Purple Sanicle Inventory – Holland Point / Dallas Bluff
By Thomas Munson, Friends of BHP
In April of this year, the Capital Regional District provided orientation to volunteers for their EcoMonitor Program, which collects field inventory data for rare plant populations in the CRD. The focus of inventory in late April and early May for the program was the plant Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida), a Species at Risk (SAR) flower protected under the Federal Species at Risk Act.
Friends of Beacon Hill Park Director at Large Thomas Munson volunteered for the EcoMonitor program along with more than two dozen local residents, many of them with field botany experience. The inventory sites were in parks in Saanich (various parks), Oak Bay (Uplands Park) and Langford (Mill Hill). However, Thomas was aware of a Purple Sanicle population on the Dallas Bluffs at Holland Point, and offered to repeat the inventory at that site; while an employee with City of Victoria Parks Department, Thomas had completed the last inventory at that site in 2017.
Thomas contacted Jessie Spence, Environmental Technician with the City of Victoria Parks Department, and quickly obtained a research permit for the work. Accompanied by Jessie and CRD volunteer Javier Dichupa, who lived near Holland Point, the three completed an inventory of the original Purple Sanicle site on April 30, 2025. The results were very positive: 149 flowering plants and 36 seedlings (non-flowering). This result exceeded the count of the last inventory of 2017, which had totalled about 120 plants.
While walking home along the shoreline from the original Purple Sanicle site, Javier came upon a second Purple Sanicle population, not known to Thomas. The two volunteers and Jessie Spence from City of Victoria Parks completed the inventory on the second site on May 8, 2025. The results were even more surprising: 129 flowering plants and 153 non-flowering seedlings. Both sites had paths bisecting the plant population which are causing some impact on their health, and invasive grasses and other species are also competing with the Purple Sanicle.
The locations of the sites are being kept confidential to protect their integrity, but Thomas was very pleased with the inventory results, and to know that the original site last counted in 2017 was still doing well. A photo of Purple Sanicle is attached below.
Further inventory work lies ahead for the EcoMonitor volunteers, but on a plant for which there are no known sites in Beacon Hill Park or in other City of Victoria Parks – White – topped Aster (Aster curtus), also a SAR flower.
Background
Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida) is a native species found in Victoria, BC, and throughout much of western North America. It is a member of the Apiaceae family, which includes other plants such as carrots, parsley, and dill.
Purple Sanicle is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow up to 50 cm in height. It has deeply lobed, fern-like leaves and produces small clusters of purple or white flowers in the summer. The plant prefers moist, shady areas and is often found in forests, meadows, and along streams and riverbanks.
Purple Sanicle has historically been used for medicinal purposes by Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest. The plant has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including colds, sore throats, and stomachaches. The leaves of the plant are also sometimes used as a tea.
In addition to its medicinal properties, Purple Sanicle has ecological value as a host plant for a number of butterfly species, including the Sara Orangetip and the Anise Swallowtail.
References:
Pojar, J., & MacKinnon, A. (2004). Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Lone Pine Publishing.
Turner, N. J., & Łuczaj, Ł. J. (2019). Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury Publishing.
While there is no specific information on the edibility of Purple Sanicle (Sanicula bipinnatifida), the plant has historically been used for medicinal purposes by Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest. The leaves of the plant have been used to make a tea that is said to have a pleasant taste.
However, it is important to note that just because a plant has been used for medicinal purposes does not necessarily mean that it is safe or palatable to eat. If you are interested in consuming Purple Sanicle or any other wild plant, it is important to properly identify the plant and ensure that it is safe to eat.
Additionally, it is important to respect the cultural and ecological significance of wild plants, and to harvest them sustainably and ethically. This may involve obtaining permission from Indigenous communities and practicing responsible harvesting techniques to avoid damaging or depleting wild populations.
References:
Pojar, J., & MacKinnon, A. (2004). Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Lone Pine Publishing.
Turner, N. J., & Łuczaj, Ł. J. (2019). Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury Publishing.
