The odd shape flower has the right equipment on this rainy day with a built-in umbrella so that Jack in the Jack-in-the-Pulpit keeps his head dry.
A Dry Jack
Picture of the Day for May 18, 2022
The path through my woods reveal patches of blue and pink along the edges from the Virginia Bluebells. The native wildflower pink buds turn to a pretty blue when the blossoms open up.
Pretty Blue
Picture of the Day for May 16, 2022
The flower spring season seems to be compressed as flower varieties opened a few days ago are already done for the season instead of lasting longer. I spotted the first wild geranium open today, but hopefully these will last longer than the other spring wildflowers.
Wild Geraniums Blooming
Picture of the Day for May 13, 2022
When driving back from town today, I noticed large patches of trilliums blooming in the ditches. The Great White Trillium are a favorite snack of deer and with my population of deer, I only found three great white trilliums blooming in my woods this afternoon. And the blossoms are about a third of the normal size as the deer have grazed them too many times which prevents the plant the ability to store energy in the roots. And it may take 10 years before the plant blossoms the first time and the deer just eats my trilliums.
Not So Great
Picture of the Day for May 11, 2022
The hard rain earlier this week pounded the white petals off the bloodroots, but other flowers have opened overnight like the spring beauties, marsh marigolds, trout lilies and violets.
More Spring Color
Picture of the Day for May 5, 2022
After only seeing some leaves poking out of the ground for the last few days, the second wildflower of the season finally opened up. Although the bloodroot blossom closes back up at night or very cloudy days. When the root of the plant is cut, a reddish sap oozes out which leads to the plant’s common name of bloodroot.
Second Wildflower
Picture of the Day for May 3, 2022
The hepatica blossoms finally lifted up when the sun finally came out this afternoon, but they are still the only wildflowers that I have found so far this spring. I did find one leaf of the yellow trout lily, but blossoms only appear when there are two basal leaves which may take seven years before it blooms. A colony of the yellow trout lily may only have .5% plants that will bloom. so I don’t see a lot of these yellow blossoms.
Yellow Trout Lily
Picture of the Day for May 1, 2022
There was very few wildflowers to pick to put in a May Day basket this year as the Bloodroots leaves are just poking out but there is no hint of the Spring Beauties this spring yet.
Lost Spring Beauties
Picture of the Day for April 26, 2022
The one 60 degree day on Saturday helped to nudge spring a little bit as I noticed a warbler back today as well as the grass starting to green up some after the rain. At noon there was some buds of the Snow Glories and by this evening, one blossom had opened. The first wildflower buds of the Hepatica are ready to open but look a bit weary like they were frozen. It was in the 20s last night and will be again tonight so the flowers probably wished they waited another week before emerging.
Frozen Flower
Picture of the Day for April 25, 2022
The few brave flowers which have blossomed probably wished they could generate heat like the skunk cabbage can. Otherwise they need a tent with a heater to weather another night below freezing. The skunk cabbage have the ability to metabolically generate heat by cyanide resistant cellular respiration which can raise the temperature about 20 degrees.
Warm Skunk Cabbage
