About two weeks ago the sun came out and has stayed out, and each day has been warmer than the last. The eighty degree temperatures make it feel like summer and I have to keep reminding myself that it’s still early May. Of course, the sunny days mean no rain and we are starting to see the effects of that.
The boulders at a local reservoir show that the water level is about three feet lower than it should be. The water level is drawn down in the fall to make room for snow melt and spring rains. Unfortunately the spring rains haven’t happened this year and now we are about 4 inches below normal.
This has been our weather-not a cloud in the sky-for about 15 days.
Some plants have been affected by the lack of rain but not this weeping willow (Salix babylonica,) which was in full flower the day I visited it. Weeping willows like a lot of water so it was surprising to see the tree in such fine shape.
Ferns are still coming up in the wetter areas. These are the silvery fiddleheads of evergreen Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides.)
The fronds of cinnamon ferns (Osmunda cinnamomea) are just starting to unfurl. These ferns seem to prefer wet areas. That’s where I see most of them growing.
In spite of the dryness coltsfoot held up well and had quite a long blooming season. Now the wind is doing its job of distributing the seeds. Once the seed heads have disappeared the leaves will begin to grow. One of coltsfoot’s common names is “son before the father” because of the way the flowers appear before the leaves.
I was surprised to see several false morel mushrooms in such dry soil. I think these are Gyromitra esculenta. This is a mushroom that you don’t want to eat by mistake. According to Tom Volk’s fungus identification website these fungi contain a chemical called gyromitrin (N-methyl-N-formylhydrazine), which is metabolized to monomethylhydrazine when eaten. This is rocket fuel. Really-rocket fuel-and it destroys red blood cells in human beings who are unlucky enough to ingest it. People have even gotten sick from inhaling the steam produced by boiling these fungi.
Rattlesnake weed (Hieracium venosum) got its common name from the way people thought it grew where there were rattlesnakes. We have timber rattlers in New Hampshire but they are as rare as a blue moon. This plant has flowers that resemble those of yellow hawkweed, but I like its purple veined leaves. I can’t say for sure how rare this plant is in New Hampshire but I’ve seen only one in my lifetime, and this is it. It is listed as endangered in Maine. This plant grows in a dry, sandy spot in full sun.
The new leaves of red baneberry (Actaea rubra) always look tortured to me- as if they were in a gale force wind. I like looking at them and have pictures from last year that I keep telling myself I’m going to draw. Someday. This plant is already showing flower buds and will later have poisonous red berries. The leaves closely resemble those of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa.) This one grows on an embankment that never dries out completely. They seem to like a lot of water.
I thought I’d show what the fruit of skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) looks like when it is forming for those of you who have been following along and watching the plant’s development. The fruit is contained within the splotchy purple/yellow/brown spathe and will ripen between July and September. These plants like low, swampy places that are wet in spring but don’t seem to mind a little dryness later in the year.
These tiny new oak leaves were red and fuzzy. I ‘ve been reading about why new spring leaves aren’t green in many species of trees and have found, according to the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative, that trees require plenty of light and warmth to begin producing the chlorophyll that makes them green. When there is a cloudy, cool spring trees will not be able to produce chlorophyll and their leaves will stay red (or orange, yellow or another color) until the weather turns sunny and warmer. Oak leaves are among the last to appear in spring, so it hasn’t enjoyed the last two weeks of warm, sunny weather.
These new poplar leaves are also fuzzy, and almost completely without color. It is the only tree I know of that has white leaves in spring. Trees keep a weather history in their rings and I wonder if someone in the future will read our history and see that we’ve had very strange weather over the past three years.
The new leaves of shagbark hickory (Carya ovate) are green from the start, but the insides of the bud scales that enclosed and protected the new growth are fantastic shades of orange, pink, and yellow. They are so colorful and unusual that they are sometimes mistaken for flowers. It seems like in spring every plant wants to show how beautiful it can be.
As soon as I started writing this post telling you how sunny and dry it was, clouds rolled in and we’ve had scattered showers for the last two days. Who says Mother Nature doesn’t have a sense of humor?
To look at any thing,
If you would know that thing,
You must look at it long.
~ John Moffitt
Thanks for coming by. Happy mother’s day to all of you moms!
Wonderful post Allen. When we left for our cruise, there were hardly any leaves out. It always amazes me how quickly it changes!
Thanks Laura. I know what you mean-keeping up with the wildflowers is always hectic at this time of year.
We have had somewhat similar weather here too. Interesting. I think the dryness has inhibited many of the wildflowers and changed the blooming period for others, at least at the lower elevations. I suspect that things are more normal higher up.
I’m fascinated by skunk cabbage, but it doesn’t grow here.
Actually there is a plant called western skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) that is supposed to grow in wet areas of the Pacific Northwest and, according to the USDA, Montana. It’s much prettier than ours and is described as smelling “sweet.”
I’ve seen photos of that, but have never found one, even though I look for them whenever I’m in a wet or boggy area. I will keep looking!
Blimey Allen, what extremes you have to deal with. It was only recently that you were contending with deep snow and ice and now you have the beginnings of drought. Gorgeous photos as ever. Dave
Thanks Dave. Yes, our weather has been off track for two years or more. At least we got some beneficial rain yesterday!
