2011 spring wildflower thread

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Some more...

Bluets (Houstonia caerulea)

Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens)

Round-lobed Hepatica (Anemone americana)

Round-lobed Hepatica (Anemone americana)

Bloodroot (Sanguanaria canadensis)

Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)

KDT

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Blanding's Turtles are of special interest to the state biologists. You should report your sightings - http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Nongame/reptiles_amphibians.htm

Tim

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Thanks, Tim...

but way ahead of ya! Second year in a row I've spotted one in a previously unreported area. It's been suggested I am a "Turtle Whisperer", but I know I just muck about where most other's won't go. There's a turtle for every square yard of every pond, bog and marsh in North America. I'm not so sure these guys are as rare as they say... but I'm willin' to go along with the theory since I can't prove otherwise. Yet...

KDT

 

[nartreb]

Trout lilies have started blooming in Framingham. I've also got my eye on some Jack-in-the-pulpit that are growing fast.

 

[nartreb]

hepatica jackpot!

A few samples from the mother lode (click to expand):

About 1PM, wide open:



Nearly 6 PM, closing for the night:


Last rays:


More photos here: Hepatica in Pawtuckaway

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Great stuff!

Interesting to note the color difference in Clay's Hepatica shot in the Ossipees as opposed to Dave's shot further south... I have not found the rich blue hues that make Clay's so stunning here, south of the mountains. Mostly the subtle pinkish/purples and whites as in Dave's shots. I wonder if it has to do with minerals in the soil?

Here's a few from today:

Sessile-leaved Bellwort "Wild Oats" (Uvularia sessilifolia)

Wake Robin (Trillium erectum)

Wake Robin (Trillium erectum)

KDT

 

[nartreb]

I went to check on the trout lilies I'd spotted last week - there are more of them now, but they're all closed pretty tight (it had been raining most of the day):

On the way I made a very interesting find:

My best guess is T. sessile. USDA PLANTS database doesn't show any presence in Massachusetts, but the spot where I found them had been a garden not too long ago, so they may have been planted there.

 

[Jason Berard]

from a trip to Enfield, NH today.

bloodroot

red-spotted newt (aquatic stage)

spring beauties-to-be

virgin's bower from last year

and this little guy

 

[Jason Berard]

I found one female flower of Corylus cornuta (beaked hazelnut) in bloom today in the woods behind my house.

This is the second time that I have heard someone mention beaked hazelnut recently! The first time was at a talk given by Sue Morse. She mentioned it as an important mast tree. She also said when we are in the woods, we should be thinking we are in critter's refrigerator. Depending on the woods, and the mast trees around, etc., the fridge might be bare! Just because you're in the woods doesn't mean that the fridge is full.

Anyway, I saw some beaked hazelnut in bloom today. Apologies for the picture quality. I only had my phone.

and with catkins

Also lots of young blue cohosh around, as well as trillium near to blooming. Trout Lily, too! I'll go back to this spot on Saturday with a better camera!

 

[Elizabeth]

April 27, 2011
Bloodroot in Lyme, New Hampshire:


Bloodroot, Big Rock Trail, Lyme by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

And Indian Poke (veratrum):


Indian Poke, Big Rock Trail, Lyme by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

 

[nartreb]

Elizabeth, that second photo looks more like Indian Poke (veratrum) to me.

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

More...

Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris)

Bloodroot (Sanguanaria canadensis)

Garden Lupine

Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana)

Sessile-leaved Bellwort "Wild Oats" (Uvularia sessilifolia)

Wood Anenome (Anenome quinqueifolia)

KDT

 

[Elizabeth]

Elizabeth, that second photo looks more like Indian Poke (veratrum) to me.

Sorry, my bad. There was a skunky smell around that got me confused. I have made the correction.

 

[1HappyHiker]

The wildflowers shown below were seen 28-Apr-2011 in the Crescent Range in the general vicinity of Mt. Randolph.
If I've misidentified any of these, please let me know. I'm extremely "flower-ID challenged"!

Yellow Violet

Coltsfoot

Dutchman's Breeches (unopened)

Trout Lilly (unopened)

Trillium (unopened)

Spring Beauty

 

[grouseking]

Purple Trillium Hanover NH 4/30/11

 

[Jason Berard]

I was in SW Vermont today for a basketball tournament. As you would expect, they are ahead of us in the Upper Valley! We saw marsh marigolds, hobblebush and shadbush all in bloom.

 

[Elizabeth]

Orford, New Hampshire. Cross Rivendell Trail up Sunday Mountain from the west. Shown are flowers found from lowest to highest elevation (~800 - 1,700 feet).


Round-lobed Hepatica by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Round-leaved Yellow Violet by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Spring Beauty by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr


Trailing Arbutus maybe by Elizabeth W.K., on Flickr

 

[nartreb]

It may take me a few days to come back and fill in photos, but:

In Framingham, the trout lilies are mostly done and dropping, the mysterious non-native trilliums are starting to look slightly aged, and the jack-in-the-pulpit are finally blooming.

Trout lily on Friday:

I hiked the Lincoln-Lafayette loop on Sunday. Shoots (er, leaves) of trout lilies are abundant at the usual places (notably, the section of the Falling Waters trail between Walker Brook and Dry Brook); saw one leaf cluster of trillium too, very low on Old Bridle Path. Up by the viewing ledges on Agony Ridge there's lots of arbutus, mostly just starting to bud with one plant in bloom. Nothing much happening above treeline so far.

Later this week: time to check the Boston suburbs for lady's-slipper orchids.

 

[Jason Berard]

from today, walking in the West Newbury, VT:

blue cohosh

can't remember what this is...

neat looking squirrel corn

young blue cohosh plant

spring beauty

can't remember this either!!

more beaked hazelnut

and this little guy

 

[arghman]

Jason: your "can't remember these" are both Cardamine spp.; the first is Cardamine diphylla, the second is Cardamine concatenata (common in areas of VT, but rare in NH and ME; if anyone sees it there please report to the state natural heritage bureau)