"Not a tree I am still very much enjoying my walks in the woods, but now that winter has practically arrived I am already missing all the beautiful wildflowers I met last summer. It's really thrilling to me to know there are such beautiful and even many rare plants growing here in the north woods. So, just for the fun of it, I decided to go through my pictures again and make a list of the plants and flowers I've identified so far. I know that I'm just scratching the surface of all there is to know about them, so if you see anything that I've identified incorrectly, please do tell me! 😊 The world of plants seems boundless and I am overwhelmed at how much there is to learn. I'm hoping to continue learning whatever I can over the winter...there is truly no plant that doesn't fascinate me! And yet I don't mind being mystified by plants sometimes. I am currently reading a wonderful book called Bogs of the Northeast, by Charles W. Johnson, and these words in the preface perfectly describe my feelings about plants (and bogs!): "While the scientist in us seeks to understand them, the poet in us wants to keep them away from complete discovery, safe in some shadow of mystery". Red Trillium (Trillium erectum), also called Wake Robin or Stinking Benjamin, was the first flower that greeted me on my first walk in the woods last spring... Bunchberry Dogwood (Cornus canadensis)... The "bunchberries" in early fall... Swamp Red Currant (Ribes triste)... Close-up of the flowers... And Black, or Bristly, Swamp Currant (Ribes lacustre)... Bluebead Lily (Clintonia borealis)... The blue berries ripen in the fall. Canada May-lily (Maianthemum canadense), also called Canadian Lily-of-the-Valley, Canada Mayflower, and Two-leaved Solomon's Seal! The unripe fruit in early fall, which eventually ripens to red. Starflower (Trientalis borealis) is very aptly named! Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) is a very common understory plant. The rhizome is sometimes used as a substitute for Sassafras in homemade root beer...hmm, I want to try that!! It is funny sometimes that even though I am certainly no botanist, I can sometimes instinctively guess what family a plant belongs in. When I first noticed this plant, for some reason Ginseng came to mind (I don't even know what Ginseng looks like!). It turns out they are in the same family! I was just talking about this to my sister earlier today and she immediately replied, "Animal instincts"! 😁 Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum)...from what I have read, it is somewhat uncommon in Maine but is locally abundant right in this area! I counted at least three small patches in the woods last summer. Water or Bog Avens (Geum rivale)... Guelder Rose, or American Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. americanum)... The fall fruit is very tart but I thought it was delicious! Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) is possibly my favorite wildflower... Pink Lady's Slipper or Moccasin Flower (Cypripedium acaule) grows abundantly on Cypripedium Hill... Climbing Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)... "The nightshade's deadly berries"... A fleabane (Erigeron), not sure which species! I love the pinkish tint on the petals... I believe this is Feathery False Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) but found it too late to see it in bloom this year. I think this is American Brooklime (Veronica americana)... Northern Wood Sorrel (Oxalis montana)... North Wind Bog Orchid (Platanthera aquilonis) grows in damp areas deep in the woods... There is even a small patch of Forget-me-nots in the woods! My first impression when I found these (a few years ago) was that maybe there had been a garden here years ago (our land is part of an original 150 year old pioneer farmstead), but now I know that these are native! There are so many different species though, I dare not attempt to figure out which these are! There are also a few different species of Shinleaf here. I'm thinking this is Pyrola elliptica... Self-heal, or Heart-of-the-earth (Prunella vulgaris) is a pretty and unobtrusive member of the mint family, believed by the Chinese to be able to "change the course of a chronic disease". Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)... Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine)...a pretty and very common orchid, native to Europe. Tall Rattlesnake Root (Nabalus altissimus)... One section of the woods is completely carpeted with Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and is a beautiful sight in late summer! Whorled Wood Aster (Oclemena acuminata) was one of the last flowers to bloom in our woods... I can hardly wait to see Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) in bloom next spring! Even more exciting is Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus) which also blooms in early spring. I think an interest in plants is one of the happiest things a person can be born with. There will always be something new and exciting!
*A quick side note...The internet company we use has the monopoly in this area and now plans to almost double their rates. So, unless we can work something out with them, we will not have internet service at home much longer. Just wanted to let everyone know because I'm not sure how much more time we have on our current plan-it could be until next month, or it could be tomorrow! I do plan to continue my blog, even if it has to be from the library, but of course my posts may not be as frequent, and I don't know if I'll be able to do pictures. Oh well...where there's a will there's a way! And hopefully it's a false alarm anyhow. 😊
10 Comments
Glenda Webster
11/12/2018 07:19:37 pm
Thanks for the recap of the summer flowers. it was very enjoyable in this cold weather. Sorry to hear about your internet troubles. I hope they will work out for you.
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Jean
11/13/2018 08:44:51 am
Loved the pictures! Thank you!
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I'm sorry to learn that your internet service is giving you trouble. It really is important that everyone these days has affordable internet. Hope it works out because I really like your posts!
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Veleria
11/13/2018 04:13:01 pm
I just hate these large corp. companies. They don't care, it is all about the dollar. I hope that you can work something out. I really enjoy seeing your flower post and your walks in the woods. You are very fortunate to live in such a wonderful place. I will miss you if you can't work it out. Here is hoping. Veleria
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JanetLee
11/13/2018 05:48:04 pm
Stunning! Thanks so much for sharing and naming these lovely plants.
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AuthorI am a passionate gardener and seed-saver, who also enjoys playing the violin and accordion, running, spending time with my 4 golden retrievers, keeping chickens, photography, and reading. Archives
March 2019
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