What a beautiful river shot, Allen. Have been waiting to see it surrounded in green again…very nice.
Thanks Scott. That shot of the river is taken from one of my favorite perches, so it has appeared here several times.
Loved all the pictures… meandering. Wish I could send you some of our rain. It’s still too wet to start gardening.
We’re getting real rain today-all afternoon so far, so things are looking up. I hope your rain stops soon. You, Michigan and Minnesota have all had your share of lousy weather this spring.
I had to check out your morel pictures against some I’d taken recently as I got a bit worried but I think mine were the edible ones. I came across a Belgian site that said your Gyromitra esculenta were not recognised as poisonous until the ’60s! Presumably not many people had taken the chance of eating them before that. Its great to see what your spring brings forth.
One thing I learned about these fungi is that real morels have hollow stems and false morels do not. That seems to be the easiest way to tell them apart.It seems odd that these mushrooms weren’t seen as poisonous until the 60s and I wonder why. I’ll have to do a little more reading on Tom Volk’s web site. If you haven’t seen his work you can find it here: http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/may2002.html He knows more about mushrooms than I ever will. I think if you had eaten false mores at the very least you would have had terrible gastric upset.
Some people still dispute their toxicity. My understanding is that the result of eating them is severe discomfort rather than death, and not everyone experiences the discomfort. I stay away from them.
Thanks for the info. I know that I wouldn’t eat them. They don’t look very palatable up close anyhow.
Nope. According to Wikipedia, they can result in death. Their toxicity is most definitely disputed though.
I thought Tom Volk’s page said that they were really toxic.
Really lovely landscape shot! I have never seen the fruits of skunk cabbage and will look for them, whenever it gets warm enough here to get things growing. Today is 40, windy, and cloudy. Brrr…, what a cold spring so far.
Thanks Sue. The skunk cabbage fruit starts off small enought to be enclosed in the spathe, and I tore one open to get that shot. I’m hoping to get photos of fully formed fruits this year if the bears don’t eat them first. Sorry to hear that your temperatures took another tumble. It’s cooler here but also very humid, and feels like rain.
I love the information and pictures that you share. It lets me look through the keyhole to gather information on a whole other world that appears to be quite beautiful and fascinating.,,,years of hiking and I have never seen the fruit of the skunk cabbage..
I’m glad you like what you see here Charlie. I’m hoping that people will find an interest in nature by visiting. I know what you mean about hiking for years without seeing certain things-I have a long list of things that I’d love to see.
Too bad about your run of overly pleasant weather. 😉 It did make for some very good photos though!
Thanks! It was pleasant that’s for sure, but also dry, and a drought that starts this early in the year wouldn’t be good.
We sure did need the rain, but that dry spell provided excellent canoe-building weather. I hope to have the gunwales on before Wednesday.
I’ve never seen rattlesnake weed, so I’m glad you found some and shared it with us.
I’m looking forward to seeing that canoe! All systems are still go on this end.
I’ve only seen skunk cabbage in one area and have never seen the fruit. Is it edible?
I certainly wouldn’t eat it, but I’ve heard that the root is edible if washed and boiled in several changes of water and then sliced very thin. The plant contains calcium oxalate crystals which burn the mouth and throat, so most animals won’t even eat it. Occasionally if bears wake early from hibernation and can’t find anything else, they will eat it.
Maybe you’re having our rain. We’ve had showers all this week and more forecast tonight. Great photos of all the new leaves and many plants we don’t see here 🙂
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that we were getting your weather since everything has been so wacky in the atmosphere lately. I’m always interested in what grows where and why, but I don’t find out why very often. Hope the race goes well!
Thanks. We’ve just arrived in London a d checked into the hotel. Now to try to get some sleep
It’s been quite dry here in the UK as well, which together with the very cold start to spring has meant that the season has been far from “normal”. I imagine the strange behaviour of the jet stream of late has caused both unusual springs.
By the way, some lovely shots here Allan. I particularly like the fern fiddleheads (it looks like you were laying down in the leaf litter for that one).
I know what you mean Jim-the weather has been odd for a few years now here. At least you’ve had some sunshine. I read a few blogs that are based in Scotland and it seems like those poor folks have had nothing but rainy cool weather for quite some time.
Yes, I was full out on the ground for that shot of the fiddleheads, as I am for many of these pictures. I hate to think about what I must look like to people as I come out of the woods sometimes!
Beautiful spring image of the Ashuelot River. Love the greens of early spring in New England.
Thank you Lori. I was thinking of you when I took that shot of the river, so I’m glad you like it. I remembered that you said you liked to see foliage on the trees.
I’m so glad you did! And thanks for thinking of me. I so appreciate it.
Beautiful shots of such a wide variety of plants and scenes. I especially like the fiddleheads and the skunk cabbage fruit.
Thanks Mike. I like fiddleheads too, and skunk cabbage is one of the most interesting plants I know of. I wonder if it grows in Virginia?
Once again an incredibly informative post with some great photos. We certainly could do with some of your sunshine.
Thank you Sandy. I know you need to see some sunshine in Scotland-you’ve certainly had a lot of rain. Maybe our weather will reach you since it usually travels from west to east.