree. It is a distinctive part of the landscape of the southern island, adding a different element to the usually conifer-dominated forests. The arbutus peters out for the most part just above the mid-island, it is not a tree you see in the forests or on the roadsides up our way.

So it was with a bit of a shock that several years ago I noticed a stand of arbutus along a stretch of cliff alongside Buttle Lake. This is south of the Gold River bridge, on the way to Ralph River and Myra Mine. It gets healthier every year, so obviously, even though this is a mountain valley of about 700 feet elevation (or so I’ve been told) and much further north than its usual range, the arbutus really likes this spot. I don’t see it anywhere else along the roads out here. There is nowhere to pull over and admire them, as the cliffs run right to the road, which is literally along the edge of the lake. So the pictures are from the truck as Mr. Kate navigated the corners.

The trees continue for about 500 metres along the cliff, and then stop. They make me smile every time I see them, just because.