Identifying Plants

Indicator Species

The most useful plants for spring phenology studies are perennial, easy-to-identify, broadly distributed, naturally occurring species with a short bloom period. These key “indicator” plants tend to flower as they accumulate heat, which means that after warmer winters and springs they flower earlier than average. Non-native PlantWatch species such as lilac and dandelion also were selected because they are common species across Canada, and have a long history of use in phenology studies.

Flower Parts

Leaf Shapes

Flower Types

Composite flower (coltsfoot, dandelion)

Plant Types and Habitats

Source: http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/plantwatch/identifying_plants.html