This past week I was determined to find some real live, growing things. I’m happy to say that my quest was a success.
The snow has melted in the woods now, so both hiking and finding plants has become easier.
White clover (Trifolium repens) was looking very spring like in a ditch beside the road.
Coltsfoot bloomed happily in yet another roadside ditch. Other than skunk cabbage, this is the first wildflower I’ve seen this spring. The plant’s lack of leaves and the scaly stems make coltsfoot hard to confuse with dandelions. Coltsfoot originally comes from Europe, Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive weed in some areas. It has been used medicinally for thousands of years, but it can be toxic to the liver if it isn’t prepared correctly.
Composite flowers are highly evolved, and coltsfoot is a plant with this type of flower. It has flat, petal like ray flowers in a corolla around the outside of a central disk shaped area that holds disk flowers. Botanically speaking, each “flower’ on this plant is actually a flower head made up of many flowers. This photo shows the lily like, pollen bearing center disk flowers just starting to open.
I’ve seen several mushrooms, even when there was snow on the ground, and I’m convinced that many mushrooms that guide books describe as “late fall” mushrooms also grow in early spring. There is a group of mushrooms called LBMs, (for little brown mushrooms) that can be very poisonous and are often hard to identify. Since I haven’t been able to identify this one I’ll just call it a little brown mushroom. I can’t vouch for its edibility, but I know that I wouldn’t eat it.
Pussy willows can be seen everywhere now.
Every now and then nature will put something in your path that leaves you standing silently- awestruck at the beauty before you. I had one of those moments when I saw hundreds of these beautiful male alder catkins (Alnus glutinosa) hanging from shrubs that surrounded a small pond. Soon the wind will blow pollen from these catkins to the waiting female flowers.
Two weeks ago these poplar (Populus) catkins were as small as pussy willows, but now they have lengthened in preparation for pollen release. The poplar family is split into 3 main groups: the cottonwoods, the aspens, and the balsam poplars. This tree is in the aspen group. The female blossoms appear on different trees and, if pollination is successful, they will develop cottony seeds that will fill the air in May. The old New England Yankee name for this tree was popple.
The flower buds of our native evergreen trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens,) also called Canada Mayflower, are all set to bloom once it gets a little warmer. These small, waxy, 5 petaled blossoms are very fragrant, and can be white or pink. This plant is also called gravel plant because the Shaker religious sect sold it as a remedy for kidney stones. Native Americans also used the plant for kidney ailments, indigestion, and joint pain. Modern tests have shown that the plant can be toxic. Trailing arbutus was nearly picked into extinction in the past because of its strong, pleasant, almost tropical scent. Its flowers should never be picked.
Nobody will be picking this flower because of its pleasant scent! We’ve probably all seen enough pictures of skunk cabbages to last us until next spring, but what we are usually seeing is the splotchy, red / purple / yellowish-green hood that covers the actual flower. This hood is called a spathe and protects the flower, which is called a spadix. In this photo you can see the spadix inside the spathe, as well as flecks of pollen on the outside surfaces. The plant’s disagreeable odor attracts the flies and bees which pollinate it. Occasionally hungry black bears just out of hibernation will eat these flowers, but most animals leave them alone.
The plant in the previous photo had a spathe with an opening that was large enough to sneak the lens of my Panasonic Lumix into, so here is a close up shot of the spadix, or flower, covered in pollen. If the plant is successfully pollinated it will produce a round, red fruit head that will contain several berry like fruits. Each fruit will have a single seed. The strange lighting in this photo is from the sun shining through the spathe wall.
The leaves of mountain haircap moss curl around the stem when they’re dry. The upright fruiting bodies are called sporophytes and each is covered by a pointed, whitish cap, called a calyptra. Each calyptra is covered with hairs and that is where the name haircap comes from. As the capsules, shown in the following photo, containing the spores mature and enlarge these calyptrae will fall away.
These are the tiny capsules that contain the spores of mountain haircap moss. They are 4 sided like a box and have a lid, which eventually falls off to release the spores to the wind. The capsules in this photo lost their lids and released their spores last summer, but were still standing.
Go out, go out I beg of you
and taste the beauty of the wild.
Behold the miracle of the earth
with all the wonder of a child.
~Edna Jacques
Thanks for stopping in.
Our aspen are in “bloom,” as well…catkins hanging…and the pollen will soon be flying through the air and lining the edges of our windshields…. Nice photos, Allen.
We’re seeing pollen here now but, even as an allergy sufferer, I can welcome spring with open arms.
I’m still knocking on wood over here…ever since moving up from Arizona, my allergies have diminished to almost nothing…..
The skunk cabbage is amazing and I envy you it – though perhaps not the smell. I assumed it must be an arum but no, apparently not. And I think you very wise in not eating the lbm – it certainly looks very poisonous. Dave
You were right Dave-the skunk cabbage is an arum and I should have mentioned that in the post. I also should have said that the “flower” is actually a flower head, with all of the little pink nubs covered in pollen the actual petal-less flowers. It certainly is an interesting plant. I never eat any plant that I’m not 100% certain of, especially mushrooms. That one does look a little sinister.
I’m blown away by those male alder catkins! Talk about nature’s beauty!!
