# coastal brookfoam (*Boykinia occidentalis*) Coastal brookfoam is a lovely plant that grows near streams and rivers. It has soft, fluffy flowers that look like little clouds and loves to live in wet places. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![coastal brookfoam](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Boykinia_occidentalis_6571.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boykinia_occidentalis_6571.JPG) ## Appearance The coastal brookfoam has a cluster of small, airy white to cream-colored flowers held on reddish stems, looking like delicate foam. Its basal leaves are large, kidney-shaped with deeply lobed edges, creating a distinctive green carpet in damp areas. The combination of its frothy blooms and unique leaves makes it stand out from other woodland plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Saxifragales - **Family:** Saxifragaceae - **Genus:** Boykinia ## Interesting facts - Its name 'brookfoam' comes from its airy white flowers resembling foam on a stream! - This plant is like a natural sponge, loving wet, mossy places in the forest. - Tiny insects find its dainty blooms a perfect, sweet snack stop! - You can often find it growing right next to babbling brooks and waterfalls. ## Special abilities - **Moisture Magnet:** Coastal brookfoam has adaptations allowing it to thrive in extremely wet, boggy soils where many other plants would drown. - **Soil Anchor:** Its fibrous root system helps stabilize the soil along stream banks, preventing erosion and keeping the earth in place. - **Shade Dweller:** Coastal brookfoam can grow happily in deep shade under dense forest canopies, making the most of limited sunlight. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-60 cm - **Spread:** 15-40 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Mixed bumble bee (*Bombus mixtus*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** Dance fly (*Empis livida*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding pollination - **Eaten by:** [Mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — May browse on its leaves in forests ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify coastal brookfoam? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is coastal brookfoam? 20-60 cm ### How wide does coastal brookfoam spread? 15-40 cm ### How big are the flowers on coastal brookfoam? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does coastal brookfoam bloom? Summer ### Is coastal brookfoam edible? No ### Is coastal brookfoam toxic? None ### What is coastal brookfoam's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Juan de Fuca Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/juan-de-fuca-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Pinecone Burke Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pinecone-burke-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Coastal Brookfoam: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coastal-brookfoam)