And some thoughts about what’s involved in keeping it around.
Golden Heather on Jack Pine-crowberry barrens in the Backlands
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By David Patriquin
I have been observing Golden Heather (Hudsonia ericoides ) in flower in the Backlands over the last last 10 days or so. Golden Heather is hard to miss when it’s flowering, but otherwise it is not particularly noticeable and the vegetative plant is superficially similar to Broom Crowberry (see links below to botanical descriptions).
Aside from providing attractive flashes of gold on the more exposed areas of the barrens, Golden Heather has an “S-Rank”of 2 (Imperiled) on the ACCDC Conservation Ranks List for NS vascular plants (Link) and thus is a “Priority Species” in NS Environmental Assessments. )*
* A subset of species with S3, S2 and S3 ranks are protected under Nova Scotia’s Endangered Species Act and are formally protected. Species with S-Ranks 1, 2 or 3 but not not listed under the Endangered Species Act could eventually be put on that list (or not) – most of these many ‘candidate species’ have simply not been formally assessed. Such species are generally afforded some consideration/protection in EAs and related processes. Continue reading
