Skelkelosen Pollinator Seed Blend

Learn about the seed blend that Surrey Parks created with the Coast Salish Plant Nursery to increase biodiversity, attract pollinators, and raise awareness of the important cultural uses of these native-to-B.C. wildflowers.

The Project

Surrey is situated on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, including the q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), and Semiahma (Semiahmoo).

We are honoured to be able to work with the Coast Salish Plant Nursery and support their work in reconciliation through conservation. We are grateful for the knowledge they have shared with us and are proud to be able to share this with our community and grow the City’s pollinator conservation actions.

Skelkelosen seed pack. — Bee artwork by Semiahmoo artists Roxanne Charles, and Easton and Feather Arnouse

Skelkelosen means dream – or vision – in Xwlemi Chosen, a language shared among North Straits Nations on both sides of the border. This language, along with SENĆOŦEN, is being revitalized by the Semiahmoo people of Surrey.

Learn more from Indigenous Ethnobotanist, Cease Wyss T’uy’t’tanat:

Our Parks teams will be giving these seed packs away at select programs this spring! You can also look for these plants at your local nursery.

The Plants

Learn about each plant's cultural significance, wildlife value, care instructions, and more.

SENĆOŦEN	English	Latin
SḴEX̱	Nodding onion	Allium cernuum
–	Common woolly sunflower	Eriophyllum lanatum
ṮELIḰEȽP	Western yarrow	Achillea millefolium
–	Fireweed	Chamerion angustifolium
–	Miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata
–	Self-heal	Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata
–	Red columbine	Aquilegia formosa
–	Farewell-to-spring	Clarkia amoena
ḰȽO¸EL	Common camas	Camassia quamash
KEXMIN	Biscuit root or Wild parsley	Lomatium nudicaule

In collaboration with the Coast Salish Plant Nursery.