What kind of plant is this?

[AlexPdHJ]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to figure out what kind of plant I kept seeing on the sides of the forest service roads up where I was hunting moose, south of Vanderhoof. It is a red leafed plant which looks like blood patches and it is really distracting!!! You can see the plant below my feet in the photo of me with the grouse. Just curious if anyone knows what kind of plant it is? Every time we would come around the corner and see it I would think someone shot an animal nearby lol!!

Alex

http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q631/alexpdhj/12115509_10101517275918901_4100833286725381674_n_z pssqczstll.jpg (http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/alexpdhj/media/12115509_10101517275918901_4100833286725381674_n_z pssqczstll.jpg.html)

[wideopenthrottle]

Have you got a better photo...does it have pointy parts on the leaves? (Mahonia or Oregon grape)

[Husky7mm]

I dont know but the time of the year is likely what made it turn red, ( after frost). Dont be distracted by it, the more you hunt the more you see some things are just common place. Often you reflect back on past years and think I cant believe I thought that way or didnt know that.

[rides bike to work]

Is that the stuff with berries that you always find in grouse guts my dad calls it kinik kinik (?spelling)

[boilerroom]

Is that the stuff with berries that you always find in grouse guts my dad calls it kinik kinik (?spelling)

nope, that has jade green leaves...

I've seen this red stuff as well - it looks like that in the summer as well... sorry I don't know what it is.

BR

[rocksteady]

Kinikinic... No Oregon grape in Vanderhoof country

[sapper]

I have see it too in the S. Okanagan. It's not kinikinic or Oregon Grape though. More of a ground creeper.

[Quince]

Probably looking at a mountain ash/rowan tree.

[AlexPdHJ]

Unfortunately I don't have a better photo. I should have taken one. I thought it might be Kinnikinnick, but it looks too bushy and I can't find any pictures on google of Kinnikinnick with red leaves. It is definitely some kind of ground creeper. I went through hundreds of photos of plants on BC E-Flora, like A-Z, and couldn't find it, probably because the leaves are red because of the season and normally they are green. Yeah it is hard to tell.

[AlexPdHJ]

I guy at my work said it might be Bearberry and so I googled "Bearberry in fall" and yeah, that's probably it.

[kitnayakwa77]

Bearberry is another name for kinikinnick

[HarryToolips]

^^^exactly...you can eat the berries, but they are pretty mealy....

[AlexPdHJ]

Good to know. Thanks!

[250 sav]

Bearberry is another name for kinikinnick
I agree with above

[Mann89]

Lone Pine publishing makes great books for plant identification. Specific to different regions of BC. Used them for work and school. They're pretty easy to find and only about$30

[moosinaround]

Kinikinic... No Oregon grape in Vanderhoof country
Yup there is, very dry sites, well drained soils. Moosin

[moosinaround]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Arctostaphylos_uva-ursi_25924.JPG/220px-Arctostaphylos_uva-ursi_25924.JPG

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
kinnikinnick

[moosinaround]

Fragaria virginiana, wild strawberry!!

Leaves turn this color after the frosts in the fall. Notice the runners from main plant to main plant (Ryhzomes)

[HarryToolips]

Do you have a close up pic of it OP?

[badgreenbird]

ya - next time just take a close-up photo. it will be easily identifiable, whatever it is

[300H&H]

Here is a image of "bearberry"

http://www.herbmuseum.ca/files/images/kinnikinnick%20%281%29.jpg


(http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://cwf-fcf.org/assets/images/wildlife/flora/bearberry/bearberry-480.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cwf-fcf.org/en/discover-wildlife/flora-fauna/flora/bearberry.html&h=284&w=480&tbnid=bGP5R0Z5B8nVlM:&docid=aZlBwF0g2eitkM&ei=FKQrVtWgB4vY-QHl367ADg&tbm=isch&ved=0CDIQMygBMAFqFQoTCNX6j8O228gCFQtsPgod5a8L6A)

[300H&H]

This is a image of kinnikinnick. That is the correct spelling.

http://www.herbmuseum.ca/files/images/kinnikinnick%20%281%29.jpg


They are the same plant.
The berries can very in color as can the leaves.

FYI...I am a certified horticulturalist.