Twinflower in the Gabriola woodsIsn’t it lovely? This is twinflower, or Linnaea borealis. It’s a tiny little groundcovering plant, and it’s in bloom all over Gabriola now. Look for it nestled under the salal at the side of the trail, or mixed in with the grass in your local meadow.

People who know about the history of plant names put down their wine glasses and perk right up when they discover a plant with Linnaea in its name. Wikipedia’s Linnaea borealis page explains: It is one of the few species to be named after Carolus Linnaeus. It was Linnaeus’ favourite plant, and when a young man he named this small twin flower Linnæa in his early papers.

Do you know about Linnaeus? He’s famous for his work in classifying and naming plants. If you’re interested in gardening, history, etymology, taxonomy, or any combination of those topics, Carl Linnaeus is going to be on your ‘fascinating people’ list.