Another Visit to the Woods

Since my first Spring walk in the woods, I have gone exploring at least once a week, and sometimes every day! I am developing quite an interest in the woodland plants I'm finding and having such fun photographing and learning about them! So here are some of my favorites. :)

But before we enter the woods, I had to show you the amazing growth of this Japanese Knotweed! I'd say it beats even my Castor Bean plants for rapid growth! It is very invasive and almost impossible to get rid of, but I rather like the look of it and admire its hardiness. I've seen smaller patches of it elsewhere and it only grows to about 5 feet, but here it reaches over 10 feet high! This picture was taken about May 30th.

And this was taken May 16th! 

There are so many ferns in the woods that I don't pay much attention to them. However, I loved this picture in the dappled sunlight!

This is probably the most numerous flower in our woods...the Canadian Bunchberry or Bunchberry Dogwood (Cornus canadensis). Immature flowers are green, but then turn white.

I can't figure out what this plant is. The stems are quite prickly and remind me of raspberry bushes, but the flowers are quite interesting!

This one has slightly different leaves, but the same flowers.

Blue-bead Lily or Clinton's Lily (Clintonia borealis). (Named after former NY governor, DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828).  Hunters in North Quebec used to rub the roots on their traps to attract bears. I wonder if it really works?

And speaking of bears...our neighbors took this picture recently. They estimate him to be 300-350 pounds. Another neighbor has his paw prints on the side of her house (he was looking for the bird feeder)! Our dumpster was raided one night, but he doesn't usually come around because of the dogs.

I was thrilled to find a few small patches of Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum). ​I read from a few different sources that they are actually somewhat uncommon in Maine, and that the pink Lady's Slippers are seen more often. 

Only one is fully open yet...

This little one is aptly named Starflower (Trientalis borealis)!

And many thanks to Eliza Waters for helping me identify this lovely flower (Maianthemum canadense)! It actually goes by several names including False or Canadian Lily-of-the-valley, Canada Mayflower, Canadian May-lily and Two-leaved Solomonseal. It is sweetly fragrant, too!