The spring wildflowers of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia are a sight to behold. From mid-April through early June the dry hills of BC’s Interior burst into colour, drawing families outside for the year’s first big nature walk.

Arrowleaf balsamroot (often called the Okanagan sunflower) paints whole slopes golden, while Saskatoon—​or serviceberry—​bushes sway under clouds of almond-scented white blossom. Sturdy Oregon grape shrubs flash their own fireworks of bright yellow. Every year I wish time would slow so my children and I could linger in this early-spring spectacle.

Yet the show starts even earlier. Sagebrush buttercup, the valley’s first true herald of spring, peeks out weeks before the balsamroot. We hunt for its shiny yellow petals like a family treasure. Soon after come magenta shooting stars, prickly wild roses and more flowers you’ll want to recognise on the trail.

Dowload these free printable wildflower guides below and tuck it into your backpack. The first guide is a general guide of wildflowers in the Oknagan Valley. The second guide looks at wildflowers in the South of the Okanagan Valley. Both guides highlights the most common blooms you’re likely to meet—perfect for a quick plant-ID game, a homeschool outing, or a bit of nature journaling with the kids. I’ve also added a bit more detail for each bloom in this article from Sierra Club BC and Okanagan College’s Indigenous Garden Plant Guide. Happy flower hunting!

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Want to know more about the wilflowers highlighted in these printable guides? Jump in here.

Early-spring show-stoppers (March – April)

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) – Look for sunflower-yellow “daisies” carpeting south-facing hillsides. Every part of the plant was valued: young leaves eaten fresh, seeds roasted, and roasted roots ground for flour; the smoke of smouldering roots was even used to disinfect lodges. (Balsamroot | Sierra Club BC)

Saskatoon / Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) – A shrub or small tree that bursts into clouds of white blossom just after the last frost. Sweet purple berries later became trail snacks, stewed fruit and the binding for pemmican; stems were prized for arrows and pipe stems. (Saskatoon Berry | Sierra Club BC)

Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa) – Spiny evergreen leaves and fragrant yellow flower spikes hide tart blue berries. Syilx families mixed the sour fruit with sweeter salal, while the inner bark yielded a vivid yellow dye and liver-tonic tea. (Oregon Grape | Sierra Club BC)

Kinnikinnick / Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) – A ground-hugging evergreen with pink urn-shaped blossoms. Bright red berries are edible (though mealy), and dried leaves were an important pipe-smoke offering and urinary-tract remedy. (Kinnikinnick (Common Bearberry) | Sierra Club BC)

Sagebrush Buttercup (Ranunculus glaberrimus) – One of the very first flashes of colour after snow melt. Delight in the glossy yellow cup but remind children it can blister skin and is poisonous if eaten.

Shooting Star (Dodecatheon pulchellum) – Magenta petals swept back like tiny rockets favor moist meadows. Some Interior nations used the plant in poultices, but it’s best admired in place.

Small-flowered Woodland-Star (Lithophragma parviflorum) – Tiny, notched white petals really do twinkle against grey sagebrush. Strictly a look-don’t-pluck species; Indigenous Garden notes call it an early-spring indicator.

Meadow Death Camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum) – Lovely—but lethal—white star clusters. Syilx and neighbouring nations mashed the bulb to tip hunting arrows. A perfect plant for reinforcing the two-thumb rule with kids.

Shooting Star (Dodecatheon pulchellum) – Magenta petals swept back like tiny rockets favour moist meadows. Some Interior nations used the plant in poultices, but it’s best admired in place.

Late-spring highlights (May – early June)

Snowberry / Waxberry (Symphoricarpos albus) – Tiny bell flowers mature into showy white berries that persist through winter. Although largely poisonous, boiled branches and berries were used as cleansing teas and soothing skin poultices. (Snowberry (Waxberry) | Sierra Club BC)

Arnica spp. – Golden daisies of open forests. Interior peoples infused the flower heads in grease for bruise and sprain salves; ingestion is toxic, so treat this one as a look-but-don’t-touch healer.

