Saturday, May 9, 2015

The Woods Wear White in May

Not only does the Chionanthus continue to look stunning (see previous post) it's delicate white blossoms have been joined by a host of other white flowers.

First we have one of the Hawthorns, species unknown, but in the genus Crataegus.



Next we have a wild rose, which in real life has a blush of pink, possibly Rosa carolina.


This next plant is almost certainly Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum biflorum, although the pictures in my field guides have wider leaves than the ones I see. This delicate plant is not very showy, but enchants me nonetheless.


Here's a not-so-great shot of the stem and leaves. I've had a devil of a time trying to get a decent picture of this plant.



It's always fun to find something I've never noticed before. This appears to be another Hawthorn, possibly Crataegus flabellata.



Wild blackberries (in the Rubus genus) are so common they become dull. Nonetheless, the profusion of blooms on this specimen caught my eye.


It literally took me 30 or 40 shots to get a half decent picture of Heart's-a-bustin' (Euonymous americanus). While this flower is inconspicuous and smaller than a dime, later in the year it produces stunning red berries. Unfortunately, I rarely see the berries, as the deer usually browse the plant long before the berries mature. 



For a bit of color, we can throw Wintercress into the mix (Barbarea verna).  [CORRECTION 4/26/16: This is Small's Ragwort, Packera anonyma].


Blue Eyed Grass also adds a bit of variety (Sisyrinchium angustifolium). This tiny flower, if I'm not mistaken, is in the lily family. Up close, it's quite stunning.



To see additional posts in this series, click the "yearinthewoods" label in the left column.

Here's a description of my wildflower "hunting" techniques and the references I use to identify them:
http://timberwalkers.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-find-native-wildflowers-and.html

Here's a description of how I take photos:
http://timberwalkers.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-take-half-decent-photos-of.html

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