I was in Victoria the weekend of November 4, staying near Rockland, behind Craigdarrogh Castle. I was surprised how many Quercus garryana there were, finally understanding that the issue of the Garry Oaks is the ecosystem itself - the trees seem fine, huge and ubiquitous (though permission is required to even prune them), but the plants that would accompany them have been replaced with houses and landscaping. I also noticed several vigorous clematis, wondered if they might be Clematis occidentalis, which could be native there. Maybe a trip back in the spring is in order to see the flowers.
Thank you. I'm glad to see that something that looks so badly mannered is not the native one. Interestingly, Wikipedia says "Clematis vitalba is an invasive plant in most places, including many in which it is native". I thought that should be a misuse of the term "invasive".