I also love the skunk cabbage photo…of all of them I think that’s my favorite shot!
Thanks! Not many people care much for skunk cabbage but I think it has its own kind of beauty. Maybe it just takes a while to appreciate it.
Very informative, as usual. Our first wildflowers are some kind of chickweed with little blue flowers, henbit, and coltsfoot. I’m always happy to see them because I know the spring ephemerals aren’t far behind!
I know-I’ve been looking around expecting to see some spring beauties and trout lillies coming up, but haven’t seen any yet. It won’t be long with temps in the 60s!
I’m about to go out for a walk in the New Forest (old Hampshire UK) and I’m pretty sure I won’t find as many interesting things as you did. Last time, a week or so ago, the most exciting thing was some shelf fungus on a dead tree, although maybe things have changed this week 🙂
I hope you find something green and growing! Sometimes those shelf fungi can be interesting.
I visited your blog the other day when you took a walk through a very wet area but I couldn’t figure out how to leave a comment.
Thanks for having a look. Sounds like that was the fifteen mile deer leap walk. The comment thing is right at the bottom of the page.
Nope-I just went back again to your latest post and don’t see any way to leave a comment, or any sign that anyone else has left comments. All there are is buttons for Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and all of that.
How strange. I just went in there via google search a d left a test comment. There is a comment box under the FB like and the little bit about me. Not sure why you can’t see it.
I’m not sure either. Yours is the only blog it happens on, that I know of. I’ll try again later on-maybe it’s just a kink that needs to work itself out.
Update: I can see the comment box on every one of your pages except the home page.
How strange. Oh well, feel free to leave a comment any time. I’ve just posted a out a lovely walk in Beaulieu in the New Forest, you might like some of the photos of ponies, geese, ducks and the odd rabbit hole (I think) 🙂
Thanks-I’ll be sure and check out your latest, whether I can comment or not!
The Coltsfoot is pretty. I haven’t seen any of it in this area. We have a variety of catkins blooming too. They are indeed beautiful!
There is a western coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus) that I know will grow in Oregon but I don’t know if it grows in your area, Montucky. Catkins really are beautiful, but people don’t pay much attention to them.
I went looking for coltsfoot about a week ago and didn’t find in in the places I’ve seen it before. I’ll have to look again.
I HAVE picked arbitus flowers on my property before, but it gorws here in abundance. The flowers are edible. And tasty.
This coltsfoot was growing where I’ve never seen it before, and isn’t growing in the places that I expected to see it. At least, not yet. I don’t think picking one or two mayflowers is going to destroy the species, but back in the days when nosegays were popular people picked the plant nearly into oblivion. I still find patches of this plant and pipsissewa with shovel sized scoops taken from them.
I love the detail of your macro photos. The eclectic nature of your grouping and the outstanding technical quality makes them quite engaging.
Thank you Charlie, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Gret macro shots, the moss spore capsules especially. I did a walk through the thawed ground in the backyard the other day and saw nothing growing. I think I need a more finely tuned eye– at least with Your posts I know what to look for. Thanks!
You’re welcome Sue. It seems like there is always something growing, but at this time of year they can be hard to find.
Enjoyed the walk as usual. Some of us don’t have skunk cabbage growing in our neck of the woods, and are glad to see pictures of it.
It can be a hard plant to find. I know there is a western variety, but I’m not sure if it grows in your area or not.
Those alder and poplar catkins are awesome. The skunk cabbage is … interesting.
I like catkins-they are really the first spring flowers. The skunk cabbage can also be quite smelly. Getting my camera lens inside one meant that I also had my nose real close to it, but it wasn’t too bad this time. I think the leaves have more of an odor than the flowers.
Interesting and informative as usual. I am working to improve my eye and you are a good motivator on that respect.
Thanks! I’m glad to be able to repay you for motivating me to try to become a better photographer.
Excellent all around! I love the macro shot of the coltsfoot! The first shot of the trees is also really beautiful.
Thanks Melanie! The coltsfoot shot was taken with the Lumix.
Excellent post! It looks as though you’re a week or two ahead of us here in lower Michigan, they still have several feet of snow on the ground up north. I’ll be looking for some of these things tomorrow.
Thanks Jerry. All of the sudden it warmed up enough to get things started. We still have snow and ice in shaded areas, but most of it has melted. I hope you find what you go looking for tomorrow. I’m off to find some leatherwood shrubs today. (I hope)
It’s great to see that winter is finally releasing you from its clutches. I especially enjoyed the photos of the different catkins.
Finally is the word Mike. It seems to have been a long winter, even though it was no longer than average. I think we were all spoiled by last year’s warm winter.
Nice to see things advancing. I am looking forward to seeing some photos of the trailing arbetus in flower. I’ve only seen beautiful standard ones ins shops over here, but they are not perfumed.
I’m sure you’ll see many photos of them over the next few weeks. I’m always on the lookout for the pink ones. It’s too bad that plant breeders sacrificed scent for size.
Great post! I’m hiking out to Beaver Brook Falls today, I hope I see so signs of spring too!
That’s a fairly easy hike. I went out there twice this winter. Watch out for ice near the falls though!