Ambling appreciation of the arborist
Trees of Victoria: A Wanderer’s Guide
by Collin Varner
Victoria: Heritage House, 2025
$26.95 / 9781772035339
Reviewed by Valerie Green
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Although Victoria, British Columbia, is always thought of as the “city of gardens,” author Collin Varner believes it should also be known as the “city of trees.” After having read his delightful guide to more than “two hundred species, cultivars, and varieties of Victoria’s diverse tree inventory,” I tend to agree.
Trees of Victoria – A Wanderer’s Guide – is a beautifully produced book for anyone who would enjoy a tree-lover’s tour of the city, offering information and full color images of many varieties of different trees. If you tour with book in hand, you can also learn a little of the history of the city buildings near where these trees stand such as the Parliament Buildings, the Empress Hotel, MacDonald Park, Beacon Hill Park, St. Ann’s Academy, Christ Church Cathedral, and then out of town to the Ross Bay Cemetery and Government House.
This initial tour also includes many parks like Topaz Park and Playfair Park as well as Summit Park, Uplands Park, and the beautiful Abkhazi Gardens on Fairfield Road where you can explore the gardens and “enjoy a hot cup of tea at the tea house” afterwards.
In addition, the author includes Uplands Park on Beach Drive, the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, Irving Park, Gonzales Hill Regional Park, Mount Tolmie Park, Finnerty Gardens, Cedar Hill Park, and the Songhees Walkway. Nothing is omitted and the detailed maps and a glossary in the book assist in discovering all the delights along the way.
The second section of the book covers flowering trees (Angiosperms), each one offering an in-depth description, the tree’s origin and the etymology of its name. From the common Ash tree to the White Poplar, the reader will be amazed at how many different tree varieties grow in Victoria. Again, nothing is omitted—the Dove Tree, the Tulip Tree, the Maple, and of course the flowering Dogwoods. But did you know there is also a Korean dogwood? The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) is a small Mediterranean tree which“grows very comfortably in Victoria’s climate.”The largest one is to be found just below Wharf Street near the Victoria Harbor Airport. Naturalist Pliny the Elder apparently said of this tree’s fruit “unum tantum edo” meaning I only eat one, hence its Latin name Arbutus unedo.
The flowering trees section includes stories of the Weeping Willows, the Swedish Aspens, the Cottonwoods, and my personal favorite, the Magnolia trees. Victoria is also home to many trees from around the world—England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, China, Japan, Chile, Argentina, Norway, and Portugal to name but a few. How ironic it is that trees from so many different countries can live and thrive in harmony here on the west coast.
The third section of the book covers the Conifers (Gymnosperms) and here again the reader will be surprised by so many that are growing in Greater Victoria. From the Arizona Cypress to the Golden Irish Yew Tree, we discover others like the Chinese Fir whose genus name Cunninghamia commemorates Scottish Plant Collector Dr. James Cunningham (1665-1709), Coast Redwoods, Dawn Redwood (a living fossil tree), Sequoias, a weeping Redwood, an Upright Italian Cypress, a Western Red Cedar (known as the Tree of Life by the Indigenous people), Cedars, Pines, and the fascinating Monkey Puzzle Trees whose origin is in both Chile and Argentina. The Douglas Fir and many species of Pine trees such as the Scotch Pine are included in this section along with the Norway Spruce and the Bird Nest’s Spruce that can be found at Government House.
This book is a complete reference book for readers who enjoy the beauty of trees. There is an in-depth index that enables the reader to look up a particular tree and find its story. Alternatively, the book allows you to wander the streets of Greater Victoria and discover all the surprises. As a bonus, there is a bibliography enabling readers to delve even further into the history of trees by reading other books.
Back in his introduction, the author explained perhaps why some of these trees have thrived for thousands of years on the traditional lands of the First Nations People, known as Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. “For thousands of years this land,” Varner writes, “with its temperate climate, rich vegetation, and natural harbors, has been a vibrant hub for dwelling, growing, building, creating and trading. Trees have played a vibrant role in this region’s identity, culture, and economy for as long as humans have lived here…” Modern day Victoria has certainly benefitted from the care, climate, and love of past generations.
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Valerie Green was born and educated in England, where she studied journalism and law. Her passion was always for writing from the moment she first held a pen. After working at the world-famous Foyles Books in London (followed by a brief stint with MI5 and legal firms), she moved to Canada in 1968 and embarked on a long career as a freelance writer, columnist, and author of over twenty nonfiction historical and true-crime books. In 2024, Hancock House released Tomorrow, the final volume of The McBride Chronicles (after Providence, Destiny, and Legacy). Now semi-retired (although writers never really retire!) Green enjoys taking short road trips around BC with her husband, watching their two beloved grandsons grow up and, of course, writing. [Editor’s note: Valerie Green has recently reviewed books by Christy K. Lee, Faye Bayko, Joanne Thomson, Joan Steacy, R.W. Butler, and John D’Eathe for The British Columbia Review.]
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The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
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