Prickly Wild Rose (Rosa acicularis) – Fragrant pink flowers herald vitamin-rich rose hips used for tea and jam. Petals can garnish salads, and a decoction of leaves served as a gentle medicine.

Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) – Starry pastel blooms hug the driest slopes. Families dug the starchy tap-roots in early May; carefully peeled and steamed, they were traded widely and even eaten to soothe skin rashes.

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia fragilis) – Yes—cactus grows in the Okanagan! Late-spring flowers crown the pads; peeled flesh is edible, and sharp spines once doubled as fish-hooks or sewing needles.

Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) – Tall purple-pink spires usually follow wildfires; in mild valley sites the first buds can appear by June. Young shoots are a spinach-like green, and silky seed-fluff was woven into bedding and fishing twine.

Upland Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum) – Cobalt-blue spikes light up sagebrush slopes. Too pretty to be so dangerous: all parts are toxic to livestock and people—enjoy with eyes only.

Western Stoneseed (Lithospermum ruderale) – Fuzzy grey-green leaves and shy yellow blooms. Interior Salish women brewed the root as a contraceptive tea; the foliage carries a faint sage scent.

Shaggy Fleabane (Erigeron pumilus) – Pale-lilac “daisies” nodding on rocky knolls among balsamroot. Early settlers dried the plant to repel fleas—hence the name.

Wildflower Nature-Walk Tips for Families and Educators

Below are a few tips for going on a nature-walk to enjoy Okanagan Valley spring wildflowers with children.

Safety First

When it comes to identifying wildflowers follow the two-thumb rule: if you can’t confirm a plant with two solid sources—field guide, ID app, or a knowledgeable grown-up—approach the wildflower with caution. Some wildflowers can be be harmful even when touched so until you have a positive identification admire it with your eyes only. Also, stash a mini first-aid kit, tweezers and if needed kids sized gloves to spare little fingers if handling wild-rose prickles or prickly-pears.

Spot & Sketch

Pack a lightweight clipboard, a handful of coloured pencils, and your child’s Spring Nature Journal so your child can capture petal shapes, leaf patterns, and even the day’s weather right on the trail. I like to tuck my free Signs of Spring Nature-Walk Prompts for Kids printable beside the wildflower chart so the pages are ready the moment inspiration strikes.

Bonus tip: Invite your child to jot down bird calls or cloud shapes too—Sierra Club BC’s EcoMap reminds us that noticing everything in an ecosystem builds deeper place-based awareness. (EcoMap – Sierra Club BC)

Ask Before You Gather

If tiny hands are itching to pick flowers, revisit my post Yes! Let Your Child Pick Flowers for kid-friendly foraging rules: choose only abundant, non-threatened blossoms and always leave plenty for pollinators (and for the next family passing by!). Also, be sure that gathering is allowed on the land you are on. If you’re unsure take a picutre instead.

Connect Culture

Many Okanagan Valley spring wildflowers carry deep meaning for the Syilx People of the Okanagan Nation. Before heading out, spend a few minutes learning a few nsyilxcən plant names in Okanagan College’s Indigenous Garden Plant Guide and talk about how each was used for food, medicine, or ceremony. 

Post-Walk Reflection

Back home, identify any pictures of wildflowers that weren’t on the Okanagan Valley Spring Wildflowers printable chart, if you’ve harvested flowers set them out on your nature table for display or preserve them in a flower press. Look over the sketches into your journals and mark where and when each species was found—one of my favourite activities from How to Nurture Your Young Budding Naturalist.

Got crafty kids? My roundup of 40+ Nature-Inspired Spring Crafts for Kids includes flower pressing, weaving, and daffodil peg dolls to keep the learning blooming indoors.

Recommended Wildflower Guide Books and Resources

• British Columbia flowers book. Native wildflowers guide and logbook for adults and kids by Made Berge-Bergen
• Popular Wildflowers of South-Central British Columbia by Neil L. Jennings
• Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska by Jim Pojar, Andy MacKinnon
• British Columbia Nature Set: Field Guides to Wildlife, Birds, Trees & Wild Flowers of British Columbia by James Kavanagh