03/21/2009 The Pocket

Bent White Trillium

Changes are occurring every day at The Pocket.  Probably the biggest news is that there are a couple of white trillium that are near opening, with one open enough to see the interior of the blossom (T. flexipes, probably.)

Listed below are the flowering plants I spotted, along with four others which aren’t yet flowering, but for which I identified the foliage for the first time this spring.

• Bellwort: Large-flowered bellwort are blooming in several locations now. 
• Bloodroot: I only spotted three blossoms, two of them north of the parking lot rather than down along the creek.  The seedpods are nicely formed on most plants.
• Blue cohosh:  Blooming, pretty easy to find along the boardwalk.
• Blue phlox: Numerous, not only along the horse trail as previously reported, but also along the boardwalk now.
• Chickweed has been blooming for a long time, but they are really looking nice now.  The dark anthers are showing well.
• Columbine: Several have flower buds, but I think we’re still a week or so away from a bloom.
• Dutchman’s breeches: Continuing a nice display; will probably be blooming for a couple more weeks.
• Foamflower: Several very nice bunches along the boardwalk.
• Hepatica blossoms are decreasing, but still easy to find.
• *Iris leaves are showing up along the slope from the horse trail down to the creek.
• *Mayapple:   Foliage is prominent, but difficult to spot from the trails along the creek.   There is a patch on a flat well above the creek just upstream from the end of the boardwalk. 
• *Miterwort (Bishop’s cap): I spotted one patch of them along the creek (see photo below.)
• Purple phacelia: Commonly open now.
• Rue anemone are numerous, and quite beautiful.
• *Solomon’s seal: Several  with little buds starting on them.  Most of the plants were less than a foot high.
• Spring Beauty:  Still many of them around, but not dominant/prominent like before.
• Toadshade (Trillium cuneatum): There was at least one with its bloom open.
• Toothworts: Waning, with most having lost more blossoms than remain.
• Trailing trillium: At peak, most with open blossoms.
• Trout lily:  Still numerous.
• Virginia bluebell: Numerous; I think I’m about ready to call “Peak!”
• Wild geranium: Starting to be common along the boardwalk, and numerous along the horse trail.
• Wood (celandine) poppy: Numerous, but not at peak yet.
• *Wood sorrel:  Single blossom spotted along the horse trail.
• Violets:
  • Canada violets:  There were only a few 4 days ago, numerous now.
  • Common blue violet:  Common in quantity, but uncommonly beautiful.
  • Downy yellow violet:  Hundreds of them.
  • Long-spurred violets: Quite numerous along the horse trail, as noted on the 18th.

* First spotting of the plant this season.

Miterwort